NY Democrat AG Investigating Political Free Speech

Today in Washington, D.C. - June 27, 2012:
Tomorrow the Supreme Court releases their decision on the Affordable Care act.

The Senate reconvened  today and is likely to return to S. 1940, the flood insurance bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has filled the amendment tree, blocking amendments to the legislation. Votes are possible today.

Yesterday, the Senate voted 92-3 to confirm Robin S. Rosenbaum to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.  Also yesterday, the Senate voted 92-4 to concur with the House amendment to S.3187, the FDA user fee bill, thus passing the bill.

The House reconvened and is scheduled continue debate from yesterday on HR 4018 - Public Safety Officers' (Police) Benefits Program and HR 5972 - Fiscal 2013 Dept of Transportation-HUD spending - Appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.

Yesterday, the House passed by voice vote:
HR 4850 — Energy-saving innovations
HR 5625 — Hydroelectric projects
HR 4223 — Theft of pre-retail medical products
HR 2297 — D.C. Southwest waterfront

The House passed motion to instruct conferees on HR 4348 (201-194) — Surface transportation - Other motions pending.

The House also began and suspended debate on the following bills:
HR 5889 — Nuclear terrorism and maritime hijacking
HR 5843 — Grant funds for training conducted in conjunction with a national laboratory or research facility
HR 4251 — Port security programs
HR 4005 — Port security gaps
HR 3173 — Transportation Worker Identification Credential
HR 1447 — Aviation Security Advisory Committee

Bills naming government buildings, including post offices, are not listed.

Free Speech Continues To Be Attacked:
As previously addressed, Sen. McConnell warned that “[I]f disclosure is forced upon some but not all, it’s not an act of good government, it’s a political weapon. And that’s precisely what those who are pushing [the DISCLOSE Act] have in mind. This is nothing less than an effort by the government itself to exposes its critics to harassment and intimidation, either by government authorities or through third-party allies. And that should concern every one of us.”

And sure enough, The New York Times reports today, “Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman [D] of New York has begun investigating contributions to tax-exempt groups that are heavily involved in political campaigns, focusing on a case involving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has been one of the largest outside groups seeking to influence recent elections but is not required to disclose its donors. Mr. Schneiderman issued a wide-ranging subpoena on Tuesday to executives at a foundation affiliated with the chamber, seeking e-mails, bank records and other documents to determine whether the foundation illegally funneled $18 million to the chamber for political and lobbying activities, according to people with knowledge of the investigation. . . . In a complaint filed last year with the attorney general, watchdog groups asserted that the loan [they’ve asked Schneiderman to investigate] had been used to finance lobbying for ‘tort reform’ legislation in Congress and to run issue advertising in the 2004 presidential and Congressional campaigns, most of it against Democrats. . . . Calls from Democrats and ethics watchdogs for tighter oversight of the groups’ political activities have resulted in little action by either the Federal Election Commission, which is deadlocked over the issue, or the Internal Revenue Service, which regulates charities at the federal level. But the subpoena from Mr. Schneiderman, a Democrat who made tougher campaign finance laws a centerpiece of his 2010 election campaign, suggests that he — like his predecessors Eliot Spitzer and Andrew M. Cuomo — is preparing to aggressively exploit the unusually broad regulatory powers of his office to vault onto the national stage.”

In other words, the Democrat Attorney General of New York is now issuing subpoenas asking about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s donors in part because Democrats and liberal groups don’t like its political activities and he is hoping himself for future personal gain.

As McConnell previously explained, “Justice Thomas thought the majority opinion in Citizens United didn’t go far enough. Citing recent accounts of people who’ve been blackmailed, threatened, and targeted for retaliation for speaking out on various political issues over the past couple of years, he said the Court failed to acknowledge their constitutional significance.”  McConnell noted, “His opinion reminds us that the courts have found the chilling effect of harassment and intimidation on free speech can actually run afoul of the First Amendment. . . . it’s of a different order of magnitude from the government itself facilitating or encouraging these things … or the government using its own powers to harass or intimidate those who participate in the political process..”

---

Tags: Washington, D.C., House bills, Senate bills, free speech, New York, chamber of commerce To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!