A major US court case could help fix the ills of Citizens United | David Sirota
Summary
A court case in Maine may challenge rules allowing anonymous, large political donations through Super PACs, a system that grew after the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United. This legal challenge could impact how money influences U.S. elections and government policy.Key Facts
- Super PACs and PACs spent more money in recent federal elections than the candidates themselves.
- One in every five dollars given to Super PACs comes from groups that do not reveal their donors, called "dark money."
- Much of the recent Super PAC spending comes from industries like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency.
- The 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United removed limits on corporate spending in elections, leading to more big-money involvement.
- Another important legal ruling from 2010, SpeechNow v FEC, allowed unlimited donations to Super PACs, but it has never been reviewed by the Supreme Court.
- The Obama administration chose not to challenge SpeechNow in court when it had the chance.
- The new Maine court case could test this part of election law for the first time and potentially reduce anonymous political spending.
- Polls show many Americans dislike the current system where elections are heavily influenced by big-money donations.
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