Statement of Democracy 21, Campaign Legal Center and Center for Responsive Politics on FEC Internet Regulation Issued Today
Posted on: Monday, 27 March 2006, 18:00 CST
WASHINGTON, March 27 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement from Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and the Center for Responsive Politics on the FEC Internet regulation issued today:
"The new regulation issued by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) today resolves the issues raised in the lawsuit brought by Representatives Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Marty Meehan (D- Mass.) regarding the application of the campaign finance laws to the Internet.
"Throughout the FEC rulemaking process, Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and the Center for Responsive Politics have supported new regulations that both exempt bloggers and other individual Internet users from the campaign finance laws and do not allow federal candidates and political parties to use soft money to buy campaign ads on the Internet to influence federal elections.
"Our groups argued to the FEC, in written comments and oral testimony, that it can, and should, protect individuals engaged in political discourse on the Internet from regulation, but that it must do so without undermining the campaign finance laws by opening major new soft money loopholes.
"The FEC's first rule on this matter, issued in 2002, which exempted the Internet entirely from the definition of 'public communication,' did open major soft money loopholes in the campaign finance laws. The federal district court correctly invalidated that rule in the lawsuit brought by Representatives Shays and Meehan.
"The first FEC rule allowed federal candidates to control the spending of soft money for paid campaign ads on the Internet that promoted their campaigns. The rule also allowed state parties to spend soft money for Internet ads promoting their federal candidates or attacking the federal candidates of the other party.
"The new FEC regulation solves both of these problems, and closes both of these loopholes. It provides that paid campaign ads on the Internet are subject to the campaign finance laws. This is a critically important revision of the FEC's original flawed rule.
"The new FEC regulation leaves individuals operating on their own Web sites free from regulation, a position we agree with and supported in our comments to the FEC during the rulemaking. The new rule protects bloggers and other individuals engaged in political discourse over the Internet, a position we agree with and supported in our comments.
"The new FEC regulation strikes the correct balance in preserving the Internet as an unregulated forum for robust political activity by individuals, while ensuring that the Internet does not become a loophole for unregulated soft money spending by federal candidates and political parties to influence federal campaigns."
http://www.usnewswire.com
Source: U.S. Newswire
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