Opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Federal law prohibits corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an “electioneering communication” or for speech expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate. Limits on electioneering communications were upheld in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission.  The holding of McConnell rested to a large extent on an earlier case, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Austin had held that political speech may be banned based on the speaker’s corporate identity.  In this case we are asked to reconsider Austin and, in effect, McConnell.