TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on May 16, 2022

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that federal law limiting the amount of money candidates can raise to pay off personal debt violates the First Amendment. The Hill reports that the court, on a 6-3 vote, struck down a $250,000 cap on the amount of post-election funds a candidate can use to repay personal loans made to his or her campaign. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the law unduly burdens a candidate’s constitutional right “to use his own money to facilitate political speech.” The case was brought by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who sued the Federal Election Commission in an effort to pay off debt in excess of the federal limit.