The US Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down limits on coordinated spending between political parties and their candidates, in the latest loosening of federal campaign finance restrictions.
The court’s conservative majority sided with Vice President JD Vance and other Republicans who argued the spending caps represented a violation of free speech. It’s a win for President Donald Trump’s party, even as he suffered a loss as the high court rejected his efforts to curtail birthright citizenship.
Since 2010, the Supreme Court has struck down limits on corporations’ political contributions and the amount individuals can spend. Under a 1971 law, though, spending by a party that was coordinated with the candidate has been capped.
The ruling comes as Republican committees barrel into the November midterms with a significant cash advantage over Democrats.
The court this year also ruled on other major cases with election implications: Justices on Monday backed state laws allowing mail-in ballots received after Election Day, in a setback to Trump. In April the court weakened a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, opening the door for Republican-led states to redraw the lines to break up majority-Black and majority-Latino districts.