FSFP hosted a virtual briefing to discuss recent developments in Lieu vs. FEC, the case that could abolish super PAC spending in U.S. elections. Speakers for the online event included Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-33), Professor Jeffrey Fisher (Stanford Law School), FSFP President John Bonifaz, and FSFP Legal Director Ron Fein.

“The Supreme Court actually didn’t decide the issue of whether you can have unlimited contributions through super PACs, which has really caused a flood of dark money into our political campaign system. It was a lower court decision. We believe that decision was decided wrongly. We’re suing to get that decision overturned,” said Rep. Ted Lieu.

“The importance of this case is so glaring, and for anybody who lives in this country and cares about our democracy, you want to have the campaign finance regulations that Congress has enacted be properly enforced.  And, we’ve now lived for too long already where that has not been happening and the effects are very harmful…This is the right case at the right time to take up [to the Supreme Court],” said Professor Fisher.

Free Speech For People recently submitted a petition for Supreme Court review, alongside a bipartisan group of distinguished legal scholars. Professor Fisher serves as the lead counsel for the petitioners at the Supreme Court stage. With this petition, the Supreme Court now has the opportunity, for the first time, to review the federal appeals court decision that created super PACs.

“A victory in the Supreme Court, by eliminating super PACs, would dramatically alter the way our elections are financed going forward from how they have been financed for the past ten years. But a victory would also upend the widely accepted notion that our current corrupt system is locked in and unchangeable,” said John Bonifaz.

Watch the entire virtual briefing here.

Read more about Lieu v. Federal Election Commission here.