Chicago Sun Times (12/19): “Once upon a time, Illinois was known as the “Wild West” of campaign finance because the state lacked any substantive limits on what candidates could raise and spend on their runs for political office.
“That was supposed to change five years ago, when lawmakers in Springfield established the state’s first-ever contribution limits.
“But the deluge of dollars resumed a year later, following the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in the Citizens United case, which struck down spending limits on corporations, labor unions and outside political funds.
“That, along with a major loophole in Illinois’ campaign finance law, produced an unparalleled fundraising orgy of nearly $100 million in this year’s governor’s race, nearly twice the $55 million raised in 2010.”
Democracy Stories 