A Supreme Court ruling and congressional action in December opened the door to huge increases in contributions to political parties.

Givers were once capped at $123,000 in contributions of all descriptions. The Supreme Court struck that down. Then Congress created new political party accounts to which donors could give.

Advertisement

Reports Huffington Post:

In the first three months of 2015, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, the three main party committees for Republicans collected more than $5 million for three newly created accounts — the headquarters, convention and legal services accounts — as well as for the expanded recount account. The vast majority of this money came in six-figure contributions from wealthy party stalwarts.

Warren Stephens, president of the Arkansas-based financial firm Stephens, Inc., is the top donor to the new accounts after giving $501,000 in contributions to the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Republican National Committee.

UPDATE: A fellow traveler has a thought. Maybe those big Asa tax cuts for rich people ARE creating jobs. 

Advertisement

Remember all the “job creating” that Arkansas’ wealthiest families were going to do with the massive tax cuts lavished on them last session by Arkansas lawmakers? Apparently some of them are spending part of their new windfall on political contributions that will put our lawmakers further under their influence. We can’t afford to give pre-K students, health clinics, libraries, proven summer programs for youth, our highways and infrastructure what they need because of those tax cuts.

But some political consultants, TV ad makers and campaign sign printers will get some work.

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Louisiana: Another miracle for a Republican governor Next article Live Review: Fleetwood Mac returns to Verizon with classic lineup reunited