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James Bopp Jr.
| James Bopp Jr. | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | The Bopp Law Firm | ||
| Role: | Founder | ||
| Location: | Terre Haute, Indiana | ||
| Expertise: | Lawyer | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | •Indiana University (B.A. 1970) •University of Florida (J.D. 1973) | ||
| Website: | Official website | ||
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James "Jim" Bopp Jr. is a Republican lawyer from Indiana. He was the legal advisor to Bobby Jindal's 501(c)(4) advocacy group, America Next. Bopp was part of the legal team in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission arguing on behalf of Citizens United. He was also vice chair of the Republican National Committee from 2006 to 2012.[1] His law firm is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and specializes in campaign finance, election law, and constitutional law.
Bopp was an at-large delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention from Indiana. All 57 delegates from Indiana were bound by state party rules to support Donald Trump at the convention.[2] As of July 13, 2016, Trump had approximately 1,542 delegates. The winner of the Republican nomination needed the support of 1,237 delegates. Trump formally won the nomination on July 19, 2016.
Career
Early career
After graduating law school from the University of Florida in 1973, Bopp began working in the Office of the Attorney General of Indiana and served as deputy attorney general from 1973 to 1975. The following year, 1976, Bopp served as counsel for the Marion County Department of Public Welfare. At the same time he taught commercial law at Indiana University and was the special deputy prosecutor for Marion County until 1979.[3]
Over the course of the next decade, Bopp established his legal practice, Brames, Bopp, Abel and Oldham in Terre Haute, Indiana, and served as counsel for both municipal and county agencies, including serving on the election board for Vigo County, Indiana.[3]
From 1984 to 2010, Bopp was the president of the National Legal Center for the Medically Dependent and Disabled.[4]
Mitch Daniels advisor
From 2003 to 2013, Bopp served as then-Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' (R) legal counsel and advisor.[5] Daniel's move to make Indiana a right-to-work state in 2012 was aided by Bopp's Indiana Opportunity Fund.[6][7]
George W. Bush presidential campaigns
In 2004, Bopp headed up the Indiana Campaign Leadership Team for George W. Bush's 2004 presidential campaign, and it was Bopp who filed a companion suit, in support of Bush, regarding the Florida recount in the presidential election in 2000. Bopp's case argued that the recount violated his clients' right to equal protection, a stance the Supreme court later took up in order to intervene.[8][9]
Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2008
In 2007, Bopp joined Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign as legal counsel.[10][11]
Other activities
Bopp was general counsel for the James Madison Center for Free Speech.[12] He was co-chairman of the Election Law Subcommittee of the Free Speech and Election Law Practice Group of the Federalist Society and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Republican National Lawyers Association.[13]
In 2012, Bopp established his own law firm, Bopp Law, in Terre Haute.[14]
Bopp is a member of the Republican National Committee (RNC), serving on RNC's platform committee. He has also worked for the National Right to Life Committee and Focus on the Family, a religious 501(c)(3) family advocacy group.[4][15][16]
Court cases
Bopp has defended many cases before the Supreme Court and state supreme courts. He has argued cases regarding abortion, civil rights, assisted suicide, and First Amendment issues concerning nonprofits.[3] Most notable was Bopp's argument in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission for Citizens United. In this case, before the Supreme Court, Bopp argued that Citizens United had the right to show a 90-minute film on Hillary Clinton because it was not prohibited as a "prohibited expenditure" under federal law. Moreover, Citizens United, if allowed to show the film, did not want to disclose the donors who supported the documentary, in which case Bopp argued that the Federal Election Commission could not force Citizens United to disclose their donors. Bopp's argument relied on the First Amendment and the political status of corporations in law and in campaign finance.[17] The result of the case was that the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.[18]
By 2011, Bopp had filed 21 of 31 lawsuits challenging campaign finance regulations, according to Bloomberg, who cites the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C.[19]
Bobby Jindal presidential campaign, 2016
- See also: Bobby Jindal presidential campaign, 2016
In February 2015, Bopp joined America Next, a nonprofit organization associated with Jindal, as a legal advisor. Jindal's spokesman told National Review, "When Jindal becomes a candidate for President, Bopp will be on board."[20] In response to his appointment with America Next, Bopp stated:
| “ |
Bobby Jindal has demonstrated that he is a full spectrum conservative with the courage and skill to devise, promote, and implement a strong conservative agenda. The conservative policy plans he has authored at America Next and the strong record of achievement he has amassed in Louisiana and throughout his career are unparalleled. I am honored to work with him developing innovative conservative solutions for America’s future.[21] |
” |
Jindal suspended his presidential campaign on November 17, 2015.[22]
2016 Republican National Convention
| James Bopp Jr. | |
| Republican National Convention, 2016 | |
| Status: | At-large delegate |
| State: | Indiana |
| Bound to: | Donald Trump |
| Delegates to the RNC 2016 | |
| Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • Delegate rules by state • State election law and delegates • Delegates by state | |
- See also: Republican National Convention, 2016
Platform Committee
Bopp was appointed the RNC Platform Committee as member of the Indiana delegation.
Convention meeting
On July 14, 2016, Bopp was involved in a closed door meeting with Republican National Committee chairman, Reince Priebus. The Convention's Rules Committee had stopped proceedings for the closed door session, which included Sen. Mike Lee (Utah), Kendal Unruh (Colo.), Ken Cuccinelli, Solomon Yue (Ore.), Morton Blackwell (Va.), and Ross Little Jr. (La.). Unruh led the contingency of delegates that advocated for delegates to vote at the convention according to their conscience.[23][24][25]
Delegate rules
In Indiana, district-level delegates were selected by congressional district committees, while at-large delegates were selected by the state committee. 2016 Indiana GOP bylaws required Indiana delegates to vote at the national convention for the candidate to whom they were allocated through the first round of voting, unless that candidate was not on the nominating ballot.
Indiana primary results
- See also: Presidential election in Indiana, 2016
| Indiana Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Delegates | |
| Jeb Bush | 0.6% | 6,508 | 0 | |
| Ben Carson | 0.8% | 8,914 | 0 | |
| Chris Christie | 0.2% | 1,738 | 0 | |
| Ted Cruz | 36.6% | 406,783 | 0 | |
| Carly Fiorina | 0.1% | 1,494 | 0 | |
| John Kasich | 7.6% | 84,111 | 0 | |
| Rand Paul | 0.4% | 4,306 | 0 | |
| Marco Rubio | 0.5% | 5,175 | 0 | |
 Donald Trump |
53.3% | 591,514 | 57 | |
| Totals | 1,110,543 | 57 | ||
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State and The New York Times | ||||
99 percent of precincts reporting.
Delegate allocation
Indiana had 57 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 27 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's nine congressional districts) pledged to adhere to the results of the presidential preference primary in their respective congressional districts. Indiana's pledged Republican delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who received the greatest number of votes in a given district won all of that district's delegates.[26][27]
Of the remaining 30 delegates, 27 served at large. These delegates were allocated on a winner-take-all basis; the candidate who won the greatest share of the statewide vote in the primary was allocated all of the at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention. The RNC delegates were required to pledge their support to the winner of the state's primary.[26][27]
See also
- Republican National Convention, 2016
- 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules
- RNC delegate guidelines from Indiana, 2016
- Republican delegate rules by state, 2016
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Bopp Law Firm, "Attorney Profiles," accessed September 27, 2019
- ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Indiana GOP names delegates to Republican National Convention," April 14, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Policyexperts.org, "James Bopp Resume," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Right to Life, "National Right to Life Board of Directors’ resolution honoring James Bopp," June 27 2103
- ↑ National Journal, "Revving His Engines? Daniels Jump-Starts His Fundraising," May 19, 2011
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Indiana is the latest battleground over organized labor laws," January 25, 2012
- ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Anonymous donations spark $1.1 million common wage ad war," May 8, 2015
- ↑ Mother Jones, "The Man Behind Citizens United Is Just Getting Started," May/June, 2011
- ↑ New York Times, "Contesting the vote: the legal front," December 7, 2000
- ↑ Mitt Romney Central, "Bopp Interview," October 3, 2007
- ↑ Washington Post, "Romney Struggles to Define Abortion Stance," August 23, 2007
- ↑ The Federalist Society, "James Bopp Jr.," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Republican National Lawyers Association, "Mr. James Bopp, Jr.," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "Bopp Law," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Focus on the Family, "Foundational Values," accessed June 1, 2015
- ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Bopp's backing a guv for prez, but it's not Pence," February 20, 2015
- ↑ PBS Frontline, "James Bopp: What Citizens United Means for Campaign Finance," October 30, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Bloomberg Business, "Election Spending to Exceed $6 Billion Thanks Partly to Jim Bopp," September 21, 2011
- ↑ National Review, "Superlawyer Behind Citizens United Joins Jindal Team," February 19, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Politico, "Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal drops out of White House race," November 17, 2015
- ↑ The Columbus Dispatch, "RNC rules committee resumes but do they have a deal with Trump foes?" July 14, 2016
- ↑ Ballotpedia report, Republican National Convention, Cleveland, Ohio, July 14, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "Anti-Trump GOP Delegates Negotiate Behind Closed Doors on Rules Revolt," July 14, 2016
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
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