California, United States of America
The following excerpt is from Hays v. Wood, 160 Cal.Rptr. 102, 25 Cal.3d 772, 603 P.2d 19 (Cal. 1979):
Finally respondents suggest that the classification here in question finds a rational basis on the ground of strengthening public confidence in the political process. This argument, as we understand it, rests upon the rather curious assertion that the public, seeing an attorney advocate a position in his role as public official, "may believe, more so than for persons in other professions," that he is really promoting the interests of a private client. In order to disabuse the public of this pernicious and misguided notion, we are advised, more stringent disclosure requirements[25 Cal.3d 795] have been placed upon the attorney. Suffice it for us to say in response to this argument that the principle applied by Caesar to his wife, while it has been adverted to in support of disclosure laws In general against constitutional attack (see Buckley v. Valeo, supra, 424 U.S. 1, 67, 96 S.Ct. 612, 46 L.Ed.2d 659), in our view has no proper application to the examination of a classification providing significantly different standards of disclosure for members of different professions.
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