Shaun McCutcheon is a businessman and electrical engineer from suburban Birmingham, Alabama. He is the inventor and developer of innovative industrial electric devices including a large-scale imploding circuit breaker and a multi-polar electric motor and generator. [1] He is also the successful plaintiff in the Supreme Court case McCutcheon v. FEC, a landmark campaign finance decision.[2]
Career
editAfter graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology, McCutcheon began working as an electrical engineer, installing motor drives and electrical equipment for manufacturing industries.[3]
In 1996, he founded Coalmont Electrical Development Corporation, an engineering firm specializing in complex electrical systems.[4] McCutcheon currently serves as Coalmont’s CEO.[5]
McCutcheon v. FEC
editMcCutcheon rose to national prominence when he filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in 2012.[6] McCutcheon specifically challenged the FEC’s “aggregate contribution limits,” which had imposed a cap on contributions an individual could make over a two-year period to national party and federal candidate committees.[7][8]
With the help of the attorney and campaign finance expert Dan Backer and the Republican National Committee, McCutcheon’s case rose to the Supreme Court.[9] In 2014, the Court ruled in McCutcheon’s favor by a 5-4 margin, claiming the FEC’s aggregate contribution limits violated the First Amendment.[10]
Political activity
editMcCutcheon is a Republican donor and conservative activist.[11][12] In May 2020, McCutcheon filed to run for president as a Libertarian.[13]
In popular culture
editMcCutcheon made frequent appearances as himself on news programs and in other forums to defend the rights of donors to give to politicians.[14]
In film and television
editOn episode 4 of the satirical comedy show Who Is America? the character Erran Morad (as portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen) teaches Shaun McCutcheon how to defend an office from Islamic terrorists by wielding pork and a picture of two men apparently having anal sex as shields.[15]
References
edit- ^ Frizell, Sam. "The Alabama Engineer Who Made History At the Supreme Court". Time. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Liptak, Adam (2014-04-02). "Supreme Court Strikes Down Overall Political Donation Cap". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Frizell, Sam. "The Alabama Engineer Who Made History At the Supreme Court". Time. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Frizell, Sam. "The Alabama Engineer Who Made History At the Supreme Court". Time. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Frizell, Sam. "The Alabama Engineer Who Made History At the Supreme Court". Time. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Jacobs, Ben (2013-10-08). "Who Is Shaun McCutcheon?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ "Shaun McCutcheon says court victory renders super PAC obsolete". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ "McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission - SCOTUSblog". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Liptak, Adam (2014-04-02). "Supreme Court Strikes Down Overall Political Donation Cap". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ Liptak, Adam (2014-04-02). "Supreme Court Strikes Down Overall Political Donation Cap". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ "Meet the Alabama man behind a Donald Trump super PAC". AL.com. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ "I Fought the Law and I Won". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
- ^ "MCCUTCHEON, SHAUN - Candidate overview". FEC.gov. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "Shaun McCutcheon's victory lap". politico.com. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ "Sacha Baron Cohen: Here's Everyone He Has Punked So Far on 'Who Is America?'". IndieWire. July 16, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2024.