(708) 222-7000Local Attorney Michael Del Galdo, Admitted to Practice before U.S. Supreme Court, Warns New Case Could "Trivialize" Citizens United Outcome
October 17, 2013
(Berwyn, IL) – A suburban Cook County election attorney last week was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in order to observe the oral argument in a PAC spending limits case whose outcome could reverberate in Illinois’ 2014 general election.
Sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Tuesday, October 8, in front of the court’s 8 other justices, a rare event according to court watchers, attorney Michael Del Galdo, who serves as general counsel to multiple suburban Cook County municipalities, including the Town of Cicero, took a front row seat before the start of oral argument in the case of McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission.
“This case has the potential to blow the doors off federal campaign spending limits, trivializing the Citizens United outcome by comparison and altering the Illinois political landscape in 2014,” said Del Galdo, who is actively in municipal and legislative campaigns.
“The justices’ body language and facial expressions that accompanied their comments and questions provided another layer insight into their thinking,” said Del Galdo. “And it is clear from the justices’ signals that this decision will be narrowly decided.”
Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama businessman, and the Republican National Committee are challenging the campaign spending limits of $48,600 every two years for individuals’ contributions to all federal candidates and $74,600 to political party committees.
Del Galdo, who is the managing partner of the Del Galdo Law Group located in suburban Berwyn, said the removal of the spending caps would complicate Democratic efforts to hold the seats of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and freshmen Congressmen Brad Schneider, Cheri Bustos, Bill Foster, and Bill Enyart.
“Without global contribution limits, the overall Republican money advantage could balloon, eroding the competitive advantage of key incumbent Illinois Democrats in federal races,” said Del Galdo. “And bigger waves of federal campaign spending on advertising could suffocate lower-budget local candidates’ communication strategies.”
The court’s decision on McCutcheon is expected by the end of June 2014.
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