Austin mayoral candidate Doug Greco sues city over campaign finance rule
Austin mayoral candidate Doug Greco is suing the city over its campaign finance rules that limit how much a candidate can raise from outside city limits.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, names the City of Austin, City Manager T.C. Broadnax and Deborah Thomas, Austin's interim city attorney.
City rules say a candidate cannot raise more than $47,000 outside of Austin city limits during an election. A city spokesperson said the contribution limit was part of a voter-led initiative in the late 1990s to maintain the integrity of the city’s local council elections. Greco and his campaign allege that the rule is unconstitutional.
The crux of the lawsuit alleges the current rules silence people outside of Austin who want to support a campaign and therefore violate their first amendment rights.
https://www.kut.org/austin/2024-09-10/austin-tx-doug-greco-lawsuit-mayoral-candidate-campaign-finance-rule