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Nonprofits Divided over Citizens United?

 

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Hudson Institute - Betsy and Walter Stern Conference Center
1015 15th Street, NW - Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005

 

This event was broadcast on C-SPAN; the video can be viewed in the C-SPAN archives by clicking here.

 

 

Event Description

 

When the Supreme Court handed down its long-awaited decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission on January 21, President Barack Obama warned that it gave a “green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics. It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voice of everyday Americans.” Other observors claimed that the decision simply opened the door for greater participation by a wider variety of parties in the exercise of their First Amendment rights.

 

 

However clear its implications for business corporations and unions, though, a more difficult question is, what bearing does Citizens United have on nonprofits? While 501(c)(4) organizations (of which Citizens United is one) clearly benefit from the enlargement of permitted electoral activities, is it likely that similar latitude will soon follow for 501(c)(3) nonprofits? Should nonprofits push back against the enlargement of corporate prerogatives, push forward for the expansion of their own prerogatives, or some combination of these activities?

 

 

On Tuesday, February 16, Hudson Institute's Bradley Center, along with the Alliance for Justice (AFJ), the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI), and OMB Watch, brought together a panel of experts to discuss these and other questions. Panelists included ALLISON HAYWARD of the George Mason University School of Law, the Alliance for Justice's ABBY LEVINE, CLETA MITCHELL of Foley & Lardner, and CLPI's LARRY OTTINGER. Additional commentary was provided by BOB EDGAR of Common Cause. The Bradley Center's WILLIAM SCHAMBRA moderated the discussion.

 

 

Program and Panel

 
11:45 a.m.
Registration, lunch buffet

 

12:00 p.m.
Welcome by Hudson Institute's WILLIAM SCHAMBRA

 

12:10
Panel discussion

ALLISON HAYWARD, George Mason University
ABBY LEVINE, Carnegie Corporation of New York
LARRY OTTINGER, Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest
CLETA MITCHELL, Foley & Lardner

with additional commentary by

BOB EDGAR, Common Cause

1:10
Question-and-answer session

 

2:00
Adjournment

 

 

Transcript and Further Information

 

The event transcript was prepared from an audio recording and edited by Krista Shaffer and Ben Palmer. To request further information on this event or the Bradley Center, please contact Kristen McIntyre at (202) 974-2424 or kmcintyre@hudson.org.