National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Comm’n · ¶115

Soon after the 1972 presidential elections, Congress set out to strengthen the Federal Election Campaign Act in response to recent revelations of quid pro quo corruption. One apparent exchange of campaign contributions for a public-policy favor loomed especially large. As told by the Senate Watergate Committee, the deal involved price supports for milk, worth many millions of dollars to the Nation’s dairy industry. See Final Report of the Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, S. Rep. No. 93– 981, pp. 623, 680 (1974). Originally, the Nixon administration had decided, after lengthy deliberation, not to increase the subsidies. See id., at 622, 633. But following a meeting with industry leaders, the President had a change of heart. He told his top aides to convey to the dairymen the “need to reaffirm their $2 million pledge” to his campaign “as a condition for the public…

slip opinion
Source edition
Passage preview. Read in context for the complete text, notes and references.