- Council Committee Passed the Freeze
- Carol Campbell Passes Away
- My first trip to the public library
- Fight digital exclusion
- What if half of Philadelphia didn't have roads?
- You know, let's not even worry about the City Commissioners office messing up voter registration processing
- Bold ideas to fix the budget
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- Size of Philadelphia government?
"Ripped from the headlines" - The nonstop drama of campaign finance law
Submitted by jennifer on Mon, 06/02/2008 - 9:55am.
Against the backdrop of Local 98's constitutional lawsuit to overturn the city and state's campaign finance disclosure requirements (oral arguments on the motion to dismiss were heard in federal court last week) and ongoing wrestling over enforcement (see, e.g., Tommy St. Hill's 'stolen' laptop), this Thursday the American Consitution Society and Cozen O'Connor's Adam Bonin are hosting a talk on the future of campaign finance reform.
Can Campaign Finance Reform Actually Work?
"Post-Watergate reforms of the federal campaign finance system appear to be threatened by increasingly expensive campaigns and the usage of independent organizations, like 527's. Here in Philadelphia, we have just gone through our first Mayoral election governed by campaign finance limits. What system will actually work to reduce the influence of amassed wealth on the political process, is reform even necessary, or do we need to rethink federal and state campaign finance systems from scratch?"
We are joined by two guests with unique perspectives on this topic. In over thirty years of practice, Robert Bauer has represented national party committees, candidates, political committees, individuals, federal officeholders, corporations, trade associations and tax-exempt groups on various issues of campaign finance law, including serving as counsel to two presidential candidates. Through his work on The Committee of Seventy, Philadelphia's principal political reform organization, Zack Stalberg has worked to make government more efficient, fair and transparent by promoting reforms to demand ethical conduct of public officials and promote governmental efficiency.
Featuring:
Robert Bauer, Partner and Firmwide Chair, Political Law Practice, Perkins Coie LLP
Zack Stalberg, President and CEO, The Committee of SeventyDate: Thursday, June 5, 2008
Time: 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Cozen O'Connor, 1900 Market StreetThere is no cost to attend this event. CLE credit availability pending (1.0 hrs). Cost of CLE credit will be $25. Contact: Adam Bonin, abonin@cozen.com.
I'm going, because I am a dork. And because I really want to but have never met Zack Stalberg. And because it's good to learn about campaign finance law before the current Supreme Court makes it a historical memory.
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PS
Yes, apparently I do find out about CLE opportunities via Facebook.
"Ripped from the headlines" indeed
Just because you are kind of a geek.
Truly disheartening Supreme Court opinion there.
-Sean
MrLuigi, my cat, actually only types half as badly as I do.
this event is a study in CFR
I support campaign finance reform (& full disclosure!!) but the irony of Cozen O'Conner hosting it should not be lost on anyone. Just consider their connection to the casino issues here in the City--
Gaming board chair returning to Cozen O'Connor firm as CEO
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/07/30/daily22.html
Casino licenses awarded without full background checks
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-checks092307,0,7789586,full.story
"Anybody in law enforcement knows that BIE is not a law enforcement agency," Gushin said. "Our view is politics and gaming do not mix, and what was happening was deplorable."
As ordered, Spectrum turned over its research to the state, and ISG was given the task of presenting the report to the gaming board -- with orders from then-Revenue Secretary Fajt, a Rendell appointee, to make changes regarding the role of the state police.
"That was a major issue and there was pressure to reduce the state police role," said Tom Sterling, ISG's former president. "As a client, our contract was with the Department of Revenue and certainly they had a say and they had the ability to make changes in the report."
The subsequent ISG report minimized the state police role and suggested a greater role for BIE, which infuriated Spectrum's Gushin.
"This report does not reflect our work product and we do not concur in its recommendations and conclusions," Gushin wrote newly appointed gaming board Chairman Thomas Decker in a letter dated Dec. 9, 2004.
"We were shocked and appalled they didn't want to hear what gaming experts had to say from the regulatory side," Gushin said in a recent interview. "They hired us to be independent, but it was clear that the process they were engaged upon would not meet international regulatory standards, and I felt I had to be on record in case anything happened."
Decker never responded to the letter, Gushin said.
Decker did not return calls for comment.
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In a Dec. 1, 2005, response, then-board Chairman Decker told Clymer the board and state police were negotiating an agreement outlining the police role in the investigatory process. Decker, who resigned as board chairman in July, is now chief executive officer of Cozen O'Conner, a Philadelphia law firm that represents two casinos, SugarHouse in Philadelphia and Mount Airy Lodge.