Abstract:
In this essay, I discuss briefly the values of equality and honest government in Judge Wright’s career before they intersected in the area of campaign finance. I then contrast Judge Wright’s views on money, politics and the First Amendment—as set forth in the D.C. Circuit’s opinion in Buckley v. Valeo—with the position taken by the Supreme Court on appeal the following year. My essay goes on to discuss a 1982 law review article by Judge Wright, which explained why, in his view, promoting political equality was fully consistent with the First Amendment properly understood. I conclude with a few remarks about the role of money in politics today.
