Feingold and Campaign Finance Reform

Russ Feingold, a former Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, is perhaps best known for his co-authorship of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, commonly known as McCain-Feingold. This landmark legislation aimed to curb the influence of large sums of money in political campaigns, addressing concerns about corruption and the integrity of the electoral process.

Prior to McCain-Feingold, the existing campaign finance laws had significant loopholes. One major issue was “soft money,” unlimited contributions to political parties ostensibly for party-building activities but often used to fund issue advertisements that effectively promoted or attacked specific candidates. These ads, while technically not directly endorsing or opposing candidates, played a significant role in shaping public opinion and circumventing the individual contribution limits to candidates’ campaigns.

McCain-Feingold targeted soft money by prohibiting national party committees from raising or spending it. It also placed restrictions on the timing of electioneering communications, those ads mentioning a candidate’s name close to an election. The law defined these communications and subjected them to campaign finance regulations. Individual contributions to candidates remained limited, but the overall aim was to reduce the undue influence of large, unregulated sums pouring into the political system.

The passage of McCain-Feingold was a hard-fought victory, facing strong opposition from both parties. Critics argued that it infringed on free speech rights protected by the First Amendment. These arguments eventually found their way to the Supreme Court in the case of *McConnell v. Federal Election Commission* (2003), where the Court upheld the core provisions of the law, finding that the government had a compelling interest in preventing corruption and the appearance of corruption in politics.

However, the victory proved to be relatively short-lived. Later Supreme Court decisions, most notably *Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission* (2010), significantly weakened the impact of McCain-Feingold. *Citizens United* held that corporations and unions have the same First Amendment rights as individuals, and therefore, the government cannot restrict their independent political spending. This decision led to the rise of Super PACs and other independent expenditure groups, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates, as long as they do not directly coordinate with the candidate’s campaign.

Feingold has been a vocal critic of these subsequent Supreme Court decisions, arguing that they have unleashed a flood of money into politics and further amplified the voices of wealthy donors and special interests. He has consistently advocated for comprehensive campaign finance reform, including measures to overturn *Citizens United* and strengthen regulations on independent expenditures. He continues to be a prominent voice in the debate over campaign finance reform, championing efforts to restore the integrity and fairness of American elections.