News

Ethics board asked to scrap limit on PAC donors

by Walter Pierce

The Louisiana Board of Ethics is considering a request from a super PAC supporting Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter, asking the board to jettison state limits on donations to political action committees.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Louisiana Board of Ethics is considering a request from a super PAC supporting Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter, asking the board to jettison state limits on donations to political action committees.

The state currently caps the contributions at $100,000 for each election cycle. Super PACs can raise and spend unlimited funds to help candidates at the federal level.

Charlie Spies, a leader of the pro-Vitter group called The Fund for Louisiana's Future, says the Louisiana limit doesn't comply with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Staff for the ethics board is recommending that the board not get involved in the dispute, however, saying it doesn't have jurisdiction to make a decision about whether the state cap is constitutional.

The board hears arguments Friday and will make a decision.