Dan Backer is the founder and Principal Attorney for DB Capitol Strategies, a premiere campaign finance and political law firm boutique in Alexandria Virginia. Through his work at DB Capitol Strategies, Mr. Backer serves as counsel to over 30 PACs and political organizations; along with more than 20 Members of the U.S. House and Senate through campaigns, congressional ethics, leadership PACs and joint fundraising committees. A staunch defender and advocate at the forefront of free speech and associational rights, Mr. Backer has filed numerous FEC Advisory Opinion requests and is counsel on 5 suits against the FEC, including one before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Mr. Backer represents Shaun McCutcheon, the lead plaintiff in McCutcheon, Republican National Committee v. FEC, a landmark campaign finance case before the United States Supreme Court this October challenging the constitutionality of the biennial aggregate limit. The case arises from FEC Advisory Opinion Request (AOR) 2012-14, filed by Mr. Backer & DB Capitol Strategies. Mr. Backer is also lead counsel in Stop this Insanity, Inc. Employee Leadership Fund, et al. v FEC, which challenges the FEC’s continued enforcement of regulations struck down in Citizens United.

Mr. Backer served as lead counsel in the groundbreaking Carey v FEC, which won the right for all non-connected grassroots PACs to engage in both candidate contribution activity from amount and source restricted funds and Independent Expenditure activity from unlimited contributions from any individual, corporation, or union – creating the new category of Hybrid PAC. He is also lead counsel in Combat Veterans For Congress PAC v FEC in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a challenge to improper FEC fine-making procedures, and Tea Party Leadership Fund et. al. v FEC (USDC/DC), a challenge to unconstitutional prior restraints on grassroots speech.

Before starting DB Capitol Strategies, Mr. Backer served as a legal policy analyst and subject matter expert in military and overseas voting for the Department of Defenses' Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). Mr. Backer is admitted to practice law in both Virginia and the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for DC, the US District Courts for the Eastern & Western Districts of Virginia and DC. Mr. Backer has a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a JD from George Mason University School of Law, and a Masters Certificate in PAC Management from George Washington University, and the Professional Lobbying Certification (PLC) from the American League of Lobbyists.