Restoring the 1st Amendment

 

My name is Richard Lewis. In 1994 I made a second bid for Kentucky's 3rd congressional seat. I ran as an independent.

 

For four years after my defeat, the Federal Election Commission pursued complaints against my committee. I was accused of coordinating with a Christian grassroots political committee.  Coordination includes talking to members of organizations that intend to write or publish articles with biographical information or that state the position a candidate takes on any issue.

 

When a candidate is accused of coordinating with a grassroots political organization they are actually accused of failing to specify a value for handbills distributed by a grassroots organization, for example, or exceeding a limit that the FEC places on the value of those flyers.

 

My campaign was typical of those under funded campaigns that reformers pretend to be concerned about. If our existing election laws and proposed reforms were written to protect the voting public, they would not be used to harass candidates who achieve 12% of the vote with $26,000, against mainstream candidates with nearly a million each!

 

Freedom of speech and freedom of association are understood to exist for all U.S. Citizens, including those who do not vote. However, Federal Election Commission regulations assume that a candidate is somehow not entitled to freedom of speech or freedom of association, unless they are talking to reporters and editors employed by the commercial press! The commercial press is free to endorse any candidate and that endorsement is not considered to have a financial value to a candidates committee!

 

I won dismissal of my case with the FEC pro se. FEC attorneys did not want to go to court with me. They acknowledged that my brief framed questions about the regulations I was accused of violating that could not meet a Constitutional test!

 

Nonetheless, anyone can bring a complaint against a federal candidate and the Federal Election Commission must investigate at taxpayer expense.  The Federal Election Commission acknowledged they have no responsibility, funding or authority to prosecute citizens who bring false complaints!   Election laws provide a candidate's political enemies a free pass to punish them for seeking office.

 

When the United States Constitution was adopted on March 4, 1789, 1st Amendment guarantees applied only to the people, "living beings". Freedom of the press means every citizen is guaranteed the rights to own operate or hire the use of a printing press. A printing press was the most advanced means of communication in that era.

 

Corporations, much to the chagrin of corporate attorneys, did not enjoy Constitutional protections during the first ninety-seven years of our Republic. In 1886 the Supreme Court decreed without hearing arguments that "corporations would have the same rights as a person." see pgs. 347-359 WhoWill Tell the People by William Greider paperback

 

The U.S. Supreme Courts famous decision in the Marbury V.S. Madison established an ordinary law couldn’t amend our United States Constitution. Nonetheless in 1974 and ordinary law, The Newspaper Exemption Act FECA Sec. 431(2)(9)(B)(i), exempted corporations and foreign citizens, that now operate more than 170 newspapers in the United States, from election laws that restrict the political activities of grassroots organizations and U.S. citizens.  According to 3rd district Congresswoman Ann Northup (R) Kentucky, two of the seven largest newspaper chains operating in the United States today are foreign owned.

 

Unconstitutional state and federal election laws must be overturned. U.S. law does not recognize superior and inferior rights. All citizens enjoy the same rights under law and corporations inherited their rights from the constitutional rights of flesh and blood citizens.

 

To the best of my knowledge not one newspaper, broadcaster or political organization brought these facts to the public, despite their emphasis on campaign reform and foreign influence!

 

Richard Lewis: freepres@bellsouth.net, (502)454-3707