Disclosure: A Threat to Associational Privacy

January 1, 2018  •  By IFS staff  •    •  

Disclosure, in the campaign finance context, refers to laws and regulations requiring candidates and political groups to report information about their activities to the government, which then makes that information available publicly. The required information varies greatly, depending on the affected organization and the local, state, or federal government mandating the disclosure. Disclosure rules fall into two broad categories: disclosure…

NAACP v. Alabama: When “Transparency” Becomes Censorship

June 28, 2018   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , ,

The freedom to associate with others and speak as a group is foundational to democracy. Individuals rarely can change their society, government, or laws ...

Americans Support Speech Regulation… If They Are Not Told the Facts Surrounding It

May 18, 2018   •  By Joe Albanese   •  , , ,

Last week, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI), a news outlet biased in favor of greater political speech regulation, touted recent polling by the ...

From Washington to Wisconsin, States Are Punishing Dissent

May 11, 2018   •  By Alex Cordell   •  , ,

Just over a year ago, after the Trump administration gave the green light to move forward with construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, an ...

Analysis of “Online Electioneering Transparency and Accountability Act” (Maryland H.B. 981)

April 5, 2018   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech provides the following analysis of H.B. 981, which currently awaits a concurrence vote in the House of Delegates. Despite ...

A Sunshine Week Reminder: Transparency is for Government; Privacy is for People

March 16, 2018   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , ,

By now, you may be aware that it’s Sunshine Week, “the annual nationwide celebration of access to public information” organized by the American Society ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Idaho S. 1337 (2017 Campaign Finance Reform Legislative Work Group Recommendations)

March 8, 2018   •  By Matt Nese   •  , , , ,

On behalf of the Institute for Free Speech (“the Institute”), we respectfully submit the following comments on constitutional and practical issues with portions of ...

You don’t want your info published. Neither do nonprofit donors

March 1, 2018   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  ,

Efforts to force civic groups to disclose their donors constitute a real threat by exposing Arizonans to potential harassment for their beliefs. Many are ...

Understanding the Differences Between Political and Issue Advocacy

March 1, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

This Issue Brief explains the differences between political and issue advocacy in both layman’s terms and as viewed by the courts. In particular, the ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Idaho H. 573 (2017 Campaign Finance Reform Legislative Work Group Recommendations)

February 22, 2018   •  By Tyler Martinez   •  , , , ,

On behalf of the Institute for Free Speech (“the Institute”) and Attorney Tyler Martinez, I respectfully submit the following comments on constitutional and practical ...

Letter in Support of H.R. 4916 (“Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act”)

February 21, 2018   •  By David Keating   •  , ,

The Institute for Free Speech writes in support of H.R. 4916, the “Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act.” The measure, sponsored by ...

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