FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2009    

MEDIA CONTACT:
DAVID DONNELLY
ddonnelly@campaignmoney.org

Washington, D.C. – In a statement released today, Nick Nyhart, President and CEO of Public Campaign, criticized Federal District Court Judge Stefan Underhill’s decision to overturn parts of the landmark Citizens’ Election Program. In his statement, Nyhart urged state officials to exercise restraint, and warned that the law was passed to address the recent corruption scandals in Connecticut:

“Judge Underhill clearly went too far in his decision to invalidate parts of Connecticut’s landmark Citizens’ Election Program, and to prevent the state from operating the entirety of the law. No one should need reminding that this law was enacted in the wake of some of the biggest corruption scandals in Connecticut history. To let this decision stand could mean a return to those darker days.

“That is why we are pleased that Connecticut’s Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, has announced he will file a motion to stay this decision until the appeal process is completed. Since this is a pending legal matter, we hope that Connecticut’s state legislative leaders and Governor Jodi Rell will stand by this successful program by refusing to give in to the politically-motivated efforts to raid the CEP fund.

“Judge Underhill delivered a temporary setback to a program that has restored faith in state government, but we are confident that we will prevail in the next round.”

Nyhart is a Connecticut resident who has worked to advance public financing of elections for more than 15 years.

Public Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics. For more information, go to www.publicampaign.org.