Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/13pdf/12-536_e1pf.pdf
Page Number: 11

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

5 

Opinion of ROBERTS, C. J. 

as  opposed  to  national  party  committees.    §441a(a)(3);
78 Fed. Reg. 8532.  All told, an individual may contribute 
up to $123,200 to candidate and noncandidate committees 
during each two-year election cycle. 

The  base  limits  thus  restrict  how  much  money  a  donor 
may  contribute  to  any  particular  candidate  or  committee; 
the  aggregate  limits  have  the  effect  of  restricting  how 
many candidates or committees the donor may support, to
the extent permitted by the base limits. 

B 
In  the  2011–2012  election  cycle,  appellant  Shaun
McCutcheon contributed a total of $33,088 to 16 different 
federal  candidates,  in  compliance  with  the  base  limits
applicable to each.  He alleges that he wished to contribute
$1,776  to  each  of  12  additional  candidates  but  was  pre-
vented  from  doing  so  by  the  aggregate  limit  on  contribu-
tions  to  candidates.  McCutcheon  also  contributed  a  total 
of $27,328 to several noncandidate political committees, in
compliance  with  the  base  limits  applicable  to  each.    He 
alleges that he wished to contribute to various other polit-
ical  committees,  including  $25,000  to  each  of  the  three
Republican national party committees, but was prevented 
from  doing  so  by  the  aggregate  limit  on  contributions  to 
political committees.  McCutcheon further alleges that he 
plans to make similar contributions in the future.  In the 
2013–2014  election  cycle,  he  again  wishes  to  contribute
at  least  $60,000  to  various  candidates  and  $75,000  to 
non-candidate  political  committees.    Brief  for  Appellant 
McCutcheon 11–12. 

Appellant Republican National Committee is a national
political  party  committee  charged  with  the  general  man-
agement  of  the  Republican  Party.  The  RNC  wishes  to 
receive  the  contributions  that  McCutcheon  and  similarly 
situated  individuals  would  like  to  make—contributions 
otherwise  permissible  under  the  base  limits  for  national