Who was Shaun McCutcheon?

Shaun McCutcheon was an Alabama businessman who became a central figure in the legal challenge against federal campaign finance regulations.1

In 2012, he filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to contest the constitutionality of aggregate limits on political contributions. McCutcheon, who had already made significant donations to various candidates and committees, sought to contribute additional funds that would have exceeded the existing two-year election cycle limits. He argued that these aggregate restrictions infringed upon his First Amendment rights and were no longer necessary to prevent corruption or the appearance thereof, a standard previously established in Buckley v. Valeo. His case eventually reached the Supreme Court, where he challenged the government's justification for limiting the total amount an individual could contribute to all candidates and committees combined.1