Dean Corren, a 2014 candidate for lieutenant governor, will be back in court next month, after a federal court ruling Tuesday narrowed the scope of Attorney General Bill Sorrell’s case accusing Corren of violating the state’s campaign finance law.
Corren, who ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic and Progressive candidate for lieutenant governor, faces $72,000 in penalties and reimbursement in state court action, after Sorrell argued Democratic Party support for his campaign amounted to a campaign contribution. Corren ran for office using the state’s public financing law, which limited him to $180,000 in public money and prohibited contributions from political parties.
A federal court ruling by Judge William Sessions III dismissed Corren’s challenges to the penalties based on the constitutionality of certain aspects of the law. But Sessions allowed Corren and others to continue raising constitutional questions about future use of the law. Corren will also be able to challenge constitutional questions about the campaign finance law in the case being heard in state court.
Sessions allowed Sen. David Zuckerman (P/D-Chittenden) to join Corren in the case. Zuckerman, who is a candidate in the 2016 election for lieutenant governor, argued he wants to use the public financing law, but that some of its rules make the law unworkable.
“As a declared candidate for 2016, he has a clear interest in the resolution of the issues in this case,” Sessions ruled.
Corren’s lawyer, John Franco, said he will continue to challenge Sorrell’s enforcement of the law in both state and federal court. Sessions set a January 14 federal court date.
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Who would have thought spending decades in high governmental office would turn Sorrell into such a power-abusing dirtbag?
Penelope, I’m just wondering: did you express the same outrage a few years ago when Sorrell went after former gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie (Republican) on a trumped-up campaign finance charge, and went after Dubie’s personal bank account?
Lots of Vermonters seem outraged at Sorrell’s pursuit of a Progressive on a campaign finance charge. I don’t remember any outrage when he engaged in the same abuse against a Republican.
” . . . after a federal court ruling Tuesday narrowed the scope of Attorney General Bill Sorrell’s case accusing Corren of violating the state’s campaign finance law.”
Terri, the above statement is not really accurate. AG Sorrell is pursuing Corren in Vermont state court on the campaign finance violation charge. The federal case was brought by Corren to challenge the constitutionality of the Vermont campaign finance law under which he is being charged by Sorrell in the state court case. Sorrell made a motion to dismiss the federal case. The federal judge granted that motion in part and denied it in part. Nothing about the federal judge’s decision limits or “narrows” Sorrell’s case against Corren. All it says is that Corren MIGHT be able to prove to the federal court’s satisfaction that some aspects of the Vermont campaign finance law at issue is/are unconstitutional.