Match breaker: 'Clean Elections' overturned.

• Author: Root, Damon
• Position: Citings - Brief article

IN 1998, Arizona adopted a "Clean Elections" law that gave publicly financed candidates matching funds so they could keep up with the spending of their privately financed opponents. Past an initial threshold, every additional dollar spent by a privately funded candidate (or by independent groups supporting him) was matched by a government dollar that went to each of his publicly funded opponents.

State officials claimed the law would prevent corruption and promote a flowering of political speech. Critics said it violated the First Amendment. In a 5-to-4 decision handed down on June 27, the last day of its 2010-11 term, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the critics.

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"This scheme substantially burdens...