Results 1 to 2 of 2
Thread Information
Users Browsing this Thread
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
-
11-25-2014, 09:11 PM #1
Judge to elections officials: Reveal sources of campaign spending
Judge to elections officials: Reveal sources of campaign spending
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who sued the FEC over the rule, called the decision "a victory for democracy." (Joshua Roberts / Bloomberg)
By JOSEPH TANFANI
Donors behind election-related ads should be revealed, judge rules
Lower-court ruling could force disclosure of some secret money flooding into elections
In a decision that could force disclosure of some of the secret money flooding into elections, a federal judge ruled Tuesday that groups that run election-related ads must reveal their donors.
The Federal Election Commission overstepped when it wrote a 2007 rule that said such groups didn’t have to report the source of the money for certain types of political ads that mentioned the name of federal candidates, the decision by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington said.
Related story: Midterm ad blitz marks new era in political spending Joseph Tanfani
That rule, combined with later court decisions such as the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case in 2010, helped open the gates to a flood of so-called dark money spending by nonprofit organizations that don’t reveal the source of their funds. There was more than $140 million in such spending in the 2014 election.
Campaign reform groups welcomed Jackson’s decision, even as they said they expect an appeal.
lRelated
NATIONAL POLITICSDemocrats lost the big-money game in midterm election SEE ALL RELATED
“We are seeing a full-throated endorsement of disclosure by the lower courts,” said Tara Malloy, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, one of the pro-transparency groups that intervened in the case. “We are enjoying the victory, though I am sure the fight will continue.”
The decision concerns a type of issue ads that became ubiquitous in recent elections. Typically, the ads suggest that voters call a senator or congressman and give an opinion about something. When those ads mention a candidate and are run close to elections, they’re known as “electioneering” communications, and the amount of spending has to be reported.
Related story: Kentucky 'dark-money' group grew rapidly in 2014 election cycle Joseph Tanfani
In the rule, the FEC said it was too much to ask that the groups report their donors, too. The divided agency narrowed the disclosure rules in a law called the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
Because of the tangled state of federal campaign finance regulation, the practical effect of the ruling might be limited. Ads that explicitly say people should vote for or against a candidate are regulated differently; groups can also spend on those types of ads without revealing donors.
Conservative legal organizations argue it’s wrong for the government to force groups that take controversial opinions to reveal donor names. “Some people are fine with it, but others are not,” said David Keating, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, which argues for fewer restrictions on campaign spending. “It will be harder to speak out.”
The judge rejected that position. “The fact that some contributors “just don’t want their names known” does not provide grounds to override a clear congressional choice in favor of transparency,” Jackson’s decision said.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who sued the FEC over the rule, called the decision “a victory for democracy” and said it will help give voters the information they “deserve in determining who is trying to influence their votes.”
Jackson had struck down the rule once after Van Hollen sued; the FEC did not appeal, but two outside-spending groups did. The appeals court sent it back to Jackson for another review, saying the intent of the law wasn’t clear.
Jason Torchinsky, lawyer for Hispanic Leadership Fund, one of the groups opposing Van Hollen, said the group will review the decision and decide whether to appeal. “This would be a groundbreaking set of disclosure rules for speech – if it holds,” he said.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politi...125-story.htmlNO AMNESTY
Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.
Sign in and post comments here.
Please support our fight against illegal immigration by joining ALIPAC's email alerts here https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
-
11-25-2014, 09:18 PM #2NO AMNESTY
Don't reward the criminal actions of millions of illegal aliens by giving them citizenship.
Sign in and post comments here.
Please support our fight against illegal immigration by joining ALIPAC's email alerts here https://eepurl.com/cktGTn
Similar Threads
-
White House Sources Reveal How Many Illegals Obama Plans To Give Amnesty To, And When
By AirborneSapper7 in forum General DiscussionReplies: 0Last Post: 11-08-2014, 03:00 AM -
Bye Bye Boehner!? Judge Napolitano: House “Sources” Say The Speaker Is On His Way Out
By AirborneSapper7 in forum General DiscussionReplies: 1Last Post: 10-21-2013, 05:39 PM -
Calif., Federal Officials to Reveal Water Plans
By JohnDoe2 in forum Other Topics News and IssuesReplies: 0Last Post: 07-21-2012, 02:02 PM -
Obama Officials Fight Bid to Reveal 9/11 Saudi Links
By AirborneSapper7 in forum Other Topics News and IssuesReplies: 0Last Post: 06-24-2009, 06:42 PM -
3GOP sources: Romney to suspend campaign
By SOSADFORUS in forum General DiscussionReplies: 0Last Post: 02-07-2008, 01:27 PM
Listen to William Gheen on Rense Apr 24, 2024 talking Invasion...
04-25-2024, 02:03 PM in ALIPAC In The News