New York judge lifts donation limits to independent expenditure committees
Last week, a federal judge struck down New York State’s
limit on individual contributions to independent expenditure committees, citing
recent precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court that loosened federal campaign
finance law.
New York imposes a $150,000 limit on an
individual’s annual political contribution. The district court judge in
Manhattan ruled that such a limit was a violation of the First Amendment when
it was applied to independent groups. The decision follows a U.S. Supreme Court
decision from last month that struck down a cap on the total amount any
individual can contribute to federal candidates in an election cycle.