Perkins Coie - Law and Ethics Online: Home

The Federal Election Commission has published the new contribution limits for the 2009-2010 cycle.

Interview with Charlie Cook for Law and Ethics Online: On Lobbying and Ethics Reform

Quotable Quotes

"Since Washington DC is largely run by lawyers, it should come as no surprise to anyone that lawyers and law firms find themselves the hired communicators of the politically active. The Top DC lobby firms reads like a who’s who of the Bar Association. If one truly seeks to stop all hired lobbying in Washington DC, one should begin by not sending any more lawyers to Washington DC."

JB Williams
Canada Free Press
July 23, 2008

D.C. Circuit Clarifies Law Regarding Political Committee Status
3.5.2010

In a recent case, Unity08 v. FEC, No. 08-5526, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that a group organized to select a bipartisan presidential ticket in the 2008 election did not have to register as a political committee with the FEC.

Recent Postings

District Court Overturns Limits on Corporate Contributions to Independent Expenditure Committees; Upholds Ban on Corporate Contributions to Candidates
2.25.2010

In the first case to interpret Citizen's United, a California district court overturned the City of San Diego's $500 per-election limit on contributions to "independent expenditure committees," but upheld the City's ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates. The case was Thalheimer v. City of San Diego. The D.C. Circuit is expected to rule soon on a similar challenge to the $5,000-per-election federal limit to PACs that make only independent expenditures.