U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Alabama campaign law

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United States Supreme Court SCOTUS

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said they won’t hear a challenge to Alabama’s ban on the transfer of campaign contributions between political action committees (PAC).

The decision left in place a lower court ruling that upheld a 2010 campaign law.

In 2010, the Alabama State Legislature passed legislation, which then Gov. Bob Riley signed into law, that banned transfers of funds from one PAC to another. Known as a PAC-to-PAC transfer, PACs often used the tactic to hide the source of money given to individual candidates or groups.

The Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC), one of the state’s largest and oldest predominantly African-American political organizations, challenged the law on the grounds that banning PAC-to-PAC transfers infringed upon free speech and due process.

In September 2016, the 11th Circuit appeals court ruled that the 2010 law does not unconstitutionally restrict political speech and that it serves as a legitimate means to prevent corruption.