DOJ appeals decision striking down ban on direct corporate campaign contributions

[JURIST] The US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] filed a notice of appeal [text, PDF] Thursday in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] to challenge a decision to strike down a federal law that bans corporations from making direct campaign contributions to candidates. The appeal is challenging a decision last month by Judge James Cacheris to dismiss a criminal count [JURIST report] against two men charged with making illegal campaign contributions, citing the controversial…