The Next Citizens United?

Conservative lawyer Jim Bopp, the man who propelled Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to open the floodgates of cash in U.S. political campaigns, is back with another suit that seeks to peel back even more political contribution limits. The case, brought by the Republican Party of Louisiana, targets restrictions on how states and local political parties use “soft money” contributions to influence federal elections. The argument is that, if independent outside groups like Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money, there is no reason state political parties, acting independently of federal candidates, shouldn’t enjoy the same power. Political parties, Bopp’s reasoning goes, are “disadvantaged” compared to super PACs. “They want to compete, and they want to do this activity without the severe restrictions that they suffer under,” Bopp told the Center for Public Integrity.