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…

Washington Supreme Court Should Override $18 Million Chill on Political Speech

September 7, 2021   •  By Nathan Maxwell   •  , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech urged the Washington State Supreme Court to overturn an unprecedented $18 million fine against the Grocery Manufacturers Association for ...

Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta: Questions and Answers

August 30, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , ,

This primer answers common questions about the Supreme Court's decision in Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta, its immediate impact on nonprofits, and possible ...

State of Washington v. Grocery Manufacturers Association

August 13, 2021   •  By IFS Staff   •  , ,

Can a group be fined $18 million for not properly filing campaign finance reports? The Institute for Free Speech argues that such a massive ...

Alaska Policy Forum v. Alaska Public Offices Commission

August 11, 2021   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

Think tanks have a First Amendment right to educate the public about their views and advocate for the policies they believe are best. States ...

ProPublica Leak Illustrates Importance of IRS Privacy Reform

July 29, 2021   •  By Tiffany Donnelly   •  , , ,

As Americans, we all have the right to privately support causes we believe in. The last thing we need is for the IRS to ...

MAXWELL: Joe Manchin’s ‘Compromise’ On Voting Rules Is A Trojan Horse For Censorship

July 20, 2021   •  By Nathan Maxwell   •  , , ,

The DISCLOSE Act, a tortured acronym for “Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections,” is a part of both S. 1 ...

Assumptions Gone Awry: New Book Casts Further Doubt on “Appearance of Corruption” Legal Standard

In an insightful new book, The Appearance of Corruption: Testing the Supreme Court’s Assumptions about Campaign Finance Reform, three political scientists examine the Court's ...

Supreme Court restores privacy in smackdown of California

July 6, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , ,

When you join with others in support of a cause, state officials don’t have a right to track you. That’s the upshot of last ...

Campaign Finance Laws Scare Horror Game Developer into Early Retirement

June 17, 2021   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  , ,

The purpose of the public reporting of contributions is to stop corruption and to inform the electorate about the sources of candidates’ financial support ...

Proponents Say H.R. 1 and S. 1 Will End “Dark Money.” They Won’t.

June 16, 2021   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , ,

If a bill fails to pass in every session of Congress for a decade because groups across the ideological spectrum oppose its constitutional infirmities, ...

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