N.J. Blocked by Judge From Disclosing Names of Campaign Donors

(Bloomberg) -- New Jersey may not disclose the identities of donors to independent campaign-expenditure committees, a federal judge ruled in a setback for Governor Phil Murphy and transparency activists.

Wednesday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Trenton favored Americans For Prosperity, the libertarian advocacy group backed by Charles Koch and his late brother David Koch, the billionaire industrialists and political activists.

Murphy in June signed a bill that would make public the sources of money donated to groups seeking to influence local and state elections and public-ballot questions. Such organizations have flourished since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Citizens United case in 2010.

Identifying donors to such so-called “dark-money” groups had the potential to violate First Amendment rights, Martinotti found. His ruling barred New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and state election officials from enforcing the law.

Grewal’s office was reviewing the decision, spokesman Leland Moore said in an email.

The case is Americans For Prosperity v. Gurbir Grewal, 3:19-cv-14228, U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey (Trenton).

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.