Bill Maher did not mince words about his dismay surrounding the Supreme Court's recent decision on campaign contributions.
Maher blasted the court's McCutcheon v. FEC ruling on his show Friday night. He specifically went after Chief Justice John Roberts' reasoning that large donations are not reflective of "quid pro quo corruption."
“Either he is a liar or he is too naïve to hold any important job including, and especially, this one,” Maher said. “This is like a legal ruling written by the little mermaid.”
As HuffPost's Paul Blumenthal explained Friday, the McCutcheon decision expanded the realm of ramifications for campaign finance reform. Previously, the 2010 Citizens United ruling had only addressed the "potential corrupting influence of independent political spending by corporations and unions."
"[I]ndependent expenditures, including those made by corporations, do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in 2010. "That speakers may have influence over or access to elected officials does not mean that those officials are corrupt. And the appearance of influence or access will not cause the electorate to lose faith in this democracy."
Now, that definition of corruption has been extended to independent campaign contributions. Republicans were pleased with the decision, with the RNC calling it an "important first step toward restoring the voice of candidates and party committees." Several Democrats, headed by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), paralleled Maher's sentiments on the ruling.
"This is a court that knows essentially nothing about elections. It's the first court in a long time on which no one has ever run for office," said Whitehouse, comparing the five justices who ruled for businessman Shaun McCutcheon to "the ultimate amateur ... who says, 'I know how to eat, so I can open a restaurant.'"
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