Campaign Contributions as Crimes? … Convicted, Pardoned, and Seeking Cert in Sittenfeld v. United States

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Join the DC Young Lawyers for an evening event!

Featuring: 

• P.G. Sittenfeld, Former Cincinnati City Councilman
• Caleb Burns, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP 
• Michael Fragoso, Partner, Torridon Law (Moderator)

Registration:

Members: Free | Non Members: $20
Students: Free

Refreshments included.

“Campaign Contributions as Crimes? … Convicted, Pardoned, and Seeking Cert in Sittenfeld v. United States.” 

Three improbable occurrences - some unprecedented - have set the stage for the high-stakes appeal of Sittenfeld v. United States. 

First, in February of this year, the Sixth Circuit issued a 2-1 split decision begrudgingly upholding public corruption convictions against former Cincinnati elected official P.G. Sittenfeld. But all three judges, in three separate opinions, also called for Supreme Court review of the case and overdue clarification of McCormick v. United States to establish when a lawful campaign contribution becomes an illegal bribe. 

Next, in May, President Trump granted Sittenfeld - who’d served in office as a pro-growth Democrat - a full and unconditional pardon. 

Then, this summer, Sittenfeld and his legal team at Jones Day - led by former U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco - filed their petition for writ of certiorari, marking the first known instance of an individual receiving a Presidential pardon and still being in a position to and choosing to move forward petitioning the Supreme Court. 

Jones Day has called Sittenfeld’s case “the most extreme prosecution based on lawful campaign donations in U.S. history,” and amici weighing in on Sittenfeld’s behalf have included top White House, DOJ, and Judicial officials spanning the past four decades. 

Torridon partner and former chief legal counsel to Senator Mitch McConnell, Mike Fragoso, will moderate a discussion on the far-reaching First Amendment implications of this appeal with P.G. Sittenfeld and Wiley Rein partner and campaign finance expert Caleb Burns.

This event is closed to press.

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