CIF
Among Two Dozen Groups and Individuals to Join McConnell Legal Challenge
to "Campaign Finance Reform"
At a Capitol
Hill press conference on April 10, CIF joined two dozen organizations
and individuals from across the political spectrum to announce their
participation as plaintiffs in Senator Mitch McConnells (R-KY)
legal challenge (McConnell v. FEC) to the Bipartisan Campaign
Finance Reform Act.
The Southeastern
Legal Foundation and Judge Kenneth Starr, a lead attorney on McConnells
distinguished legal team, will represent CIF, U.S. Representative
Bob Barr (R-GA), 60 Plus Association, National Right to Work Committee
and ProEnglish in the landmark case. The James Madison Center for
Free Speech General Counsel James Bopp will represent 14 of the
24 plaintiffs to be added to the lawsuit -- including, among others,
U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-IN), The Christian Coalition of
America, Club for Growth, Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor and
the Libertarian National Committee. The American Civil Liberties
Union (ACLU) also signed on. According to McConnell attorney Floyd
Abrams, "You can comfortably expect that in the next two or
three weeks there will be more plaintiffs challenging this legislation."
McConnell opened
the event by saying, "Today, in this room, where constitutionally-guaranteed
American political freedoms are concerned, there is no ideological
divide. There is no special interest. There is only one interest:
Freedom.
"We wage
this constitutional battle to protect for all Americans the freedom
to speak out freely on issues and elections, to exercise their First
Amendment right to petition their government for a redress of grievances
and to associate freely with like-minded people to advance shared
values and concerns. These freedoms are the core of American democracy.
Their defense is the mission of this coalition," McConnell
concluded.
CIF has long
maintained that the so-called "campaign finance reform"
law strikes a vicious blow at the heart of the First Amendment to
the U.S. Constitution. The fundamental free speech rights of individuals
to engage in the political process, both independently and collectively,
are vital and necessary to the continued strength of our democracy.
"We are
honored to be here today to stand beside this distinguished group
of individuals and associations with whom we share a common goal
of protecting the Constitution from what can best be described as
the most extensive and insidious assault on political speech ever
ventured in this country," according to a prepared statement
by CIF Executive Director Eric Schippers. "Were asking
the court to reinstate the constitutional principles which the politicians
and the media supporting this law have abandoned."
To read the
full text of CIFs statement, click
here.
To read the amended complaint, click
here.
[Posted
April 11, 2002]
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