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Press Release

SpeakOut.Com Urges Federal Election Commission To Protect Free Speech on the Internet

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- May 22, 2000 -- SpeakOut.com filed comments today with the Federal Election Commission in opposition to an Advisory Opinion Request filed by Voter.com. Voter.com invited more government regulation of political speech by asking the FEC to bless its business model, which requires payment from candidates and parties for its provision of links and information to its users, as the Internet standard.

In contrast to Voter.com, SpeakOut.com and others in the related industry do not charge candidates or parties for their non-partisan provision of links and information. For its part, SpeakOut.com provides an array of technologically advanced new tools and services, at no charge, that make communication between those in office and those who put them there easier, faster, and more understandable.

"SpeakOut is committed to enhancing the democratic process by informing citizens and enabling them to directly impact the decisions that affect their lives," continued Howard. "Should the Voter.com request become law, it would restrict public access to political speech and severely limit our ability to re-engage citizens in democracy."

In its comments, SpeakOut stated that Voter.com’s approach is not only contrary to FEC Advisory Opinions and the First Amendment, but would also significantly deter candidates, parties, and issue groups--particularly those with limited resources--from participating in non-partisan voter-information Web sites.

About SpeakOut.com

Based in Washington, DC, SpeakOut.com (www.speakout.com) is a new Internet activism Web site whose primary mission is to enhance the democratic process by enabling citizens access to non-partisan, independent content and providing an effective medium for transmitting their opinions to the decision makers of Washington and beyond.

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