Minnesota’s invasive, unconstitutional lobbying disclosure laws practically hand-deliver an “enemies list” to activists looking to harass groups and their vendors.
Now, two Minnesota advocacy organizations are fighting back.
Minnesota Right to Life and Minnesota Gun Rights are challenging the state’s sweeping disclosure requirements that force grassroots groups to publicly reveal private vendor information whenever they spend more than $2,000 on advertising that encourages people to contact their elected officials.
The groups, represented by attorneys from the Institute for Free Speech and local counsel Lee U. McGrath, filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota challenging the state’s lobbying disclosure laws that chill protected speech and expose advocacy organizations and their business partners to harassment intended to drive such groups out of the public square.
Under Minnesota’s broad definition of “lobbying,” advocacy groups must register with the government and publicly disclose detailed information about their grassroots activities—including the names and addresses of vendors—whenever they communicate with supporters to encourage them to contact legislators about pending bills. This requirement applies even when organizations never speak directly to public officials themselves and instead merely urge private citizens to make their voices heard.
The disclosure requirements have already taken a devastating toll. Minnesota Right to Life (MNRTL) experienced targeted harassment in 2020 when activists discovered the identity of the group’s mailbox vendor and launched a pressure campaign that forced the vendor to cancel MNRTL’s service without warning. Both MNRTL and Minnesota Gun Rights have since been “deplatformed” by multiple vendors providing services like fundraising management and email distribution.
The chilling effect of this regime is immediate and severe. Both organizations now avoid effective but expensive advertising campaigns to stay below the $2,000 disclosure threshold, limiting the groups’ ability to engage in protected speech. Under current Minnesota law, these groups face an impossible choice: restrict their advocacy, expose their vendors to harassment, or risk criminal prosecution for incomplete reporting.
The lawsuit seeks to enjoin enforcement of Minnesota’s vendor disclosure requirements and grassroots lobbying registration rules. The organizations are also requesting emergency injunctive relief to prevent further enforcement while the case proceeds.
To read our full press release on the filing of the case in Minnesota Right to Life and Minnesota Gun Rights v. Rashid, et al., click here. To read the complaint, click here.
