National Republican Congressional Committee v. FEC (96-2295)
Summary
On November 18, 1996, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued an order instructing the FEC to supply the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) with regular updates of its progress on the committee's administrative complaint against the actions of labor organizations during the 1996 election cycle. The order, which had been submitted by the parties involved in the suit, also dismissed this case without prejudice.
The NRCC had asked the court to force the FEC to take action, before the election, on three administrative complaints that it had filed with the FEC concerning the AFL-CIO and allied labor organizations. The NRCC had alleged that the labor groups were making massive expenditures coordinated with Democratic candidates, in violation of 2 U.S.C. §441b(a).
The NRCC had filed its administrative complaints with the FEC in February, March and April 1996 and had alleged that the FEC had not acted on those complaints by October 3, 1996, when the Republican committee filed its lawsuit. The NRCC said the FEC's delay could cause it irreparable injury and asked the court to order the FEC to take action before the election.
The settlement agreement requires the FEC to provide NRCC lawyers with confidential updates on the complaint until it is resolved or there is further action by the court.
Source: FEC Record— January 1997