Judge strikes down NY limits on donations to 'super PACs'

[okaawhatever]

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday reluctantly struck down New York's limits on donations to independent political action committees as unconstitutional, potentially ushering in a new era of "super PACs" in state campaigns.

District Judge Paul Crotty said the statutes could not survive First Amendment scrutiny in light of recent landmark Supreme Court decisions that have lessened restrictions on big-money political donors. He noted that personally, he disagrees with the high court.

"I think there is a risk of quid pro quo corruption, but the Supreme Court has not recognized it," he said during a hearing in Manhattan federal court. "We know what the Supreme Court has held, whether we like it or not, and I'm bound to follow it."

The New York laws had limited the amount of money individual donors could contribute to independent political committees, known as super PACs, that operate separately from a candidate's campaign. Under Crotty's ruling, super PACs can now raise unlimited funds, though committees that coordinate with parties or candidates are still subject to limits.

Continued at Link:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/24/us-usa-newyork-campaignfinancing-idUSBREA3N1UZ20140424

[villager]

1. If he knows the Supreme Court ruling was unconstitutional and wrong, he shouldn't have done it

Make the fuckers appeal -- keep throwing back in the courts, over and over

[COLGATE4]

2. The ruling is wrong as wrong can be but by no

stretch of the imagination is it 'unconstitutional'. There's no way a judge can legitimately ignore precedent set by the Supremes absent some extraordinarily compelling facts. Just saying it's 'wrong' or that 'I don't agree with it' won't do it.