Disclosure: A Threat to Associational Privacy

January 1, 2018  •  By IFS staff  •    •  

Disclosure, in the campaign finance context, refers to laws and regulations requiring candidates and political groups to report information about their activities to the government, which then makes that information available publicly. The required information varies greatly, depending on the affected organization and the local, state, or federal government mandating the disclosure. Disclosure rules fall into two broad categories: disclosure…

AOC Doesn’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story

February 7, 2019   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  , ,

Presenting herself as the hypothetical “bad guy” trying to destroy democracy, Ocasio-Cortez spun a tale about how she could (among other things) “use my ...

IFS Chairman Brad Smith Corrects AOC on Campaign Finance Law (Video)

February 7, 2019   •  By IFS staff   •  , ,

IFS Chairman Bradley A. Smith corrects the record on a line of misleading questioning by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on current U.S. campaign finance laws.

Testimony of Bradley A. Smith Before the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee on H.R. 1

February 6, 2019   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , , , , ,

Despite proponents’ insistence that H.R. 1 is “For the People,” the bill is anything but. More appropriately labeled the “For the Politicians Act,” H.R. ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2018-16

January 31, 2019   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , ,

On behalf of the Institute for Free Speech (“Institute”), we respectfully submit the following in response to the Federal Election Commission’s (“FEC” or “Commission”) ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Colorado Senate Bill 19-068

January 28, 2019   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , , , ,

This legislation touches on fundamental First Amendment rights of speech, petition, and private association. S.B. 19-068 is, therefore, subject to “exacting scrutiny” – a heightened ...

Analysis of H.R. 1 (Part One)

January 23, 2019   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

This analysis examines Title IV, Subtitles B (“DISCLOSE Act”), C (“Honest Ads”), and D (“Stand by Every Ad”) of H.R. 1 (116th Congress). The ...

Changes to Current Campaign Finance Laws Proposed by H.R. 1

January 22, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

PDF available here To facilitate understanding of how H.R. 1 would change current federal law that regulates political speech, the Institute for Free Speech ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with New Jersey S. 1500

January 17, 2019   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

S. 1500 would subject advocacy groups to unconstitutionally vague, broad, and invasive new “disclosure” requirements for merely providing factual information to their members and ...

Transparency and Corruption: A General Analysis

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January 11, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

Abstract: This essay makes two claims: transparency in government causes the very corruption it aims to prevent, and the problem is universal. Some scholars, ...

Analysis of the “DISCLOSE Act of 2018” (S. 3150)

December 19, 2018   •  By Eric Wang   •  , ,

Upon taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 116th Congress, Democrats have indicated their first order of business will be to ...

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