Supreme Court Upholds Ruling to Keep Soft Money out of Elections

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Decision is consistent with court’s position in 2003 McConnell case

Today, the Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge to the federal “soft money” restrictions on contributions to state parties passed as part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. Today’s summary ruling affirms the three-judge district court’s decision in Republican Party of Louisiana v. FEC.

“Voters are the winners of this decision to turn back unregulated soft money and to reaffirm the importance of effective party contribution limits,” said Tara Malloy, deputy executive director at CLC. “Without these soft money limits, political parties would again become vehicles through which big donors would attempt to buy influence over elected officials and their policy decisions.”

CLC filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in support of the FEC on Feb. 13.

Read our case page.