Attorneys for a Wyoming-based free market think tank broadened the scope of their lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission on Monday. Wyoming Liberty Group (WyLiberty) attorneys filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Free Speech v. Federal Election Commission, a case that began in Wyoming federal court last month. The motion calls for a nationwide injunction against campaign finance regulations that require grassroots groups to register and report with the federal government just to criticize it, according to a news release from the group. Last month’s lawsuit asked for a preliminary injunction on behalf of three Wyoming residents who formed a grassroots organization called “Free Speech.” Since the Free Speech case began, it has grown more significant, said Stephen Klein, staff attorney for Wyoming Liberty Group.
A few days after the lawsuit was filed, the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the FEC regulations. Recently, the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee filed a complaint against Crossroads GPS, a national issues advocacy group, charging that it must register and report with the government under the same regulations challenged by Free Speech. As a result of the state lawsuit, Free Speech has “received significant donor interest,” Klein said. This interest would enable group members to not only spread their message in Wyoming but to buy ads in other states’ U.S. appeals court districts, he said.
Klein earlier said Free Speech members want to spend about $2,000 on advertising to express their opinions on Wyoming issues, not to advocate for candidates. “We have such a strong case and we believe these regulations should be blocked from enforcement,” Klein said. The case will proceed in the court of Federal Judge Scott Skavdahl in Casper.
Full Article: Wyoming group broadens Free Speech lawsuit.