Contributions and expenditures both involve core First Amendment expression because they further the discussion of public issues and debate on the qualifications of candidates integral to the operation of the system of government established by our Constitution. When an individual donates money to a candidate or to a partisan organization, he enhances the donee’s ability to communicate a message and thereby adds to political debate, just as when that individual communicates the message himself. Clarence Thomas
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in Colorado Republican Campaign Cmte v. F.E.C. 518 U.S. 604 (1996).