UPDATE: Justice O’Connor continues to warn campaign contributions could poison the system
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has been on a conference tour discussing the likely impact the Supreme Court’s decisions on the Caperton v. Massey and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will have on future election.
During a supposium at Wayne State University, Justice O’Connor did not speak out directly against the decision, but did say the flooding of campaign dollars into judicial problems is a problem, “and may get worse very soon,” according to The Detroit Free Press. O’Connor pointed out there has to be one safe place in America’s judicial system that is still fair and partial.
“The founders realized there has to be someplace where being right is more important than being popular or powerful, and where fairness trumps strength,” said O’Connor, according to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, at a conference at Georgetown University. “And in our country, that place is supposed to be the courtroom.”
In the first panel discussion, Pamela Karlan, Stanford University law professor, predicted the Citizens United decision would send more money into independent groups, which are exempt from fund-raising limits.
In the second panel, Jan Baran, of the Center for Competitive Politics, and Bradley Smith, former Federal Election Commissioner, both said the effects of Citizens United would be relatively limited because of previous Supreme Court rulings.
Fred Wertheimer, president of Democracy 21, disagreed, warning that opening state and federal elections to unlimited corporate spending could undermine the election process. “I see this as an enormous transfer of power from citizens to corporations. It will give lobbyists a potent weapon in carrying out their agenda.”
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