On May 23, the Republican National Committee filed a federal lawsuit to strike down part of the 2002 McCain-Feingold law that limits how much money individuals can give to political parties. The lawsuit argues that if the party has an account that makes only independent expenditures to help Republican candidates for federal office, the amount that an individual can give to such an account cannot be limited.

PACs can already received unlimited donations in order to make independent expenditures. The party argues that there is no government interest in treating political parties differently than it treats PACs. The case is Republican National Committee v Federal Election Commission, 1:14-cv-853, filed in the District of Columbia. Other plaintiffs in the case include the Louisiana Republican Party, and two county units of the Louisiana Republican Party. Thanks to HowAppealing for this news.

Jacobin Magazine has this very thorough and analytical article about the New York Working Families Party and its upcoming decision on whom to nominate for Governor. Thanks to Thomas MacMillan for the link.

U.S. District Court Judge Neil Wake will hold a hearing in Arizona Public Integrity Alliance v Bennett, 2:14cv-1044, on Thursday, May 29, at 3:30 p.m. This is the lawsuit, filed by some voters, challenging the Arizona distribution requirement for statewide candidate petitions in primaries. The law says statewide candidates trying to get on a primary ballot need the signatures of one-half of 1% of the party’s members (unless the party is new). That part of the law is not being challenged. But the law also says the petition must meet that standard in at least three counties. The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated county distribution requirements for statewide petitions in 1969 in Moore v Ogilvie.