CONFERENCES & EVENTS

The Role of Big Money in U.S. Elections

March 21, 2024
7:30 p.m.–9:00 p.m. ET
WEBINAR

Campaign finance law experts from the nonpartisan, nonprofit Campaign Legal Center (CLC)—Erin Chlopak, Saurav Ghosh, Kevin P. Hancock, and Aaron McKean—discussed how big money special interest spending affects our elections.  Topics included the increasingly powerful role of Super PACs and other groups, why federal regulators frequently fail to enforce federal campaign finance rules, as well as state and local level reform efforts. This event was organized by the Network for Responsible Public Policy.

Video

SPEAKERS

ERIN CHLOPAK, Senior Director, Campaign Finance, leads CLC’s work to promote and defend strong campaign finance laws and ensure that existing laws are enforced. Erin’s expert analysis on campaign finance issues has been featured in national media outlets including the Washington Post, National Public Radio, BBC, Forbes, and USA Today. Before joining CLC, Erin spent nearly a decade working on a wide range of campaign finance issues in the Federal Election Commission’s Office of General Counsel. From 2017 to 2018, Erin led the FEC’s Policy Division, overseeing all legal recommendations regarding FEC regulations, advisory opinions, and other legal policy guidance. From 2009 to 2017, Erin served as an attorney and then as assistant general counsel in the FEC’s Litigation Division, litigating a wide range of campaign finance cases.

SAURAV GHOSH, Director, Federal Campaign Finance Reform, leads CLC’s efforts to uncover campaign finance violations, file complaints seeking administrative enforcement, and pursue legislative and regulatory reforms to strengthen and ensure the consistent and robust enforcement of federal campaign finance laws. After starting his legal career in private practice, Saurav served for almost seven years in the Enforcement Division of the Federal Election Commission’s Office of General Counsel, investigating alleged violations in dozens of campaign finance matters. Saurav also previously served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

KEVIN P. HANCOCK, Director, Strategic Litigation, litigates to protect voting rights, ensure fair redistricting and to reform the campaign finance system. Before joining CLC, served for nearly a decade in several capacities as an attorney at the Federal Election Commission (FEC), including as an acting assistant general counsel for litigation and as senior counsel to FEC Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub. Kevin graduated valedictorian from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the Seton Hall Law Review. He clerked for the Honorable Maryanne Trump Barry of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Honorable John C. Lifland of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

AARON MCKEAN, Legal Counsel, State & Local Reform, works with state and local partners to develop and advocate for campaign finance reforms that lift the voices of voters and lead to a more transparent democracy. Prior to joining CLC, Aaron was a legislative attorney at the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan legislative service agency, drafting legislation for members of the Wisconsin Legislature. He also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Azerbaijan from 2009 to 2011.

EVENT CO-SPONSORS

Network for Responsible Public Policy
The Academy of Political Science