AFPI Celebrates SCOTUS Win for Election Integrity

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) today celebrates a major First Amendment victory in NRSC v. Federal Election Commission, a case about whether the federal government can limit how political parties and candidates work together during elections. The case was brought by the National Republican Senatorial Committee, then-Senator J. D. Vance, and a member of Congress, who challenged federal rules restricting coordination between parties and candidates, meaning limits on when campaigns and outside groups can plan, communicate, or work together on political messaging.” They argued that these limits don’t just regulate campaigns, they restrict how Americans speak, organize, and advocate in the political process.

AFPI filed an amicus brief supporting that challenge, urging the Court to protect political speech at its core. As AFPI explained, “the Court should abandon the entire concept of coordinated expenditures.” The Supreme Court agreed, holding that “political-party coordinated-expenditure limits violate the First Amendment,” and making clear that the government cannot restrict how Americans come together to engage in political advocacy. The decision is a win not just for the parties involved, but for every American who wants to participate freely and fully in elections. 

“This is a victory for every American who believes in free and open elections,” said Ken Blackwell, chair of Election Integrity at AFPI. “The First Amendment protects the right of people to come together, speak freely, and advocate for the candidates and ideas they support. The government cannot put its thumb on the scale by limiting that coordination. Today’s decision reaffirms that political speech belongs to the people—not to regulators.”