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      Supreme Court affirms three-judge District Court opinion in  Independence Institute v. FEC

Press ReleaseSupreme Court affirms three-judge district court opinion in  *Independence Institute v. FEC*February 27, 2017 WASHINGTON – The United States Supreme Court today affirmed the three-judge court opinion of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in *Independence Institute v. FEC* (Case 1:14-cv-01500-CKK-PAM-APM). The Plaintiff, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in Colorado, had challenged the constitutionality of the electioneering communication reporting requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended, as applied to an advertisement the Plaintiff had planned to air shortly before the 2014 and 2016 general elections. On November 3, 2016, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia denied the Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment and granted the FEC’s Motion for Summary Judgment. The Supreme Court affirmed the District Court’s decision today in response to an appeal from the Plaintiff.
 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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Read next: District Court issues opinion in CREW v. FEC
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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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