What did the Supreme Court rule in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission?

In the 2014 case McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5–4 to strike down aggregate limits on the total amount of money an individual could contribute to federal candidates, political party committees, and noncandidate political action committees (PACs) during a two-year election cycle.1

The Court held that these aggregate limits violated the First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association. The majority concluded that the government’s interest in preventing "quid pro quo" corruption—or the appearance thereof—did not justify the restriction on an individual's ability to participate in the political process by supporting multiple candidates and committees.123

It is important to note that this ruling did not affect the "base limits," which restrict the amount an individual can contribute to any single candidate or committee. These base limits remain in place to prevent direct corruption. The decision sparked significant debate, with supporters viewing it as a victory for free speech and critics arguing it would further increase the influence of wealth in campaign finance.1