The Federal Election Commission is seeking to derail a challenge to limits on “soft-money” contributions to political parties before the case is put on a fast track to the Supreme Court (Republican Party of La. v. Federal Election Commission, D.D.C., No. 15-cv-1241, motion4/29/16).FEC lawyers filed a motion to dissolve a three-judge court appointed late last year to decide the soft-money challenge brought on behalf of the Louisiana Republican Party and two local Republican committees. The case was filed by James Bopp, a prominent Republican election lawyer with the Bopp Law Firm in Terre Haute, Ind.The latest FEC motion cited depositions of party officials to argue that the Louisiana Republicans’ suit is pointless because the parties bringing the case are not actually constrained by the federal campaign finance laws they are challenging. While Bopp has argued that federal contribution limits restrict the state and local parties from accepting large contributions, the FEC lawyers said the party officials acknowledged there are no such contributions that have been promised even if the legal barriers are removed.
If this gambit works, it will put off for another day what portends to be the next major campaign finance issue heading to SCOTUS.