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Peter Scheer

Candidates disclose tax returns because media demand them. Why not use same strategy for campaign contributions?

Peter Scheer August 25, 2012

BY PETER SCHEER–Everybody has a theory about why presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in the face of mounting criticism even within his own party, refuses to make public more of his tax returns. My two cents: His returns for the years 2000-2005, before Romney had settled on a decision to seek the presidency, will show that he (and his wife) made generous charitable contributions to liberal causes that, while only slightly to the left

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Key settlement in FAC case breaks new ground in public access to officials’ emails

Peter Scheer July 24, 2012

July 24, 2012—The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce a landmark settlement in a case involving public access to government email messages. The agreement with the city of Auburn, California requires the city to save emails for at least two years–replacing a prior policy of deleting most emails after 30 days. The agreement, approved by the city today, also assures public access to emails about government business even when officials send or receive them

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Federal Judge declines US request to freeze FAC’s FOIA suit for targeted killing memo

Peter Scheer July 23, 2012

The US Justice Department has failed in its effort to derail the First Amendment Coalition’s FOIA suit for access to a government legal memo on the lethal targeting of US citizens engaged in terrorism against US interests. US District Judge Claudia Wilken on Tuesday denied the Justice Department’s request to stay proceedings in the FAC suit until the conclusion of FOIA cases brought by the New York Times and the ACLU in federal court in

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FAC sues Auburn for council members’ business emails sent from private email accounts. Suit also challenges email deletion policy.

Peter Scheer June 11, 2012

FAC–A new suit filed by the First Amendment Coalition claims that city officials’ emails about government business are public records even though they were sent or received on the officials’ personal email accounts. The suit, against the city of Auburn and Auburn’s City Council, also challenges the city’s policy–similar to that of many California cities and counties– of deleting most government emails shortly after they are received, regardless of their status under the Public Records

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Revisiting Citizens United decision: Not as harmful as feared, and actually provides a 1st Amendment rationale for curbing super PACs

Peter Scheer June 1, 2012

PETER SCHEER–The orgy of political spending that has been unleashed by super PACs in the current election cycle exceeds what a free democracy can bear. A president who is obligated to repay even a fraction of the political debts created by special interests’ funding of super PACs is a president who will be greatly challenged to govern in the public interest. This sorry state of affairs is blamed on Citizens United v. FEC, the controversial Supreme

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