Statement by Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer On McCutcheon Case

The Supreme Court’s decision in the McCutcheon case is profoundly important to the health of our democracy and our citizens’ interests in honest and fair government. The Supreme Court must not open the door to the corruption of our democracy by striking down the contribution limits at issue in this case.

The Supreme Court should not abandon its own previous decisions for almost forty years that have consistently held that contribution limits are constitutional in order to prevent government corruption.

If the Supreme Court were to strike down the contribution limits at issue in the McCutcheon case, we are bound to see the $1 million and $2 million contributions that would be permitted by such a decision used by influence-seeking donors to corrupt government decisions.

If the Court were to strike down the contribution limits at issue in McCutcheon, the government will be back on the auction block to the highest bidders as it was in the Watergate scandals of the 1970s and the soft money scandals of the 1990s.

The Supreme Court must not empower the wealthy few to buy the government that belongs to all Americans by striking down longstanding contribution limits that protect citizens against corruption.

History and reality tell us that government corruption will follow any decision by the Supreme Court in the McCutcheon case to strike down contribution limits.