U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Keep Political Donors’ Names Private
via www.governing.com
Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy dealt a speedy setback Monday to conservative advocacy groups that had sought to shield the names of their major donors in California.
Without waiting to consult the full court, Kennedy turned down for now an emergency appeal from the Virginia-based Center for Competitive Politics, which has refused to reveal its donors to California Attorney General Kamala Harris.
The center has been a leading voice in arguing for free speech and free spending in politics. It does not fund candidates or campaigns, but challenges regulations that restrict political advocacy groups.
In recent months, lawyers for the center have been fighting against a regulation that affects it directly. Nonprofit groups that seek tax-exempt contributions in California and elsewhere must submit disclosure forms to the Internal Revenue Service and to the state.
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