Judge ready to strike down San Jose law barring last-minute campaign contributions

[alp227]

Source: San Jose Mercury News

A judge says a San Jose law that bars campaign contributions to candidates in the last weeks before an election appears to be an unconstitutional muzzle on free speech and is prepared to strike it down.

The ruling in a proposed decision by Santa Clara Superior Court Judge James P. Kleinberg is a victory for environmental activist Ted Smith, who filed the 2007 lawsuit challenging San Jose regulations on campaign and lobbying activity.

"It's a big win," his attorney, James McManis, said. "It completely turns around politics in San Jose."

(...)

San Jose's law dates to 1997 and prohibits campaign contributions to candidates during a "blackout period" 17 days before a regularly scheduled election and seven days before a special election.

Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18571050

[Drale]

1. This just adds to the idea that money is free speech

and that is wrong on so many levels.

[freshwest]

2. +1,000

[No Elephants]

3. Yo, judge, when we said "Money talks," we did not mean it literally.