Litigation

Supreme Court Lets MN Disclosure Law Stand

By Peter Hardin

Groups challenging a new Minnesota law that requires disclosure of corporate political spending have lost a round at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The high court declined to grant an injunction sought by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, according to an Associated Press article.

Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life, the Taxpayers League of Minnesota and Coastal Travel Enterprises took their effort to the U.S. Supreme Court after they were rebuffed by a federal court in Minnesota (see Gavel Grab), according to a Minnesota Independent article.

The groups have sued to get the law thrown out on free speech grounds, and its disclosure requirements suspended right away. They have been represented by Indiana-based lawyer James Bopp Jr. He has brought numerous challenge to campaign finance laws (see Gavel Grab).

In another campaign finance litigation case, a federal judge in Hawaii upheld state laws that mandate certain disclosures, including names of contributions, by noncandidate political action committees; the judge also upheld a provision requiring committees to have disclaimers in advertisements, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Bopp represented the challengers in the Hawaii litigation. He also is representing a tea party group in Montana that has recently sued to overturn states laws  regulating political committee spending and reporting, according to an article by The Missoulian.

“It’s part of a coordinated, national effort to dismantle campaign and election laws … and to tell voters they have no right to know who’s influencing elections,” said Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock.

Full post as published by The Gavel on November 01, 2010 (boomark / email).