From the Westmoreland Times:
Setting the stage for a groundbreaking First Amendment test of campaign finance law, federal judge Robert L. Wilkins certified to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, sitting en banc, the question of whether the government violates the right of free speech by limiting a decedent’s bequest to a political party.
The case, Libertarian National Committee (LNC) v. FEC, is brought by the Center for Competitive Politics (CCP) and the law firm of Gura & Possessky, PLLC.
In 2007, Tennessee resident Raymond Burrington passed away, leaving in his will $217,734 to the Libertarian Party. But because that amount exceeded the annual limit on contributions to national party committees, the LNC was forced to place funds in escrow, withdrawing each year only the amount permitted by the FEC. The LNC seeks the full amount of the bequest, as well as the ability to implement a planned giving program that would solicit bequests exceeding the annual contribution limit.
