Email from The Institute for Free Speech Where did Super PACs come from? Was Alexander Hamilton an unregistered lobbyist? And more!   Hi John, Institute for Free Speech President David Keating “sets the record straight” on which landmark court case established “Super PACs” in a recent Reason op-ed. And he should know—he filed the lawsuit that led to their creation. (The Institute for Free Speech was co-counsel in the case.) (Hint: If you thought it was Citizens United—guess again!) Speaking of Big Court Cases… This week, Institute for Free Speech attorneys Alan Gura and Brett Nolan filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, arguing that overburdensome lobbyist registration and reporting laws, such as those in Texas and other states, have “plagued the First Amendment” and the right to speak and publish anonymously. It’s a great read! Imagine if such laws about the right to petition the government for redress of grievances were in effect at the time of our nation’s founding. As they put it, “these laws would have treated Alexander Hamilton as an unregistered lobbyist based on insignificant details like whether James Madison reimbursed him for the cost of printing The Federalist Papers.” Convenience for lawmakers shouldn’t take priority over citizens’ First Amendment rights, agreed? Et tu, Elon? When the richest man in the world with one of the largest social media platforms—who also happens to be the President’s “right hand man”—says members of the press “deserve a long prison sentence” for their “lies,” many people tend to take that seriously. President David Keating writes in a USA Today op-ed that “If Musk weren’t working for the government, there would be a different calculus. He would be speaking only in his capacity as a powerful private citizen…” While we support any actions taken by the Trump administration that promote speech rights, members of his team should be cautious about this kind of rhetoric… “Had enough, or are you thirsty for more?” Did you know that we now have a digital version of our quarterly newsletter? Want a hard copy instead? Email our Director of Development, Doug Granger, at [email protected] to be added to our print newsletter list. Support Free Speech Today Follow the Institute for Free Speech The Institute for Free Speech is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes and defends the political rights to free speech, press, assembly, and petition guaranteed by the First Amendment. Please support the Institute's mission by clicking here. For further information, visit www.ifs.org. The Institute for Free Speech | 1150 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 801 | Washington, DC 20036 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice