Institute For Free Speech

Disclosure: A Threat to Associational Privacy
January 1, 2018  •  By IFS staff  •    •  

Disclosure, in the campaign finance context, refers to laws and regulations requiring candidates and political groups to report information about their activities to the government, which then makes that information available publicly. The required information varies greatly, depending on the affected organization and the local, state, or federal government mandating the disclosure. Disclosure rules fall into two broad categories: disclosure…

Testimony of Bradley A. Smith Before the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee on H.R. 1
February 6, 2019   •  By Brad Smith   •  , , , , , , ,

Despite proponents’ insistence that H.R. 1 is “For the People,” the bill is anything but. More appropriately labeled the “For the Politicians Act,” H.R. ...

Comments to FEC on Notice 2018-16
January 31, 2019   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , ,

On behalf of the Institute for Free Speech (“Institute”), we respectfully submit the following in response to the Federal Election Commission’s (“FEC” or “Commission”) ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with Colorado Senate Bill 19-068
January 28, 2019   •  By Allen Dickerson   •  , , , , ,

This legislation touches on fundamental First Amendment rights of speech, petition, and private association. S.B. 19-068 is, therefore, subject to “exacting scrutiny” – a heightened ...

Analysis of H.R. 1 (Part One)
January 23, 2019   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

This analysis examines Title IV, Subtitles B (“DISCLOSE Act”), C (“Honest Ads”), and D (“Stand by Every Ad”) of H.R. 1 (116th Congress). The ...

Changes to Current Campaign Finance Laws Proposed by H.R. 1
January 22, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  , , ,

PDF available here To facilitate understanding of how H.R. 1 would change current federal law that regulates political speech, the Institute for Free Speech ...

Constitutional and Practical Issues with New Jersey S. 1500
January 17, 2019   •  By Eric Wang   •  , , ,

S. 1500 would subject advocacy groups to unconstitutionally vague, broad, and invasive new “disclosure” requirements for merely providing factual information to their members and ...

Transparency and Corruption: A General Analysis

 Default Article
January 11, 2019   •  By IFS Staff   •  ,

Abstract: This essay makes two claims: transparency in government causes the very corruption it aims to prevent, and the problem is universal. Some scholars, ...

Analysis of the “DISCLOSE Act of 2018” (S. 3150)
December 19, 2018   •  By Eric Wang   •  , ,

Upon taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 116th Congress, Democrats have indicated their first order of business will be to ...

You might get harassed like Tucker Carlson for giving to a cause you believe in
November 9, 2018   •  By Eric Peterson   •  , ,

Have we passed the point of civil disagreement in this country? If the scene that played out in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday was any ...

Montanans for Community Development v. Mangan
October 24, 2018   •  By IFS Staff   •  , ,

In 1976, the Supreme Court narrowly construed a federal campaign finance law in order to shield civil society from overregulation in Buckley v. Valeo. ...

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