CNN reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down limits of how much people can donate to various political campaigns during an election season.
Here’s what stays the same: you can still donate a maximum of $5,200 to your favorite candidate in a certain period.
Here’s what has changed: there used to be a rule that you could give a maximum of $123,000 in aggregate to a bunch of candidates.
What this means for you: you may now give up to $5,200 to as many candidates as you want, even if that costs you $123,000.01 or more.
Three Frequently Asked Questions For This Story Answered
1. “So this means wealthy people can give $5,200.00 to every candidate, having no influence on the election, right?”
Yes, if someone was re-enacting Brewster’s Millions, they could burn through a lot of money that way, and do exactly that.
2. “I make all of my voting decisions based on what I see in commercials. How does this impact me?”
You will still be able to enjoy commercials. In fact you may enjoy more commercials for specific candidates than you ever thought possible.
3. “I work in old media and was worried my industry is dying because nobody wants ads in old media any more. Should I report about this, or will the people buying all the ads that help pay my salary get mad?”
That’s a question for your editor. Depending on which outlet you work for, maybe your editor will send you to report live from the next hurricane to see if there is an answer to that question hidden in the puddles made by the pouring rain.