Much has been made about the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, which allows corporations to spend unlimited sums supporting candidates. Since then, countless groups have been formed to support candidates through “independent expenditures.” Many of these independent groups appear to the outside world to be closely related to the candidates they support, and often share the same donors. Many commentators describe this third-party spending as “dark money” and call for increased disclosure.
This program, presented by Ronald Jacobs, co-chair of Venable’s Political Law Group, will explain what an independent expenditure is, who may fund them, and when they have to be reported. It will explain exactly what a super PAC is, and how it differs from a traditional PAC that makes contributions to candidates. It will also discuss other third-party organizations, such as 501(c)(4) social welfare nonprofits and 501(c)(6) trade and professional associations and the increasing role they play in the political sphere.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify what an independent expenditure is and the kinds of activities that are considered to be independent expenditures
- Learn what it means to “coordinate” with a candidate and how to avoid coordination
- Understand how nonprofits can fund independent expenditures, including the limits on political activities imposed on nonprofits
- Summarize when disclosure is required for independent expenditures
Live Webcast Purchase Information:
To watch this live webcast, you must first purchase the course on the right-hand side. Then go to http://www.lawline.com/webcast at the scheduled date and time to view the program. If you purchase this course, you will also have access to the on-demand version when it becomes available in our catalog.
Technical Assistance:
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at 1 (877) 518-0660.
Click for more information and to register for "Advanced Political Activities: Independent Expenditures and Super PACs."