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Former Ambassador Joe Wilson talks about the Bush administration's efforts to stifle free speech

ACLU Releases Presidential Transition Plan To Restore Civil Liberties (10/27/2008)
WASHINGTON – In anticipation of the presidential election, the American Civil Liberties Union today released a set of detailed recommendations on steps that the new president should take to “clean house,” renew freedom, and restore the nation’s reputation.

Maine Law Court Strikes Down Political Endorsement Statute (10/21/2008)
PORTLAND – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court today struck down a Maine election statute as an unconstitutional restriction of political speech and a violation of the First Amendment. The court sided with a Cape Elizabeth man who challenged the law after he received a rebuke from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices in the closing hours of his Republican primary campaign for election to the Maine House of Representatives.

Ethics Commission Won't Restrict Campaign Speech (10/17/2008)
AUGUSTA - The state Ethics Commission voted 5 to 0 today to uphold free speech rights for political candidates when they dismissed a complaint filed against a Portland City Council candidate, Ed Suslovic, for his use of quotes in campaign materials.

Freedom of Political Speech Once Again In Jeopardy (10/16/2008)
PORTLAND — Tomorrow, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will once again find itself in the middle of a dispute over campaign advertisements. At issue is a quote from Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings in praise of Portland's Mayor, Ed Suslovic. His opponent claims the quote of praise gives the false impression that the Mayor was endorsed by Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings, which Suslovic adamantly denies. The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation will represent Mayor Suslovic at the hearing on Friday, arguing that the quote was clearly not an endorsement and that candidates have freedom of speech when it comes to campaign advertisements.

ACLU Challenges West Warwick Political Sign Ordinance And Its Selective Enforcement Against Local Critic (10/15/2008)
The Rhode Island ACLU today filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of West Warwick, challenging its discriminatory enforcement of an ordinance that significantly limits the posting of political signs in the town. The suit was filed by ACLU volunteer attorney Richard A. Sinapi on behalf of town resident Thomas K. Jones, who is both a state legislative candidate and an outspoken critic of plans to develop a water park in the town. The suit argues not only that the ordinance violates Jones' freedom of speech, but also that it has been enforced against him by town officials in a discriminatory manner. Although signs that he has displayed have been cited for violating the ordinance, dozens of other political signs supporting other candidates have not been cited at all.

ENACTING A REASONABLE FEDERAL SHIELD LAW: A REPLY TO PROFESSORS CLYMER AND ELIASON (07/01/2008)
These days, it can be difficult to read a newspaper without seeing a story of another journalist subpoenaed to identify a confidential source. From Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada to Judith Miller and Jim Taricani, many reporters are becoming known more for the court proceedings against them than they are for the stories they write. Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter James Risen, who broke the story on the Bush Administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program, is the latest casualty.2 Instead of reporting the news, journalists have become the news.

Reclaiming Our Rights: Declaration of First Amendment Rights and Grievances (09/01/2007)

Publish and Perish: The Need for a Federal Reporters' Shield Law (03/14/2007)
The need for a federal reporters' shield law today is urgent. Efforts by the press to fulfill its role of exposing government abuses of power and unlawful acts are met with subpoenas, criminal charges, and lengthy prison terms.

Freedom of Expression (10/31/2005)

Urge Your Senators to Defend Political Free Speech (04/27/2005)

Letter to YouTube about protecting users from unfounded take-down demands (10/20/2008)

Letter to networks about YouTube take-down demands (10/20/2008)

ACLU v. Department of Justice - Complaint (07/01/2008)

In re Bilski and Warsaw - ACLU Amicus Brief (04/03/2008)

Motion to Intervene in Bank Julius Baer v. Wikileaks (02/27/2008)

ACLU Letter to Senator Specter Expressing Support for Free Speech Protection Act of 2008 (09/17/2008)
On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), its more than half a million members, countless additional activists and supporters, and fifty-four affiliates nationwide, we write in strong support of S. 2977, the Free Speech Protection Act of 2008. This bill would address the growing problem of libel tourism, whereby individuals seek libel judgments in foreign countries where libel laws do not have the same free speech protections as in the U.S.

ACLU, TLP, and ACLU of PA Comments Before FCC Re: Hearing on Broadband and the Digital Future (07/21/2008)
The ACLU, Technology and Liberty Project of the ACLU, and the ACLU of Pennsylvania have been principal participants in many of the important Internet censorship and neutrality cases decided by the United States Supreme Court in the past two decades, including Reno v. ACLU, Ashcroft v. ACLU, Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, and the Brand X decision, in which the Court held that cable companies providing broadband Internet access were “information service providers” for purposes of regulation by the FCC under the Communications Act. The ACLU of Pennsylvania was co-counsel in two of the leading Internet decisions, Reno v. ACLU and Ashcroft v. ACLU. Last year, the ACLU of Pennsylvania obtained relief in the Ashcroft litigation that permanently enjoined the Child Online Protection Act (“COPA”).

Coalition Sign-On Letter Opposing the Workplace Religious Freedom Act (05/15/2008)

ACLU Comments before the FCC regarding Broadband Industry Practices (04/17/2008)
The ACLU, Technology and Liberty Project of the ACLU, and ACLU of Northern California support the underlying petitions and urge the Commission to find in favor of Petitioners by upholding concepts of accessibility and non-discrimination in the provision of text messaging and short code services and in the delivery of broadband services.

ACLU Letter to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Leadership Regarding S.J. Res 28, Disapproving of the Rule Submitted by the Federal Communications Commission with Respect to Broadcast Media Ownership (04/01/2008)

Documents Released By the Government in Response to The ACLU's Cell Phone FOIA Requests (11/12/2008)

Freedom of Information Act Request to the Executive Office for United States Attorneys (11/29/2007)
FOIA request filed in response to recent reports that reveal that United States Attorneys Offices ("USAOs") are assisting law enforcement officers in obtaining information from mobile carriers that enables officers to track the location of individuals' mobile phones.

Freedom of Information Act Request to the Drug Enforcement Agency (11/29/2007)
FOIA request filed in response to reports that law enforcement officers from the DEA are obtaining information from mobile phone carriers that enables officers to track the location of individuals' mobile phones.

An Evening Without... (04/13/2006)
Writers who are currently or have been banned from the U.S. will have their work read by Martin Amis, Russell Banks, Gioconda Belli, Barbara Goldsmith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Liev Schreiber, Todd Solondz, Eloy Urroz, Debra Winger and others.

Oppose HJ Res 10, the Constitutional Amendment on Flag Desecration (06/09/2005)

FAQs on Reporter Shield Laws (05/28/2008)

Additional Statements of Leslie Weise and Alex Young (11/21/2005)

Wisconsin Right to Life v. FEC (11/21/2005)
Whether the ACLU can be barred from broadcasting advertisements prior to an election that name a federal candidate, even though the ACLU has never taken a position on an election in its 85-year history. DECIDED

ACLU Lawsuit To Uncover Records of Cell Phone Tracking (07/01/2008)
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed a lawsuit in July 2008 urging a federal court to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to turn over records related to the government's use of people's cell phones as tracking devices.

ACLU Releases Presidential Transition Plan To Restore Civil Liberties (10/27/2008)
WASHINGTON – In anticipation of the presidential election, the American Civil Liberties Union today released a set of detailed recommendations on steps that the new president should take to “clean house,” renew freedom, and restore the nation’s reputation.

Maine Law Court Strikes Down Political Endorsement Statute (10/21/2008)
PORTLAND – The Maine Supreme Judicial Court today struck down a Maine election statute as an unconstitutional restriction of political speech and a violation of the First Amendment. The court sided with a Cape Elizabeth man who challenged the law after he received a rebuke from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices in the closing hours of his Republican primary campaign for election to the Maine House of Representatives.

Ethics Commission Won't Restrict Campaign Speech (10/17/2008)
AUGUSTA - The state Ethics Commission voted 5 to 0 today to uphold free speech rights for political candidates when they dismissed a complaint filed against a Portland City Council candidate, Ed Suslovic, for his use of quotes in campaign materials.

Freedom of Political Speech Once Again In Jeopardy (10/16/2008)
PORTLAND — Tomorrow, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will once again find itself in the middle of a dispute over campaign advertisements. At issue is a quote from Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings in praise of Portland's Mayor, Ed Suslovic. His opponent claims the quote of praise gives the false impression that the Mayor was endorsed by Speaker of the House Glenn Cummings, which Suslovic adamantly denies. The Maine Civil Liberties Union Foundation will represent Mayor Suslovic at the hearing on Friday, arguing that the quote was clearly not an endorsement and that candidates have freedom of speech when it comes to campaign advertisements.

ACLU Challenges West Warwick Political Sign Ordinance And Its Selective Enforcement Against Local Critic (10/15/2008)
The Rhode Island ACLU today filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of West Warwick, challenging its discriminatory enforcement of an ordinance that significantly limits the posting of political signs in the town. The suit was filed by ACLU volunteer attorney Richard A. Sinapi on behalf of town resident Thomas K. Jones, who is both a state legislative candidate and an outspoken critic of plans to develop a water park in the town. The suit argues not only that the ordinance violates Jones' freedom of speech, but also that it has been enforced against him by town officials in a discriminatory manner. Although signs that he has displayed have been cited for violating the ordinance, dozens of other political signs supporting other candidates have not been cited at all.