So, it’s Christmas weekend, and perhaps you need a change of pace from It’s a Wonderful Life and George C. Scott in a Christmas Carol. If so, have we got a treat for you.
This is a panel on the proper role of disclosure in campaign finance, from the Federalist Society National Lawyers Conference in 2010. It features CCP Founder and Chairman Bradley Smith, Professor Lloyd Mayer of Notre Dame, Professor Joel Riedenberg of Fordham, and Judge Raymond Randolph of the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit. Judge Brent Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit moderates. Professor Smith is the first speaker after Judge Kavanaugh’s introduction.
This is a particularly timely debate as the discussion over the proper extent of campaign disclosure is near the forefront of campaign finance debates in this election year. As Professor Smith notes, disclosure has benefits, but it is not without costs as well. In particular, it can be used to try to suffocate political speech and invade privacy. Striking a proper balance is key.
