Dec 10, 2003 -- Press Release: Statement by Former FEC Chairman Trevor Potter on Today's McCain/Feingold Decision

Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman who served on the legal team representing the congressional sponsors of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act before the Supreme Court and serves as the president of the Campaign Legal Center, released this statement today on the Court's decision:

"The Court recognized that soft money had seriously corrupted our political system. They correctly decided that Congress isn't defenseless in dealing with that threat. The nexus between federal officeholders and party officials and six-figure checks was inherently corrupting, and this decision breaks that connection. The Court also upheld a hundred years of federal laws and previous Supreme Court rulings prohibiting corporations and unions from intervening in federal elections.

We're particularly gratified that a solid majority of 7-2 upheld the prohibition on soft money fundraising by federal officeholders and candidates, which was at the center of the corruption Congress was trying to stop.

The next challenge is to make sure this rule is implemented the way Congress intended. Several FEC commissioners opposed passage of the Reform Act, and claimed that it was unconstitutional. The FEC has adopted regulations which, in some instances, dramatically weaken the new law. A legal challenge to those regulations is already before the U.S. District Court. Now that the Supreme Court has conclusively ruled on the constitutionality of the new law, we will fight to ensure that the Commission properly enforces it."

Click here to see the Campaign Legal Center's summary of the Court's holdings.