Republican-led legislation in the House of Representatives, aiming to increase transparency in civil litigation, has sparked concerns from conservative groups over potential privacy violations and chilling effects on free speech. The Litigation Transparency Act of 2025, introduced by Reps. Darrell Issa, Scott Fitzgerald, and Mike Collins, seeks to mandate the disclosure of financial arrangements in lawsuits. This has drawn criticism from conservative organizations such as Tea Party Patriots Action, which warn that the bill’s sweeping disclosure mandates could threaten fundamental American principles of privacy and freedom of association.
The letter sent by Tea Party Patriots Action to the House Judiciary Committee warned that the bill’s forced disclosure mandates would broadly apply to political organizations, religious groups, law firms, and individual plaintiffs that rely on outside support to vindicate their rights. The groups argue that these mandates would have a chilling effect on free speech and association by exposing private financial arrangements, increasing the risk of harassment and retaliation against donors. Issa has claimed that the bill is not intended to overturn historical protections for nonprofit donors, such as the NAACP v. Alabama ruling, but to ensure transparency around third-party investors in lawsuits.
A number of advocacy groups, including Consumers’ Research, have criticized the legislation as an attack on one of the few tools Americans have to hold powerful corporations accountable. Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers’ Research, called the bill an