Can Political Parties Spend Freely? Brad Smith on the Case That Could Change Campaign Finance

Brad Smith, former Chair of the Federal Election Commission and President of the Institute for Free Speech, joins the Election Law Program at The Ohio State University to discuss the pending Supreme Court case National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission. Smith outlines the arguments presented in the amicus brief he co-authored, which challenges the constitutionality of limits on coordinated party expenditures and questions the legal foundation of Buckley v. Valeo. The conversation covers: • The legal issues at stake in NRSC v. FEC • The role of political parties in campaign finance • The definition and evidence of corruption under current law • The impact of digital media on campaign practices • Constitutional limits on Congress’s authority to regulate campaigns