Campaign Legal Center’s Megan McAllen on Maine’s Attempt to Limit the Risk of Corruption Posed by Super PACs
Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) submitted an amicus brief in Dinner Table Action, et al. v. Schneider, et al., a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, defending a Maine state law limiting contributions to super PACs.
Megan McAllen, director of campaign finance litigation at CLC, released the following statement:
“Since 2010, the D.C. Circuit and other appellate courts have said that money given to groups making ‘independent expenditures’ — commonly known as super PACs — cannot constitutionally be limited because these contributions cannot corrupt. The last 15 years have shown us otherwise.
“Voters today live under a system where wealthy special interests can route millions of dollars through super PACs to influence the outcomes of elections. In turn, we see elected officials turn their backs on constituents and put the bottom line of their biggest donors above the public interest.
“The corrosive influence of big money over elected officials has been recognized time and time again. And federal courts and juries have recognized that elected officials highly value super PAC largesse benefiting their candidacies and are willing to trade official acts for it — a clear instance of quid pro quo corruption.
“As the record since 2010 bears out, a large check cut to a super PAC can readily serve as the ‘quid’ in a corrupt bargain between the PAC and a candidate. Now, an overwhelming majority of Maine voters are attempting to set the record straight and rein in super PACs.
“As Campaign Legal Center explains in our brief, the unlimited financial contributions super PACs are allowed to accept inherently create opportunities for corrupt quid pro quo exchanges. Maine’s law is a step in the right direction to addressing the pervasive threat corruption poses to public confidence in our democracy.”
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The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center advances democracy through law. We safeguard the freedom to vote, defend voters’ right to know who is spending money to influence elections, and work to ensure public trust in our elected officials.
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