Federal Election Commission Deadlocks 3-3 on Free Speech For People’s Complaint Challenging Citgo’s Illegal Contribution to Trump Inaugural Committee Posted on May 3, 2021 (May 3, 2021) Challenging Foreign Influence The Federal Election Commission divided 3-3 on Free Speech For People’s 2017 complaint against the oil company Citgo, its Venezuelan state-owned parent company, and President Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee. The FEC’s general counsel agreed with Free Speech For People that the companies and the inaugural committee violated a federal ban on donations to inaugural committeesRead More
The Democracy Preservation Act: FSFP Mounting a Challenge Against Foreign Corporate Influence in New York Elections Posted on May 3, 2021 Challenging Foreign Influence Free Speech For People has been at the forefront in the fight to end foreign-influenced corporate campaign spending, researching, drafting, and advocating for legislation on all levels of government. We helped to successfully pass laws in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2017, and in Seattle, Washington in 2020. Seven states (Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, NewRead More
Susan Greenhalgh, FSFP Senior Advisor on Election Security, Testifies Against SB 21-188 Before Colorado General Assembly Posted on April 30, 2021 Election Protection In a public hearing before the State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee of the Colorado General Assembly, Free Speech For People’s Senior Advisor on Election Security, submitted testimony in opposition to SB 21-188, a bill which would offer insecure, unauditable, online voting to voters with disabilities. “Proponents of this bill suggest, erroneously, that secureRead More
FSFP Legal Counsel Courtney Hostetler Discusses The Equal Rights Amendment on The Damage Report. Posted on April 29, 2021 (April 30, 2021) Democracy Amendments FSFP Legal Counsel Courtney Hostetler recently appeared on The Damage Report to discuss the Equal Rights Amendment, the Constitutional amendment banning sex and gender discrimination. During the discussion with host John Iadarola, Hostetler discussed the Trump-era Department of Justice (DOJ) opinion that has, to date, blocked the publishing of the Amendment as the 28th AmendmentRead More
Free Speech For People Announces $50,000 Grant Award from Craig Newmark Philanthropies Posted on April 28, 2021 FSFP Updates Free Speech For People is honored to receive a grant award from Craig Newmark Philanthropies to support our work to get big money out of politics, protect our elections, and defend our democracy! Craig Newmark Philanthropies works to protect the values that America aspires to: fairness, opportunity, and respect. We are grateful to receive thisRead More
FSFP Legal Director Submits Written Testimony To Support AB 20, The Corporate-Free Elections Act in California Posted on April 23, 2021 Corporate Abuse of Power Ron Fein, the Legal Director of Free Speech For People, submitted testimony in support of AB 20, the Corporate-Free Elections Act in California. “I am the Legal Director of Free Speech For People, a national non-partisan nonprofit organization, that works to renew our democracy and to limit the influence of money in our elections. IRead More
FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein Discusses Foreign-Influenced Corporate Spending On Maine Public Radio. Posted on April 15, 2021 (May 23, 2022) Challenging Foreign Influence Maine Public Radio recently published a segment on foreign-influenced corporate spending in elections which featured FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein. Throughout the segment, Fein discussed the need to fight against foreign influence in Maine, where a contentious ballot measure has prompted a state-wide discussion on the issue of democratic self-government. “Our position is that theRead More
Free Speech For People Endorses Judiciary Act of 2021 to Expand Supreme Court Posted on April 15, 2021 (May 27, 2024) Challenging Corruption Free Speech For People supports the Judiciary Act of 2021, which would increase the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to thirteen by creating four new associate justice positions. The Constitution does not specify the number of justices who sit on the Supreme Court at a given time. Rather, Article IIIRead More
Nearly 150 Advocacy Groups Call on Majority Leader Schumer to Not Allow the Filibuster to Block the For the People Act. Posted on April 9, 2021 Defending Key Reforms New sign-on letter comes as For the People Act is set to move through the Senate in coming weeks. “We strongly urge you and the Senate Democratic caucus to do the right thing and not allow the filibuster to once again stand in the way of civil rights, voting rights, racial justice, and the strengtheningRead More
FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein Co-Authors New Oped With John Brautigam In The Lewiston Sun Journal On The Need To Limit Political Spending By Foreign-Influenced Corporations In Maine. Posted on April 7, 2021 (May 23, 2022) Challenging Foreign Influence The Lewiston Sun Journal published a new oped by FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein and Maine Citizens for Clean Elections’ Attorney John Brautigam on the case for limiting political spending by foreign-influenced corporations in Maine. The article states: Most people agree that foreign entities shouldn’t be able to influence our elections. It doesn’t matter whetherRead More