Maine is defending a voter-approved law that would cap donations to super PACs, as the case reaches the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The challenge matters because a ruling for the state could reopen the legal basis for unlimited political donations and potentially lead to Supreme Court review.

Nearly 75 per cent of Maine voters backed the 2024 referendum, which sets a $5,000 annual limit on contributions to PACs making independent candidate expenditures. A federal judge blocked the law in 2025, citing First Amendment precedent; supporters, including legal scholar Lawrence Lessig, argue that contribution limits can address actual or apparent corruption, while opponents say they restrict political speech.