AP is reporting that on Friday RNC Chairman Reince Preibus and the Republican National Committee sued the Federal Election Commission to overturn the ban on parties to raise unlimited funds for use on independent expenditures. Parties are currently subject to limits on individual contributions, and are prohibited from accepting funds from corporations and labor unions.

"Republican officials emphasized the move was to seek parity with super PACs, which have grown in influence since 2010 and can help a few deep-pocketed donors exercise incredible influence."

"Since January 2013, the RNC has raised almost $112 million, the best of any party-controlled committee. Opening the door to megadonors could dramatically increase that amount, if they can be wooed."

"If successful in its lawsuit, the RNC plans to establish independent spending accounts for House and Senate candidates this election year, followed in 2016 with a spending account for the Republican presidential nominee, according to the lawsuit."

"If the RNC is successful, we will again see party committees brazenly soliciting $1 million contributions from wealthy contributors seeking to directly purchase influence over candidates and officeholders, with the party committees acting as the sales agent," said Lawrence Noble, general counsel to the FEC from 1987 to 2000 and now an adviser at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.

"If successful, this case would give the wealthiest among us even more influence in politics, further drowning out the voices of everyday people who can't write huge checks," said David Donnelly, executive director of the Public Campaign Action Fund, which backs taxpayer-funded elections.

The full RNC complaint can be found here

Read the article by Philip Elliott on AP.