Federal Campaign Laws Require Donor's Occupation and Employer: Fair or Foul?
Fef
2012/08/17 19:00:00
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The Constitution of the United States of America guarantees Americans the right to free speech in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The Founding Fathers wrote this to allow people to disagree with their government and to avoid recrimination or persecution for their opposition or support of any political beliefs.
Campaign finance laws now require Americans to list their occupation and employer when donating money to a political campaign. Laws also require publicly publishing the names of donors, the recipient and the amount. This can chill free speech because anyone can look up donations and use it to punish someone. For instance, an employer may secretly disqualify an applicant because he donated to a different political party.
The First Amendment of the Constitution:
From the Mitt Romney 2012 donation form:
"Federal law requires us to obtain and report your occupation and the name of your employer. If you are not employed, please enter None."
From the Barack Obama 2012 donation form:
"Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle."
Does requiring information about employment violate the First Amendment? Or is it a fair federal law?
Campaign finance laws now require Americans to list their occupation and employer when donating money to a political campaign. Laws also require publicly publishing the names of donors, the recipient and the amount. This can chill free speech because anyone can look up donations and use it to punish someone. For instance, an employer may secretly disqualify an applicant because he donated to a different political party.
The First Amendment of the Constitution:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
From the Mitt Romney 2012 donation form:
"Federal law requires us to obtain and report your occupation and the name of your employer. If you are not employed, please enter None."
From the Barack Obama 2012 donation form:
"Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle."
Does requiring information about employment violate the First Amendment? Or is it a fair federal law?
Read More: https://www.mittromney.com/donate/romney-ryan-bump...
Top Opinion
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Zuggi 2012/08/17 00:39:30
Only legal US citizens and corporations run and completely owned by only legal American citizens without multi national citizenships should be allowed to dontate any funding whatsoever to the American electorate process or potential or current political partys or people running for any office, including " dogcatcher".
I'll be waiting
SOURCE? THE BOOK THE YEAR OF THE RAT
Those in Washington do things behind our back, and they have the media to lie and protect them
They have the justice Department to ward off any lawsuits and bribe Federal judges
and then you have Obama and his Czars
I Hope
What is there to hide?
I fail to see how freedom is effected at all.
What are you hiding?
People should be free to express their views.
I saw last election (4 years ago) on tv that there was a little boy who just loved on of the candidates. The kid could not have been older than 10 years old. This child donated EVERY CENT in his piggy bank for this candidates election campaign. ok, when you're 7,8,9 etc WHY are you donating to an election? I didnt even understand that crap when I was that age. I cared about saving up to get bubble gum out of the quarter machines at the market. How can a 9 year old have a candidate? Hmmm, I bet mommy and daddy encouraged that one. THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL
Has anyone asked RFK Jr. what he did with that gift of $1.4 BILLION from his pal Obama as part of the porkulous bill? Has RFK Jr. been audited? Has he produced his tax returns for the last 10 years?
You say that's not relevant to this argument? I want to know why and how much of Obama's "gift" for Kennedy's failing "green" energy companies was funneled back into the Obama campaign.
Private donations are fascist. You can buy a Congress-person? Please!
1000-$2000. High Rollers should be identified, ordinary citizens should not be subjected to harassment by employers etc.