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SCOTUS Reaffirms Citizens United Vs. F.E.C.

The United States Supreme Court reaffirmed its decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C. Monday in American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock, 11-1179, 2012 WL 2368660 (U.S. June 25, 2012).  In a short 5-4 per curiam opinion, the Court overturned a Montana statute prohibiting corporations from making “an expenditure in connection with a candidate or a political committee that supports or opposes a candidate or a political party.”  The Court reaffirmed that “political speech does not lose its First Amendment protection simply because its source is a corporation.”

Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan dissented.  Justice Kagan was not a member of the Court when Citizens United was decided.  Justice Kagan replaced Justice Stevens in August 2010.  Justice Stevens authored the dissent in Citizens United.