The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case called Citizens United v. FEC. You can access the transcript of the oral argument here.
This case involves a challenge over the McCain-Feingold bill and a provision that makes it a crime for corporations (including nonprofits) and unions to spend money on political ads (i.e. speech).
In 2008, Citizens United, a conservative nonprofit group, was prohibited from advertising a movie it produced called “Hillary The Movie.”
From the Citizens United web site:
Unfortunately for us (and our film sales), under federal election law, we could produce our film but could not advertise its existence on television and radio, nor could we give cable subscribers the opportunity to view the film in an “on demand” format.
This case is one of the most important free speech cases in our nation’s history.
- Op-Ed in today’s Washington Times by the president of Citizens United
- Supplemental Information on the Case (includes CBS story on the case)
