Maine asks appeals court to reinstate $5,000 cap on super-PAC donations

Maine’s legal team urged a three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse a July decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Frink Wolf that invalidated a 2024 ballot measure limiting contributions to state super PACs at $5,000 per year and mandating donor transparency. The measure, which passed with 75% support, was defended by attorney Jonathan Bolton, who argued that modern super PAC spending differs from earlier precedents and that large donations can foster the perception of quid pro quo corruption.

Intervenors represented by Neal Katyal contended the lower court misapplied expenditure law, emphasizing that super PACs fund others’ speech. Amicus briefs supporting Maine came from groups such as EqualCitizens, the Brennan Center for Justice, and a coalition of investors led by Mark Cuban and Reid Hoffman. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, alongside Maine PACs Dinner Table Action and For Our Future, defended the law’s invalidation, citing Supreme Court precedents. The panel asked questions about the potential for perceived corruption but left its ruling pending.