New campaign finance reform book, and a free chapter on the 28th Amendment Posted on October 26, 2018 (December 17, 2018) Democracy Amendments In April 2016, Free Speech For People co-hosted a symposium at Seton Hall School of Law featuring scholars and activists from across the country to help develop new thinking and proposed solutions for overhauling our nation’s campaign finance system. The ideas presented at that symposium led to the new book, ‘Democracy by the People: Reforming Campaign Finance in America’.Read More
Center for Public Integrity: How Russian money and influence slipped through cracks in the US legal system Posted on October 25, 2018 Alex Finley of the Center for Public Integrity reports on how foreign money can influence our elections, using Russian electoral influence as an example. As the article notes, the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling created a loophole for foreign interests to spend money in U.S. elections through corporations: Foreigners can also exert influence through U.S.Read More
Constitutional Scholars Weigh in on Exxon’s Flawed First Amendment Claims Posted on October 15, 2018 (October 16, 2018) Exxon–the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company–has come under fire for the dramatic differences between the company’s internal knowledge and assessments of climate change versus how it has communicated that information to investors, consumers, and the public at large. If the reports are borne out by the investigations, this could be the biggestRead More
Ben Clements and Ron Fein Join WGBH Greater Boston: “Is now the time to impeach?” Posted on October 12, 2018 (October 12, 2018) Free Speech For People Board Chair, Ben Clements, and Legal Director, Ron Fein, co-authors of the book, The Constitution Demands It: The Case for the Impeachment of Donald Trump, join WGBH Greater Boston to discuss why now is the time for impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump and Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Read More
New Center for Public Integrity analysis of out-of-state money cites Free Speech For People’s work Posted on October 11, 2018 The Center for Public Integrity just published a multi-part series on “Local Voters, Distant Donors” that cites Free Speech For People’s legal analysis. In an article entitled “Out-of-state donors pour cash into Democrats’ state races” (also co-published at USA Today), reporters Rui Kaneya and Joe Yerardi write: The influx of out-of-state contributions comes from a mix ofRead More
Former Montana Supreme Court Justice James Nelson on the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh Posted on October 9, 2018 Read this powerful oped by James Nelson, a former Justice of the Montana Supreme Court and a member of the Board Legal Committee for Free Speech For People, entitled “Women’s Lives Don’t Matter.” As Justice Nelson writes: “The last two weeks prove that women’s lives don’t matter to the good old boys on the Hill. Read More
Leading Constitutional Lawyers Back Bill to Close Loophole Allowing Foreign Contributions to NYC Political Campaigns Posted on October 9, 2018 In a press release issued today by New York Public Advocate Letitia James, it was announced that Federal Election Commission Vice-Chair, Ellen Weintraub, and Harvard Law Professors, Charles Fried and Laurence Tribe, have submitted letters to the New York City Council in support of legislation introduced by PA James on August 8, 2018, to endRead More
Indigenous Peoples Day 2018 and the Blackout in Puerto Rico Posted on October 8, 2018 Free Speech For People observes the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day. In honor of this day, we are re-posting our July 2018 report, prepared with United for a Fair Economy, on Blackout in Puerto Rico: How 120 years of corporate dominance and political inequality stifles self-determination today. The report discusses the history ofRead More
Free Speech For People Calls for an Impeachment Investigation Against Justice Brett Kavanaugh Posted on October 6, 2018 ImpeachBrett.org, a non-partisan campaign led by Free Speech For People, launched a petition today, following the vote in the U.S. Senate to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling on the House Judiciary Committee to begin immediate hearings on whether to impeach Judge Brett Kavanaugh on multiple counts of sexual assault, perjury, andRead More
Newsweek: Impeach Brett Kavanaugh Petition Starts Immediately After He’s Officially Voted onto Supreme Court Posted on October 6, 2018 Free Speech For People launched a campaign to impeach Justice Brett Kavanaugh on September 9, 2018, following evidence emerging of Kavanaugh committing perjury before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. We have since expanded the grounds for impeachment to include credible allegations of sexual assault and bringing the judiciary into disrepute. Newsweek covered our campaign today,Read More