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Home :  Nonprofit Issues :  Advocacy Blog : 
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Advocacy Blog


Tuesday, January 17, 2006

WRTL v. FEC Supreme Court Arguments This Morning
The Supreme Court heard arguments this morning for WRTL v. FEC. Bob Bauer is live blogging from the courtroom.



Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 01:29:42 PM



Friday, January 13, 2006

Wisconsin Right to Life Case in Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune story about Wisconsin Right to Life case.

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:27:21 AM



Thursday, January 12, 2006

McCellan Says Bush Wants to Regulate 527s but Also More Enforcement
From a January 9 Press Briefing:

Q: I understand the President recognizes this was Congressman DeLay's decision. But, again, as essentially the head of the Republican Party, is he concerned about the Abramoff scandal creating a kind of culture of corruption that is hitting, at this point, mostly Republicans? In that vein, does he think DeLay stepping down is a good thing for the Republican Party to take the lead in trying to clean this up?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, that speculates about certain things that I don't think you can do, or insinuates certain things. And I don't think you can draw those conclusions. We'll see what happens with regards to the investigation you bring up. But I would point out that Congress has moved forward on a number of important reforms. The President has been someone who has supported campaign finance reform. The President has advocated also, and in fact he's signed into law, some legislation, some common sense campaign finance reforms. The President has long believed in rapid and full disclosure of contributors.

The President also has called for regulating 527 groups. These are groups that are -- have unregulated soft money coming into them, and we don't know where that money is coming from. And the President has called for those to be regulated similar to other political organizations. Now Congress -- the Republican leadership is looking at building on some of the reforms they have put in place. They are looking at ideas. We are open to looking at those ideas. We want to work constructively with Congress to move forward on some reforms. And we will do so.

But I would also point out that there are laws on the books. And those laws need to be enforced, and they need to be followed. And in fact in this instance, the laws are being enforced. Someone is being -- a number of people are being brought to account for the wrongdoing they engaged in by the Department of Justice. And that investigation continues at this point. I think going beyond where it is at this point is pure speculation.

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:55:26 AM



GOP Considers Ban on Privately Funded Travel
Check out this New York Times article on the possible banning of privately funded travel. This could have impacts for nonprofits, which we discuss more extensively in our Watcher article on the new lobby reform bills before Congress.

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:51:09 AM



New Article on Impact of BCRA
New article by Michael Munger - Unintended Consequences 1, Good Intentions 0

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:47:38 AM



Thursday, January 05, 2006

Bush Names Three to FEC
From Roll Call:

President Bush took advantage of the Congressional recess to appoint a trio of commissioners to the Federal Election Commission today, a move that was expected but has several prominent campaign finance reformers crying foul.

The newly appointed Republican commissioner is Hans von Spakovsky, a political appointee in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, who was previously a Republican election appointee in Georgia. He fills the vacant GOP seat on the six-member commission that was held until last summer by Brad Smith, who has retired.

Two Democrats also were named to the commission: labor attorney Robert Lenhard and Steven Walther, a former lawyer to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 11:56:47 AM



Wednesday, January 04, 2006

IRS Clears Church in Electioneering Probe
From the Miami Herald:

A church in Miami visited by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry during his campaign has been cleared of political activity that could have jeopardized its tax-exempt status. According to the lawyer for the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, the Internal Revenue Service will be closing the investigation after finding that the church was not campaigning on behalf of Senator Kerry. The inquiry began after a Washington political watchdog group lodged a complaint against the church, calling the visit a “rally.”

Read a Watcher article on the inquiry.

Posted by Jennifer Lowe, 03:25:04 PM




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Hearing on FEC Nominees

FISA Negotiations Continue

Librarians on the Hill to Discuss FISA and Other Issues

Forum on Rules for Tax-Exempt Organizations during an Election Year

Federal Trade Commission Seeks Authority Over 501(c)(3) Groups

Reid Seeks Help from the White House for Separate Hans von Spakovsky Vote

IRS May Consider Project to Monitor Political Activity of 501(c)(4)s

Young Adults Voting at Record Levels this Primary Season

Missouri Lawmakers Want to Require Proof of Citizenship to Vote

Group Seeks Court Test of IRS Electioneering Ban

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