Supreme Court Sides With Republicans Again in Campaign Ad Rate Dispute

The United States Supreme Court sided with Republicans for a second time on Wednesday in a legal battle over campaign advertising costs ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Reuters, The Hill, and The New York Times all reported that the decision marks another ruling in favor of the Republican Party regarding political television ad rates. [1][7][9][10][11][12]

The Washington Examiner reported that the Supreme Court reversed what was called an inappropriate lower ruling in a Federal Communications Commission fight over favorable campaign ad rate rules. According to Courthouse News Service, the decision in the dispute was issued through the high court emergency docket, which has increasingly played a role in partisan litigation prior to elections. [4][6]

Two liberal justices dissented from the decision, according to The Hill. Courthouse News Service noted that the ruling involved a war over television ad rates related to campaign efforts supported by Donald Trump. [6][7]

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the federal judiciary and holds ultimate appellate jurisdiction over federal legal questions. The court routinely decides emergency applications and lower court appeals affecting national federal regulations. [13]

Separately on Wednesday, The Hill and Courthouse News Service reported that the Supreme Court weighed arguments in an internet tracking case regarding a 1980s video privacy law. The Edwardsville Intelligencer also reported that the court declined to hear an appeal from a lobster fisherman opposing mandatory boat tracking. [2][3][5]