Brad Smith
@CommishSmith
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Father, law professor, former FEC Commissioner, Chairman Institute for Free Speech @InstFreeSpeech, lover of liberty & dogs, evidence-based, #freespeech,
Ohio, USA
Joined September 2009
This is an entirely illiterate post by @DeanBaker13. I’ve spent 30 years as a first amendment scholar and practitioner. This is probably the most free speech protective court in U.S. history.
Too bad we have six justices on the Supreme Court that have never heard of the First Amendment. I remember back in the days when Elon the Clown proclaimed himself a free speech absolutists, oh well.
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Most Americans don't know what the Citizens United case was actually about.
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Let’s get right to it—posting on line the names of people who are providing a legal service to a political organization, but have nothing to do with the organization’s message, is nothing but an effort to enable harassment and thus silence opposition.
A $30,000 fine for accidentally omitting an irrelevant name from an ad? That's what happened to the No on EE ballot committee in Colorado. Our latest @InstFreeSpeech case asks the Colorado Supreme Court to strike down this compelled speech mandate:
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A massive cross-ideological coalition is backing a crucial challenge to IRS speech-chilling donor-disclosure rules in the important @InstFreeSpeech case @TheBuckeyeInst v. IRS, via @gregpiper / @JustTheNews -
justthenews.com
IRS can't even explain why it needs donor identities to do its job and has terrible track record, diverse nonprofits tell 6th Circuit. It hid leak from victim Young America's Foundation until nearly...
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If a person had invested $111,916 in a market index fund 7 years (84 months) ago, today he would have over $200,000 today. So the lender could have made another $45K or so. Also, this appears to be a 16.2% interest rate. Why did someone borrow at that rate when the going rate on
American man finances a $111,916 Dodge Ram and pays $1,898 a month. After 84 payments, the total hits $159,464 He pays $47,548 EXTRA in interest This isn’t “financing”, it’s usury
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Want to invest in the next big AI stocks? IBD can show you how.
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A $30,000 fine for accidentally omitting an irrelevant name from an ad? That's what happened to the No on EE ballot committee in Colorado. Our latest @InstFreeSpeech case asks the Colorado Supreme Court to strike down this compelled speech mandate:
ifs.org
New Institute for Free Speech filing highlights that the burdensome requirement infringes on free speech rights and provides voters with no relevant information
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Democrats say Republicans have no plan to deal with rising health insurance costs. And they’re right. But Democrats have no plan to deal with costs either—they just plan to deficit spend more and use the borrowed funds to subsidize the rising insurance costs.
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Busy week for free speech in the courts.
If the NAACP's fight to keep its donor list private from Jim Crow officials taught us anything, it's that federal courts have to be willing to step in and defend constitutional rights when states go off the rails. Big argument today:
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Free Speech Arguments – Can the Government Limit Access to a Citizen Flag Pole Based on Viewpoint? (Scaer, et al. v. City of Nashua, et al.) Full oral argument available here:
ifs.org
Scaer, et al. v. City of Nashua, et al. argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on December 2, 2025.
1. 🚨 HAPPENING NOW: IFS Attorney Nathan Ristuccia is fighting for the free speech rights of clients @BethRS62 and @Sidewalk_Steve at the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
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Politicians and bureaucrats don’t like to be criticized. Many will do anything in their power to silence dissent. If that means denying you the most fundamental right we have as Americans—our right to speak freely—they won’t hesitate. If that means that Americans like you
ifs.org
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Yesterday's oral argument by @InstFreeSpeech 's @NJRistuccia in Scaer v. City of Nashua. Can the City discriminate in a public forum against views it doesn't like--like flying the traditional Pine Tree flag symbolizing liberty? @RandyEBarnett
Via @CourthouseNews, good, in-depth coverage of today's oral argument in the key free speech case Scaer v. City of Nashua, argued by @InstFreeSpeech attorney @NJRistuccia - https://t.co/PwC9yRzcsy cc: @Sidewalk_Steve @BethRS62
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Great points by Michael Ramsey. https://t.co/TQsr21LJzR . My contribution to this project, which I think compliments Prof. Ramsey's is here:
democracyproject.org
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
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/2 Note, for example, that Mikie Sherrill, New Jersey's governor-elect, voted for all kinds of "green" energy mandates and subsidies, while in Congress. When those didn't work and the cost of energy spiked, she ran for governor on a platform of lowering energy costs, which she
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Train bigger, faster models without wrestling with hardware or orchestration. Baseten takes care of the scaling.
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A lot of conservatives seem convinced that Mandami will fail and discredit socialism. I wouldn't be so sure. Nothing in Mandami's background suggest he can manage a project such as NY City, but he may be smart enough to appoint a few who can, and get out of their way.
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If it's not the best college fight song, Hail to the Victors is darn close.
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It should also be noted that American leadership in AI is important for, well, truth, justice, and the American Way. Chinese AI models censor the truth. We don't want them to become dominant in AI.
Developing and advancing AI is vital to strengthening American leadership and enhancing key industries - from healthcare and transportation to agriculture and defense. Congress must support our domestic tech sector, which is at the forefront of AI innovation.
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Hey, that's me! Catch @BrettNolan and me with @NicoPerrino on the FIRE podcast talking current issues in free speech.
MUST-WATCH: @InstFreeSpeech Chairman @CommishSmith and Senior Attorney @brettnolan join @NicoPerrino on @freespeechtalk to discuss free political speech, campaign finance law, and the upcoming NRSC and First Choice Women's Resource Center SCOTUS cases: https://t.co/pyMNxwJeQe
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American Edge CEO Doug Kelly Discusses AI on Fox Business News. Many Americans do not appreciate that if China's AI model comes to dominate the world market, truth and fee speech will be casualties. US leadership on AI is crucial. https://t.co/MtXqAL4C7C via @YouTube
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Atlas: “I was sitting across from Anthony Fauci in August of 2020, and he looked at me and said, ‘One of the biggest problems is the American public is not afraid enough.’ This was the task force… it’s a completely unethical way to do public health.”
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If China becomes the leader in AI, it will be very bad for free speech around the world. But China is pouring trillions into the foundations of AI: energy, infrastructure, talent and global deployment. @americanedge’s new visual guide shows why the United States must strengthen
americanedgeproject.org
The American Edge Project (AEP), a coalition of two dozen domestic organizations, today released a new report warning that, despite an early lead in artificial intelligence (AI), the United States is...
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