Vindicating Coolidge Reagan Foundation Amicus Brief…Court Further Dismantles McCain-Feingold Restrictions on Political Speech and Party Coordination
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Coolidge Reagan Foundation (“CRF”) a nonprofit dedicated to defending the rule of law, election integrity, and constitutional governance, praised the landmark Supreme Court ruling in NRSC vs FEC, striking down restrictions on coordinated expenditures between political parties and their candidates. The Supreme Court case number for NRSC v. FEC is 24-621.
The ruling marks a major victory for the First Amendment and significantly weakens what remained of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, commonly known as McCain-Feingold. The Court recognized that political parties and the candidates they nominate are naturally aligned and that government-imposed restrictions on their ability to communicate and coordinate burden protected political speech and association.
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation filed an amicus brief in the case through counsel Dan Backer of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, (202-210-5431 – dan@political.law) urging the Court to overturn outdated precedent and reaffirm constitutional protections for political speech.
“The SCOTUS decision is a sweeping victory for the First Amendment and a decisive rejection of the government’s attempt to justify speech restrictions through endless anti-circumvention theories,” said Dan Backer. “The Supreme Court correctly recognized that you cannot stack barrier upon barrier to suppress political speech. The Constitution does not permit restrictions based on speculative fears about influence or access.”
Backer said the ruling reinforces the constitutional principles established in McCutcheon vs FEC and makes clear that only actual quid pro quo corruption, not generalized concerns about political influence, can justify campaign finance restrictions.
“For years, the law forced national and state party committees to operate absurd firewalls, including separate so-called independent expenditure teams, simply to avoid speaking directly with their own candidates about shared campaign strategy,” Backer added. “That never made constitutional or practical sense. Political parties exist to elect candidates who represent their principles. Allowing them to coordinate messaging and strategy strengthens democratic accountability.”
Backer also noted that while the decision meaningfully empowers political parties, it does not eliminate outside spending groups.
“Political parties still face hard money contribution limits, so the largest donors will continue to support outside groups engaged in independent expenditures. But today’s ruling helps restore political parties to their proper role as accountable institutions rather than ceding even more influence to less transparent outside actors,” Backer said.
Shaun McCutcheon, Chairman of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation and lead plaintiff in the landmark McCutcheon vs FEC case, said the Court’s ruling represents another critical step in restoring constitutional protections for political expression.
“Restricting political speech simply because some believe certain voices speak too loudly is incompatible with the First Amendment,” McCutcheon, Chairman of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation stated. “The decision is a major victory for the First Amendment and for the role political parties play in our democratic process.”
“The Supreme Court recognized that political parties and their candidates are naturally aligned and that the government has no constitutional basis to limit their ability to communicate and coordinate,” McCutcheon continued. “This ruling further dismantles the flawed logic of McCain-Feingold and reinforces that transparency and disclosure, not speech restrictions, are the proper safeguards against corruption. More speech, not less, strengthens our republic.”
The Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s amicus brief argued that coordinated political activity between parties and candidates lies at the core of protected political speech and association. The brief also highlighted how existing restrictions weakened state and national party committees while helping drive power and resources toward outside organizations and Super PACs.
About the Coolidge Reagan Foundation
For more than a decade, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation has been one of America’s leading political integrity and campaign finance watchdogs. Its 2018 complaint against Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee over the unlawful funding of the Steele Dossier led to a six-figure fine levied against Clinton—the only fine ever levied against her. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s 2019 complaint against Bernie Sanders for hiring illegal aliens led to a five-figure fine, and it has fearlessly taken on the political corruption of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Jasmine Crockett, and Rashida Tlaib, among others.
For more information, to request a copy of the Brief, of for interviews with a CRF representative, please contact: Dan Rene at 202-329-8357 or dan@danrene.com.
Please visit: www.coolidgereagan.org
Dan Rene
Dan Rene Communications
+ +1 202-329-8357
dan@danrene.com
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