Supreme Court Upholds Ban on 'Soft Money'

WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government can prohibit unlimited donations to political parties, known as “soft money,” and can restrict political ads in the weeks before an election.

In the 5-4 decision, the court upheld the two key provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, otherwise known as the “McCain-Feingold law” after its chief Senate sponsors, Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.)

“Many years ago we observed that to say that Congress is without power to pass appropriate legislation to safeguard an election from the improper use of money to influence the result is to deny to the nation…the power of self-protection,” wrote Justices John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O’Connor in the court’s majority opinion.