Columbus, OH – An unprecedented 250 organizations, business groups, trade associations, public interest law firms, state attorneys general, and individuals from across the political spectrum filed amicus briefs supporting The Buckeye Institute’s position in The Buckeye Institute v. Internal Revenue Service (Buckeye v. IRS).

If that number of amici (filing in favor of a single side) does not set a record in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, someone please let us know.

Perhaps ironically, given the nature of this case, there were even more people and organizations from both the left and the right who reached out to provide encouragement and cheer us on behind the scenes, but simultaneously expressed their fear about calling out the government publicly, which would require sticking their own heads up and risking retaliation.

“This commonsense case is tremendously important to protecting Americans’ constitutional rights to free speech and association, and—particularly—preventing your name and address from being added to a government list,” said Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute. “The Buckeye Institute is grateful down to our freedom-loving bones for this unprecedented level of bipartisan support—ranging from PETA to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—which reflects how concerned folks of all stripes are about the chilling effect that this unAmerican law has on the First Amendment.”

The Buckeye Institute is challenging a tax law forcing nonprofit charities, including Buckeye itself, to hand over the private information of donors to the federal government every year.

The following filed amicus briefs in support of The Buckeye Institute:

• Advancing American Freedom, joined by 138 other groups;
• American Legislative Exchange Council;
• Americans for Prosperity Foundation;
• Center for Individual Rights, joined by Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute and New Civil Liberties Alliance;
• Christians Engaged, National Legal Foundation, and Thomas More Society;
• Equal Protection Project;
• Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, The Nonprofit Alliance Foundation, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, joined by 49 other groups;
• The Goldwater Institute, joined by National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center and Rio Grande Foundation;
• Independence Institute;
• Iowa’s attorney general, joined by attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia;
• Liberty Justice Center;
• National Taxpayers Union Foundation, joined by Defense of Freedom Institute and Pelican Institute;
• Philanthropy Roundtable, joined by Kansas Justice Institute, Manhattan Institute, and People United for Privacy;
• Randy Elf, constitutional lawyer;
• State Policy Network, joined by 30 other groups;
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and
• Young America’s Foundation.

Click here for the full list of all 250 organizations and individuals that filed and/or joined an amicus brief in support of The Buckeye Institute.

The Buckeye Institute is represented in this case by its own in-house attorneys and the Institute for Free Speech. Read more about The Buckeye Institute’s case and stay up-to-date on its progress at: BuckeyeInstitute.org/BuckeyevIRS.

# # #