Citizens United Comes to New Jersey: Angelo J. Genova, Esq. Testifies at Assembly Judiciary Committee Hearing

Yesterday, the New Jersey Assembly Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the impact of the Citizens United decision on New Jersey's campaign finance and pay-to-play laws.  Among the expert witnesses was Angelo J. Genova, founding partner of Genova Burns LLC. The general consensus was that New Jersey's existing campaign finance laws are not directly affected by the Supreme Court holding unconstitutional campaign expenditure limitations for corporations.  Mr. Genova cautioned, however, that the logic underpinning the decision could ultimately impact current restrictions on political participation that are keyed to the identity of the speaker, such as the ban on contributions from regulated industries and pay-to-play restrictions.  At this early stage, in the wake of Citizens United, it remains to be seen whether the presumptive corrupting influence of money will stand as a justification for such identity-based restrictions. Associate Bonnie B. Fire contributed to this post.