Court Upholds Connecticut Pay-to-Play Law

In a decision issued on Friday, the District of Connecticut upheld two challenged provisions of Connecticut's Campaign Finance Reform Act.   The first provision bans "communicator lobbyists"and their immediate family members from contributing or soliciting donations to candidates for state office.  The second provision bans principals of state contractors or prospective contractors from contributing or soliciting contributions to candidates for state office.  The court found that both provisions were constitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, especially in light of Connecticut's recent history of corruption scandals. See here for our overview of Connecticut's pay-to-play law.