Supreme Court Strikes Down Aggregate Campaign Contribution Limits in McCutcheon v. FEC

Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that aggregate limits on total contributions an individual can make to federal candidates, parties, and PACs over a two-year election cycle violate the First Amendment. Chief Justice Roberts authored the majority opinion, joined by Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Alito, with Thomas concurring separately while arguing all contribution limits are unconstitutional. The decision struck down the biennial aggregate limit of $123,200 ($48,600 to all federal candidates and $74,600 to all PACs and party committees), allowing wealthy donors to max out contributions to unlimited numbers of candidates and committees. Alabama businessman Shaun McCutcheon and the Republican National Committee brought the challenge. While base contribution limits to individual candidates ($2,700 per election) remained intact, the ruling enabled deep-pocketed donors to contribute to hundreds of candidates and committees, dramatically expanding the influence of mega-donors in federal elections. The decision accelerated bundling operations where organizations collect multiple contributions, and encouraged creation of joint fundraising committees benefiting multiple candidates simultaneously. The ruling continued the Roberts Court’s systematic deregulation of campaign finance, following Citizens United’s 2010 elimination of independent expenditure limits. The decision further entrenched plutocratic control of elections by removing barriers to concentrated wealth influencing politics at scale.