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Mar 7, 2008 -- Legal Center Weekly Report: March 7, 2008 Files in SpeechNow.org 527 Case
The organization SpeechNow.org has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Robertson, J.) challenging the contribution limits imposed on so-called "independent committees" who seek to influence federal elections. On March 5, 2008, the Campaign Legal Center submitted an amici curiae brief along with Democracy 21, defending the contribution limits and urging the court to deny SpeechNow.org's motion for preliminary injunction. The Legal Center's motion for leave to participate as amici curiae is being opposed by SpeechNow.org, but not by the Federal Election Commission.
The amici brief notes that more than three decades ago the Supreme Court ruled in Buckley v. Valeo that such contribution limits pass constitutional muster, constituting only a "marginal restriction" on rights of speech and association. Again and again in the ensuing decades, the brief noted, the Supreme Court has recognized that laws to prevent the circumvention of contribution limits serve important government interests by protecting the integrity of campaign finance laws.
Judge James Robertson rejected arguments by SpeechNow.org attorneys to deny amici status to the Legal Center and Democracy 21 and issued an order granting the motion to file.
This week the Legal Center and other members of the Public Interest Public Airwaves Coalition (PIPAC) issued a statement commending the E.W. Scripps Company and its affiliate stations for making a commitment to provide political candidates with free access to publicly owned airwaves during the 2008 elections.
The Scripps decision will give all candidates an equal opportunity to receive exposure over the airwaves in the weeks prior to elections. The free airtime can be used for debates, interviews, or other public affairs formats that provide citizens with information and involvement they need to be informed and engaged voters.
Ukrainian Political Delegation Visits CLC
On March 7, Associate Legal Counsel Paul S. Ryan spoke to a delegation of political leaders from the Ukraine taking part in the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program. The delegation is being hosted by the Mississippi Consortium for International Development, one of a handful of non-profits in Washington, DC that administers this particular State Department public diplomacy program. The program brings emerging leaders from a variety of fields and from around the world to the U.S. for professional and cultural exchange. The focus of the Ukrainian delegation's visit to the CLC was a discussion of the regulation of money in U.S. elections.
Public Interest Obligations and the 2008 Elections
Campaign Legal Center Policy Director, Meredith McGehee, issued a statement at Monday's Public Interest Public Airwaves Coalition (PIPAC) event, Public Interest Obligations in the 21st Century: Where Do We Go from Here? The statement addressed broadcasters' lack of commitment to serving the public and called upon the FCC to follow through with the long-delayed creation and enforcement of new rules to govern public interest obligations for digital broadcasters.
The March 3rd event highlighted PIPAC's success on the disclosure requirements issued by the FCC which incorporated 17 of the 19 coalition recommendations. The discussions also focused on the FCC's localism proceeding and the public interest obligations of broadcasters. Featured speakers included FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein.
Legal Center Blog Highlights
Each week, the Campaign Legal Center staff posts blog entries on its site, www.clcblog.org. Click to read this week's entries: "SpeechNow.org's Opposition to CLC & D21 Amici Participation Rejected," "Fear of the Paper Tiger," "CLC Files Amicus in SpeechNow.org 527 Case," "Public Interest Obligations and the 2008 Elections," "NAM Sues to Keep Public In the Dark," or to sign up for the blog, click here.
To read a variety of this week's editorials and articles on a variety of Campaign Legal Center issues, please click here. |
