Washington, DC – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee and the sponsor of the DISCLOSE Act to address dark-money influence in politics, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision today in FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate. The Court’s decision strikes down a key portion of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (or “McCain-Feingold”).
“This is another victory for right-wing donors in their assault on our campaign finance system, and another step toward unlimited special-interest spending in our elections. Republican donors’ biggest booster, Mitch McConnell, gave away the game in his brief in this case. He didn’t pretend this was limited to campaign loan reimbursements; he called for gutting our campaign finance system altogether. He made clear he wants an America where corporations and the wealthiest few wield near-total control over our politics, like the robber barons of the Gilded Age. Justice Kagan has it right in her dissent: greenlighting the payment schemes at issue in this case ‘bring[s] this country’s political system into further disrepute.’
“Big Republican donor interests built their supermajority to deliver wins like this one – wins that help special interests skirt our democratic process to achieve what they want. The Court’s reputation cannot withstand much more of this.”
Read Whitehouse’s op-ed in The Hill on FEC v. Ted Cruz for Senate.
Rich Davidson (202) 228-6291 (press office)
