U.S. court opens floodgates on political donations
Supreme justices strike down limits to campaign contributions
WASHINGTON — In a landmark decision that threatens to increase the influence of money in U.S. politics, the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down limitations on individual financial contributions to political campaigns.
In a split decision, the court’s “Republican” judges ruled 5-4 that restrictions on individual donations to candidates and their parties during any one election cycle violate the First Amendment’s right to free speech.
The ruling comes four years after the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision removed limits on corporate political donations, unleashing record spending in the 2012 election.
Dissenting judges claimed that the individual donations ruling will increase the influence of money in U.S. politics, further empowering wealthy Americans.
“If Citizens United opened a door, today’s decision we fear will open a floodgate,” Justice Stephen G. Breyer said in his dissent.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority decision, however, that society has to accept the fact that free speech rights can have negative consequences. He added that although Congress can regulate campaign contributions to protect against corruption it cannot impose limits to regulate the amount of money in politics.
“Money in politics may at times seem repugnant to some, but so too does much of what the First Amendment vigorously protects,” he wrote. “If the First Amendment protects flag-burning, funeral protests and Nazi parades — despite the profound offence such spectacles cause — it surely protects political campaign speech despite popular opposition.”
Roberts said legal requirements to disclose the source of political financing protect the public against corruption.
The decision targets aggregate donations by individuals during a calendar year and during an election cycle. The limits on individual donations to a single candidate are not included in the judgment.
For example, in the current election cycle, individuals can donate a limit of $2,600 US to a single candidate running for federal office. That limit still stands. The court, however, removed limits on the total amount individuals can give to candidates, political parties and national political committees during the cycle.
Alabama businessman Shaun McClutcheon brought the lawsuit. Owner of an engineering firm specializing in mining, he is a Republican who regularly donates to a long list of candidates. Angry that restrictions on political contributions limited the number of candidates to whom he could donate, he launched his lawsuit in 2012. The Republican National Committee partnered with McClutcheon in the lawsuit.