Podcasts about speechnow

Record-breaking sums of money are pouring into American politics — from billionaires spending hundreds of millions to dark money groups hiding their donors. These sums have given wealthy interests outsized access and influence — while the Federal Election Commission (FEC), created to enforce campaign finance laws, has become unable to fulfill its mission.In this episode, host Simone Leeper speaks with former FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Campaign Legal Center President Trevor Potter. Together, they trace how court rulings like Buckley v. Valeo, Citizens United v. FEC and SpeechNOW v. FEC opened the floodgates to unlimited political spending — and explore reforms that could restore transparency, strengthen the Federal Election Commission and curb the outsized role of big money in our democracy.Timestamps:(00:01) — Why was an FEC commissioner suddenly removed?(03:14) — How much money was spent in the 2024 election cycle?(07:00) — What campaign finance lessons came out of Watergate?(09:35) — What was the McCain-Feingold Act, and why did it matter?(10:45) — How did Citizens United and SpeechNow change U.S. elections?(13:41) — What is dark money and why is it dangerous?(15:18) — Why has the FEC failed to enforce campaign finance laws?(21:48) — How did Elon Musk become the biggest mega-donor in U.S. history?(24:14) — What government power did Musk gain after funding Trump?(30:03) — How has campaign finance evolved since Watergate?(33:41) — What reforms could reduce dark money and strengthen transparency?(40:57) — What must Congress do now to curb big money in politics? Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at Campaign Legal Center, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Ellen L. Weintraub served as Commissioner and four-time Chair of the U.S. Federal Election Commission from 2002 to 2025. There, she advocated for meaningful campaign-finance law enforcement and robust disclosure and strove to combat "dark money" and foreign influence in our elections. She has been a critic of the system that gives disproportionate influence to billionaire donors and has refuted unfounded claims of voter fraud. On February 6, 2025, she was informed that the President was removing her from office.A graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School, Weintraub has published articles in The New York Times, The Washington Post and leading law reviews and is a frequent speaker on news shows and at conferences at home and abroad. Previously, she practiced law at Perkins Coie LLP and was Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee. Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate. Senator Whitehouse serves as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee.Trevor Potter is President of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics. The American Bar Association Journal has described Trevor as “hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money.” He has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises. Links:Democracy Decoded: Season 1, Episode 4 – CLC How Does the Citizens United Decision Still Affect Us in 2025? – CLC Dark Money Groups Are Pumping Millions Into the 2024 Election – CLC Elon Musk Stands to Gain Even More Wealth by Serving in Trump's Administration – CLC New CLC Report Examines FEC's Role in Letting Big Money Dominate Elections – CLC From Dysfunctional to Destructive (FEC Report) – CLC The Impact of Big Money and Secret Spending on Trump's Second Inauguration – CLC Have Wealthy Donors Bought the Trump Administration? – CLC Preventing Wealthy Special Interests from Using Shell Companies to Keep Their Political Spending Secret (Case Page) – CLC Opposing Special Interest Loopholes in Campaign Finance Law Enforcement — ECU v. FEC (Rick Scott Appeal - Case Page) – CLC CLC Steps Up to Promote Enforcement of Federal Campaign Finance Law (Case Page) – CLC Defending Federal Limits on Corporate Spending in Elections (Citizens United v. FEC - Case Page) – CLC Campaign Legal Center Releases New Report on the FEC's Deregulatory Trend – CLC The Agency That's Supposed To Provide Election Oversight Badly Needs Oversight – CLC Campaign Legal Center Letter Responds to President Trump's Unlawful Attempt to Exert Control Over the FEC – CLCAbout CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Campaign Legal Center fights for every American's freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. Supreme Court has vastly reshaped American democracy — rolling back voting rights, enabling secret money in politics and expanding presidential power. These decisions have a real impact on all Americans by making it harder for citizens to exercise their freedom to vote, easier for wealthy interests to sway elections and more difficult to hold leaders accountable.In this episode, host Simone Leeper speaks with law professor and co-host of the Strict Scrutiny Podcast Leah Litman, Campaign Legal Center Senior Vice President Bruce V. Spiva and Campaign Legal Center Campaign Finance Senior Counsel David Kolker. Together, they unpack the real-world impact of landmark Supreme Court decisions — from voting rights cases like Shelby County v. Holder and Brnovich v. DNC to campaign finance rulings like Citizens United — and explore what reforms could restore balance, accountability and trust in the Court.Timestamps:(00:05) — What do Americans really think about the Supreme Court?(02:18) — Why does the Supreme Court's power matter for democracy?(07:01) — How did Shelby County v. Holder weaken voting rights?(16:39) — What was the impact of Brnovich v. DNC?(23:39) — How has the Supreme Court reshaped campaign finance?(29:24) — Why did Citizens United open the floodgates for money in politics?(32:37) — How have super PACs changed elections?(34:02) — How have wealthy special interests reshaped U.S. elections?(35:44) — What does presidential immunity mean for accountability?(37:30) — How do lifetime seats protect the Supreme Court from accountability?(39:22) — What role can Congress play in restoring trust and democracy?Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at Campaign Legal Center, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Leah Litman is a professor of law at the University of Michigan and a former Supreme Court clerk. In addition to cohosting Strict Scrutiny, she writes frequently about the Court for media outlets including The Washington Post, Slate, and The Atlantic, among others, and has appeared as a commentator on NPR and MSNBC, in addition to other venues. She has received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg award for her “scholarly excellence” from the American Constitution Society and published in top law reviews. Follow her on Bluesky @LeahLitman and Instagram @ProfLeahLitman.Bruce V. Spiva is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He is an attorney and community leader who has spent his over 30-year career fighting for civil rights and civil liberties, voting rights, consumer protection, and antitrust enforcement.Over the past three decades, he has tried cases and argued appeals in courtrooms across the country, including arguing against vote suppression in the United States Supreme Court in 2021. In 2022, in his first run for public office, Bruce mounted a competitive run in the primary election for Washington, D.C. Attorney General. In addition to founding his own law firm where he practiced for eleven years, Bruce has held several leadership and management positions as a partner at two national law firms. Most recently, Bruce served as the Managing Partner of the D.C. Office and on the firm-wide Executive Committee of Perkins Coie LLP, where he also had an active election law practice. He first-chaired twelve voting rights and redistricting trials across the country, and argued numerous voting rights appeals in U.S. circuit courts and state supreme courts during his tenure at Perkins. David Kolker is Campaign Finance Senior Counsel at Campaign Legal Center. He focuses on both short- and long-term strategies to improve campaign finance laws across the country, and precedent interpreting those laws. David has spent decades litigating cases in both the public and private sectors. He worked for nearly 20 years at the Federal Election Commission, where he litigated cases on federal campaign finance law and for several years led the agency's Litigation Division. He represented the government in dozens of oral arguments, including the government's defense in SpeechNow.org v. FEC before the D.C. Circuit sitting en banc. He litigated many cases decided by the Supreme Court, including the landmark cases of McConnell v. FEC and Citizens United v. FEC. David joined CLC from the Federal Communications Commission, where he served as the deputy bureau chief, Enforcement Bureau. He previously was a partner at the law firm Spiegel and McDiarmid in Washington. Early in his career, David worked as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. Links:The Supreme Court Needs to Start Standing Up for Democracy – CLCThe Supreme Court's Role in Undermining American Democracy  – CLCSupreme Court's Impact on Voting Rights Is a Threat to Democracy  – CLCWhy the Current U.S. Supreme Court Is a Threat to Our Democracy  – CLCU.S. Supreme Court Reinstates Illegal Virginia Voter Purge at the Eleventh Hour – CLCWhat Does the U.S. Supreme Court's Recent Arizona Decision Mean for Voters? – CLCAlito Flags the Fatal Flaw of the Supreme Court Ethics Code – CLCU.S. Supreme Court Reinstates Illegal Virginia Voter Purge at the Eleventh Hour – CLCImproving Ethics Standards at the Supreme Court – CLCSupreme Court tossed out heart of Voting Rights Act a decade ago, prompting wave of new voting rules – The HillU.S. Supreme Court Significantly Limits Restraints on Unconstitutional Presidential Actions – CLCCampaign Legal Center Responds to SCOTUS Ruling Limiting Court Restraints on Unconstitutional Presidential Actions – CLCProtecting the Promise of American Citizenship – CLCBringing the Fight for Fair Voting Maps to the U.S. Supreme Court – CLCThe Supreme Court Must Uphold Fair Voting Maps for Fair Representation – CLCAbout CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Campaign Legal Center fights for every American's freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Dinner Table Action v. Schneider, pending in the First Circuit, Maine is appealing a permanent injunction barring the enforcement of a ballot initiative passed in 2024 that would have capped contributions for independent expenditures at $5,000. The initiative, formulated and supported by the anti-super PAC group, Equal Citizens, was designed to challenge the case that “created” super PACs, SpeechNow.org v. FEC, a unanimous en banc D.C. Circuit decision, which held that no limits can be placed on contributions for independent expenditures, and has since been reaffirmed by several federal circuit courts. If the First Circuit were to remove the injunction, it would create a circuit split, and open up the possibility of revisiting SpeechNow.org v. FEC.The Dinner Table Action District Court also ruled that mandatory disclosure of donors starting at $0 unconstitutionally burdens Free Speech by not affording any possibility for anonymous speech. As such, this case sits at an interesting intersection between free speech and election law. Join us for a litigation update where we will discuss the developments to date in this case, its potential impacts, and where it may be headed. Featuring: Charles Miller, Senior Attorney, Institute for Free Speech(Moderator) Stephen R. Klein, Partner, Barr & Klein PLLC

In this episode, Lawrence Lessig outlines our plan to fight back against SuperPACs. He explains the logical mistake in SpeechNow v. FEC, why we launched a video competition (with a $50,000 prize!), and the legal strategy that could render SuperPACs largely powerless.For more information on the video contest, visit:cancelsuperpacs.com

Try to imagine a world where corporations don't run Washington. We can't either. Most Americans think money plays too big a role in US politics. So where's the bipartisan support for legislating a new path forward? And if the Dems and the GOP aren't going to fix this, how can we? When will cash take a back seat to real human voters? We're dumpster diving deep into the pockets of one of the richest congresses in US history and finding out just how far both parties will go to ensure that sweet green speaks louder than you. Special thanks to guests Peter Overby, Lawrence Lessig, and Ellen Moorhouse. From Maffick Podcasts, Party of One. Written, hosted, and produced by Amanda Getty and Gregory Haddock. Theme song by Jonathan Hurley. Production assistance by Ryan Wentz. Notes: https://www.npr.org/2019/01/05/682286587/house-democrats-introduce-anti-corruption-bill-as-symbolic-first-act https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/701248576/democrats-election-reform-bill-takes-aim-at-dark-money https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/13/embrace-irony https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/10/cost-of-2020-election-14billion-update/ https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/01/ronna-mcdaniel/yes-aclu-has-criticized-hr-1-heres-why/ https://cha.house.gov/sites/democrats.cha.house.gov/files/documents/committee_docs/H.R.%201_Sarbanes_Section-by-Section_FINAL.pdf https://act.represent.us/sign/money-politics-problem/ https://www.aclu.org/letter/aclu-letter-house-rules-committee-hr-1 https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/08/most-americans-want-to-limit-campaign-spending-say-big-donors-have-greater-political-influence/ https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:26%20section:9033%20edition:prelim) https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22hr1%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=1#toc-H0C72CA940E684A0986583236950CC71E https://truthout.org/articles/house-rejects-cori-bushs-amendment-on-voting-rights-for-incarcerated-people/ https://www.newsweek.com/which-countries-felons-vote-1405142 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(title:52%20section:30116%20edition:prelim) https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/pelosi-s-hr1-bill-a-blatant-power-grab-for-democrats/ar-BB1ekEx0 https://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A2Sec1.html https://theintercept.com/2021/03/04/hr1-voting-reform-for-the-people-house/ https://www.gp.org/hr1 https://peoplesparty.org/response-hr1/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/activists-want-to-save-voting-rights-bill-by-killing-the-filibuster/ar-BB1eh6Zj https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/30116 https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/candidate-taking-receipts/contribution-limits/ https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/everyone-knows-money-influences-politics-except-scientists/ https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2013/10/25/lobbying-money-does-not-buy-policy/ https://ballotpedia.org/SpeechNOW.org_v._Federal_Election_Commission https://www.npr.org/2019/05/07/720050070/democrats-want-to-end-dark-money-but-first-they-want-to-use-it https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/democrats-used-rail-against-dark-money-now-they-re-better-n1239830 https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview

Contrary to a popular misconception, super PACs were not created by the Supreme Court’s controversial decision in Citizens United. They were actually born out of a federal court of appeals decision in the case of SpeechNow.org v. FEC-- a case that was never reviewed by the Supreme Court. Ron Fein is the Legal Director at Free Speech for People, a non-profit and non-partisan organization that aims to reduce the role and influence of big money and corporate interests in elections. Ron and Free Speech for People, on behalf of a bipartisan coalition of members of congress, have a lawsuit pending before the Supreme Court now that would overturn SpeechNow. Ron joins the money in Politics podcast to talk about how super PACs were created, and ultimately, how they can be ended.

Former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith is perhaps best known for opposing many campaign finance regulations on First Amendment grounds. On today’s episode of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, we talk with the former chairman about how political campaign activity is regulated in America and how this regulation implicates the First Amendment. We also explore some of today’s hot-button campaign finance controversies. Smith is a professor of law at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. From 2000 until 2005, he served as a FEC commissioner. He was FEC chairman in 2004 and vice chairman in 2003. In 2005, Smith founded the Center for Competitive Politics, now known as the Institute for Free Speech. Show notes: http://www.thefire.org/anniversary Podcast transcript Cases: Buckley v. Valeo (1976), Randall v. Sorrell (2006) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), Speechnow.org v. FEC (2010), McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014) Timeline: The history of campaign finance regulation Faulty Assumptions and the Undemocratic Consequences of Campaign Finance Reform by Bradley A. Smith (1996) Unfree Speech: The Folly of Campaign Finance Reform by Bradley A. Smith (2009) Stormy weather for campaign-finance laws National Enquirer didn’t commit a crime by killing Trump affair stories www.sotospeakpodcast.com Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/freespeechtalk Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sotospeakpodcast Email us: sotospeak@thefire.org

Campaign finance law in the United States can be very complicated. In the news and under our current administration, we have heard the terms “campaign finance violations”, “hush-money payments”, and “private versus campaign payouts”. Since the 2010 Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC, campaign finance law has changed drastically. On Lawyer 2 Lawyer, host Craig Williams is joined by Erin Chlopak, as they discuss election laws, and the current political climate. Erin Chlopak is the senior legal counsel of campaign finance for the Campaign Legal Center. Erin joined CLC in August 2018, after spending nearly a decade working on a wide range of campaign finance issues in the Federal Election Commission’s Office of General Counsel. Special thanks to our sponsors, Clio.

How did SpeechNow and Citizens United change how elections are financed? Where does the distrust of money we so often see in politics come from? What’s wrong with making people disclose their donations?What’s the problem with occupational licensing? Doesn’t it seem sensible in some cases for the government to license certain things to make sure people aren’t hurting others with their advice?How are these two issues related? This week Paul Sherman from the Institute for Justice joins us to discuss free speech as it applies to politics and elections (political speech), occupational licensing (occupational speech), and the future of the First Amendment.Show Notes and Further ReadingSherman’s article in the Harvard Law Review, “Occupational Speech and the First Amendment.”Amanda Shanor and Robert Post’s response to Sherman’s article, “Adam Smith’s First Amendment.”Institute for Justice cases dealing with free speech issues that we mentioned in this episode:Charleston Tour GuidesColorado Private EnforcementSavannah Tour Guides Free SpeechKentucky Psychology SpeechDC ToursParker North, CO Free Speech  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A brief history of 7 court cases that have shaped the current landscape of campaign financing. Emily's List vs FEC, Citizen's United vs FEC, SpeechNOW.org vs FEC, Club for Growth, Commonsense Ten and National Defense PAC. [Click to Listen]

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.