Vermont Progressive Party moves ahead with campaign finance lawsuit over controversial donation

From Ballot Access News:

On December 8, U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions cleared the way for the Vermont Progressive Party and some of its candidates to proceed in a campaign finance case. Corren v Sorrell, 2:15cv-58. Dean Corren had been the party’s nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014. After the election was over, Vermont state officials said Corren must pay $72,000, consisting of a fine and a refund of all the public funding he had received in 2014. The reason was that a Democratic Party official had sent an e-mail, inviting persons on her e-mail list to attend a rally at which Corren would be speaking. The Democratic Party did not have its own nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014, and instead cross-nominated Corren.

The state claimed the e-mail was an illegal campaign contribution.

The recent procedural ruling says Corren can maintain his federal lawsuit on some points, even though a case is pending against him in state court. Furthermore, it says David Zuckerman may intervene in the case to raise the points that Corren can’t. Zuckerman wants to run for Lieutenant Governor as a Progressive in 2016. Zuckerman is also permitted to challenge another Vermont law which says candidates who receive public funding may not announce until February 15 of the election year.

If Corren wins the case, he will seek the Progressive Party nomination for Governor in 2016. A hearing will be held in the case on January 24 at 9:30 a.m. See this story.