New reply brief in the case that could end super PACs Posted on June 24, 2019 (June 18, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Today, we filed a short procedural reply brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Lieu v. Federal Election Commission, the case that could end super PACs. The goal of the Lieu litigation is to give the D.C. Circuit, or the Supreme Court, the opportunity to overturn the D.C. Circuit’s 2010 SpeechNow decision that createdRead More
New filing in the case that could end super PACs Posted on June 21, 2019 (June 18, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Today, we filed a petition for initial hearing en banc in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Lieu v. Federal Election Commission, the case that could end super PACs. The goal of the Lieu litigation is to give the D.C. Circuit, or the Supreme Court, the opportunity to overturn the D.C. Circuit’s 2010 SpeechNow decisionRead More
HOW WE CAN END SUPER PACS, OVERTURN SPEECHNOW, AND ADVANCE A NEW JURISPRUDENCE ON MONEY IN POLITICS WITH THE CURRENT SUPREME COURT Posted on March 12, 2019 (June 9, 2020) Challenging Super PACs INTRODUCTION In 2015, Free Speech For People began developing a legal strategy to bring new test cases that could win at the Supreme Court, even under the Roberts Court as it existed at that time. These test cases were designed to make jurisprudential progress without challenging Citizens United, and assumed that we would need to getRead More
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: Dangerous Consequences for Democracy — An FEC Commissioner Speaks Out Posted on October 20, 2016 (June 10, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Presented by Temple Beth-El and the Leif Nissen Foundation Thursday October 27, 7:30pm A Q/A session and Dessert Reception follow the lecture. This event is free and open to the public. The Leif Nissen Foundation was created by Karen Lieberman & Bruce Nissen to honor their son Leif (May 21, 1980–November 19, 2008) ofRead More
Taking on Citizens United: Short and Long-term Strategies To Restore Our Democracy Posted on October 11, 2016 (May 29, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Presented by the Stetson Law Chapter of the American Constitution Society THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2712PM – 1PM The Great Hall of the Gulfport Campus at Stetson University College of Law This panel brings together some of the country’s boldest campaign finance reformers for a vibrant discussion on how to connect our current constitutional moment and theRead More
Stream SpeechNow Event Posted on October 28, 2015 (June 24, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Argued less than a week after Citizens United v. FEC, and decided just two months later, the D.C. Circuit’s less-widely-reported decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC further extended Citizens United and opened the door to what we now call Super PACs. But some argue that SpeechNow, which the Supreme Court declined to review, is not aRead More
Ending Super PACs: Is SpeechNow Vulnerable? Posted on October 16, 2015 (May 29, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Free Speech For People, Represent.Us, the American Constitution Society Boston Lawyer Chapter, Common Cause Massachusetts, and the Harvard Law School Chapters of the American Constitution Society and Rootstrikers invite you to: Ending Super PACs: Is SpeechNow Vulnerable? WHEN: Monday, November 16, 12:00pm -1:30pm WHERE: WCC-3019, Wasserstein Hall, Harvard Law School 10 Everett St, Cambridge, MARead More
Ending Super PACs: Is SpeechNow Vulnerable? Posted on September 28, 2015 (May 13, 2020) Challenging Super PACs Argued less than a week after Citizens United v. FEC, and decided just two months later, the D.C. Circuit’s less-widely-reported decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC further extended Citizens United and opened the door to what we now call Super PACs. But some argue that SpeechNow, which the Supreme Court declined to review, is not a necessary or the best interpretation of Citizens United, andRead More
New York Lobby Day Is Needed More Than Ever In Light Of New Super-PAC Ruling Posted on April 25, 2014 (June 17, 2022) Challenging Super PACs A federal judge on Thursday struck down New York’s limits on donations to independent political action committees as unconstitutional. Judge Crotty’s reasoning, as reported by Reuters, is this: Read More
NYT reports on potential breakthrough on corporate political spending Posted on April 24, 2013 (December 11, 2020) Challenging Super PACs The New York Times’ lead story today reports on a potentially huge breakthrough in the quest for corporations to be accountable to their own shareholders for their political spending, and for that spending to be made public. Key excerpts are below. S.E.C. Gets Plea: Force Companies to Disclose Donations By NICHOLAS CONFESSOREPublished: April 23, 2013 Read More