Center for Corporate Policy: Corporations and the Constitution

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CORPORATIONS & THE CONSTITUTION · CORPORATE CRIME & ABUSE · EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION · CORPORATE CONCENTRATION

Corporations and the Constitution

PO Box 19405, Washington, DC 20036
1.202.387.8030 V. 1.202.234.5176 Fax
Email: info@corporatepolicy.org

Pacific Legal Foundation

Southeastern Legal Foundation
3340 Peachtree Road, NE Suite 2515
Atlanta, GA 30326

Founded in 1976, the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SELF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Atlanta. Ben Blackburn, former chair of the Heritage Foundation, was the founder and first president of SELF, and Congressman Bob Barr (R-GA) was the foundation's president from 1990-1994. SELF works to advance the principles of free enterprise, limited government and traditional values. They seek to litigate precedent-setting cases in these areas, as well as filing numerous amicus briefs. SELF has five staff members, including three attorneys.

SELF has litigated cases involving tax policy, resulting in tax cuts in several southeastern states. They have circulated numerous reports on various tax issues. They ahve also participated in property cases such as Lucas v. south Carolina coastal Council, a case that established the precedent that compensation is due if government regulation takes the "full" value of private property. However, the action for which SELF is most well known is the complaint which they filed leading to the suspension of Bill Clinton's law license.

SEL also collaborated with former Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and former Attorney General Edwin Meese to challenge the constitutionality of the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Law.

Funding: In 2002 SELF reported revenues of $2,536,899 and expenses of $2,020,687. they had assets of $1.5 million and liabilities of under $400,000. Major support comes from he Carthage Foundation ($125,000 in 2002), Castle Rock Foundation ($50,000 in 2002), Sarah Scaife Foundation ($50,000 in 2002) and the Bradley Foundation, John M. Olin Foundation. Corporate grantmakers include ExxonMobil ($63,000 in 1998), Winn-Dixie Stores ($5,000 in 1996), Alcoa and Duke Power.