|
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is appealing a judge’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit the group brought against the new ethics and lobbying law. On Friday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the suit, in which the NAM took issue with a specific provision of the new law that would require “stealth coalitions” to disclose their member companies if they contributed at least $5,000 per quarter to the coalition or actively participated in a lobbying campaign. The trade group argued the measure would hinder its members’ First Amendment rights to freely associate and that members could also be harassed for being a part of the NAM. Kollar-Kotelly disagreed, saying the provision was narrowly tailored to serve government interests. “We remain convinced that many of the law’s burdensome and intrusive disclosure requirements will have a serious chilling effect on the constitutional rights of our members,” said former Michigan Gov. John Engler (R), the NAM’s president, in a statement. “We are committed to protecting the rights of everyone in this country, including those who work for manufacturers, to freely associate and to exercise their First Amendment rights without the government interfering with or chilling them.” Specifically, the NAM will ask for a temporary stay of the clause’s enforcement so the group can prepare its appeal. Under the new lobbying law, entities are to disclose their lobbying activities, including coalitions’ membership, by April 21. |
