Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

E33469

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is a landmark 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case that dramatically expanded the political spending rights of corporations and unions by treating such expenditures as protected speech.


Statements (50)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States Supreme Court case
campaign finance case
landmark case
areaOfLaw campaign finance law
constitutional law
election law
arguedDate 2009-03-24
chiefJusticeAtDecision John G. Roberts NERFINISHED
citation 558 U.S. 310
constitutionalProvisionInterpreted First Amendment to the United States Constitution
country United States
court Supreme Court of the United States
decidedIn October Term 2009
decisionDate 2010-01-21
defendant Federal Election Commission
dissentingOpinionBy John Paul Stevens NERFINISHED
docketNumber No. 08-205
effect allowed corporations to spend unlimited funds on independent political communications
allowed labor unions to spend unlimited funds on independent political communications
led to growth of Super PACs
fullName Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
holding Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act limits on corporate independent expenditures are unconstitutional
Government may not suppress political speech on the basis of the speaker’s corporate identity
Restrictions on independent political expenditures by corporations and unions violate the First Amendment
joinedDissent Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Sonia Sotomayor
Stephen Breyer NERFINISHED
joinedMajority Anthony Kennedy
Antonin Scalia
Clarence Thomas
John G. Roberts
Samuel Alito
legalIssue First Amendment free speech
campaign finance regulation
independent political expenditures
majorityOpinionBy Anthony Kennedy
overruledPrecedent Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce
part of McConnell v. Federal Election Commission
plaintiff Citizens United
rearguedDate 2009-09-09
relatedStatute Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
Federal Election Campaign Act
separateOpinionBy Antonin Scalia NERFINISHED
Clarence Thomas NERFINISHED
John G. Roberts NERFINISHED
shortName Citizens United v. FEC
topic corporate political spending
electioneering communications
union political spending
yearDecided 2010


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