Supreme Court Gave Billionaires the “Right to Spend” on Elections

After the Watergate scandal, Congress passed laws to limit money in politics. But a key Supreme Court decision stopped those limits. Now, new details reveal how that case gave wealthy Americans a special power: a legal right to spend unlimited cash on elections. The case, known as *Buckley v. Valeo* in 1976, ruled that spending money on political campaigns is a form of free speech. This decision blocked many of Congress's post-Watergate reforms. Years later, documents and interviews show how the ruling opened the door for billionaires to pour money into elections without restriction. Experts say this legal shift turned political spending into a protected right. The result: a system where the richest citizens can now buy more influence than ordinary voters. The article explores how a single court case reshaped American democracy.