Federal Judge Strikes Down New York’s Super PAC Limits

A federal judge in New York struck down the state’s limits on donations to independent political action committees, or super PACs, citing prior Supreme Court decisions with which he himself disagreed.

District Judge Paul Crotty ruled that New York’s restrictions could not overcome First Amendment scrutiny given recent Supreme Court decisions, Reuters reports, including a ruling on campaign finance earlier this month and the 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

“We know what the Supreme Court has held, whether we like it or not, and I’m bound to follow it,” he said during a hearing in Manhattan federal court, according to Reuters.

The state had limited how much individuals could give super PACS, which are supposed to operate independently from a candidate’s campaign. A federal appeals court blocked the state from enforcing the limits in October, pending a final decision, and Crotty’s ruling will now allow independent super PACs in the state to raise unlimited funds.

[Reuters]