Supreme Court Strikes Down Controversial California Donor Disclosure Law
(Worthy News) – The Supreme Court on Thursday said California violated the First Amendment by requiring charities that raise money in the state to disclose their top donors to the attorney general.
A bipartisan coalition of advocacy groups that included the NAACP, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the conservative St. Thomas More Law Center said the rule scared off prospective donors and threatened their freedom of association. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the majority opinion of six justices striking California’s disclosure regulation in full, over the dissent of Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the liberal trio.
Though charities representing the full range of political views came together to challenge California’s law, some Democrats fear Thursday’s case is the first step of a long-term attack on federal donor disclosure practices. In an exchange with Derek Shaffer, a lawyer representing Americans for Prosperity Foundation, Justice Stephen Breyer worried that “this case is really a stalking horse for campaign finance disclosure laws.” [ Source: Washington Free Beacon (Read More…) ]