Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/13pdf/12-536_e1pf.pdf
Page Number: 68.0

Cite as:  572 U. S. ____ (2014) 

17 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

rules.  But  the  Federal  Election  Commission’s  (FEC)
database  of  joint  fundraising  committees  in  2012  shows
similarly  named  entities,  e.g.,  “Landrieu  Wyden  Victory
Fund,” etc.).

As I have just said, without any aggregate limit, the law 
will  allow  Rich  Donor  to  write  a  single  check  to,  say,  the 
Smith  Victory  Committee,  for  up  to  $3.6  million.    This 
check  represents  “the  total  amount  that  the  contributor
could contribute to all of the participants” in the Commit­
tee  over  a  2-year  cycle.    §102.17(c)(5).    The  Committee 
would  operate  under  an  agreement  that  provides  a  “for- 
mula for the allocation of fundraising proceeds” among its 
constituent  units. 
§102.17(c)(1).  And  that  “formula” 
would  divide  the  proceeds  so  that  no  committee  or  can- 
didate  receives  more  than  it  could  have  received  from 
Rich  Donor  directly—$64,800,  $20,000,  or  $5,200.  See 
§102.17(c)(6).

So what is wrong with that?  The check is considerably 
larger  than  Example  One’s  check.    But  is  there  anything
else  wrong?  The  answer  is  yes,  absolutely.  The  law  will 
also permit a party and its candidates to shift most of Rich
Donor’s  contributions  to  a  single  candidate,  say  Smith. 
Here is how: 

The law permits each candidate and each party commit­
tee  in  the  Smith  Victory  Committee  to  write  Candidate 
Smith  a  check  directly.  For  his  primary  and  general
elections  combined,  they  can  write  checks  of  up  to  $4,000
(from  each  candidate’s  authorized  campaign  committee)
and $10,000 (from each state and national committee).  2 
U. S. C.  §§432(e)(3)(B),  441a(a)(2)(A);  11  CFR  §110.3(b). 
This  yields  a  potential  $1,872,000  (from  candidates)  plus
$530,000 (from party committees).  Thus, the law permits
the candidates and party entities to redirect $2.37 million
of Rich Donor’s $3.6 million check to Candidate Smith.  It 
also  permits  state  and  national  committees  to  contribute
to  Smith’s  general  election  campaign  through  making