Aug 5, 2009 -- Real Truth About Obama 527 Held Accountable by Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

On August 5, 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a decision in Real Truth About Obama v. FEC (RTAO), denying a request for a preliminary injunction sought by a 527 organization that sought to run broadcast ads during the 2008 presidential campaign attacking then-presidential candidate Barack Obama. The lawsuit was filed in the summer of 2008 challenging as unconstitutional provisions of federal campaign finance laws that required the 527 group to register and comply with restrictions and disclosures that apply to federal political committees.

"This is an important decision toward holding 527 groups accountable by continuing to regulate them as exactly what they are - political committees.," said J. Gerald Hebert, Executive Director of the Campaign Legal Center. "For far too many years before the current laws were passed we saw the airwaves flooded with essentially anonymous attack ads by groups that evaded regulation through nothing more than avoiding the words 'vote for' or 'vote against.'"

RTAO was denied a preliminary injunction in the district court and that decision was affirmed yesterday by the court of appeals. The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 filed an amici curiae brief supporting the FEC in the case.

To read the order, click here.