Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/19-122_k536.pdf
Page Number: 1

Cite as:  589 U. S. ____ (2019) 

1 

Per Curiam 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

DAVID THOMPSON, ET AL., v. HEATHER HEBDON, 
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALASKA  
PUBLIC OFFICES COMMISSION, ET AL. 

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED 
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT 

No. 19–122.  Decided November 25, 2019

  PER CURIAM. 
  Alaska law limits the amount an individual can contrib-
ute  to  a  candidate  for  political  office,  or  to  an  election-
oriented group other than a political party, to $500 per year.  
Alaska  Stat.  §15.13.070(b)(1)  (2018).    Petitioners  Aaron 
Downing and Jim Crawford are Alaska residents.  In 2015, 
they  contributed  the  maximum  amounts  permitted  under 
Alaska  law  to  candidates  or  groups  of  their  choice,  but 
wanted  to  contribute  more.    They  sued  members  of  the 
Alaska  Public  Offices  Commission,  contending  that 
Alaska’s  individual-to-candidate  and  individual-to-group 
contribution limits violate the First Amendment. 
  The District Court upheld the contribution limits and the 
Ninth Circuit agreed.  909 F. 3d 1027 (2018); Thompson v. 
Dauphinais, 217 F. Supp. 3d 1023 (Alaska 2016).  Applying 
Circuit precedent, the Ninth Circuit analyzed whether the 
contribution limits furthered a “sufficiently important state 
interest” and were “closely drawn” to that end.  909 F. 3d, 
at 1034 (quoting Montana Right to Life Assn. v. Eddleman, 
343 F. 3d 1085, 1092 (2003); internal quotation marks omit-
ted).    The  court  recognized  that  our  decisions  in  Citizens 
United v. Federal Election Comm’n and McCutcheon v. Fed-
eral Election Comm’n narrow “the type of state interest that 
justifies a First Amendment intrusion on political contribu-
tions”  to  combating  “actual  quid  pro  quo  corruption  or  its 
appearance.”  909 F. 3d, at 1034 (citing McCutcheon v. Fed-