Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission

380 F. Supp. 3d 30
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedMarch 29, 2019
DocketCivil Action No.: 18-76 (RC)
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 380 F. Supp. 3d 30 (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission, 380 F. Supp. 3d 30 (D.C. Cir. 2019).

Opinion

RUDOLPH CONTRERAS, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

This case concerns the degree to which the Federal Election Commission ("FEC")

*33can shield an enforcement action from judicial review by invoking its discretion to bring that action in the first place. Plaintiffs, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW") and Noah Bookbinder, CREW's executive director, initiated this action against the FEC under the Federal Election Campaign Act ("FECA"). They argue that the FEC improperly dismissed their administrative complaint against New Models, a non-profit entity based in Washington, D.C. According to Plaintiffs, New Models failed to register and report as a "political committee" in 2012, in violation of FECA, yet the FEC declined to investigate that violation. The FEC Commissioners charged with explaining the dismissal justified the FEC's action with a lengthy analysis of statutory text and case law. They also, however, stated that dismissal was appropriate because pursing an investigation of New Models would not be an appropriate use of the FEC's limited resources. In other words, they invoked the FEC's "prosecutorial discretion" to decline enforcing FECA against New Models.

Pending before the Court are the parties' ripe cross-motions for summary judgment. The FEC argues, relying heavily on a recent D.C. Circuit decision, that because the Commissioners exercised prosecutorial discretion to dismiss Plaintiffs' administrative complaint, this Court is barred from reviewing any portion of that dismissal. Plaintiffs resist the application of that "magic words" standard, and the Court is sympathetic to Plaintiffs' concerns. However, having reviewed the relevant case law and the parties' briefing, the Court concludes that, at least in this case, it cannot review the FEC's invocation of its unreviewable discretion. Thus, for the reasons stated more fully below, the FEC's motion for summary judgment is granted and Plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment is denied.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Statutory and Regulatory Framework

1. Federal Election Campaign Act

Congress enacted FECA, 52 U.S.C. §§ 30101 - 30126, to prevent money from corrupting or appearing to corrupt the positions taken by candidates for federal office, and those candidates' actions while in office. See generally Citizens United v. FEC , 558 U.S. 310, 370-71, 130 S.Ct. 876, 175 L.Ed.2d 753 (2010). In pursuit of this goal, FECA limits the amount of money that individual donors may contribute to particular types of election-related causes. See, e.g. , 52 U.S.C. § 30116(a)(1)(A) (stating that "no person shall make contributions ... to any candidate and his authorized political committees with respect to any election for Federal office which, in the aggregate, exceed $ 2,000."). FECA also requires that certain categories of politically-inclined organizations disclose to the public how they spend their money and-more importantly-where that money comes from. See id. § 30104.

This case concerns FECA's disclosure requirements for a specific type of organization: a "political committee." FECA defines a "political committee" as "any committee, club, association, or other group of persons" that receives "contributions" or makes "expenditures" "aggregating in excess of $ 1,000 during a calendar year." id. § 30101(4)(A). "Contributions" and "expenditures" are in turn defined as payments made with a purpose to "influenc[e] any election for Federal office." See id. § 30101(8)(A), (9)(A). The Supreme Court has further narrowed the scope of FECA's rules governing political committees, holding that they cover only "organizations that are under the control of a *34candidate or the major purpose of which is the nomination or election of a candidate." Buckley v. Valeo , 424 U.S. 1, 79, 96 S.Ct. 612, 46 L.Ed.2d 659 (1976). The FEC determines a group's "major purpose" on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the group's allocation of spending, public and private statements, and overall conduct.1 See Supplemental Explanation & Justification, 72 Fed. Reg. 5595, 5601 (Feb. 7, 2007) ; Shays v. FEC , 511 F.Supp.2d 19, 23, 30 (D.D.C. 2007). Put simply, then, as it pertains to this case, an organization must register as a political committee if: (1) it receives contributions or makes expenditures of more than $ 1,000 in a calendar year for the purpose of influencing a federal election; and (2) its major purpose is the nomination or election of a candidate for federal office.

Classification as a political committee has significant practical consequences. FECA requires political committees to register with the FEC, hire a treasurer, and keep records of the names and addresses of contributors. See 52 U.S.C. §§ 30102 -03. Political committees must also file detailed monthly reports identifying, among other information, the amount of money contributed to the reporting committee by individuals and other political committees, the identities of those individuals and political committees, the amount of money contributed by the reporting committee to other political committees, and the identities of those political committees.

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Bluebook (online)
380 F. Supp. 3d 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citizens-for-responsibility-and-ethics-in-washington-v-federal-election-cadc-2019.