Citizens United lawyer targets Texas campaign finance laws

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


David Saleh Rauf, Associated Press Updated 12:15 am, Tuesday, February 7, 2017



AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Political "dark money" and the founder of an organization tied to President Donald Trump's accusations of voter fraud will be at the center of a Texas Supreme Court case Tuesday that could reshape campaign finance laws in the country's second-largest state.

Chief questions facing the nine Republican justices on Texas' highest civil court include the legality of the state's ban on corporate contributions and disclosure requirements for political action committees. Some believe the case ultimately could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court and potentially reshape campaign finance regulations nationwide.

Houston tea party group King Street Patriots, started by Catherine Engelbrecht, has been the focus of a longstanding lawsuit by the Texas Democratic Party accusing the organization of violating state campaign finance laws by engaging in political behavior when it dispatched poll watchers on behalf of the Texas Republican Party during the 2010 election. Democrats have used the case to press for disclosure of the group's donors.

But the nonprofit, represented by attorney James Bopp Jr., architect of the landmark Citizens United case that opened the door for corporations and unions to make unlimited independent expenditures in U.S. elections has fired back with a counterclaim challenging numerous provisions of Texas campaign finance law. The case has played out for years in Texas courts on whether key components of the state's campaign finance and disclosure system are constitutional.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Citizens-United-lawyer-targets-Texas-campaign-10913282.php

[cstanleytech]

1. I suspect the corporate one will be thrown out but hopefully the disclosure part will

survive, in fact I fully support 100% disclosure on PAC money and corporations should have to disclose the money and or services that they freely provide and or discount for any politician thats value is over $100.00 and politicians should be required to provide the details of any free services, discounts and or money they receive thats valued over $100.00 at the same time.