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On July 24, 2012, Illinois Liberty PAC (ILP) filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois challenging the constitutionality of Illinois’ state contribution limits...
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) sets individual contribution limits to federal candidates at $2,700 per election — with primaries, general elections, runoffs and special elections each counted separately.
A state party challenge to the law preventing pay-to-play practices in municipal security services.
The King Street Patriots challenged the constitutionality of numerous provisions of Texas campaign finance law, including the state restriction on corporate contributions, and the disclosure and organizational requirements applicable to political committees. The state district court rejected KSP’s...
In December 2016, an organization filed suit in Sacramento Superior Court challenging S.B. 1107, legislation which amended California’s Political Reform Act to empower the state and local governments to establish citizen-funded elections.
The federal campaign laws have long placed limits on what individuals and certain entities can give to political parties in connection with federal elections. The Republican Party of Louisiana is asking a three-judge federal district court in D.C. to undo the “soft money” limits applicable to state...
On September 2, 2014, Independence Institute filed suit against the FEC, challenging the federal electioneering communications disclosure provisions enacted by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA).
On January 31, 2014, Public Citizen filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the FEC’s failure to investigate whether Crossroads GPS meets the legal definition of a “political committee.” ...
Former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell was convicted on public corruption charges for accepting $175,000 in gifts and loans—including a Rolex watch, a custom golf bag, and expensive vacations and shopping sprees—from multi-millionaire Jonnie Williams, and then using his official position to...
On October 17, 2014, plaintiffs filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado challenging Colorado’s electioneering communication disclosure requirements as facially overbroad, and challenging the associated $1,000 reporting threshold and the state’s private enforcement...
Three Unnamed Petitioners v. Peterson is a challenge to the State of Wisconsin’s restrictions on the coordination of expenditures between candidates and outside groups.
In May 2014, the Colorado Republican Party (CRP) filed suit in state court seeking a declaratory judgment that would allow it to establish an independent expenditure committee, or “Super PAC,” that could operate outside the otherwise applicable state limits for contributions to political parties...
In August 2010, plaintiffs filed suit to challenge multiple aspects of Hawaii state campaign finance law, including the statutory definitions of “political committee” and “expenditure,” several disclosure provisions and the state restriction on contributions from government contractors. On March 21...
The state Republican parties of New York and Tennessee challenged an SEC rule barring investment firms from managing state assets for two years after a firm or its associates make more than de minimis contributions to officeholders or candidates who have or would have power to award investment...
Plaintiffs filed suit to challenge the constitutionality of Mississippi’s campaign finance disclosure requirements as they apply to small groups and individuals intending to support or oppose state constitutional ballot measures.
On September 2, 2014, the Independence Institute filed suit challenging the constitutionality of Colorado’s “electioneering communication” disclosure provisions, which require a group spending over $1,000 on television, radio or print ads that mention the name of a state candidate within 60 days of...
In November 2008, the RNC brought a constitutional challenge to the “soft money” restrictions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) that bar the national parties from raising or spending soft money and prohibit state parties from using soft money for activities that affect federal elections...
In 2009, Vermont Right to Life Committee (VRLC) challenged Vermont’s campaign finance law's disclosure provisions and contribution limits as applied to VRLC's fund that allegedly makes only independent expenditures. The district court upheld the challenged disclosure provisions and contribution...
The Republican National Committee and donor Shaun McCutcheon brought suit to challenge the $74,600 aggregate limit on contributions to non-candidate committees and the $48,600 aggregate limit on contributions to candidate committees in a two-year election cycle. On April 2, 2014, the Supreme Court...
On April 21, 2011, Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) sued the FEC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that a 2007 regulation improperly narrowed the scope of federal disclosure requirements connected to electioneering communications...