No. 21-822

Donna Patrick, et al. v. The Alaska Public Offices Commission

Lower Court: Alaska
Docketed: 2021-12-03
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived
Tags: campaign-finance certiorari constitutional-interpretation first-amendment free-speech independent-committees institutional-corruption originalism political-contributions standing
Key Terms:
ERISA FirstAmendment SecondAmendment DueProcess Privacy JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2022-01-07
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the original meaning of the First Amendment permits regulations against contributions to independent political action committees

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED Petitioners are Alaskan citizens who challenged the Alaska Public Offices Commission’s (““APOC’s”) refusal to enforce Alaskan law regulating contributions to independent political action committees. APOC had defended its refusal on the basis of federal circuit court rulings that held such regulations violate the First Amendment. Petitioners had asked the Alaska courts to consider the original meaning of the First Amendment, to conclude that a majority of this Court would not affirm those circuit court decisions. The Alaska Supreme Court rejected the relevance of any argument from originalism and upheld APOC’s refusal. The question presented in this petition is whether this Court should grant certiorari, vacate the judgment below, and remand (“GVR’”) with instructions to weigh the arguments from originalism in determining whether the First Amendment permits the regulation of contributions to independent political action committees.

Docket Entries

2022-01-10
Petition DENIED.
2021-12-15
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/7/2022.
2021-12-08
Waiver of right of respondent The Alaska Public Offices Commission to respond filed.
2021-12-02
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 3, 2022)

Attorneys

Donna Patrick, et al.
Lawrence Lessig — Petitioner
The Alaska Public Offices Commission
Laura Frances FoxState of Alaska Department of Law, Respondent