Althouse: Federal district judge halts the John Doe investigation into conservative groups and the Scott Walker recall campaign.

Althouse: Federal district judge halts the John Doe investigation into conservative groups and the Scott Walker recall campaign.: "The current John Doe investigation has devastated O'Keefe's ability to undertake issue advocacy with WCFG. O’Keefe Dec., ¶ 40. O’Keefe lost most of his fundraising abilities for the Club immediately because: (1) it would be unethical to raise money without disclosing that he is a target in a criminal investigation; (2) it would be unwise for prospects to invest the time required for them to independently evaluate any risks; (3) the secrecy order purports to bar O’Keefe from disclosing the facts of the investigation and the reasons he believes that WCFG is not guilty of any crimes; and (4) O’Keefe cannot assure donors that their information will remain confidential as prosecutors have targeted that information directly. As a result, O’Keefe estimates that the Club has lost $2 million in fundraising that would have been committed to issue advocacy. Id., ¶ 49."



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A succinct example of how campaign finance laws hamper free political speech.