Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas questioned lawyer Marc Elias about campaign finance law limits on coordinated political spending between parties and candidates.
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SupremeCourtJusticeClarenceThomasgrilledprominentleft-leaninglawyerMarcEliasthisweekaboutacampaignfinancelaw,joiningseveralotherconservativejusticesinvoicingskepticismaboutthelaw’srestrictionsoncertaintypesofpoliticaldonations.
Thomas’questionscenteredonaFederalElectionCampaignActprovisionthatlimitshowmuchmoneystateandnationalpoliticalpartiescanspendwhencoordinatingwithspecificcandidates.
RepublicanswhobroughtthelawsuitarguedthatthecoordinatedpoliticalspendingisprotectedspeechandshouldnotbelimitedbyCongress,whileElias,aprolificelectionlawyer,arguedtothehighcourtthatCongresshasarighttocapthoseexpenses.
SCOTUSTAKESUPTRUMP’SBIDTOFIREFTCCOMMISSIONERATWILL—ASHOWDOWNTHATCOULDTOPPLE90-YEARPRECEDENT
ThomasandEliasappearedatoddsduringoralarguments,asThomasquestionedwhycoordinatedpoliticalspendingbetweenpartiesandcandidatesshouldfacel
