Supreme Court Lifts Limits on Coordinated Spending Between Parties and Candidates

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 eliminated federal limits on coordinated spending between political parties and individual candidates. The decision removes the requirement that official party committees maintain a separate, firewalled independent-expenditure arm unable to consult with candidates on strategy.

Party committees may now coordinate directly with candidates on messaging, targeting, timing and creative decisions without spending caps. Candidates' committees receive the Lowest Unit Charge discounted television-advertising rate, which parties and outside groups can access through the new coordinated channel.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee stated in a memo obtained by @ABC that it can spend without limit in direct coordination with all Senate campaigns.

The memo noted that most prior NRSC advertising had been produced independently and could not incorporate strategic input from campaigns. Republican National Committee reserves exceed $125 million, according to the most recent campaign disclosures. The Democratic National Committee holds less than $15 million on hand and carries more than $18 million in debt.

GOP strategist Doug Heye told @ABC that Republicans have prepared for the change for years and are positioned to move quickly. Democratic strategist Sawyer Hackett said the Democratic Party has been caught flat-footed and has not mounted serious midterm fundraising efforts.

Democratic donor adviser Alex Hoffman told @ABC that Democrats must continue courting high-net-worth donors despite internal opposition to billionaire influence in politics.