Here’s How McConnell Plans To Personally Profit From The Ruin Of Democracy

McConnell was one of many who filed a “friend-of-the-court brief” in the recent McCutcheon v. FEC, arguing that the limitations on the amount of cash contributions a person can give to campaigns in an election cycle was an “unconstitutional restriction of free speech.”

But apparently Mitch McConnell doesn’t care about the rest of America’s voice when they want action on gun control, immigration, unemployment insurance, etc.

So it’s no surprise that Mitch McConnell has been a long an advocate of removing the laws that puts limits on individual donations, the reason being that he will most likely benefit handsomely from the ruling, just in time for a very contested Senate race against Alison Lundergan Grimes. The ruling lets someone give to an unlimited number of candidates and committees, which could be put in place to help the Minority Leader become the Majority Leader in November.

The ruling is expected to help eliminate competition among candidates of the same party, the Republican Party, in primaries for maximum contributions from donors, and then eliminate his more popular Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes.

During the 2012 election cycle, in which McConnell did not run, all donors were limited to strictly giving only $123,000, with $48,600 going to individual candidates and $74,600 to committees and parties. Many are now arguing that Wednesday’s ruling will open the floodgates to money poisoning the election cycle, upping the limit from $123,000 to potentially $3.5 million.

With $281,301 in the bank from all sorts of lobbyists, McConnell has topped the list this election season with most contributions of any politician in Congress, followed closely by John Boehner who caps off (so far) with $278,380. The organization Open Secrets compiles data with the donations from federally registered lobbyists including the companies and different organization who spend a certain amount of money lobbying Congress. According to the law, when they do so, they’re required to register with the federal government.

McConnell has also received more money than any other lawmaker since 2013.

And according to the information provided by Open Secrets, McConnell is the Number 1 campaign recipient from overall (2013-2014 election cycle):

1. Agriculture services

2. Air transportation

3. Auto dealers and manufacturers

4. Building materials

5. Business associations

6. Coal mining

7. Commercial banks

8. Commercial TV and radio stations

9. Insurance,

10. Mortgage bankers and brokers

When McConnell last ran for re-election in 2008, before the Citizens United ruling, he was fourth in contributions from lobbyists. Now, since Citizens United, he tops the list. And the recent decision by the Supreme Court will only further propel him into a world of seemingly endless cash flow.

And not shockingly, just after the ruling, McConnell’s Senate campaign sent out  fundraising appeals attached to an article on the conservative magazine National Review which labeled the Minority Leader “a tireless crusader against laws that would restrict what citizens may do with their property and energy come election time.”

David Donnelly of the Public Campaign Action Fund, summed it up perfectly: “Everyday people, Kentuckians should be concerned that Senator McConnell continues to push the envelope in the courts to allow for unlimited campaign contributions. That’s not just bad policy; it’s extreme and unpopular.”

With destructive and special interest decisions like the Supreme Court’s ruling, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could be Majority Leader this November.