Institute For Free Speech

FEC: An Agency Tasked with Regulating First Amendment Activity
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

The Federal Election Commission is the independent agency charged with enforcing federal campaign finance law and enacting campaign finance regulations. The FEC was created after the Nixon Administration’s Justice Department pursued criminal campaign finance charges against the President’s critics. In light of that effort, Congress correctly rejected the idea of letting a future president effectively control a government agency tasked…

The Story of Stupid Campaign Finance Laws: A Tale of Sanders’ Donors
February 25, 2016   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

On February 11, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) sent a “preliminary review” to Bernie Sanders’ campaign detailing the many ways the campaign had failed ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2015-10: Rulemaking Petition: Contributions From Corporations and Other Organizations to Political Committees
October 27, 2015   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , ,

Make Your Laws attempts to co-opt the established moral disapproval of a certain type of criminal behavior—money laundering—when it speaks of “contribution laundering.” It ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2015-09 Rulemaking Petition: Independent Spending by Corporations, Labor Organizations, Foreign Nationals, and Certain Political Committees (Citizens United)
October 27, 2015   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , ,

These comments are submitted on behalf of the Center for Competitive Politics (“the Center”) in response to Notice 2015-09 Rulemaking Petition: Independent Spending by ...

The Brennan Center Backs Off the Ledge
October 14, 2015   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

The campaign finance “reform” movement is at a crossroads. Some influential elements are pushing the envelope farther than ever, but others are stepping back ...

Delusions about “Dysfunction”: Understanding the Federal Election Commission
October 5, 2015   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  ,

Supporters of more regulation of political speech increasingly seek to discredit the Federal Election Commission (FEC) – the agency with exclusive civil enforcement of federal ...

A Dysfunctional FEC? Calling Inigo Montoya
June 17, 2015   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

We hear a lot these days about a “dysfunctional” Federal Election Commission, including from the Agency’s own Chair, Ann Ravel, who, after a promising ...

Comments to FEC regarding the Petition for Rulemaking on Federal Contractors (REG 2014-09) (Notice 2015-06)
May 29, 2015   •  By Eric Wang   •  , ,

The Center for Competitive Politics (“CCP”) submits these comments in response to the Petition for Rulemaking (the “Petition”) filed by Public Citizen on November ...

Do Commissioners Weintraub and Ravel Want the FEC to Fail?

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May 20, 2015   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

Ann Ravel, the Democratic Chair of the Federal Election Commission, made headlines early this month when she told The New York Times that her ...

Oral Comments of Bradley A. Smith: Federal Election Commission Hearing on Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Light of McCutcheon, et al. v. FEC

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February 11, 2015   •  By Joe Trotter   •  ,

Thank you Chair Ravel, Vice-Chair Petersen, and Commissioners. I am pleased to appear here today as the Chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, ...

Beyond Citizens United: The Future of Campaign Finance Jurisprudence

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January 27, 2015   •  By Joe Trotter   •  ,

Matea Gold, The Washington Post (Interviewer) Bobby R. Burchfield, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP Richard H. Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, ...

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