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      FEC Hears Wide Public Comment on the McCutcheon v. FEC

Press ReleaseFEC Hears Wide Public Comment on the *McCutcheon v. FEC*February 11, 2015 WASHINGTON – The Federal Election Commission heard wide-ranging public comment today at a hearing to consider issues surrounding a potential rulemaking in light of the Supreme Court’s April 2014 decision in McCutcheon, et al. v. FEC. “I want to thank the over 32,000 people from all over the country who considered these important issues and provided written comments to the Commission,” Chair Ann M. Ravel said as she opened the day-long hearing. “My strong belief is that a public agency is obligated to hear from all members of the public. This is especially true for the FEC, whose mission is to protect the democratic process for all Americans.” Vice Chairman Matthew S. Petersen also thanked participants in the hearing while noting that the McCutcheon decision was "the most recent instance in which the Supreme Court has held that a significant plank in the federal campaign finance legal architecture impermissibly encroaches upon the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment. . . . It is against this backdrop that the Commission must evaluate the comments and testimony presented as part of this proceeding.” More than 60 people including campaign finance law experts, political party and nonprofit organization representatives, and grassroots organizers testified before the Commission today. Their testimony supplemented the written comments submitted in response to the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to the Commission ahead of the hearing. The schedule of witnesses can be found on the hearing page. Archived audio and video recordings of the hearing will be made available as soon as possible and linked to the same page.   The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign finance laws. The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the Presidency and the Vice Presidency. Established in 1975, the FEC is composed of six Commissioners who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
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          Judith IngramIcon of email being sentPress Officer
      
      
      
        Julia QueenIcon of email being sentPublic Affairs Specialist
      
      
      
        Christian HillandIcon of email being sentDeputy Press Officer


Read next: FEC Cites Committees for Failure to File 12-Day Pre-Primary Financial Report
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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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