Shaun Mccutcheon v. Federal Election Commission

134 S.Ct. 1434 (2014)

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Nature of the Case

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Facts

Base limits restrict how much money a donor may contribute to a particular candidate or committee while aggregate limits restrict how much money a donor may contribute in total to all candidates or committees. P contributed to 16 different federal candidates, complying with the base limits applicable to each. P alleges that the aggregate limits prevented him from contributing to 12 additional candidates and a number of noncandidate political committees. P contributed a total of $33,088 to 16 different federal candidates, in compliance with the base limits applicable to each. He alleges that he wished to contribute $1,776 to each of 12 additional candidates but was prevented from doing so by the aggregate limit on contributions to candidates. P also contributed a total of $27,328 to several noncandidate political committees, in compliance with the base limits applicable to each. He alleges that he wished to contribute to various other political committees, including $25,000 to each of the three Republican national party committees, but was prevented from doing so by the aggregate limit on contributions to political committees. P and the Republican National Committee (P) filed a complaint before a three-judge District Court, asserting that the aggregate limits were unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The District Court denied their motion for a preliminary injunction and granted the Government's motion to dismiss. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.