How I Became Stephen Colbert's Lawyer --
How I Became Stephen Colbert's Lawyer -- And Joined the Fight to Rescue Our Democracy from Citizens United
Trevor Potter
The Supreme Court's campaign finance legacy has undermined the "whole purpose of the Constitution," to have a "functioning, representative" government.
May 25, 2012 |
(Editor's note: This is the transcript of a May 23, 2012 speech at the Annual Meeting of the American Law Institute.)
I am often asked how, after 25 years as an election lawyer, service as an FEC Commissioner, and General Counsel to 2 presidential campaigns, did you end up as Stephen Colbert’s lawyer on late night TV. The answer is “I was lucky…”
It just goes to show—90% of life is “just showing up”—and returning phone calls.
I was at my desk one day last spring and the Colbert staff called—“What is a PAC. Would you be willing to explain it on the Show?” And I’ve been doing it ever since…with the forbearance of my law partners at Caplin & Drysdale, although as one of them put it to me, “For the first time in 30 years, my kids care what I do, because I work with Stephen Colbert’s lawyer!”
Stephen Colbert does have a knack for taking very complicated legal subjects and hours of staff discussions and research and distilling it into 4 ½ minutes of Q&A that captures the essence of the issue, and explains it in layman’s language in a humorous, captivating way. What every Supreme Court advocate wishes for!
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The Colbert Report coverage is so successful because it accurately describes a campaign finance world that seems too surreal to be true. A system that claims to require disclosure of money spent to elect or defeat candidates, but in fact provides so many ways around that requirement as to make disclosure optional; a system that says that “independent expenditures” cannot be limited as a matter of Constitutional law because they cannot corrupt because they are “totally independent” of candidates and parties—when the daily news reports about these supposedly “independent” groups show that candidates raise money for them, candidates’ former employees run them, and candidates’ polling and advertising vendors advise them. And the major donors to these “independent” groups are often also official fundraisers for the candidate. Other major donors have private meetings with the candidates, or travel with them on campaign trips!
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http://www.alternet.org/story/155598/how_i_became_stephen_colbert%27s_lawyer_--_and_joined_the_fight_to_rescue_our_democracy_from_citizens_united?page=entire
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