Posted Apr 2, 2014
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that aggregate campaign contribution limits are invalid in the case of McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission. The case challenged the limits on the total contributions from an individual donor to candidates and political committees in order to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption. The League of Women Voters of the U.S. joined an amicus brief in this case.
“In this decision, the Court opens another loophole by allowing our political parties to be further corrupted by big-money contributions from special interests. The party and Political Action Committee systems now become a huge funnel for corrupting elected officials across the country,” said Elisabeth MacNamara, president of the League of Women Voters of the U.S.
In its press release, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts similarly criticized the decision.
“With this ruling, the Supreme Court continues to dismantle campaign finance reforms and protections and to enable the corrupting influence of moneyed interests on our democracy,” said Anne Borg, co-president of the state League.
“The Supreme Court is allowing our political process to be even further corrupted by huge financial contributions from special interests.”
“This and other recent Supreme Court decisions make it crucial that the Massachusetts legislature strengthen our state’s campaign finance laws with bills such as the ‘disclose act’ now pending in the legislature.”