Sandler Reiff & Young partner Joseph Sandler was quoted in the August 15, 2009 New York Times article by David M. Halfbinger regarding conversations between Karl Rove and Christopher J. Christie, the Republican candidate for New Jersey governor. Democrats argue Rove and Christie violated federal law, while the two Republicans say their conversations were casual.
Joseph Sandler, a Washington lawyer who has advised Democrats on Hatch Act compliance, said asking about advisers was clearly “laying the groundwork.” A call to Mr. Rove, he added, was almost by definition impermissible. “Asking the top political professional in America who he should get educated with in contemplation of a candidacy — that’s not a casual conversation with friends at a cocktail party,” he said.
Joe Sandler and Neil Reiff testified before the Federal Elections Commission Wednesday in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking addressing the definition of “federal election activity.” Both proposed modifications to the definitions of “Get Out the Vote Activity” and “Voter Registration Activity” in response to the decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Shays v. FEC (Shays III). Their testimony centered on the difference between encouragement and facilitation as far as federal election activity is concerned.
Read their comments and listen to the full testimony here.
Neil Reiff and Joseph Sandler spoke before the Federal Election Commission in its first-ever hearing under a new procedure that allows regulated political committees audited by the FEC to challenge staff audit findings before the FEC commissioners vote on whether to approve the findings.
According to BNA’s Money and Politics Report, Mr. Reiff and Mr. Sandler, Attorneys for the Tennessee Democratic Party, were there “to explain why they disagreed with conclusions of a staff audit of the state party’s activities during the 2006 Senate race in Tennessee.”
Joe Sandler appeared live on Federal News Tonight on News Channel 8 to discuss Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission. You can watch him discuss the history of the case and the consequences of the Supreme Court’s potential ruling here.