Stranahan National Issues Forum
Public Corruption or Criminalizing Politics: Democracy, Campaign Donations, and the
First Amendment
Tuesday, March 18 | Noon-1 p.m.
Law Center, McQuade Law Auditorium
Caleb Burns & PG Sittenfeld
Just as elected officials cannot accept bribes, neither should lawful political donations
be prosecuted as public corruption offenses. Wiley Rein partner Caleb Burns, and former
Cincinnati elected official P.G. Sittenfeld will join UT Law Professor Greg Gilchrist
to discuss the far-reaching consequences for American democracy of USA v. Sittenfeld.
The conversation will explore the need to protect constitutionally safeguarded political
discourse necessary to our representative government and our privately funded campaign
finance system. This Stranahan Lecture will also give a glimpse into the very real, personal, and
human impact of efforts to criminalize politics.
A graduate of Duke University and NYU School of Law, Caleb has been a partner with
Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, D.C., for sixteen years and a member of the firm's management
committee for the last six years. His practice focuses on advising participants in
the political process on compliance with all aspects of law. He also represents clients
subject to these laws in matters before the Federal Election Commission (FEC), other
federal and state administrative agencies, and in federal and state courts.
Caleb is a member of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Election
Law, is a faculty member of the Practicing Law Institute, and regularly appears and
is quoted on political law topics in the media.
P.G. Sittenfeld was Inmate Number 18085-509 at the Federal Correctional Institution
in Ashland, Kentucky for four-and-a-half months in 2024 before the U.S. Sixth Circuit
Court of Appeals ordered his early release pending appeal. In response to Sittenfeld’s
prosecution, a nearly unprecedented bi-partisan group - including individuals who
served as United States Attorney General; White House Counsel; United States Senator;
Governor; Member of Congress; U.S. Attorney; and State Attorney General - submitted
amicus briefs to the Court in support of Sittenfeld’s innocence.
Prior to his prosecution, Sittenfeld served for nearly a decade on Cincinnati’s City
Council, where he became the city’s highest vote-getter through a record of fostering
growth and innovation as well as supporting the community’s most marginalized members.
He is a graduate of Princeton University and Oxford University in England, where he
was a Marshall Scholar.
About the lecture
This free, public lecture is part of the Stranahan National Issues Forum and is sponsored
by the College of Law and its chapter of the Federalist Society for Law and Public
Policy Studies, and co-sponsored by the Institute of American Constitutional Thought
& Leadership. For a list of guest speakers and lecture videos from previous years,
please visit our past speakers page. To view photos from last year's lecture, visit our Flickr album. Food and drink will be provided.
Parking
McQuade Law Auditorium is on the main level of the Law Center — located at 1825 West
Rocket Drive, immediately inside the UToledo West Entrance off of Secor Road and south
of Bancroft Street. Metered parking is also available within marked spaces facing
the Center for Performing Arts. Metered rates can be found at the payment kiosk or
the ParkUToledo website.