McConnell v. Fed. Election Comm'n, 02–582 CKK,KLH,RJL

Citation251 F.Supp.2d 176
Decision Date01 May 2003
Docket Number 02–875 CKK,KLH,RJL., 02–781 CKK,KLH,RJL, 02–751 CKK,KLH, RJL,No. 02–582 CKK,KLH,RJL, 02–874 CKK, KLH,RJL, 02–753 CKK,KLH,RJL, 02–754 CKK,KLH,RJL, 02–633 CKK,KLH,RJL, 02–581 CKK,KLH,RJL,02–582 CKK,KLH,RJL
Parties Senator Mitch McCONNELL, et al., Plaintiffs, v. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, et al., Defendants. National Rifle Association of America, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Emily Echols, a minor child, by and through her next friends, Tim and Windy Echols, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Chamber of Commerce of the United States, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. National Association Of Broadcasters, Plaintiff, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. American Federation of Labor And Congress of Industrial Organizations, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Congressman Ron Paul, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Republican National Committee, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al. Defendants. California Democratic Party, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Victoria Jackson Gray Adams, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants. Representative Bennie G. Thompson, et al., Plaintiffs, v. Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.
CourtU.S. District Court — District of Columbia

251 F.Supp.2d 176

Senator Mitch McCONNELL, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, et al., Defendants.


National Rifle Association of America, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Emily Echols, a minor child, by and through her next friends, Tim and Windy Echols, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Chamber of Commerce of the United States, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


National Association Of Broadcasters, Plaintiff,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


American Federation of Labor And Congress of Industrial Organizations, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Congressman Ron Paul, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Republican National Committee, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al.
Defendants.

California Democratic Party, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Victoria Jackson Gray Adams, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.


Representative Bennie G. Thompson, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Federal Election Commission, et al., Defendants.

No. 02–582 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–581 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–633 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–751 CKK,KLH, RJL
02–753 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–754 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–781 CKK,KLH,RJL
02–874 CKK, KLH,RJL
02–875 CKK,KLH,RJL.

United States District Court, District of Columbia.

May 1, 2003.


251 F.Supp.2d 181

Edward W. Warren, Kenneth W. Starr, Grant M. Dixton, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, L. Lynn Hogue, pro hac vice, Harry W. MacDougald, pro hac vice, Valle Simms Dutcher,

251 F.Supp.2d 182

Southeastern Legal Foundation, Atlanta, GA, G. Hunter Bates, Goshen, KY, for Mitch McConnell, Bob Barr.

Kenneth W. Starr, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, for Mike Pence, Bill Pryor, Libertarian Nat. Committee, Inc., Alabama Republican Executive Committee, Libertarian Party of Ill., DuPage Politiocal Action Counsil, Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Indiana Family InstituteClub for Growth, Thomas McInerney, Martin Connors, Barret Austin O'Brock.

Mark J. Lopez, Steven R. Shapiro, Joel M. Gora Amer. Civ. Liberties Union Foundation, New York City, Kenneth W. Starr, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, for American Civil Liberties Union.

Edward W. Warren, Kenneth W. Starr, Kannon Kumar Shanmugam, Grant M. Dixton, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, for Center for Individual Freedom, 60 Plus Ass'n, ProEnglish.

Kenneth W. Starr, Grant M. Dixton, Kirkland & Ellis, Washington, DC, for National Right to Life Committee Educational Trust Fund.

Cleta Deatherage Mitchell, Foley & Lardner, Washington, DC, Charles Justin Cooper, Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, Washington, DC, for National Rifle Ass'n of America, NRA Political Victory Fund.

James Matthew Henderson, Sr., American Center for Law & Justice, Washington, DC, for Tim Echols, Windy Echols, Tim McDow, Donna McDow, Chuck Mitchell, Pam Mitchell, Kevin Solid, Bonnie Solid John White, Cynthia White, Patrick J. Mahoney.

Jan W. Baran, Wiley Rein & Fielding, LLP, Washington, DC, for Chamber of Commerce of U.S., National Ass'n of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber Political Action Committee, Nat. Ass'n of Wholesaler-Distributors, California Democratic Party, Shawn Steel, Timothy J, Morgan, Barbara Alby, Santa Cruz County Republican Central Committee, Douglas R. Boyd, Sr.

Donald John Mulvihill, Cahill, Gordon & Reindl, Washington, DC, for National Ass'n of Broadcasters.

Laurence Edward Gold, American Federation of Labor, Washington, DC, for American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, AFL-CIO Committee on Political Educ. Political Contributions Committee.

William J. Olson, William J. Olson, P.C., McLean, VA, Herbert W. Titus, pro hac vice, Troy A. Titus, P.C., Virginia Beach, VA, for Ron Paul, Gun Owners of America, Inc., Gun Owners of America Political Victory Fund, Realcampaignreform.org, Citizens United, Citizens United Political Victory Fund, Michael Cloud, Carla Howell.

Bobby Roy Burchfield, Thomas Overton Barnett, Covington & Burling, Washington, DC, for Republican Nat. Committee, Mike Duncan, Republican Party of Colorado, Republican Party of Ohio, Republican Party of New Mexico, Dallas County (Iowa) Republican County Central Committee.

Jan W. Baran, Wiley Rein & Fielding, LLP, Washington, DC, Deborah B. Caplan, pro hac vice, Lance Herman Olson, pro hac vice, Olson, Hagel, Waters & Fishburn, Sacramento, CA, for Art Torres, Yolo County Democratic Central Committee, California Republican Party.

David A. Wilson, Hale & Dorr, Washington, DC, Brenda Wright, pro hac vice, John C. Bonifaz, pro hac vice, Bonita Tenneriello, pro hac vice, Lisa J. Danetz, pro hac vice, National Voting Rights Institute, Boston, MA, for Victoria Jackson Gray Adams, Carrie Bolton, Cynthia Brown, Derek Cressman, Victoria Fitzgerald, Anurada Joshi, Peter Kostmayer, Nancy Russell, Kate Seely-Kirk, Rose Taylor, Stephanie L. Wilson, California Public Interest Research Group, Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, Fannie Lou Hamer Project, Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now.

251 F.Supp.2d 183

Sherri Lynn Wyatt, Washington, DC, Cherlyn F. Freeman-Watkins, Washington, DC, for Bennie G. Thompson, Earl F. Hilliard.

Lawrence H. Norton, Richard B. Bader, Stephen Hershkowitz, David Kolker, Acting Asst. Gen. Counsel, Robert W. Bonham III, Vivien Clair, Holly J. Baker, Colleen T. Sealander, Harry Summers, Benjamin A. Streeter III, Greg Mueller, William Shackelford, Kevin Deeley, Leigh G. Hildebrand, Brant Levine, Michelle Abellera, Mark Goodin, Federal Election Commission, Washington, DC, for Defendant Federal Election Commission.

Roger M. Witten, Seth P. Waxman, Randolph D. Moss, Lynn Bregman, Eric J. Mogilnicki, Edward C. DuMont, Michael D. Leffel, Anja L. Manuel, Stacy E. Beck, A. Krisan Patterson, Jennifer L. Mueller, Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, Washington, DC, Bradley S. Phillips, Michael R. Doyen, Stuart N. Senator, Deborah N. Pearlstein, Randall G. Sommer, Shont E. Miller, Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP, Los Angeles, CA, David J. Harth, Charles G. Curtis, Jr., Monica P. Medina, Michelle M. Umberger, Sarah E. Reindl, Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe LLP, Madison, WI, Frederick A.O. Schwarz, Jr., E. Joshua Rosenkranz, Prof. Burt Neuborne, Elizabeth Daniel, Laleh Ispahani, Adam H. Morse, Brennan Center for Justice, New York, NY, Fred Wetheimer, Alexandra Edsall, Democracy 21, Washington, DC, for Defendant-Intervenors: Senators John McCain, Russell Feingold, Olympia Snowe, James Jeffords, Representatives Christopher Shays, Martin Meehan, James Jeffrods.

Theodore C. Hirt, Douglas N. Letter, James J. Gilligan, Terry M. Henry, Rupa Bhattacharyya, Michael S. Raab, Dana J. Martin, Andrea Gacki, Marc Kesselman, Serrin Turner, Irene M. Solet, Colette G. Matzzie, Ara B. Gershengorn, John Knepper, Robert D. McCallum, Jr., Shannen Coffin, Joseph H. Hunt, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Civ. Div., Washington, DC, for U.S., John Ashcroft, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Federal Communications Comm'n.

Before KAREN LECRAFT HENDERSON, Circuit Judge, and KOLLAR–KOTELLY and LEON, District Judges.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

PER CURIAM1 .

Presently before this three-judge District Court are eleven consolidated actions challenging as unconstitutional the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, Pub.L. No. 107–155, 116 Stat. 81 (2002) ("BCRA") and seeking declaratory and injunctive relief to prohibit its enforcement. The wide range of legal challenges raised by this litigation are highly complex, interrelated, and raise issues of fundamental importance not only to the conduct and financing of federal election campaigns but to the other rights involved that we enjoy under the Constitution. Because of the complexity of our positions, this per curiam opinion, by Judge Kollar–Kotelly and Judge Leon, includes a schematic description of the three-judge panel's conclusions in regard to each of BCRA's challenged provisions and a chart as to the rulings on each provision's constitutionality. The per curiam opinion also includes: (1) a brief history of campaign finance regulation in the United States (pp. 188–201); (2) the legislative history behind BCRA's enactment (pp. 201–206); (3) a procedural history of the litigation in this case (pp. 206–209); (4) a description of the specific provisions in BCRA at issue in these lawsuits (pp. 209–220); (5) certain Findings of Fact relating to the identities of the parties and BCRA's disclosure provisions (pp. 220–227); and (6) conclusions of law relating to claims of the Paul Plaintiffs and most of BCRA's disclosure provisions (pp. 227–233). The separate opinions of each judge hearing this matter follow thereafter.

I. DESCRIPTION AND CHART OF THE COURT'S RULINGS

In light of the number of provisions in BCRA being challenged, the complexity of the issues presented by each challenge, and the variety of positions and voting

251 F.Supp.2d 184

combinations taken by the three judges on this District Court, we set forth a brief description and a chart, on a section by section basis, of the various rulings.

A. Title I

Section 323(a) of BCRA bans national parties from soliciting, receiving, directing, transferring, and spending nonfederal funds (i.e., soft money). Judge Henderson strikes this section down as unconstitutional in its entirety. Judge Leon, for different reasons, files a concurrence, joining with Judge Henderson, except with respect to the ban on national parties from using (i.e., "directing," "transferring," and "spending") nonfederal funds (i.e., soft money) for "federal election activity" of the type defined in Section 301(20)(A)(iii). As to that type of conduct, Judge Leon upholds the constitutionality of Congress's ban on the use of nonfederal funds by national parties for Section 301(20)(A)(iii) communications. Judge Kollar–Kotelly upholds...

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