By Sarah Wiley
On Thursday February 27, William and Mary Law School hosted its Eighth Annual Election Law Symposium, featuring three preeminent attorneys in the field who gave a talk on the possible effects of McCutcheon v. FEC on campaign finance. Before the symposium itself, however, one of the panelists, Kenneth Gross (partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate & Flom LLP & Affiliates) sat down for an interview with ELS Symposium Co-Chair 1L Allison Davis.
In the interview, Mr. Gross explained that modern campaign finance law emerged in the wake of the Watergate scandals in the early 1970s. The first major case, Buckley v. Valeo, established the principle that political contributions are speech, so the government needs a pretty compelling reason to regulate them. The case drew a distinction between independent expenditures, which cannot be regulated, and political contributions which can, to an extent. [Read more…] about Election Law Symposium speaker gives interview on possible future of campaign finance
