Thalheimer v. City of San Diego

OPINION

WARDLAW, Circuit Judge:

The modern era of campaign finance reform began in 1972, following the infa mous break-in at the Watergate hotel. Congress responded to the ensuing scandal by overhauling the Federal Election Campaign Act to impose new caps on political spending, as states and cities followed suit with laws of their own. The City of San Diego (the “City”) enacted its Municipal Election Campaign Control Ordinance (“ECCO”) in 1973. See San Diego, Cal., Municipal Code ch. 2, art. 7, div. 29. Then, in Buckley v. Valeo, 424 U.S. 1, 14, 96 S.Ct. 612, 46 L.Ed.2d 659 (1976), the Supreme…