PUBLIC FINANCING RULING WV Supreme Court Denies Court Candidate "Rescue" Financing
Reported by: Associated Press
Web Producer: Jeff Morris
Reported: Sep. 7, 2012 1:25 PM EDT
Eyewitness News Photo
Charleston
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
West Virginia's publicly financed Supreme Court candidate won't be receiving any additional funds from that pilot program.
A unanimous state Supreme Court ruled Friday that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision voids the program's so-called rescue funding provision.
Republican candidate Allen Loughry had petitioned for release of the funds. The money is supposed to help a publicly financed candidate match spending by privately funded opponents.
But Friday's opinion concludes that offer of additional funds chills the free speech rights of people who wish to contribute to those opponents.
The ruling otherwise upholds the pilot program, which arose amid concerns about campaign cash in judicial races.
With the general election less than two months away, Friday's decision also allows Loughry to leave the program and raise his own campaign contributions.
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Associated Press
