1851 Center Joins in Filing Amicus in Free Speech Case
COLUMBUS - The Buckeye Institute's 1851 Center for Constitutional Law Monday joined in filing an amicus brief in SpeechNow.org v. FEC with the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The brief, filed on behalf of SpeechNow.org, urges the court to invalidate a Federal Elections Commission rule limiting individual contributions to grassroots organizations.
"The Supreme Court has recognized that limiting contributions to independent organizations only limits speech, which is at odds with the principle that political debates should be free," said 1851 Center director, Maurice Thompson.
The brief argues SpeechNow.org is not a political committee that makes contributions to candidates and its subjection to harsh campaign finance laws are a constitutional violation of the freedoms of political speech and association. It emphasizes that political speech made by citizens in a grassroots organization is protected by the First Amendment.
Further, the laws limit participation in the political process to only those who are wealthy enough to voice their opinion in the increasingly expensive media market.
"The campaign finance laws limit the capacity of issue-oriented political committees to educate Ohio voters on Ohio issues," Thompson added. "A victory in this case can change that and break the political parties' monopoly on public policy debate. It will also serve as a staging point for the challenge to Ohio's own onerous deprivations of political speech."
In filing the brief, the 1851 Center was joined by Concerned Women for America's Legislative Action Committee, FRC Action and the Goldwater Institute's Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.
The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, together with its 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, is a nonpartisan research and educational institute devoted to individual liberty, economic freedom, personal responsibility and limited government in Ohio.
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