Court Cases
Campaign Finance Reform
City of New York v. New York City Campaign Finance Board
The Center defended the New York City public financing program against a challenge brought by former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
– 02/15/01
Mariani v. United States
This 2000 case challenged the Federal Election Campaign Act’s ban on corporate contributions.
– 05/18/00
Daggett v. Commission on Governmental Ethics & Election Practices
The Brennan Center represented five Maine officeholders and candidates to defend the constitutionality of the Maine Clean Elections Act ("MCEA"), Maine’s full public funding program for candidates for state legislative and gubernatorial races.
– 03/07/00
Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC
The Brennan Center represented Missouri state Representative Joan Bray to defend the state’s contribution limits.
– 01/24/00
Elections Board of the State of Wisconsin v. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce
In 1999, the Brennan Center was lead counsel for a prominent state senator in five related cases in federal and state court regarding Wisconsin’s regulation of issue expenditures.
– 07/07/99
Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. Federal Election Commission (Colorado Republican I
The Colorado Republican Party challenged the constitutionality of the 1974 restriction imposed by the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) that limited the amount a national or state party can spend on Congressional races as a violation of the First Amendment right to free speech.
– 06/26/99
Russell v. Burris; Arkansas Right to Life v. Butler
The Center represented proponents of Arkansas’ 1996 ballot initiative on campaign finance in defending the initiative in two lawsuits in which it was challenged.
– 06/04/98
Republican National Committee v. Federal Election Committee
The Republican National Committee challenged the Federal Election Commission’s regulations governing “soft money.”
– 05/12/98
Kruse v. Cincinnati
In 1998, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit struck down a City of Cincinnati Ordinance placing a $140,000 limit on city council campaign expenditures.
– 04/27/98
State of Alaska v. Jacobus
In October 2001, the Center, representing Senators John McCain and Russ Feingold and Representatives Christopher Shays and Martin Meehan, filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
– 02/27/98