Citizen Action Defense Fund (CADF) is on the front lines of numerous legal battles involving key questions of constitutional rights and free-market, limited government policies.
Active Cases
- 2022 Transportation Package Suit. Constitutional challenge to legislation if successful could significantly lower the cost of fuel and license fees.
- Department of Ecology Suit. Legal challenge to delegation by the legislature of rule-making authority in Washington state to un-elected board in California.
- Public Records Suit. Prevailed in litigation against the Governor’s Office of Financial Management for withholding documents from billion-dollar negotiations with public sector unions. Attorney fees, costs, and penalties awarded.
Amicus Briefs
State Court
- Quinn v. State- Brief filed in state supreme court on capital gains income tax case with some key business groups that demonstrated the negative impacts of the unconstitutional tax on businesses.
- Gonzales v. State- Brief filed in state supreme court in case involving challenge to Governor Inslee COVID executive orders that suspended evictions under the land-lord tenant act at the request of and in partnership with the Appellant Washington Business Property Association.
- State v. Grocery Manufacturers Association. A trade association was fined a record $18 million for campaign finance violations. The association had contributed to an initiative campaign and initially listed the association as the donor.
Federal Court
- Belgau v. Inslee A group of state employees attempted to exercise their constitutional right to opt-out of their union and cease paying union dues. CADF filed an amici curiae brief on behalf of eight state legislators and in support of the state employees’ petition for certiorari.
- Thompson v. Marietta Education Association. A public school teacher filed suit, objecting to a state law that required her to accept the local teacher’s union as her exclusive bargaining representative, even though she is not a member. CADF joined 29 other state policy organizations and public interest law firms in filing an amici curiae brief, arguing that “exclusive representation” violate the First Amendment rights of public employees by unconstitutionally compelling their speech and association choices.
- Thomas More Law Center v. Becerra. The Attorney General of California declared that charities and other 501(c) tax-exempt organization could not raise money in California unless they disclose a list of their significant donors. CADF believes that threatening the privacy of donors violates their First Amendment rights to speak and donate anonymously.