Case 1:11-cv-01247-BAH Document 13 Filed 09/23/11 Page 1 of 34 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DAN LA BOTZ, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) VS. ) No. 1:11-cv-01247-BAH ) FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION, ) ) Defendant. ) PLAINTIFF'S RESPONSE TO DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO DISMISS Oliver B. Hall September 23, 2011 DC Bar No. 976463 CENTER FOR COMPETITIVE DEMOCRACY PO Box 21090 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 248-9294 (ph) (202) 248-9345 (fx) [email protected] Mark R. Brown 303 E. Broad Street Columbus, OH 43220 (614) 236-6590 (ph) (614) 2236-6956 (fx) [email protected] Pro hac vice (pending) 1 Case 1:11-cv-01247-BAH Document 13 Filed 09/23/11 Page 2 of 34 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Table of Authorities ...................................................................................................................... 3 Statement of Facts ......................................................................................................................... 6 Argument .................................................................................................................................... 13 I. Plaintiff Has Article III Standing ........................................................................................... 18 II. The FEC's Legal Conclusions Contradict the FECA ............................................................ 26 A. Reasonableness Precludes Confining Debates to the Two Major Parties ............................. 27 B. Objectivity Demands Transparency ...................................................................................... 30 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 32 Certificate of Service .................................................................................................................. 34 2 Case 1:11-cv-01247-BAH Document 13 Filed 09/23/11 Page 3 of 34 TABLE OF AUTHORITIES Cases Page Alliance for Democracy v. Federal Election Commission, 335 F. Supp. 2d 39 (D.D.C. 2004) .............................................................................................. 25 American Federation of Labor v. Federal Election Commission, 177 F. Supp. 2d 48 (D.D.C. 2001), aff’d, 333 F.3d 168 (D.C. Cir. 2003) ................................... 33 * Akins v. Federal Election Commission, 101 F.3d 731 (D.C. Cir. 1997) ................. 19, 22, 23, 24 Arkansas Educational Television v. Forbes, 523 U.S. 666 (1998) .............................................. 29 Becker v. Federal Election Commission, 230 F.3d 381 (1st Cir. 2000) ............................... 19, 25 Beethoven.com LLC v. Librarian of Congress, 394 F.3d 939 (D.C. Cir. 2005) .......................... 25 * Buchanan v. Federal Election Commission, 112 F. Supp. 2d 58 (D.D.C. 2000) .............. passim Chamber of Commerce of United States v. Federal Election Commission, 69 F.3d 600 (D.C. Cir. 1995) ....................................................................................................... 18 Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington v. Federal Election Commission, 2011WL3268079 (D.D.C. 2011) ................................................................................................... 6 Common Cause v. Federal Election Commission, 729 F. Supp. 148 (D.D.C. 1990) .................. 18 Davis v. Federal Election Commission, 554 U.S. 724 (2008) ..................................................... 24 Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee v. Federal Election Commission, 831 F.2d 1131 (D.C. Cir. 1987) ................................................................................................... 18 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee v. Federal Election Commission, 1996WL34301203 (D.D.C. 1996) .............................................................................................. 18 Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee v. Federal Election Commission, 918 F. Supp. 1 (D.D.C. 1994) ...................................................................................................... 18 Federal Elections Commission v. Akins, 524 U.S. 11 (1998) ........................................ 18, 21, 22 Federal Election Commission v. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 454 U.S. 27 (1981) ....................................................................................................................... 17 Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., 551 U.S. 449 (2007) ................. 25 Fulani v. League of Women Voters Educ. Fund, 882 F.2d 621 (2d Cir.1989) ............................ 20 3 Case 1:11-cv-01247-BAH Document 13 Filed 09/23/11 Page 4 of 34 Kassem v. Washington Hospital Center, 513 F.3d 251 (D.C. Cir. 2008) ..................................... 6 * Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Blackwell, 462 F.3d 579 (6th Cir. 2006) ................................ 6, 15 Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Brunner, 567 F. Supp. 2d 1006 (S.D. Ohio 2008) .......................... 6 Libertarian Party of Ohio v. Husted, 2011WL3957259 (S.D. Ohio, Sept. 7, 2011) ) .................. 6 Merle v. United States, 351 F.3d 92 (3d Cir. 2003) ..................................................................... 26 Moore v. Brunner, 2008WL38887639 (S.D. Ohio 2008) ............................................................. 6 Moore v. Hosemann, 591 F.3d 741(5th Cir. 2009) ...................................................................... 26 Natural Law Party v. Federal Election Commission, 111 F. Supp.2d 33 (D.D.C. 2000) ........... 25 North Carolina Right to Life Committee Fund for Independent Political Expenditures v. Leake, 524 F.3d 427 (4th Cir. 2008) ....................................................................................... 25 Real Truth About Obama, Inc. v. Federal Election Commission, 2011 WL 2457730 (E.D. Va., June 16, 2011) ............................................................................ 25 Reuters Ltd. v. FCC, 781 F.2d 946 (D.C. Cir.1986) .................................................................... 17 Schaefer v. Townsend, 215 F.3d 1031 (9th Cir. 2000) ................................................................ 26 Shays v. Federal Election Commission, 424 F. Supp. 2d 100 (D.D.C. 2006) ............................ 25 Tellabs, Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights, Ltd., 551 U.S. 308 (2007) .............................................. 6 Utility Workers Union of America, Local 369, AFL-CIO v. Federal Election Commission, 691 F. Supp. 2d 101 (D.D.C. 2010) ...................................................................................... 16, 17 Virginia Society for Human Life, Inc. v. Federal Election Commission, 263 F.3d 379 (4th Cir. 2001) ....................................................................................................... 17 Statutes 2 U.S.C. § 431(9)(A)(i) ................................................................................................................ 26 2 U.S.C. § 431(9)(B)(ii) ............................................................................................................... 26 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(1) ................................................................................................................... 18 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(8)(A) ............................................................................................................. 18 2 U.S.C. § 437g(4)(A)(8) ............................................................................................................. 12 4 Case 1:11-cv-01247-BAH Document 13 Filed 09/23/11 Page 5 of 34 2 U.S.C. § 437g(5)(C) .................................................................................................................. 12 2 U.S.C. § 437g(6)(A)................................................................................................................... 12 * 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(8) ................................................................................................................ 18 2 U.S.C. § 437g(a)(8)(C) ............................................................................................................. 19 * 2 U.S.C. § 441b(a) ......................................................................................................... 14, 15, 26 2 U.S.C. § 441b(b)(2) .................................................................................................................. 26 Regulations 11 C.F.R. § 110.13(a) ................................................................................................................... 26 11 C.F.R. § 110.13(b) ..................................................................................................... 27, 28, 33 * 11 C.F.R. § 110.13(c) ....................................................................................................... passim Federal Register * 60 Fed. Reg. 64260-01 (1995 WL 735941) ........................................................... 17, 27, 30, 32 Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) ................................................................................................................. 6 Miscellaneous JAMES CHACE, 1912: WILSON,TAFT &DEBS—THE ELECTION THAT CHANGED THE COUNTRY (2004) ......................................................................................................................... 12 RAY GINGER,THE BENDING CROSS:A BIOGRAPHY OF EUGENE VICTOR DEBS (1949) ........... 12 Eric B. Hull, Note, Independent Candidates' Battle Against Exclusionary Practices