U.S. Supreme Court Brief Filed on State Campaign Finance Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 9, 2005) — On Wednesday, December 14, 2005, McDermott Will & Emery filed an amicus curiae brief with the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the Republican National Committee (RNC) in support of a constitutional challenge to campaign expenditure limits enacted by the Vermont Legislature in 1997. (Randall v. Sorrell, Nos. 04-1528, 04-1530 and 04-1697)
McDermott is representing the RNC in this high-profile case that could alter the function of national, state and local political parties in the election process. Vermont’s Act 64 restricts election participation from political parties and candidates by limiting the amount they can spend on fundamental campaign activities, such as advertising, voter mail and get-out-the-vote initiatives.
The amicus brief argues that Vermont’s restrictions on political party committees, which automatically limit political expenses that support six or fewer candidates, violate constitutional protections on core First Amendment political expression and ignores Due Process safeguards. The brief also challenges the state's justifications for restraints on candidate expenditures.
The RNC's friend-of-the-court brief, was written by a McDermott Washington, D.C. trial team, led by Bobby R. Burchfield, including partner M. Miller Baker and associate Matthew M. Leland. The brief is available by clicking here.
The case is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 28, 2006.
McDermott Will & Emery is an international law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers practicing in 14 offices worldwide. The Firm has represented national and state political parties, presidential and congressional candidates, corporations and political committees in landmark litigation and regulatory enforcement actions.
