Trevor Potter (born October 24, 1955) is a lawyer, former commissioner and chairman of the United States
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
. He is the Founder and President of the
Campaign Legal Center
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) government watchdog group in the United States. CLC supports strong enforcement of United States campaign finance laws. Trevor Potter, former Republican chairman of the Federal Election Comm ...
, a nonprofit organization which works in the areas of campaign finance and elections, political communication and government ethics. A
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, he was the General Counsel to
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
's two presidential campaigns. Potter is a vocal critic of unlimited corporate spending and
dark money
In the politics of the United States, dark money refers to spending to influence elections where the source of the money is not disclosed to voters. In the United States, some types of nonprofit organizations may spend money on campaigns wi ...
in politics allowed by the ''
Citizens United v. FEC
''Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission'', 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It wa ...
'' ruling.
He has been described by the ''American Bar Association Journal'' as "hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money".
Early years and education
Potter attended
Brooks School in North Andover, MA. He earned his
A.B.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
from
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
in 1978, and his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from
University of Virginia School of Law in 1982.
Career
![Lawyer Trevor Potter giving testimony at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Lawyer_Trevor_Potter_giving_testimony_at_a_hearing_of_the_House_Appropriations_Committee.jpg)
Potter's government experience also includes service as assistant general counsel of the United States
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...
(1984–1985) and attorney with the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
(1982–1984). He served as General Counsel to the 2000 and 2008 Presidential campaigns of
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
and Deputy General Counsel to the
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
1988 campaign. Speaking in 2014, Potter said:
olbertwas able to show America the loopholes (or "loop-chasms" as he called them) in the laws designed to regulate coordination between candidates and supposedly "independent" groups. By having his own Super PAC and 501(c)(4), Stephen could evolve right alongside the campaigns—or often be a step ahead of them. His understanding of the possibilities inherent in the legal confusion was keen enough to discover and exploit absurd legalities before it became clear that actual candidates and political activists were doing the same thing.
''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
''s segments on "Super PACs" were recognized in 2011 with a
Peabody Award
The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...
for parody reporting as an "innovative means of teaching American viewers about the landmark court decision". Reflecting on the experience in 2015, Potter said, "I was his lawyer for the venture, which meant I did everything from drafting a Federal Election Commission Advisory Opinion Request to accompanying Colbert to hearings. I even figured out how to make the money "disappear" from public view when the PAC was closing. (Hint: It's not that hard.) ... The final takeaway from my work with Colbert was a sense of the enormous and detrimental impact Citizens United has had on our campaigns and elections."
Potter was elected to the
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute (ALI) is a research and advocacy group of judges, lawyers, and legal scholars established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of United States common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. ...
in 2013 and serves as an Adviser on ALI's Principles of Election Law: Resolution of Election Disputes project.
He serves as the Senior Advisor to
Issue One.
Works
*Anthony Corrado (Editor), Thomas E. Mann (Editor), Daniel R. Ortiz (Editor), Trevor Potter (Editor), Frank J. Sorauf (Editor), ''Campaign Finance Reform: A Sourcebook'', Brookings Institution Press (1997),
*Anthony Corrado (Editor), Thomas E. Mann (Editor), Trevor Potter (Editor), ''Inside the Campaign Finance Battle: Court Testimony on the New Reforms'', Brookings Institution Press (2003),
*Anthony Corrado, Thomas E. Mann, Daniel R. Ortiz, Trevor Potter, ''The New Campaign Finance Sourcebook'', Brookings Institution Press (2005),
*Trevor Potter, ''Political Activity, Lobbying Laws and Gift Rules Guide'', Thomson West (2008),
*Joseph Birkenstock, Trevor Potter, ''Political Activity, Lobbying Laws and Gift Rules Guide, 2009-2010 ed.'', LegalWorks (2009),
*Joseph Birkenstock, Trevor Potter, ''Political Activity, Lobbying Laws and Gift Rules Guide, 2010-2011 ed.'', LegalWorks (2010),
*Joseph Birkenstock, Trevor Potter, ''Political Activity, Lobbying Laws and Gift Rules Guide, 3d, 2011-2012 ed.'', LegalWorks (2011),
See also
*
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
*
''Dark Money'' (film)
References
External links
Member profileat Caplin & Drysdale
Nonresident Senior Fellowat the
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in ec ...
*
Appearanceson ''
Moyers & Company
''Moyers & Company'' was a commentary and interview television show hosted by Bill Moyers, and broadcast via syndication on public television stations in the United States. The weekly show covered current affairs affecting everyday Americans, and ...
''
Appearancesan
news articleson ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
''
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Trevor
American lawyers
Harvard College alumni
Living people
Members of the Federal Election Commission
University of Virginia School of Law alumni
1955 births
Brooks School alumni
George H. W. Bush administration personnel
Clinton administration personnel