A lawsuit by the National Association of Manufacturers against a new lobbying reform law was thrown out by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Friday, a move that will likely force the trade association to disclose significant parts of its membership list for the first time.
A NAM spokesman could not be reached for comment on the group's next move. The deadline to disclose under the new law is next Monday.
NAM's lawsuit raised some rare First Amendment issues, including whether the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 violated rights to freedom of association and to petition the government. NAM officials said the new rules requiring disclosure had a chilling effect on the group's members.
Kollar-Kotelly, in a 57-page opinion, said the law was narrowly tailored to the government's interest, which lies in exposing entities funding a lobbying effort. She also said that NAM did not offer proof of the potential for harassment against its members if companies' involvement in lobbying were exposed.
Comments