Austin City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s unprecedented lawsuit against the city will go to trial Monday, with Zimmerman hoping to upend Austin’s campaign finance rules so he can raise money year-round from donors outside the area.
The suit challenges the city’s $350-per-donor contribution limit, the $36,000 cap on total donations from outside the Austin area and the prohibition on fundraising until six months before the election. Zimmerman, who filed the suit in July in federal court, has argued that these rules limit his constitutional right to free speech.