Institute For Free Speech

FEC: An Agency Tasked with Regulating First Amendment Activity
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS Staff  •    •  

The Federal Election Commission is the independent agency charged with enforcing federal campaign finance law and enacting campaign finance regulations. The FEC was created after the Nixon Administration’s Justice Department pursued criminal campaign finance charges against the President’s critics. In light of that effort, Congress correctly rejected the idea of letting a future president effectively control a government agency tasked…

Campaign Legal Center v. Federal Election Commission (Due Process)
August 18, 2021   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

The Institute for Free Speech urged two federal judges to put a stop to unethical legal gamesmanship by members of the Federal Election Commission. ...

How Ted Cruz’s Fight with the FEC Could Benefit Free Speech for Everyone
August 12, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , ,

Senator Ted Cruz’s recent victory over the Federal Election Commission in a loan-repayment case clarified important First Amendment principles. The Institute for Free Speech ...

Transcript of the FEC Discussion of the Draft Statement of Policy Regarding Closing the File at the Initial Stage in the Enforcement Process
July 1, 2021   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

At a late April open meeting of the Federal Election Commission, the agency’s six commissioners discussed a proposed policy to close the file at ...

Democrats Are Using the FEC as a Partisan Weapon
June 26, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  ,

The FEC’s Democrats are regularly refusing to dismiss complaints and notify respondents that they are in the clear when the commission has voted not ...

The First Amendment Is Lucky to Have Mitch McConnell
May 18, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , , ,

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell hammered the first nail into the coffin of the draconian S. 1 legislation on Wednesday, announcing that the Democrats’ 800-plus-page rewrite of ...

Senators embarrass themselves defending S.1 bill’s assault on free speech
May 13, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , , ,

How do you defend a bill that would subsidize politicians' campaigns, expose people to harassment for their beliefs, and impose a partisan takeover of ...

Looking Ahead: Major Free Speech Developments to Expect Throughout Remainder of 2021

 Default Article
April 22, 2021   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , , , , , ,

Last year, the Institute for Free Speech pointed to several trends likely to impact Americans’ political speech rights. Unfortunately, efforts to restrict speech, press, ...

Comments to FEC on Draft Statement of Policy
April 8, 2021   •  By Alan Gura   •  ,

The Institute for Free Speech supports the proposed policy clarification regarding the closing of Federal Election Commission complaint files at the initial stage of ...

How the For the People Act could supercharge cancel culture
April 2, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , ,

Many of H.R. 1's provisions would expose supporters of controversial causes, providing new ways to dox people and turbocharging an already malignant cancel culture.

IFS Chairman Bradley A. Smith Criticizes “Cynicism” of S. 1 in Opening Statement at Senate Rules Committee Hearing
March 24, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , , , , ,

At a March 24 hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Institute for Free Speech Chairman Bradley A. Smith warned that ...

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