Can Feds Force Companies to Disclose Political Spending?
SCOTUS Stands By Citizens United Decision In Montana Campaign Finance Case
On May 5, Minnesota became the first state to enact legislation prohibiting “foreign-influenced” corporations from making political contributions and expenditures. But while supporters heralded the measure, critics charged...more
Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling in Citizens United, spending by outside groups and non-political organizations has increased in federal elections. Many of these groups are organized as 501(c)(4) social-welfare...more
Today, two former SEC Chairs and one former Commissioner delivered a letter to SEC Chair Mary Jo White politely berating (well, maybe not so politely) her failure to take action on the 2011 rulemaking petition to require...more
This month marked the fifth anniversary of the Supreme Court handing down its decision in Citizens United v. FEC. More than perhaps most other recent Supreme Court decisions, Citizens United has remained in the public...more
Last week, I wrote that Governor Brown had allowed SB 1272 to become law without his signature. To say that SB 1272 became law is an hyperbole because, as Governor Brown observed, the bill “has no legal effect whatsoever”. ...more
Since the Supreme Court found in Citizens United that “the absence of prearrangement and coordination . . .alleviates the danger that expenditures will be given as a quid pro quo for improper commitments from the candidate” –...more
Pundits have alternatively saluted and denounced the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last week striking down aggregate campaign contribution limits as unconstitutional. Few, however, have addressed the decision’s impact on...more
One of the hottest SEC rulemaking topics over the past two years—disclosure of corporate political spending—quietly took a significant hit a few weeks ago when the SEC removed it from its rulemaking agenda. The clamor for...more
The United States Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a wonderful First Amendment decision despite persistent criticism. It involved a movie about Hillary Clinton which the corporate...more
It’s been three years, but the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm’n, 558 US 50 (2010) continues to foment a fierce debate about corporate political spending. In February, Representative Adam...more
In a much anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed a Montana Supreme Court ruling that said that a 100-year old law barring corporate independent expenditures in the state was justified by the...more