Political law
Encyclopedia
Political Law is an established legal practice area generally covering the intersection of politics and law. Political law (or political activity law) includes laws at the federal and state level involving campaign finance rules (how campaigns for elective office are funded and executed), the practice of lobbying and lobbying disclosure, gifts to officeholders and government executives, lobbyist contribution rules, and legislative and executive branch ethics codes.
Political law encompasses the application of these laws to individuals, corporations (including nonprofit corporations), labor organizations, partnerships, limited liability companies, cooperatives, political action committees, political campaigns, candidates for office, government officials (both elected and appointed), political parties, outside groups, independent groups, and other entities (such as so-called "527" organizations).
As noted above, political law encompasses a number of practice areas, such as campaign finance law, lobbying disclosure rules, and tax law as it relates to non-profit organizations. So-called "pay-to-play" restrictions are also a substantial area of political law. In the context of municipal securities dealers, for example, these rules effectively prohibit certain individuals from contributing to the political funds of officials of issuers.
At the federal level, the Federal Election Commission
enforces campaign finance law with respect to races for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and the presidency.. Campaigns for federal office are subject to contribution limits and certain contributions are prohibited. The Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section (PIN) has jurisdiction involving alleged criminal violations of political laws.
At the state level, most states have administrative agencies to enforce state law with respect to campaign finance and ethics rules. The attorney general of the state may also play a role in enforcement. Some cities also maintain ethics agencies. At the state and local level these agencies might simply provide for disclosure of campaign finance registration and reporting forms (or lobbyist registration and reporting) or may provide for an enforcement scheme.
Political law encompasses the application of these laws to individuals, corporations (including nonprofit corporations), labor organizations, partnerships, limited liability companies, cooperatives, political action committees, political campaigns, candidates for office, government officials (both elected and appointed), political parties, outside groups, independent groups, and other entities (such as so-called "527" organizations).
As noted above, political law encompasses a number of practice areas, such as campaign finance law, lobbying disclosure rules, and tax law as it relates to non-profit organizations. So-called "pay-to-play" restrictions are also a substantial area of political law. In the context of municipal securities dealers, for example, these rules effectively prohibit certain individuals from contributing to the political funds of officials of issuers.
At the federal level, the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
enforces campaign finance law with respect to races for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and the presidency.. Campaigns for federal office are subject to contribution limits and certain contributions are prohibited. The Department of Justice's Public Integrity Section (PIN) has jurisdiction involving alleged criminal violations of political laws.
At the state level, most states have administrative agencies to enforce state law with respect to campaign finance and ethics rules. The attorney general of the state may also play a role in enforcement. Some cities also maintain ethics agencies. At the state and local level these agencies might simply provide for disclosure of campaign finance registration and reporting forms (or lobbyist registration and reporting) or may provide for an enforcement scheme.
External links
- Akin Gump Political law and government ethics page
- Arent Fox Political law page
- Bell, McAndrews & Hiltachk
- Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom
- Bryan Cave
- Clark Hill Political law page
- Covington & Burling Political law page
- Dickstein Shapiro political law page
- Foley & Lardner Political law page
- Gober Hilgers PLLC
- Harmon, Curran, Spielberg & Eisenberg, LLP
- Holland & Knight political law page
- HoltzmanVogel PLLC
- K&L Gates public policy and law page
- LeClairRyan
- McGuireWoods political law page
- McKenna Long & Aldridge Political law page
- McDermott Will & Emery election and political law page
- Nielsen Merksamer political law page
- O'Melveny & Myers Political law page
- Perkins Coie Political law page
- Patton Boggs Political law page
- Sandler Reiff & Young
- Skadden Arps Political law page
- Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold
- Venable LLP political law page
- Wiley Rein election law and government ethics page
- Womble Carlyle Political law page
- Rick Pildes biography
- Samuel Issacharoff biography
- Election law blog
- Political activity law blog