Matthew Sanderson is an associate in the Political Law practice group of Caplin & Drysdale.
Services
Mr. Sanderson helps corporations, political committees, candidates, and advocacy groups comply with the increasingly numerous and complex federal, state, and local laws that govern political activity and commercial interaction with public-sector clients. Specifically, he advises clients on campaign-finance, "pay-to-play", ethics, and lobbying rules.
Highlights
Mr. Sanderson served as Campaign Finance Counsel for McCain-Palin 2008, Senator John McCain's presidential committee, and outside counsel for Governor Rick Perry's 2012 presidential campaign. He was General Counsel and Chief of Staff for the Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy, an entity created by Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. to review Utah's ethics, lobbying, campaign-finance, redistricting, and election laws. Mr. Sanderson is also a founder of PlayoffPAC, a 2011 nominee for Sports llustrated's Sportsman of the Year and the principal opposition group to college football's Bowl Championship Series. He is frequently quoted on political matters in national media outlets, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Associated Press.
Mr. Sanderson is a graduate of the University of Utah and of Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a Chancellor's Scholar and member of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law. He speaks Mandarin and has four children with his wife, Emily.
Recent Media
· Scott Brown's Daughter Paid $9,500 to Sing at Campaign Events, The Boston Globe (February 3, 2012)
· A Rich Tradition, ESPN (December 15, 2011)
· Matt Sanderson and PlayoffPAC Nominated for Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, Sports Illustrated (November 18, 2011)
· THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW: Matthew Sanderson, The Examiner (October 16, 2011)
· Group Shapes Debate on College Football Championship, Despite Tiny Budget, Washington Post (August 17, 2011)
· Campaign Work Led to Place at Law Firm, Washington Post (August 7, 2011
· Politico "Trumpets" Trevor Potter and Matthew Sanderson on Their Representation of Stephen Colbert, Politico (July 5, 2011)
· The Washingtonian Takes Note of Trevor Potter and Matthew Sanderson's Success in Obtaining FEC Approval for Colbert SuperPac, The Washingtonian (July 1, 2011)
· PlayoffPAC Keeps Pressure on BCS, USA Today (June 8, 2011)
· Political Heavy Hitters Take On College Bowls, The New York Times (January 10, 2011)
· College Football Playoff Backer Files Tax Complaint Against Bowls, Bloomberg (September 23, 2010)
· Clicking Candidate.com, Landing at Opponent.com, The New York Times (September 14, 2010)
· Lock Down Yourname.com Domain If You Plan to Run for Office or It Could Cost You, The Hill (February 25, 2010)
· Will Government Intervene in BCS Mess?, USA Today (January 6, 2010)
· Fleischer vs. PAC in Bowl Brawl, Politico (January 5, 2010)
Recent Publications
· Joint Fundraising Committees and Federal Campaigns (Forthcoming)
· Elections: Administrative Law Developments, American Bar Association (with Trevor Potter) (2010)
· Two Birds, One Stone: Reversing "Frontloading" by Fixing the Presidential Public Funding System, Virginia Journal of Law and Politics (2010)
· The Conservative Case for College Football Reform, The Hill (January 6, 2010)
· Analysis of Bill Clinton's Cybersquatting Loss, Election Law Blog (June 4, 2009)
· A Dot-Pol of Their Own, Washington Post (April 13, 2009)
· Candidates, Squatters and Gripers: A Primer on Political Cybersquatting and A Proposal for Reform, Election Law Journal (2009)
· Federal Campaign Finance Law: A Primer for the Lobbyist, ABA Lobbying Manual (with Trevor Potter, 2009)
· Lobbyist Bundling of Campaign Contributions, ABA Lobbying Manual (with Trevor Potter, 2009)
· From Intent to Outcome: Balloting and Tabulation Around the World, ABA International Election Law Principles (with Joseph Birkenstock, 2008)
· Voodoo Economics: A Look Abroad for a Supply-Side Solution to America's Campaign Finance Riddle, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law (2008)