Conn. governor vetoes bill to fix campaign-finance law

Gov. M. Jodi Rell followed through Aug. 2 with her promise to veto a bill that attempts to fix Connecticut’s campaign-finance law after a federal appeals court found parts of it unconstitutional.
News
August 4, 2010
By The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. —The Republican governor issued her veto on the same the day the [...]

Elena Kagan on the First Amendment: Evidence from Her Confirmation Hearings

U.S. Solicitor General and Supreme Court Justice nominee Elena Kagan on First Amendment, cameras at the Supreme Court, campaign finance restrictions, libel and antitrust rulings. -SMD
Find Law: First Amendment
Commentary
July 6, 2010
By  Julie Hilden
During last week’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, U.S. Solicitor General and nominee Elena Kagan made a number of comments relating to the [...]

No system allows voters easy access to identities of special interests funding campaign ads

The Supreme  Court ruling in the Citizens United case opens the door for corporate and union interests to produce ads to influence elections in 2010, and Congress is working on a bill to shed light on sources of the ads. But a Sunlight Foundation blogger says Congress needs to amend the DISCLOSE Act to make [...]

Legislators introduce bill to soften impact of recent Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate campaign spending

House members have introduced a bill that would force disclosure of corporate expenditures on elections and ban foreign companies, federal contractors and bailout beneficiaries from spending on political campaigns.-db
The Huffington Post
April 20 2010
By Arthur Delaney

Democrats hoping to blunt the impact of a recent Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate spending on campaign advertisements can [...]

Federal judge scraps provisions of San Diego’s campaign-finance laws

In accordance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in the Citizens United case, a federal judge struck down several provisions of San Diego’s campaign-finance law and particularly a ban on contributions from political parties and a $500 cap on donations to independent expenditure committees. -db
Courthouse News Service
February 23, 2010
By Annie Youderian
(CN) – A federal [...]

Poll: 80% of Americans oppose SCOTUS campaign finance ruling

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds that nearly 80% of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are  united in their opposition to the recent Supreme Court ruling that opens the door for corporations, labor unions, and other organizations to spend money directly from their general funds to influence campaigns.
Left and right united in opposition to controversial [...]

Supreme Court decision on Citizens United brings to forefront two views of First Amendment

The Supreme Court’s majority opinion written by Justice Kennedy and the dissent by Justice Stevens shows contrasting views of the First Amendment, one, that untrammeled free speech will eventually produce good results in a democracy, and, two, that free speech must sometimes be regulated to produce the free flow of ideas so essential to a [...]

Campaign finance: Transparency needed more than ever as Supreme Court unleashes special interest money

The executive director of the Sunlight Foundation says that the Supreme Court’s decision striking down key provisions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law will unleash a flood of money in the political arena making it even more likely money will influence executive and legislative decisions. -DB

Sunlight Foundation
Opinion
January 21, 2010
By Ellen Miller

The ramifications of today’s Supreme [...]

New study: Politicians have no problem evading campaign finance laws

A study by the Center for governmental Studies shows that finance laws aimed at taking the undemocratic influences of money out of elections have been circumvented by politicians who have been able to raise money far exceeding contribution limits. -DB
Center for Governmental Studies
Press Release
December 17, 2009
Loopholes, Tricks and End Runs: Evasions of Campaign Finance [...]

Politicians using social media encounter legal obstacles

As politicians begin using Twitter, etc. to campaign, gain support for legislation and fundraise, they sometimes find themselves up against state and federal law. A Citizen Media Law Project staff attorney says that it is important that the rules be amended regularly to take into account changes in the social media and to avoid stifling free expression. [...]

Sotomayor indicates support for cameras in Supreme Court

In Senate confirmation hearings, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor said she favored camera access in the high court but said should she be confirmed she would act with circumspection in making her views known to the Court. -DB
First Amendment Center
Analysis
July 16, 2009
By Tony Mauro
WASHINGTON, D.C. — If the Senate confirms Sonia Sotomayor as the next justice [...]

To take the sleaze out of judicial elections, ethics rules should bar lawyers who contribute money to judges from practicing before those judges

By Peter Scheer
In America, a judge ordinarily may not take a “gift” of money from a person or company appearing before him in a legal case. Such a brazen assault on judicial independence is plainly unethical and potentially criminal.
Suppose, however, we alter the facts slightly so that the money is offered as a contribution to [...]