Michael Toner Interviewed for Article About Changes to Campaign Finance Laws

Michael Toner, co-chair of Wiley Rein’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, was quoted in a September 29 Bloomberg Businessweek article about changes to campaign laws and their effect on how much the 2012 election will cost.  As the article reports, the 2012 election is shaping up to be the most expensive ever—exceeding $6 billion. This is in large part due to recent court decisions, such as Citizens United, that have eased restrictions on corporate and union spending. Indiana lawyer James Bopp has played an integral role in helping to relax those limits—it was Mr. Bopp who filed the initial Citizens United lawsuit. “I don’t think anybody has a better track record at identifying test cases and investing in them than Jim Bopp,” Mr. Toner—who is a former FEC Chairman—said. “These cases can’t reach the Supreme Court unless someone invests in them at the trial level,” he concluded.