Month: September 2010

Express advocacy update from D.C. federal court

“Express advocacy” comes up in Akins v. Federal Election Commission: Supreme Court precedent indicates that for a communication to constitute “express advocacy,” it must “in express terms advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate for federal office” by using words “such as ‘vote for,’ ‘elect,’ ‘support,’ ‘cast your ballot for,’ ‘Smith for Congress,’ ‘vote against,’ […]

Attacking and defending political ads

Politico notes the legal battles behind efforts to take down ads and keep them on the air. In the letter, DCCC general counsel Brian Svoboda argues that the Federal Communications Commission has long told stations that they do not have the power to reject candidate advertisements even if they contain what the FCC calls “libelous […]