McCain predicts ‘major scandal’ on campaign finance

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Wednesday said he predicts “a major scandal” will happen as a result of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions to relax campaign finance laws.

At Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, an alumnus asked the senator how presidential campaigns could be changed so that they target not only swing states. McCain said the key to fixing elections is campaign finance reform.

{mosads}He said the two recent Supreme Court rulings on the issue — one released earlier this month and one from 2010 — were “the worst since Dred Scott.” The high court ruled in that 1857 decision that African-Americans, whether they were slaves or free, were not U.S. citizens.

“We’re at the height of corruption thanks to the United States Supreme Court,” said McCain, adding that their rulings on campaign finance rules are a “disgrace.”

“I predict there will be a major scandal because there is too much money washing around,” he said, adding that people don’t know where it comes from.

On April 2, the justices ruled 5-4 in the McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission case that aggregate contribution limits to campaigns are unconstitutional. 

The 2010 Citizens United ruling prevented the government from restricting political expenditures by corporations, labor unions or associations.

“Since when is money speech?” McCain said. “If money is speech, then the person with the most money speaks the loudest.”