D.C. Circuit Overturns Restriction on Nonprofit Campaign Spending
A federal appeals court has struck down campaign finance restrictions on nonprofit groups.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that nonprofits have a First Amendment right to spend money to advocate policy positions as long as they don’t coordinate with a candidate or party, the New York Times reports. The opinion “accelerat[es] the judicial rollback of regulations aimed at curtailing the power of money in politics,” according to the story.
The appeals court ruled in a suit brought by Emily’s List, a nonprofit that supports abortion rights and Democratic female candidates, Reuters reports. But the ruling could aid Republicans seeking to counter “the fundraising juggernaut of President Obama,” according to the Washington Post.
The court struck down regulations requiring much of the election-related activities of nonprofits to come from donations that are capped at $5,000 per contributor, according to Reuters.
Another campaign finance case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court considers restrictions on campaign spending by corporations. News reports said the Supreme Court was likely to rule for the conservative group challenging the restrictions.
