FEC Republicans Vow to Fight Regulations on Online Political Speech

Chairman warns of abuses of power in efforts to roll back Internet speech protections

Republicans on the Federal Election Commission are vowing to fight regulations on online political advocacy that they say would chill free speech and potentially lead to politicized targeting of Internet writers and video-makers.

The commission’s chairman is warning that such regulations would allow the federal government to impose onerous new regulations on websites such as the Drudge Report or the Washington Free Beacon.

“I vow to fight any additional regulation on online political speech,” FEC chairman Lee Goodman said in an interview.

At issue is a recent FEC ruling on a series of YouTube videos made by a conservative group called Checks and Balances for Economic Growth that criticized various Obama administration policies.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a litigious liberal group headed by pro-Hillary Clinton operative David Brock, brought a complaint against the group claiming that it violated FEC rules by failing to report expenses associated with those videos.

The commission deadlocked on the question. Its 3-3 vote resulted in a dismissal of the complaint.

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