Posts

Supreme Court Strikes Down Aggregate Limits on Federal Campaign Contributions

/in /by

New York Times
By 

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a major campaign finance decision, striking down some limits on federal campaign contributions for the first time. The ruling, issued near the start of a campaign season, will change and most likely increase the already large role money plays in American politics.

The decision, by a 5-to-4 vote along ideological lines, with the Court’s more conservative justices in the majority, was a sequel of sorts to Citizens United, the 2010 decision that struck down limits on independent campaign spending by corporations and unions. But that ruling did nothing to affect the other main form of campaign finance regulation: caps on direct contributions to candidates and political parties.

Wednesday’s decision in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, No. 12-536, addressed that second kind of regulation.

It did not affect familiar base limits on contributions from individuals to candidates, currently $2,600 per candidate in primary and general elections. But it said that overall limits of $48,600 by individuals every two years for contributions to all federal candidates violated the First Amendment, as did separate aggregate limits on contributions to political party committees, currently $74,600.

Read more

Rick Scott’s Campaign Could Be Fined $82 Million

/in /by

Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) reelection campaign could be fined as much as $82 million if found guilty of an accusation of campaign finance violations.

State Democratic Party chair Allison Tant filed a complaint with the Florida Elections Committee on Monday, alleging Scott’s campaign illegally transferred nearly $27.4 million from the governor’s longstanding but now-shuttered electioneering communication organization, called “Let’s Get To Work,” to a newly formed political committee of the same name.

Scott, who opened the original Let’s Get To Work while running for governor in 2010, continued fundraising for it even after taking office; it was closed out earlier this month in favor of the committee. At heart of the allegations from Democrats is the difference between how electioneering communication organizations and committees are allowed to operate.

Read more