Harvard professor and Penn grad Lessig arrested in political protest

By ray pomponio 04/19/16 9:16pm

Harvard law professor, Penn graduate and former democratic presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig was arrested Friday while protesting in Washington, D.C., USA Today reported Monday.

The protest took place outside the U.S. Capitol Building and focused on campaign finance reform. Over 1,200 protesters were arrested for unlawful demonstration activities. Capitol Police released a statement Monday which cited charges of “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.” The arrestees were released on the scene and were fined an undisclosed amount.

Among those arrested with Lessig were actress Rosario Dawson and Ben and Jerry’s co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.

Lessig launched his campaign for president last fall on the single-issue platform of campaign finance reform. He is also a Penn alum holding undergraduate degrees in economics and management.

This was the law professor’s first arrest, but he was enthusiastic about the mixture of supporters that showed up to the protest. He told USA Today the crowd had spread beyond the usual “law geeks and intellectuals.”

The group behind the protest, “Democracy Spring,” aims to reform campaign financing by asking candidates to sign a declaration to overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC. The 2010 decision allowed for unlimited election spending by individuals and corporations. It led to the growth of super political action committees by permitting fundraising from virtually any source, increasing corporations’ influence in politics.

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