Supreme Court Rejects Controversial Campaign Finance Provision

Debbie Wilgoren and Robert Barnes report online: The Supreme Court today narrowly overturned a controversial provision of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation, ruling that it is unconstitutional to allow candidates to accept larger-than-normal contributions if their opponents use their own fortunes to finance election bids. Writing for the majority in the 5 to 4 decision, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said the provision -- known as the "Millionaire's Amendment" -- imposes "an unprecedented penalty on any candidate who robustly exercises" his or her First Amendment right to self-finance a campaign. Alito was joined in his opinion by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Justices John Paul Stevens, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer -- the more liberal wing of the court -- broke with the majority on most of the key points of the case. The