Distinguishing Campaign Donations and Spending
Posted at 11 a.m. on Feb. 20
The Supreme Court will return to the issue of campaign finance next term with a case on campaign donation limits. Lyle Denniston explains how this case differs from the Citizens United ruling on campaign spending.
“Since the Court’s landmark opinion in 1976 in Buckley v. Valeo, it has always given government more leeway to control contributions to candidates or political organizations than over spending by candidates or by independent political activists… because donations had more potential to corrupt the political process.”
“So far, the current Court has given no indication that it is ready to reconsider the distinction drawn in the Buckley case, but that has not deterred challengers to campaign finance restrictions from repeatedly attempting to raise the issue anew. That is what McCutcheon and the RNC seek to do.”
