"Supreme Court Chooses Dark Money Billionaires Over Environment"

"Environmental groups believe a large favor was handed to corporations, billionaires and the campaigns they fund when U.S. Supreme Court justices decided Wednesday to strike down overall limits on campaign contributions.

The 5-4 decision in the case of coal executive Shaun McCutcheon v. the Federal Election Commission (FEC) means that individual contributors no longer face a cap on how many candidates and parties they can fund in an election cycle. That unnerves environmental groups who have been fighting against the once-quiet contributions of coal and fossil fuel supporters like the Koch Brothers who fund legislators that favor anti-renewable energy policies.

'The Supreme Court’s decision today in McCutcheon v. FEC fundamentally contradicts the values that sustain our democracy and undermines the notion that our government functions of, by, and for the people,' Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune wrote in a statement following the decision.

'To be clear, today the Court capitulated to a coal executive’s demand that he and his fellow big polluters be allowed to dump millions more of their corrupt dollars into politics.'"

Brandon Baker reports for EcoWatch April 2, 2014.

SEE ALSO:

"Supreme Court’s Campaign Finance Ruling: Bad for Greens, Good For Kochs" (Grist)

"Greens Groups: Court Ruling Opens Door for Polluters" (E2 Wire/The Hill)

"What a Day: Supreme Court Lifts Limits on Campaign Donations, Republicans Unveil Budget" (SustainableBusiness.com)

"Five Backed By Koch Brothers Group Win Seats, 4 Lose in County Split By Plan for Huge Mine" (Wisconsin State Journal)

"More Than Corruption Threatens the Integrity of Our Democracy" (American Prospect)