Campaign Finance Reform Goes to the Courts
December 4, 2002.   On December 4 and 5, 2002 a three-judge panel of the U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia heard oral arguments in the consolidated McConnell v.
FEC suit challenging the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.  RNC Chairman Marc Racicot talked to reporters while some of the members of the plaintiffs' legal team looked on.  [L-R: Benjamin L. Ginsberg (Patton Boggs LLP), unidentified, Bobby Burchfield (Covington & Burling), Mike Carvin (Jones Day), RNC Chief Counsel Tom Josefiak, RNC Press Secretary Jim Dyke, and RNC Deputy Counsel Charlie Spies]. 

The introduction to the RNC brief (Party and Candidate Soft Money Provisions) charged that Title I of the BCRA:

"...is an assault on the federal structure of American government, exceeding Congress' delegated authority and infringing the principles of federalism embodied in the Constitution";

"...violates political parties' First Amendment right of association";

"...restricts their 'pure speech' through its restrictions on the solicitation of lawful contributions"; and

"...undermines their ability to engage in effective political advocacy."

See Plaintiffs' Briefs on the Campaign And Media Legal Center website.

Copyright © 2002  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.