WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A federal judge in Washington has outlawed 15 agency regulations interpreting campaign finance law, saying they did not reflect the law's intent.
The Washington Post said the weekend ruling probably would not change the way money is being spent by political organizations in the race between President George W. Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass.
But the Post said the ruling could have an effect in future campaigns.
The decision by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said most of the Federal Election Commission's regulations implementing the law were flawed, and she ordered the commission to come up with new regulations.
The Post said the judge described one FEC regulation as "an immense loophole that would facilitate the circumvention of the act's contribution limits," while she said another that allows a campaign to coordinate a message with independent organizations "runs contrary" to congressional intent in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
The ruling came in a challenge to the FEC by two House members who helped sponsor the BCRA.
