Political Law

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) this week became the latest government agency to grapple with the impact of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on the federal rights of legally married same-sex couples.  At issue was whether same-sex spouses, like other married couples, may make joint political contributions.

Just as the end of the year can be a good time to make charitable donations, it can also be a good time to make political contributions for those who give frequently in federal elections.  The federal campaign finance laws cap the total amount that an individual may give to all federal candidates and committees combined during a two-year period.

On April 4, 2012, President Obama signed into law the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Citizens United v. FEC, a case examining the legality of a documentary film released in 2008 about Hillary Clinton’s candidacy for president. In a 5-4 ruling, the court struck down laws banning independent electoral and issue advocacy sponsored by nonprofit and for-profit corporations. 

On December 9, 2009, marking the one-year anniversary of former Gov. Blagojevich’s arrest, Gov. Quinn signed legislation enacting the state’s first comprehensive campaign finance regulations.

Last summer, the General Assembly passed SB 51 to amend the Procurement Code. Governor Quinn vetoed the legislation and proposed specific amendments, which the General Assembly overrode. Accordingly, the law became effective on November 3, 2009 as Public Act 96-0795. The General Assembly returned to ethics reform legislation in October to pass another bill further regulating procurement-based disclosure requirements and contribution bans.