U.S. Judge Orders Election Agency to Tighten Rules

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/21/politics/campaign/21donate.html?th=&pagewanted=print&position=

September 21, 2004

U.S. Judge Orders Election Agency to Tighten Rules
By GLEN JUSTICE

ASHINGTON, Sept. 20 - A federal judge has ordered the Federal Election Commission to enact tougher restrictions on how millions of dollars are spent on campaigns, saying that its rules have undermined the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.

The decision affects 15 highly technical regulations governing campaign activity that, though not widely known outside the world of political operatives, serve as important guideposts for how to finance campaigns legally.

For example, one set of regulations restricts how candidates and political parties, which are subject to contribution limits, coordinate with independent advocacy groups like so-called "527'' committees, which can raise unlimited donations.

The 157-page decision left election lawyers from both parties as well as lawmakers and commission members arguing over which regulations are now in effect for the final weeks of the presidential campaign.

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