U.S. Supreme Court may consider Alaska’s ‘dark money’ disclosure rules

The U.S. Supreme Court Building is seen successful an undated photo. (Photo by Jim Small/Arizona Mirror)

Opponents of an Alaska rule that requires nan disclosure of “dark money” governmental donors are asking nan U.S. Supreme Court to overturn nan law.

A group of Republican and Republican-leaning plaintiffs filed a petition with nan precocious tribunal past week.

Under Alaska law, donors are required to disclose nan “true source” of ample contributions from politically oriented groups to section candidates. 

In different states, donors often obscure their governmental activity by giving to a politically oriented nonprofit, which past donates money to a candidate. These donations are frequently branded “dark money.”

Ordinarily, run disclosure laws would only database nan nonprofit arsenic nan root of nan money, but Alaska’s rule was designed to expose nan existent donor. 

The names of apical donors must beryllium listed successful advertising, and an advertisement must transportation a informing connection if a mostly of donations came from extracurricular nan state.

Plaintiffs successful nan lawsuit are represented by erstwhile Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards and nan Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center, which based on successful past week’s filing that nan rule could break nan First Amendment.

The petition asks nan tribunal to reappraisal a determination by nan 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied an injunction seeking to halt nan rule that was installed arsenic portion of Ballot Measure 2 successful 2020. Separate provisions of nan rule created nan state’s unfastened superior and classed prime wide elections.

The entreaty came aft Alaska U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason rejected plaintiffs’ request for an injunction up of nan 2022 authorities election.

In her bid rejecting nan injunction, she concluded that Alaska’s disclosure laws are written narrowly and are not burdensome, duplicative aliases unconstitutional.

The mandated disclosures, she said, service an “important informational liking and are narrowly tailored to service that interest.”

The Alaska Public Offices Commission, successful complaint of enforcing nan state’s run finance laws, has until July 17 to record a archive successful consequence to plaintiffs’ petition.