Background Posted on November 27, 2009 (June 24, 2020) Democracy Amendments See Bellotti v. First National Bank of Boston, 435 U.S. 765 (1978) (invalidating Massachusetts restriction on corporate expenditures to influence voter referenda not related to corporate purpose); FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., 551 U.S. 449 (2007) (as applied to issue advocacy advertisements of non-profit corporation, federal corporate expenditure restriction held to violate First Amendment); Thompson v. Western States Med. Ctr., 535 U.S. 357 (2002) (federal restriction on advertising of compounded drugs invalidated); Lorillard v. Reilly, 533 U.S.Read More
What did the Court decide in Citizens United? Posted on November 27, 2009 (June 23, 2020) Democracy Amendments A sharply divided Supreme Court decided that the American people are powerless to stop corporations from using corporate funds to influence state and federal elections. The 5-4 decision ruled that the restrictions on corporate expenditures in elections contained in the federal Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (known as BCRA or “McCain-Feingold”) violated the First Amendment protections of free speech. Read More
Beyond Citizens United v. FED: Re-examining Corporate Rights Posted on November 4, 2009 (May 28, 2020) Corporate Abuse of Power American Constitution Society for Law and PolicyAuthor: Jeffrey D. ClementsDocument Date: Wed, 11/04/2009Description: ACS is pleased to distribute “Beyond Citizens United v. FEC: Re-Examining Corporate Rights,” an Issue Brief by Jeffrey D. Clements, an attorney in private practice who specializes in litigation and appeals with the Clements Law Office, LLC. One of the most highlyRead More