ABA releases election law primer

With the 2016 presidential campaign in full swing, questions about ethical and legal campaign finance and lobbying laws are at the forefront. The laws are ever changing. To help you stay abreast of the latest changes, the American Bar Association Section of Business Law has  published the sixth edition of “The Election Law Primer for Corporations,” written by author Jan Witold Baran.

The laws governing campaign finance and lobbying have changed significantly since the previous edition of the book was published seven years ago. Numerous court decisions and new laws have led to changes in the way corporations, super political action committees (PACs) and independent advertisers operate. Contribution limits and aggregate limits on individuals have changed, while rules governing the formation and operation of PACs have remained largely unchanged for more than 40 years.

“Election Law Primer” includes nine chapters that cover campaign finance rules, PACs, campaign communications and activities, lobbying laws, tax considerations and enforcement. “The original Primer was devoted exclusively to the basic principles of federal campaign finance laws that regulated political activity by corporations, executives, employees and stockholders,” Baran explains in the book’s preface. “Over the years, the Primer expanded to related legal areas and now includes explanations about the regulation of lobbying activities, ethics rules and tax laws.”

Baran, founder of Wiley Rein’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, is co-chair of the Practising Law Institute’s annual Corporate Political Activities conference and is regularly quoted in media articles. He also writes opinion columns published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and USA TODAY. Baran regularly appears as a featured guest on NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show.

“Election Law Primer for Corporations, Sixth Edition” costs $79.95 and can be ordered by calling 800-285-2221 or visiting www.shopABA.org.