Email from The Institute for Free Speech The Latest News from the Institute for Free Speech June 10, 2025 Click here to subscribe to the Daily Media Update. This is the Daily Media Update published by the Institute for Free Speech. For press inquiries, please contact [email protected]. New from the Institute for Free Speech In Pursuit of Greater Privacy: A More Nuanced Approach to Disclosure of Candidate Contributions in the Internet Age By Helen Knowles-Gardner .....Once upon a time, if someone wanted to know how much you contributed to a federal or state candidate campaign, they had to undertake a complicated series of labor-intensive steps. These would include (a) finding out where the relevant records were stored (maybe by spending quality time with phone books and making numerous phone calls); travelling to that location; and then (c) trawling through those records. They would be wading through mounds of paper (or using a microfiche reader!). It is unlikely that their research would be aided by any kind of index. Today, the same research might take five minutes. Just five minutes for someone to do an online search to find out your personal history of contributing to state and local political campaigns, even if you made those contributions decades ago. Who did you give money to? How much did your contributions add up to? When did you make them? Where do you live? Where did you work? Everything a potential employer or miscreant would need to avoid hiring or punishing you for your political positions. The nation’s laws have fallen well behind the technological advances of the Internet Age, and, as a result, the privacy of every American has been laid open to potential abuse. As political violence intensifies, now is the time for change. And this can be accomplished with very little legislative effort, because the Federal Election Commission has already recommended language for federal disclosure laws that could easily be adapted and applied by Congress and the states. The Courts New York Times: Trump Can Restrict A.P. Journalists’ Access, Appeals Court Rules By Zach Montague and Minho Kim .....A federal appeals court on Friday paused a lower court’s ruling that had required the White House to allow journalists from The Associated Press to participate in covering President Trump’s daily events and travel alongside their peers from other major news outlets. By a 2-to-1 vote, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that many of the spaces in the White House complex or on Air Force One where members of the press have followed the president for decades are essentially invite-only, and not covered by First Amendment protections. “The White House therefore retains discretion to determine, including on the basis of viewpoint, which journalists will be admitted,” wrote Judge Neomi Rao, a Trump appointee. She was joined by Judge Gregory G. Katsas, who was also appointed by Mr. Trump. Courthouse News: First Circuit wary of restoring voting ban on anti-trans Maine lawmaker By Nick Rummell .....A First Circuit panel of Joe Biden-appointed judges seemed wary about reinstating a voting ban against a firebrand Maine legislator who had criticized a transgender high school athlete. Earlier this year, Maine Representative Laurel Libby was censured by the state’s Speaker of the House after she posted a photo on Facebook of a transgender student athlete who won a girls’ pole vault event after placing fifth in similar boys’ competition two years ago. Ed. note: The full oral argument is available on the latest episode of our "Free Speech Arguments" podcast, here. Reason (Volokh Conspiracy): Naples (Florida) Restrictions on Drag Performance at Pride Fest Can Take Effect By Eugene Volokh .....From [Friday]'s Eleventh Circuit decision in Naples Pride, Inc. v. City of Naples by Judges Robert Luck and Andrew Brasher: FEC Washington Examiner: Pro-Trump FEC chairman eyes bid for Texas attorney general By Paul Bedard .....The Federal Election Commission’s acting chairman is strongly considering a bid for the opening Texas attorney general’s seat next year, setting up a potential GOP clash of pro-Trump candidates for the highly influential position. James E. “Trey” Trainor told Secrets and said in a post on X that he and his wife are mulling his run for the job, which opened when Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his bid to challenge the reelection of embattled Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Trump Administration Reason: Terry Moran Insulted Stephen Miller? That's None of the Government's Business. By Robby Soave .....Terry Moran is a senior national correspondent for ABC News. Over the weekend, his employer suspended him over a statement he posted (and subsequently deleted) on X. In it, Moran described Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, as "richly endowed with the capacity for hatred." "You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment," wrote Moran. "He eats his hate." The tweet drew a fierce rebuke from Vice President J.D. Vance, who described it as an "absolutely vile smear." Vance, of course, is entitled to that opinion. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt went a step further, declaring that "we"—i.e., the federal government—would be inquiring with ABC about disciplinary action. Washington Post: California union leader’s arrest at immigration protest sparks outcry By Jeremy Roebuck, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Daniel Wu and Perry Stein .....David Huerta — head of the Service Employees International Union of California, the state’s largest public sector union — was arrested Friday while rallying demonstrators outside a worksite immigration raid near downtown Los Angeles. He was released from custody Monday, after a brief court appearance, on a $50,000 bond. Democratic officials, the union leader’s supporters and some legal experts criticized the decision to charge him as yet another instance of the Trump administration wielding the justice system to target outspoken critics. Huerta is among several officials — including a judge in Wisconsin and a New Jersey congresswoman — to face felony prosecution and the threat of prison time for alleged behavior in opposition to President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agenda… Trump on Monday suggested that the administration’s border official Tom Homan should arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), too, accusing him of obstructing the immigration sweeps and encouraging protests in his state. Independent Groups The City: Cuomo Super PAC Got $2.7 Million From Donors With Business Before the City By Greg B. Smith .....Under New York City laws that aim to curb the potential for or appearance of pay-to-play corruption, nobody on the city’s official list of companies and individuals doing, or even seeking, business with the city can give more than $400 to a citywide candidate in any election cycle. But there’s another option: so-called independent expenditure committees, New York’s version of super PACS, that allow deep-pocketed players to spend unlimited amounts of money backing one candidate. And this election cycle, the overwhelming beneficiary of such spending has been former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — and those seeking to influence the vote in his favor. NOTUS: A Super PAC Is Encroaching on the DCCC’s Territory By Alex Roarty .....A super PAC with close ties to House Democratic leadership is taking a more active role with House candidates ahead of next year’s elections, expanding its political operation into the realm traditionally occupied by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. While many Democratic strategists and elected officials welcome the new hands-on approach from House Majority PAC, some question whether it excessively overlaps with the DCCC, reducing the committee’s role and ceding some responsibility for candidate management to the outside group. The States CBS News: NYC Mayor Adams signs executive order, proposes legislation to define antisemitism By Lisa Rozner .....At a synagogue in Tribeca, the mayor signed an executive order to combat antisemitism. "I am signing an executive order to implement the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition," Adams said. The definition would include accusing Jews of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust, and blaming Jews for Israel's actions. "If a city-funded organization denies the right of the Jewish people, the right to self determination, this definition gives us tools to crack down," Adams said. Given the fact that the Jewish community makes up 10% of the city's population, yet half the hate crimes are antisemitic, the mayor also called on the City Council to immediately codify the definition into law. The New York Civil Liberties Union released a statement in response Monday, reading in part, "Mayor Adams is weaponizing the critical fight against antisemitism to suppress protected political speech he doesn't like. Advocates have warned for years that the IHRA definition of antisemitism recklessly conflates criticism of Israel with hate and violates the Constitution's free speech protections. It's yet another example of the Mayor twisting to do Trump's bidding." The Guardian: University of Michigan using undercover investigators to surveil student Gaza protesters By Tom Perkins .....The University of Michigan is using private, undercover investigators to surveil pro-Palestinian campus groups, including trailing them on and off campus, furtively recording them and eavesdropping on their conversations, the Guardian has learned. The surveillance appears to largely be an intimidation tactic, five students who have been followed, recorded or eavesdropped on said. The undercover investigators have cursed at students, threatened them and in one case drove a car at a student who had to jump out of the way, according to student accounts and video footage shared with the Guardian. Gothamist: Cuomo campaign gets $500K in taxpayer money as inquiry into super PAC ad continues By Brigid Bergin .....Andrew Cuomo’s mayoral campaign clawed back more than $500,000 on Monday that had been withheld by the Campaign Finance Board as it continues to investigate whether the former governor illegally coordinated with a super PAC. The city watchdog had initially withheld nearly $1.3 million from Cuomo’s campaign over an advertisement funded by the Fix the City super PAC. The penalty reflected the amount of money Fix the City initially said it spent on the advertisement that began airing last month. The super PAC then submitted new disclosures amending the cost, resulting in the board releasing $540,482 in public matching funds to Cuomo’s campaign. Chicago Tribune: Ethics legislation stalls in Springfield as Senate president tries ‘brazen’ move that would have helped his election case By Ray Long, Rick Pearson, and Dan Petralla .....In the closing hours of the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session, Senate President Don Harmon tried to pass legislation that would have wiped clean a potential multimillion-dollar fine against his political campaign committee for violating election finance laws he championed years ago. Harmon’s move came against the backdrop of the former Illinois House speaker’s upcoming sentencing for corruption and abuse of power and almost instantly created a bipartisan legislative controversy that resulted in the bill never getting called for a vote. The Oak Park Democrat’s maneuver, characterized by critics as “brazen” and self-serving, also raises anew questions about how seriously political leaders are trying to improve ethical standards in a state government the electorate already holds in low regard. 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