A federal judge Monday upheld Alaska’s strict limits on several types of state-level campaign contributions, ruling that they don’t violate the free speech or equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution. A group of Republicans brought the suit in November, and a weeklong trial ended in May. The decision, from U.S. District Judge Timothy Burgess, an appointee of George W. Bush, came a day before high-stakes legislative elections that may change control of the state House or Senate.
Burgess, in his decision issued late Monday, wrote that he was initially skeptical that the state would be able to defend the campaign donation limits as written, including a $500-per-person annual limit on contributions to candidates and restrictions on out-of-state contributions.
But, he said, the state ended up providing enough evidence to justify the limits. “Accordingly, the challenged provisions of Alaska’s campaign finance laws are upheld as constitutional,” Burgess wrote.
Full Article: Federal judge rejects lawsuit challenging Alaska’s limits on campaign donations – Alaska Dispatch News.