Institute For Free Speech

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…

The New York Times wants anonymity for the powerful, but no privacy for you
September 7, 2018   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , ,

President Trump set off another mini-firestorm this week with his reaction to an anonymously-authored New York Times op-ed in which the author “vowed to ...

Government Should Not Enable Political Violence
August 30, 2018   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , ,

Earlier this month, the Berkeley Police Department published on Twitter the names, photos, ages, and cities of residence of protesters arrested at a “No ...

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 ...

Gov. Steve Bullock’s nosy lawsuit to make the IRS collect more of your data
August 20, 2018   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , ,

People often advise against “making a federal case” out of minor grievances. Someone in your neighborhood has a noisy dog? By all means mention ...

Analysis Of November 2018 North Dakota Campaign Finance/Lobbying Initiated Constitutional Amendment
August 14, 2018   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech (“IFS”)[3] provides the following analysis of the voter-initiated campaign finance and lobbying amendment to North Dakota’s State Constitution that ...

Kavanaugh Joins Opinion that Helps Ensure FEC Enforcement Actions Remain Free of Bias
August 13, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

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

Four Constitutional Red Flags in State Disclosure Laws
August 7, 2018   •  By Luke Wachob   •  ,

The First Amendment protects the right of Americans to associate privately with others. Nonprofits across America have long relied on this right to organize ...

Is Transparency in Government Always Good?
August 7, 2018   •  By Paul Jossey   •  ,

“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis wrote these words over ...

At 60, the NAACP’s victory for privacy rights must not be forgotten
July 3, 2018   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , ,

Margaret Mead famously observed that “a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” Yet when we consider the rights that protect ...

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