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      FEC Record: Litigation
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      District court grants motion to dismiss in Lieu et al. v. FEC (D.D.C. 16-2201)

FEC Record: LitigationDistrict court grants motion to dismiss in Lieu, et al. v. FEC (D.D.C. 16-2201)March 1, 2019 On February 28, 2019, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a suit brought against the Commission by Representative Ted Lieu, Representative Walter Jones, Senator Jeff Merkley, State Senator John Howe, Zephyr Teachout, and Michael Wager (“Plaintiffs”). Plaintiffs alleged that the Commission had relied on an “unlawful ruling” in SpeechNow.org v. FEC to dismiss a complaint against several Super PACs. Plaintiffs' administrative complaint had alleged that those Super PACs had knowingly accepted contributions in excess of the limits set by the Federal Election Campaign Act. The Commission dismissed the administrative complaint, citing SpeechNow.org v. FEC. Upon dismissal of the administrative complaint, Plaintiffs asked the court to declare the Commission’s actions “contrary to law.” The court noted that the Plaintiffs' allegations “fall squarely within the holding of SpeechNow,” and concluded that the Commission’s dismissal of Plaintiffs' administrative complaint was not contrary to law because the Commission properly applied the D.C. Circuit’s en banc ruling in that case. Resources Lieu v. FEC litigation page
 Author
          Christopher BergCommunications Specialist


Read next: District court grants Commission’s motion to dismiss in CREW, et al. v. FEC (17-2770)
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This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public. The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.


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