Juneteenth and democracy Posted on June 19, 2020 (June 19, 2020) Defending Key Reforms For a century and a half, many Black Americans have observed Juneteenth (June 19) as the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Today, we all recognize Juneteenth not just as a celebration of the end of slavery, but as a call to action to finally move our country to true racialRead More
Challenging Unsafe and Unequal State Election Rules During a Pandemic, Voting Rights Advocates File Lawsuit on Behalf of the Pennsylvania NAACP Posted on June 18, 2020 (June 18, 2020) Election Protection HARRISBURG, PA (June 18, 2020) — Today, Free Speech For People and the law firm Dechert LLP filed a lawsuit in the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Conference of the NAACP challenging a broad range of Pennsylvania election practices as unsafe and unequal during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Complaint alleges thatRead More
Supreme Court Will Have Chance to Review Case Seeking to End Super PAC Spending in U.S. Elections Posted on June 18, 2020 (June 18, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Federal lawmakers are petitioning the Supreme Court to review a lawsuit challenging SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission, the 2010 appeals court ruling that created super PACs WASHINGTON, DC (June 18, 2020) – The Supreme Court will have the chance to review a lawsuit filed by Members of Congress and congressional candidates that seeks to abolishRead More
FSFP Senior Advisor On Election Security Susan Greenhalgh To Join Panel of Experts For Virtual Event on COVID-19 & the 2020 Election Posted on June 17, 2020 (June 17, 2020) Election Protection On Thursday, June 18, Free Speech For People Senior Advisor on Election Security Susan Greenhalgh will be joining a panel of experts to discuss ways to protect and broaden voter access during the COVID-19 pandemic. The LSU Reilly Center For Media And Public Affairs will host the virtual event, entitled Voting in a Pandemic: COVID-19Read More
Honoring the 14th Amendment and Equal Protection Under the Law Posted on June 10, 2020 (June 17, 2020) Democracy Amendments This Saturday, June 13, 2020, marks the 154th anniversary of the passage of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. The amendment reads, in relevant part: No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person ofRead More
“This president is no friend of democracy”: Bill Moyers tackles authoritarianism in the age of Donald Trump. Posted on June 9, 2020 (June 15, 2020) Challenging Corruption Excerpt from Bill Moyers’ essay We Hold This Truth to Be Self-Evident: It’s Happening Before Our Very Eyes. At 98, historian Bernard Weisberger has seen it all. Born in 1922, he grew up watching newsreels of Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler as they rose to power in Europe. He vividly remembers Mussolini posturing to crowdsRead More
“Trump’s authoritarianism in the streets is being matched in the courts”: FSFP Board Member Jennifer Taub co-authors Op-Ed on Trump’s threats to our democracy and Constitution. Posted on June 5, 2020 (June 15, 2020) Challenging Corruption Free Speech for People Board Member Jennifer Taub recently co-authored an op-ed with Joshua A. Geltzer, Neal K. Katyal, and Laurence H. Tribe in the Washington Post about the Trump administration’s authoritarian response to peaceful protestors and its simultaneous push to dismiss the case against Michael Flynn via a court brief. “The brief represents aRead More
Armed Paramilitary Groups in DC, Government Watchdog Files Urgent Freedom of Information Act Request with the Department of Justice Posted on June 4, 2020 (June 24, 2020) Challenging Corruption Free Speech For People files a FOIA Request with the Department of Justice for any communication regarding armed personnel who wear no uniforms or insignia but claim to be federal law enforcement WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 4, 2020) – Free Speech For People submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Department of Justice seekingRead More
Our Statement on Recent Events Posted on June 2, 2020 (June 16, 2020) Challenging Corruption All of us at Free Speech For People are heartbroken and outraged by the recent police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. We send our deepest condolences to their families. We stand together with all Americans who are denouncing the police brutality that led to their deaths, and the racism that causes far tooRead More
Following President Trump’s incitement of violence and murder, Free Speech for People urges House Judiciary Committee to convene an impeachment inquiry Posted on May 29, 2020 (June 15, 2020) Impeachment Free Speech For People issued a letter today to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary urging Chairman Nadler and Vice Chairwoman Scanlon to convene an impeachment inquiry immediately to investigate whether to recommend articles of impeachment against President Donald J. Trump for counseling, commanding, inducing or inciting violence and murder. In responseRead More