Posted on 09/09/2009 5:28:00 AM PDT by Loud Mime
When contributors hand over money to a trade group that’s lobbying on a bill before Congress, the public has a right to know who’s putting up that cash, a federal appeals panel has ruled.
In an opinion issued Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a relatively recent law requiring public donor lists.
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) had challenged the disclosure provision in the 2007 ethics overhaul law (PL 110-81), arguing that the First Amendment’s guarantee of the right to petition Congress means that financial backers of lobbying efforts should be allowed to remain anonymous.
The judges said that a Supreme Court decision more than 50 years ago, United States vs. Harriss, found that “who is being hired, who is putting up the money, and how much” to influence legislation are “a vital national interest.”
“Because nothing has transpired in the last half-century to suggest that the national interest in public disclosure of lobbying information is any less vital than it was when the Supreme Court first considered the issue, we reject that challenge,” said the 48-page appellate opinion.
The goal of the current law’s provision was to learn more about who was funding lobbying campaigns that were sometimes hidden behind bland names of advocacy groups. Failing to comply with the disclosure law could result in a $200,000 fine and as many as five years in prison. While the court case was pending, NAM made a filing under the law that named 65 of its member contributors. NAM spokesman Hank Cox said the group was disappointed with the decision and hasn’t decided whether to appeal further.
He said the group still feels that the law intimidates people from participating in their First Amendment right to petition government. “We think it’s a problem,” Cox said.
When Prop.8 was at issue in California, the protestors were harrassing the business owners at their homes.
Perhaps it would be fair to get Planned Parenthood to release the names of those persons who got abortions?
IF this were to be enforced evenly (fat chance!), this would hurt the liberals more than conservatives.
I would like to see full disclosure of the lobbyists donations, NOT the individuals involved. That way we could find out who owns each politician. We can tell by the group which way the wind blows politically. The Prop 8 picketing of individuals who supported it was disgusting.
This looks like good news to me.
I would like to know when it is actually Soros or SEIU that is paying for something even if they create a front group.
If “The People” vote for Congressmen and Senators to represent US, why do we allow lobbyists to influence OUR representatives?
Maybe. Based on what happened in California, today’s Communist-crats are in high gear to gain power and dispose of those who stand in their way. The reason for this lawsuit was obvious: they want to target individuals; and they have the media on their side.
I agree. What special interest groups are buying the politicians favor? How much money is being passed around, and who really ends up with it?
How do politicians go to Washington as paupers but retire as multimillionaires? Where are they getting their newly found millions? Why are they now multimillionaires? Who have they sold their souls to? Who have they sold our souls to?
Gouverneur Morris’ statement of “We the People” did not mean we were a Democracy of majority rule. Throughout the writings of the Founders they did not want a Democracy.
The lobbyists represent voters and taxpayers and the members of congress know it. Lobbying is legal AND ethical. If a law affects a business sector, they should be allowed to use their voice as a sector.
If it isn’t being enforced equally, then it becomes your job to start making waves. There are numerous legal groups out there who will help with the paperwork. It’s time for a food fight.
I have no problem of them publishing my name to trade organizarions I contribute to.
Agreed. One of the best “campaign finance reforms” is full disclosure.
“The Prop 8 picketing of individuals who supported it was disgusting.”
Did it’s little feeling get hurt, too damn bad!
There is a term sacrificial pawn. Perhaps the NAM gave a piece to gain the names of all the donors behind all the thousands of Rat groups. For instance, perhaps now we’ll learn where the money for Apollo comes from
Most people have no idea we're a Representative Republic. We're not a Democracy.
Even the Washington politicians refer to the U.S. as a Democracy. I don't know whether they're admitting we're now a socialist society (like it or not) or whether they're just honestly ignorant themselves.
There are going to be unintended consequences.
Frankly, with the lists of names of the contributors to any particular issues campaign it would probably be possible to mount an effective campaign of intimidation. That's because the number of contributors are only a small part of the number of supporters of the issue, yet they are critical to the public even knowing about the issue.
I say "Yeah, go to it guys, let's tell the Court 'GIVE US MORE AND HERE ARE THEIR NAMES'".
That's the cheap way to do it ~ I think the lawyers here would suggest that the only cost is the one to file the request with the court (to get the counterpart order) and the time of the lawyer to do the job.
Transparency in government and full disclosure of this kind of information should be a good thing.
If every lobbying group had to disclose this information tomorrow, I bet a huge portion of them would shut down rather than comply. One of the more interesting aspects of this is that we'll likely find out about enormous financial support for these industry organizations from foreign interests.
I will side with the US Businesses on this matter.
I don’t trust “U.S. businesses” any more than I trust the U.S. government on this matter.
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