Judge Rules NYCLU Can Protect Donor Lists in Victory for Free Speech

In response to a decision today that the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) erroneously denied the New York Civil Liberties Union and three other organizations exemption from disclosing their donor lists, the NYCLU released the following statement. It is attributable to Executive Director Donna Lieberman:

“We’re gratified and relieved at today’s decision to reverse JCOPE’s denial of an exemption to the NYCLU and other organizations, in favor of what the hearing officer deemed ‘proper deference to the constitutional requirement to protect the First Amendment rights of citizens to express their views on controversial issues by providing financial support to organizations…’

Historically, government demands for disclosure of membership lists have been used to intimidate the NAACP and other civil rights and progressive organizations and shut them down. The decision noted that the sponsors of the disclosure legislation acknowledged the tension between transparency and First Amendment concerns for controversial civil rights and abortion rights organizations and expressly contemplated that these organizations would be exempt from disclosing personal information about their donors.”