On August 5, 2010, plaintiffs filed a sweeping lawsuit challenging numerous aspects of Wisconsin campaign finance law, included the state’s definition of “political committee” and various disclosure and reporting requirements applicable to “independent expenditure organizations.” In 2014, a Seventh...

The lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 - eleven suits brought by more than 80 plaintiffs - were consolidated as McConnell v. FEC. The defendants in the case were the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission; the Act...

South Carolina sought and obtained approval (preclearance) under the Voting Rights Act of a law (modified during litigation) that required voters to present a photo ID at the polls.

Plaintiffs brought the case in September 2006 to obtain a declaratory judgment confirming that the City of Ocean City, NJ has the home rule authority to adopt an ordinance that would provide for public financing in municipal elections. The Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey...

In January 2004, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and others filed a constitutional challenge to several aspects of Arizona’s public campaign financing system. Plaintiffs eventually voluntarily dismissed their case, with similar issues being litigated in McComish v...

Plaintiff Kean for Congress Committee brought suit against the FEC seeking judicial review of the agency’s dismissal of an administrative complaint...

In March 2010, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down the federal contribution limits as applied to “independent expenditure committees,” finding that the Supreme Court’s analysis in Citizens United required it to “conclude that the government has no anti-corruption interest in...

In August 2008, plaintiffs challenged the “matching funds trigger provisions” of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Act, which provided participating candidates with additional funds if a non-participating opponent or outside group spent above a certain threshold. The U.S. Supreme Court held that...

Petitioner, a judicial candidate for a Florida County Court, filed suit challenging the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct rule prohibiting candidates for judicial office from personally soliciting campaign funds. The Florida Supreme Court found petitioner guilty of violating the solicitation...

In December 2009, plaintiffs filed a constitutional challenge to several provisions of San Diego’s campaign finance laws. In June 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld San Diego’s “non-individual entities” contribution prohibition as to corporations and other associations...

In April 2008, Human Life of Washington (HLW) challenged the constitutionality of several components of the State of Washington’s political committee disclosure regime, including the State’s definitions of “political committee,” “independent expenditure,” and “political advertising.” In October...

Pierce O’Donnell was indicted for contributing $26,000 of his money to the Edwards for President campaign through 13 individuals—primarily employees of his law firm—with the understanding that he would either advance them funds or reimburse them after the contribution was made. In June 2010, the U...

Ohio Right to Life (ORTL) filed suit to challenge multiple provisions of Ohio’s campaign finance law, including its “electioneering communications” corporate funding prohibition and related disclosure requirements. In September 2008, the district court rejected ORTL’s request to enjoin Ohio’s...

In November 2008, the RNC filed a challenge to the federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates for federal office. In September 2010, the en banc Fifth Circuit rejected all of plaintiffs’ claims, and upheld the party coordinated spending limits...

In January 2005, EMILY’s List challenged multiple FEC regulations regarding use of federal “hard money” to pay for activities directed at both state and federal elections. In 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down three challenged FEC regulations, holding that they...

In 2006, litigant Caperton filed a motion requesting that Justice Brent Benjamin of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia recuse himself from the appeal of the $50 million jury verdict in a contract dispute between two litigant mining companies. The U.S. Supreme Court held “that there is a...

A small utility district near Austin unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which required the Department of Justice or the United States District Court for D.C. to approve all voting changes in certain jurisdictions before those changes could go into...

In July 2006, the local chamber of commerce (COMPAC) challenged San Jose’s limits on contributions to political committees making only independent expenditures in municipal elections. The district court struck down the limits on September 20, 2006. On October 14, 2008, the Ninth Circuit vacated...

In June 2006, self-funded candidate Jack Davis filed suit in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia challenging the “Millionaire’s Amendment” of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (a.k.a. McCain-Feingold Law). The U.S. Supreme Court held that the Millionaire’s Amendment...