Would-Be Donors Lose Alien Gag Law Challenge
Would-Be Donors Lose Alien Gag Law Challenge
(CN) - The Supreme Court on Monday tossed a challenge by two Canadian citizens to the so-called Alien Gag Law, which forbids noncitizens from financially supporting their political causes in the United States.
Benjamin Bluman and Dr. Asenath Steiman argued that the law wrongfully blocked them from contributing to the last election, though they live, work and pay taxes in New York.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the case in August, leading Bluman and Steiman to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
But that maneuver proved futile as well with the Supreme Court affirming without comment on Monday.
The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which forbids foreign nationals from donating money to political parties, campaigns or political action committees, reinforced past laws that prohibited foreign nationals from influencing U.S. elections. In 1966 and 1974, Congress had blocked foreign nationals from donating to political parties instead of directly to candidates.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/09/42875.htm
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