Supreme Court Strikes Down Major Campaign Finance Restriction

In a divided opinion issued this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court
invalidated a federal limit capping the total amount of money an
individual may give to political candidates and parties during a
two year period. “Money in politics may at times seem repugnant to
some,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in his controlling opinion
in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, “but so too
does much of what the First Amendment vigorously protects.”

The case arose when Shaun McCutcheon, a wealthy donor to the
Republican Party, challenged the aggregate contribution limits for
violating his constitutional right to speak freely about politics.
Today, the Supreme Court agreed with McCutcheon’s main claims.

While “combatting corruption” is a permissible reason to
regulate campaign spending, Chief Justice Roberts declared, “the
aggregate limits do little, if anything, to address that concern,
while seriously restricting participation in the democratic
process. The aggregate limits are therefore invalid under the First
Amendment.”

The Court’s opinion in McCutcheon v. Federal Election
Commission is available here.