Constitutional Law

1st Circuit rejects challenge to Maine campaign limits

By By The Associated Press

AUGUSTA, Maine ? A federal appeals court has upheld key portions of Maine's campaign-finance laws.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday rejected a challenge to provisions that limit private contributions to gubernatorial candidates to $750, set independent expenditure-reporting requirements for contributors and provide matching public funds for so-called Clean Election candidates.

The provisions were challenged by Respect Maine Political Action Committee and Republican state Rep. Andre Cushing III of Hampden. Lower courts had denied a request for court orders that would have set the provisions aside.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, which joined other supporters of the law, says the decision in Respect Maine PAC v. McKee keeps Maine's campaign-finance laws intact.

Similar lawsuits have been filed in Maine as well as Arizona, Connecticut and Wisconsin.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on October 05, 2010 (boomark / email).