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…

Testimony of Bradley A. Smith Before the U.S. Senate Rules and Administration Committee on S. 1
March 24, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , , , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech writes to express serious concerns about the devastating effect H.R. 1 would have on Americans’ freedom of speech and ...

As H.R. 1 Moves to the Senate, Consider What Motivates Politicians
March 16, 2021   •  By Alex Baiocco   •  , , , , ,

In comments celebrating the House of Representatives’ partisan passage of H.R. 1, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explained that achieving the Democrats’ legislative agenda will ...

“For the People Act” gives politicians more power, curtails speech
March 6, 2021   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , , , ,

The threats to free speech in the so-called “For the People Act” span hundreds of pages and are too numerous to cover in their ...

Letter to U.S. House of Representatives in Opposition to H.R. 1
March 3, 2021   •  By David Keating   •  , , , , , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech strongly opposes H.R. 1, the Orwellian “For the People Act.” More appropriately known as the “For the Politicians Act,” ...

Letter to U.S. House Administration Committee on H.R. 1’s Harms to Speech and Assembly Rights
February 25, 2021   •  By David Keating   •  , , , , , , ,

The Institute for Free Speech writes to express serious concerns about the devastating effect H.R. 1 would have on Americans’ freedom of speech and ...

Nine Former FEC Commissioners Warn of “Ruinous Effect” of H.R. 1 and S. 1
February 9, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , ,

Nine former FEC commissioners fiercely criticized both H.R. 1 and S. 1 in a letter to Congressional leaders. The deceptively named “For the People ...

Misleading H.R. 1 Poll Manufactures Support for Limiting Speech
January 26, 2021   •  By Luke Wachob   •  , , , , , , ,

A new poll from progressive supporters of H.R. 1 misleads about the bill's impact and ignores the many restrictions the legislation imposes on First ...

H.R. 1 and S. 1 Resource Guide (2021)
January 25, 2021   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , , , , , , ,

H.R. 1 and S. 1 would impose sweeping new restrictions on speech about campaigns and public affairs. The Institute for Free Speech has created ...

Third Parties Are Excluded from the Presidential Debates – And Punished by Campaign Finance Laws
October 22, 2020   •  By Scott Blackburn   •  , , ,

It’s not just the debates that advantage major party candidates: The entire campaign finance ecosystem has been purposefully crafted to maintain the two-party duopoly. ...

CREW v. FEC’s Impact on Independent Expenditures and Donor Privacy, Explained
September 3, 2020   •  By Brad Smith   •  , ,

Until then, the D.C. Circuit’s opinion in CREW v. FEC should not be read as requiring forced disclosure of all donors to nonprofit groups, ...

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