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…

Another Reason to Simplify Campaign Laws: Allowing Free Rides to the Polls
November 6, 2018   •  By David Keating   •  , , ,

Three cheers for Uber and Lyft for offering discounted (and, in many cases, free) rides to voters on Election Day. It’s a shame that the law ...

Petition to FEC for Rulemaking to Revise 11 C.F.R. § 100.52
August 27, 2018   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , ,

Pursuant to 11 C.F.R. §§ 200.1-200.6, the Institute for Free Speech petitions the Federal Election Commission to conduct a rulemaking to amend the definition ...

Court Ruling on Independent Expenditures Creates New Risks for Groups
August 23, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , , ,

Update (10/5): On October 4, the FEC provided guidance following U.S. District Court decision in CREW v. FEC. Read the FEC’s guidance here. Update ...

FEC ‘compromise’ could threaten free speech online
July 16, 2018   •  By Eric Peterson   •  , ,

Is your freedom to use the Internet to express your political opinions about to change drastically? Depending on the actions of the Federal Election ...

Part II: More on Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Campaign Finance Opinions
July 5, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

Hon. Brett Kavanaugh United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2006-Present) This post is the second in a series exploring ...

The Free Speech Record of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Part I
July 5, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

Hon. Brett Kavanaugh United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (2006-Present) This post is the first in a series exploring ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2018-06 (Proposed Rulemaking on Internet Communication Disclaimers and the Definition of “Public Communication”)
May 25, 2018   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , ,

On behalf of the Institute for Free Speech (“the Institute”),[1] we respectfully submit the following comments in response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2018-05 (Rulemaking Petition Concerning Former Candidates’ Personal Use)
May 21, 2018   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , ,

The Institute for Free Speech (“the Institute”) respectfully submits the following comments in response to Notice 2018-05.[2] That notice concerns potential “rulemaking to clarify ...

Did a D.C. Federal Court Fail the “Major Purpose Test”?
May 14, 2018   •  By Mike Columbo   •  , , ,

A recent opinion by Judge Christopher R. Cooper of the federal District Court in Washington, D.C. poses new risks for advocacy groups and their ...

Stormy Weather for Campaign-Finance Laws
April 11, 2018   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

When you stretch the law to “get” a political opponent, it’s rarely possible to return the law to its original shape. Which brings us ...

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