[EL] WyLiberty Attorneys File Lawsuit to Stop FEC Chill on Free Speech

Thu Jun 14 11:37:20 PDT 2012

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      *PRESS RELEASE*
June 14, 2012 *For Immediate Release*
      *WyLiberty Attorneys File Lawsuit to Stop FEC Chill on Free Speech*
*CHEYENNE: *Wyoming Liberty Group attorneys filed a lawsuit in the Wyoming
federal district court today against the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
on behalf of Free Speech, a Wyoming grassroots organization.

"We are now at the point where individuals must register and report with
the government just to criticize it," said Benjamin Barr, WyLiberty senior
counsel. "Fortunately, the First Amendment is a powerful antidote to this
kind of government censorship."

The suit, *Free Speech v. Federal Election Commission*, argues that vague
and overbroad FEC regulations, which require grassroots groups to register
as "political committees" (PACs), effectively shut down much speech in the
heartland.

"The government does not have a reason to force bookkeeping, disclosure and
reporting requirements on groups that only speak about political issues,
even when those issues, like Obamacare, are associated with candidates,"
said Stephen Klein, WyLiberty staff attorney. "The government weaves a web
of complex regulations that restricts politics to so-called professionals
and shuts out individuals who just want to speak publically about political
issues and those in power."

Free Speech initially asked the FEC for guidance through its advisory
opinion process<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5j3ia7CiE9XIaDz6XU8tRCip9NmXUi5sCoSFch6xUSq9rVGcssk70j489ndfewDIMmQ0nXYCVhyF25WTq6JF7NAUqlLx3hQBU_g6SK6JFD4wzKrEbBw7pAqTp3WRUA5d-y0gsmnxpdliuov03D8VU619PWcwJ1bzyaWuhfIMq6ARg==>,
submitting a number of proposed advertisements and fundraising requests to
see which triggered burdensome regulations and which did not. After two
hearings and three draft advisory opinions requiring over 60 days of
consideration, the Commission finally issued a partial advisory
opinion<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5i53rX2iVlQmiiXkEUOpxf4JBbQcWsHHWyNahj3-cCQa_WrZDGozF30BMBq1FPlTEqbI3X4285UMfHEyE2U7en_Mf15Jk9Bkn3pwEBn59ERQvLp53QADMorry4wbDLG2ehoIs4LIRxd2Q==>that
did not answer most of the questions presented. The FEC could not
agree on how basic parts of federal election law work, creating a problem
for people nationwide by having them risk civil or criminal penalties if
they guess the meaning of the law incorrectly.

"It is hard to imagine that in a free society citizens must wade through
hundreds of pages of complicated rules to exercise their First Amendment
freedoms," said Barr. "We are confident that through the aggressive
litigation of our clients' constitutional rights, the FEC's censorship will
be brought to an end."
*
*

-- 30 --
  For more information, please contact:

Steve Klein, staff attorney, 307-632-7020

     *Wyoming Liberty
Group<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5gzPobAIJw6b3UU8NZVUgA9q47GDf9Cijnzq4vhj5WqwV-BysXdMXL8sfcgMreQ3AOO6fm_i3gg0BYGuF_fXsadB7EPteJTCOI=>is
a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational
organization. It has an extensive record of defending political speech in
the courts, with friend-of-the-court briefs arguing against
government-subsidized
speech<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5j5GKEk_0mTHG785C1TZm9oY_lnXCUaJXbT-yJRKgGqHbd9Olfhhemqb3mZbbQ9v5wmH9qQAR_4RH9BfvE67QX289mMy_i32RMqe0k8YCPCH4ZdpwVW_4KMJbbj64ofStVx4SP9cjkhEFLlMLM99CF8HL8AHfz-ExlEugUSX_ptCA==>,
in favor of associational
privacy<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5jXK9-VJf8QAYCPtc2uKEn54V_-U4hB3a_jMiSFFrb1Cp-j-QTI1c8yUdIYYguFFCpRrctA_PHgas5pEbmBKq8vGVyMGcd3Qu36aJ821bTqEmBZbMZGahhiWIonOuaHN5jlyEEpKxzXfNSdwANydMhV7wAZy3CJGzoetYAnNBOmKQ==>,
and for robust grassroots
advocacy<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5jXK9-VJf8QAYCPtc2uKEn54V_-U4hB3a_jMiSFFrb1Cp-j-QTI1c8yUdIYYguFFCpRrctA_PHgas5pEbmBKq8vGVyMGcd3Qu36aJ821bTqEmBZbMZGahhiWIonOuaHN5jlyEEpKxzXfNSdwANydMhV7wAZy3CJGzoetYAnNBOmKQ==>.
In order to enhance its position as lead counsel for Free Speech, Wyoming
Liberty Group attorneys Benjamin Barr and Stephen Klein are joined by
co-counsel Jack
Speight<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001RyDfHYUzQ5jY7r3Spxk7t34wJsnLhkUifc9yi6VAlLggrS9ZxkCqDB0ZMd8GgCrTpd-wpVUKBV-mgIFKmqD6ggKBS6UdTKgpxkwXsNxkHEYSxpkm-Ei_bw_r0p9_PWcMjT4wrKuc4EtZqICGHgbw-0DOEHTUwPN5B62BWpOe_GR2nATXdH5KIstcHqQHyom7DTMEAJkZ0IoslvH5XC2Q9A==>,
a respected Wyoming trial attorney with impressive experience in federal
courts.** *
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82001

-- 
Steve Klein
Staff Attorney & Research Counsel*
Wyoming Liberty Group
www.wyliberty.org

**Licensed to practice law in Illinois. Counsel to the Wyoming Liberty
Group pursuant to Rule 5.5(d) of the Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct.*
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