Litigation

James Bopp: Lowering the Volume?

By Peter Hardin

Is Indiana-based lawyer James Bopp Jr. backing away from his published remarks early this year about a grand plan to “dismantle” campaign finance law?

If an article from the Open Secrets blog of the Center for Responsive Politics is an indication, Bopp has at least lowered his volume. The Open Secrets post looks at efforts undertaken by campaign finance reform foes, since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, to push harder with challenges to existing laws. Here are excerpts from the post:

“Bopp…told OpenSecrets Blog that he is not undertaking a major effort to overturn campaign finance law — he just represents many clients who frequently run up against laws that prevent them from speaking about public policy decisions.

” ‘It?s just naturally part of my practice that these controversies would arise because of the nature of the clients that I have,’ he said.”

In addition, Bopp told the publication, ?We always seek to apply the current state of the law to any challenges of campaign finance law that we make.”

Readers may compare those remarks with what he told the New York Times in January (see Gavel Grab), shortly after Bopp won what some called “his biggest victory” with the Citizens United decision:

?We had a 10-year plan to take all this down?And if we do it right, I think we can pretty well dismantle the entire regulatory regime that is called campaign finance law.?

Scholar Richard Hasen, who writes the Election Law blog, told Open Secrets regarding the opponents of campaign finance laws:

?There?s no mystery to what?s going on.

?These groups have seen Citizens United as an opening to challenge a variety of campaign finance laws to try to push the courts in a deregulatory direction.?

Full post as published by The Gavel on September 02, 2010 (boomark / email).