State to pay $1.4 million to resolve campaign finance lawsuit

September 6, 2007

The state of Vermont has agreed to pay nearly $1.4 million in legal fees to the victors' attorneys to close the book on an eight-year case that led the U.S. Supreme Court to declare key parts of the state's campaign finance law unconstitutional.

"It is a bitter pill to swallow," Attorney General William Sorrell said in confirming details of the agreement. "Every once in a while we're going to lose one, but on the other hand if you never rock the boat on policy reforms, I don't think Vermont is well served."

The defendants in the case included Sorrell, Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz, Vermont's 14 state's attorneys and intervening groups like the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and the state League of Women Voters chapter.

"We felt good about what we tried to accomplish," Sorrell said. "Obviously, we were disappointed we could not pick up another vote or two. If Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had still been on the court...

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