District Court for the Northern District of Texas issues memorandum opinion, order in McDonald v. FEC (Case No. 25-153)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas today issued a Memorandum Opinion and Order in McDonald v. FEC (Case No. 25-153), granting the Commission’s Motion to Dismiss.

In February 2025, the Plaintiff filed suit against the Commission challenging the reporting requirements of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act), that apply to certain contributions that are earmarked through conduits or intermediaries of amounts of up to $200. Under the Act, political committees must report all contributions received but are required to itemize only contributions that aggregate in excess of $200 within the calendar year (or election cycle, in the case of an authorized committee of a candidate for federal office). Itemized entries include an individual contributor’s name, address, occupation, and employer. The Act’s conduit reporting provision requires conduits to report to the Commission both the receipt of the initial contribution as well as the disbursement to the intended recipient but does not include a monetary threshold for itemization of a contribution.

The district court concluded that the Plaintiff had failed to demonstrate an injury in fact and, therefore, lacked standing to bring a constitutional challenge. The court granted the Commission’s Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction and dismissed the case without prejudice.