Legal defense funds are pols' latest perk

Article Abstract:

Legal defense funds for the President and members of Congress have gained popularity since the first were created in the early 1980s, but many observers say they open the way to abuse. Most of those set up have been since 1988, due, say experts, to the recent trend toward legal investigations and prosecutions of national politicians. Many do not have the means to fund a multimillion-dollar defense, or prefer not to use their own money, making it possible for a donor of up to $10,000 to curry favor with little oversight.

Usage, Political aspects, Campaign funds, Politicians, Costs (Law), Legal fees

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Second Commerce Clause ruling calms the waters; the school gun zone case, observers say, may indeed have been an aberration

Article Abstract:

The US Supreme Court's May 1, 1995, ruling in United States v Robertson soothed the fears of many that its Apr 26 decision in United States v Lopez heralded a rollback of federal powers under the Constitution's commerce clause. In Lopez, the court held that Congress had no clear authority to prohibit gun possession near state-run schools. In Robertson, it held that a federal RICO conviction should stand because the gold mine in question engaged in interstate commerce.

Commerce clause (United States. Constitution)

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D.C.'s telecom ruling sets stage; court of appeals decides same issue facing 5th Circuit in pivotal case

Article Abstract:

The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in SBC Communications, Inc. v. FCC that the provision of the 1996 Telecommunications Act barring only the Bell companies from selling long-distance services to their customers until the FCC declares they have made their local networks available to competitors violated the constitutional ban on bills of attainder.

Telecommunications services industry, Telecommunications industry, Barriers to entry (Industrial organization), Barriers to entry

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