Senate Republican Campaign Committee et. al. v Terri Lynn Land, et. al, No. 1:2006cv14925 - Document 16 (E.D. Mich. 2006)
Court Description: ORDER denying 4 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order, Scheduling 4 MOTION for Preliminary Injunction for Hearing and Directing Expedited Briefing. Motion Hearing set for 11/3/2006 10:00 AM before Honorable Thomas L Ludington. Signed by Honorable Thomas L Ludington. [Refer to image for additional dates](SGam, )
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Senate Republican Campaign Committee et. al. v Terri Lynn Land, et. al Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Doc. 16 Filed 11/01/2006 Page 1 of 6 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN NORTHERN DIVISION SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE; KEN SIKKEMA FOR SENATE; FRED TAYLOR, a registered voter; ROGER KAHN; FRIENDS OF ROGER KAHN FOR SENATE; LAURA TOY; LAURA M. TOY FOR STATE SENATE; JOHN PAPPAGEORGE FOR STATE SENATE; and FRIENDS OF JOHN PAPPAGEORGE FOR STATE SENATE, Plaintiffs, Case Number 06-14925-BC Honorable Thomas L. Ludington v. TERRI LYNN LAND, Secretary of State; SENATE DEMOCRATIC FUND; KEN BROCK; SENATE DEMOCRATIC FUND TREASURER; CARL WILLIAMS, CARL WILLIAMS FOR SENATE; ALEXANDER LIPSEY; CITIZENS FOR ALEXANDER LIPSEY; BOB SCHOCKMAN; COMMITTEE TO ELECT BOB SCHOCKMAN; GRETCHEN WHITMER, COMMITTEE TO ELECT GRETCHEN WHITMER; MICHAEL SWITALSKI; COMMITTEE TO ELECT MICHAEL SWITALSKI; SAMUEL BUZZ THOMAS; COMMITTEE TO ELECT SAMUEL BUZZ THOMAS; LIZ BRATER; FRIENDS OF LIZ BRATER; MIKE PRUSI; FRIENDS OF MIKE PRUSI; GILDA JACOBS; GILDA JACOBS FOR SENATE; GLENN ANDERSON; GLENN ANDERSON FOR STATE SENATE; MARK SCHAUER; MARK SCHAUER FOR STATE SENATE; MARK SLAVENS; MARK SLAVENS FOR STATE SENATE; ANDY LEVIN; and FRIENDS OF ANDY LEVIN, Defendants __________________________________________/ ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER, SCHEDULING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION HEARING, AND DIRECTING EXPEDITED BRIEFING Dockets.Justia.com Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Filed 11/01/2006 Page 2 of 6 The plaintiffs, the Michigan State Senate Republican Campaign Committee, a registered voter, Republican candidates for the Michigan State Senate, and their campaigns, filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to enjoin the defendants from transferring, expending, and further accepting alleged illegal campaign funds this afternoon. The defendants include the Secretary of State of Michigan, the Senate Democratic Fund and its treasurer, and Democratic candidates for the Michigan State Senate and their campaigns. The plaintiffs also request that the Court seize $440,250 in campaign finance contributions and place them in escrow, and direct the defendant Secretary of State to investigate the alleged campaign finance violations. The Court has reviewed the plaintiffs’ submissions and finds that the plaintiffs have not made a showing required to obtain ex parte relief, although the plaintiffs have persuaded the Court that a hearing on the request for preliminary injunctive relief is appropriate. I. The plaintiffs claim that the defendants have received funds and then directed their use to political advantage. Specifically, the plaintiffs state that the defendants shifted campaign contributions, through the use of the Senate Democratic Fund, from “non-competitive” election races to “competitive” election races. The plaintiffs allege that the defendant Senate Democratic Fund has contributed approximately $927,000 to “competitive” campaigns and further allege that over $435,000 of those contributions violated the law. The plaintiffs present three legal arguments in their submissions. First, they contend that the Senate Democratic Fund, the defendant candidate committees, and the defendant candidates, have systematically violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, Mich. Comp. Laws § 169.201 et seq., by accepting and making campaign finance contributions in excess of $20,000, the statutory limit. -2- Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Filed 11/01/2006 Page 3 of 6 Second, the plaintiffs maintain that violations of the Act give rise to a claim under the First and Fourteenth Amendments because other provisions of the Campaign Finance Act prevent the Secretary of State from enforcing the spending limits thirty days prior to an election. Third, they claim that although the Act provides certain remedies for enforcement, those remedies are inadequate under the present circumstances. The plaintiffs purport to bring their claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and allege they will suffer irreparable harm in the upcoming November 7, 2006 election if the illegal contributions are not disgorged and prevented from continuing. II. In their prayer for relief, the plaintiffs request a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that enjoins the Senate Democratic Fund from transferring $440,250 and requests that the defendant Secretary of State investigate what they feel are illegal campaign finance contributions; enjoins the Senate Democratic Fund from expending $440,250 in illegal campaign finance contributions obtained by the Democratic Caucus; enjoins the Senate Democratic Fund from accepting further illegal campaign contributions; enjoins the defendant candidates from accepting from or expending further illegal contributions related to the Senate Democratic Fund; and finally, seizes the $440,250 described above and places it in escrow until the matter is resolved. The plaintiffs state that their papers were served on the defendants today. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(b) states in part: A temporary restraining order may be granted without written or oral notice to the adverse party or that party’s attorney only if (1) it clearly appears from the specific facts shown by affidavit or by the verified complaint that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result to the applicant before the adverse party or that party’s attorney can be heard in opposition, and (2) the applicant’s attorney certifies -3- Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Filed 11/01/2006 Page 4 of 6 to the Court in writing the efforts, if any, which have been made to give the notice and the reason supporting the claim that notice should not be required. Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b) (emphasis added). “Reasonable notice” consists of information received within a reasonable time to permit an opportunity to be heard. Granny Goose Foods, Inc. v. Bhd. of Teamsters, 415 U.S. 423, 439 (1974) (noting that ex parte “temporary restraining orders reflect the fact that our entire jurisprudence runs counter to the notion of court action taken before reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard”). In this case, none of the pleadings contain facts or reasons “supporting the claim that notice should not be required.” Fed. R. Civ. P. 65(b). Nor are there sufficient factual allegations establishing that irreparable harm may result “before the adverse party or that party’s attorney can be heard in opposition.” Ibid. Although the election is next week, the Court believes that there still is a meaningful opportunity for the defendants to be heard. A temporary restraining order is an extraordinary remedy that generally is reserved for emergent situations in which a party may suffer irreparable harm during the time required to give notice to the opposite party or where notice itself may precipitate the harm. See Hambell v. Alphagraphics Franchising Inc., 779 F. Supp. 910, 912-13 (E.D. Mich. 1991). The plaintiffs may well be entitled to equitable relief. On the present record, however, the Court finds that the drastic remedy of granting a temporary restraining order without reasonable notice is not justified. The Court, therefore, will consider the matter as a motion for preliminary injunction. III. After considering the plaintiffs’ submissions, the Court concludes that the request for a temporary motion is not warranted, the motion for preliminary injunction should proceed and will -4- Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Filed 11/01/2006 Page 5 of 6 be scheduled for hearing, and expedited briefing by the parties is critical to a resolution of the plaintiffs’ motion. Specifically, the parties should address: 1. Whether, as a matter of federal court jurisdiction and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the provisions of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act that prevent the Secretary of State from enforcing contribution limits for thirty days before an election violate rights secured by federal law or the federal Constitution that would entitle the plaintiffs to relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 2. Whether a clear violation of the $20,000 campaign contribution limit set forth in Mich. Comp. Laws § 169.252a has occurred. Accordingly, it is ORDERED that the plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order is DENIED. It is further ORDERED that the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction is scheduled for a hearing before this Court on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. The plaintiffs, or persons they shall designate, will be allocated thirty minutes for oral argument. The defendant Secretary of State, or person she shall designate, will be allocated fifteen minutes. The defendant committees, or persons they may designate, will be allocated thirty minutes collectively. It is further ORDERED that the parties are directed to file briefs on the issues identified above and any other submissions they would like the Court to consider on or before 5:00 p.m., Thursday, November 2, 2006. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. It is further ORDERED that counsel for the plaintiffs shall cause a copy of this order to be served on the defendants by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, November 2, 2006. s/Thomas L. Ludington THOMAS L. LUDINGTON United States District Judge Dated: November 1, 2006. -5- Case 1:06-cv-14925-TLL-CEB Document 16 Filed 11/01/2006 PROOF OF SERVICE The undersigned certifies that a copy of the foregoing order was served upon each attorney or party of record herein by electronic means or first class U.S. mail on November 1, 2006. s/Tracy A. Jacobs TRACY A. JACOBS -6- Page 6 of 6
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