August, 06 2014, 05:00pm EDT
6th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments in 6 Marriage Cases
NEW YORK
Today the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati heard oral arguments in marriage cases out of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee, seeking both the full freedom to marry and in-state respect for legal marriages of same-sex couples.
Marc Solomon, national campaign director of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:
"After hearing the powerful stories of families from across the heartland, these judges should now understand clearly why the denial of marriage is both unjust and unconstitutional. This panel of judges should do what 36 other courts have done to date and strike down these marriage bans. "
Of the six district court rulings that were appealed today, three were made by Republican-appointed judges and three by Democratic-appointed judges. The 6th Circuit panel includes two judges appointed by Republicans and one by a Democrat, the same composition as the 10th Circuit panel which found the Utah and Oklahoma marriage bans unconstitutional.
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Headed by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry brings new resources and a renewed context of urgency and opportunity to this social justice movement.
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Watchdog Urges FEC to Investigate Trump Campaign Over Scheme for Legal Fees
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A campaign finance watchdog on Wednesday filed a Federal Election Commission complaint accusing former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, affiliated political groups, and an accounting firm of violating U.S. law in a scheme "seemingly designed to obscure the true recipients of a noteworthy portion of Trump's legal bills."
The Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center (CLC) said that "evidence appears to show an illegal arrangement between several Trump-affiliated committees and a compliance firm named Red Curve Solutions that is designed to obscure the identities of those providing legal services and how much they are being paid."
"Voters have a right to know how the presidential campaigns and other committees supporting presidential candidates spend their money."
CLC alleges that the Trump campaign, Trump's political action committee (PAC) Save America, and three affiliated organizations "violated federal reporting requirements based on a scheme in which the committees reportedly paid over $7.2 million—described as 'reimbursement for legal' costs or expenses"—to Red Curve.
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According to CLC:
Red Curve is a domestic limited liability company that offers compliance and FEC reporting services but does not appear to offer any legal services. It is managed by Bradley Crate, who also serves as the treasurer for each of the five Trump-affiliated committees concerned in this complaint, as well as over 200 other federal committees.
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Trump—who is the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee—faces 91 federal and state felony charges related to his role in the January 6 insurrection and his organization's business practices. He is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to cover up sex scandals during the 2016 election cycle. The twice-impeached former president has been open about his use of campaign donations to pay his legal costs.
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Florez noted that "even with the repeal of the Civil War-era ban, the state will still have a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy that denies people access to critical care. And lawmakers continue to attack Arizonans' ability to access reproductive healthcare. Our right to control our bodies and lives is hanging on by a thread."
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