Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Politics

San Diego City's Campaign Contribution Limits Challenged

San Diego City's Campaign Contribution Limits Challenged
Prominent San Diego Republicans want a federal judge to grant an injunction overturning campaign finance restrictions on next year’s City Council elections.

Prominent San Diego Republicans want a federal judge to grant an injunction overturning campaign finance restrictions on next year’s City Council elections.

A coalition of Republicans says San Diego City's Ethics Commission’s campaign finance laws are unconstitutional. Michael Rosen, secretary of San Diego’s Republican Party, says the lawsuit seeks to lift the $500 contribution limits for city council races.

"We think this will benefit all political parties and all advocacy groups," Rosen said.

Advertisement

But Jess Durfee, chair of the San Diego Democratic Party, says the campaign contribution limits create a level playing field for candidates.

“The Republicans are proposing to allow a few rich people in San Diego to start bankrolling their ideal candidate, and buy elections for them,” Durfee said.

James Bopp, the Indiana attorney who filed the suit on behalf of the Republicans, says he has already filed several campaign finance suits all the way to the Supreme Court, and won.

“Of the 100 campaign finance cases I’ve handled,” Bopp said. “We won two-thirds in the district courts, 90 percent in the Courts of Appeal and 80 percent of the cases I’ve argued in the U.S. Supreme Court.”

A San Diego Federal District Court judge is expected to issue a ruling January 25th.

Advertisement

Four of the eight San Diego City Council seats are up for election in 2010, and three of them are currently held by Democrats.