Campaign Finance Reform

The Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 was signed into law in March. Much has taken place in the subsequent months to challenge the very existence and meaning of the law. Numerous plaintiffs, led by Senator Mitch McConnell, have sued the government claiming that the soft-money ban and campaign advertising provisions are unconstitutional. The Federal Election Commission, tasked with interpreting and enforcing the law, seems destined to misinterpret or ignore the Congressional intent to ban soft money and increase disclosure of campaign ads as it drafts new rules to implement the Act.

Participants

• Trevor Potter
  Former Chairman, Federal Election Commission
  General Counsel, Campaign and Media Legal Center