Mayoral candidate Doug Greco , seen with his lawyer Holt Major Lackey in September, sued the City of Austin in September. A federal judge has dismissed the case.
Greco said he feels the current rule silences people outside of Austin who want to support a campaign, and therefore violates their first amendment rights. Greco has not disputed that the campaign is over the limit, rather that the law has hindered his ability to continue to get his message out ahead of the Nov. 5 election.U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman dismissed the case saying the city’s cap could be unconstitutional, but that is up to the city’s Ethics Review Commission to decide.
Greco said the Ethics Review Commissions should not be considered a state proceeding but accepts the outcome of Pitman’s ruling, adding that it does leave the door open for future legal action against the city.