# Controversial Supreme Court Decision

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-supreme-court-decision/608885
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 9, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-supreme-court-decision/608885 "2012-01-09T03:09:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-supreme-court-decision/608885/1 "2012-01-09T03:09:44Z")

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I believe it was about two years ago the Supreme Court issued a decision relating to campaign contributions. It was controversial in some quarters. Can someone provide an objective/non-politica summary of it?

Thanks.

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### Author: ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-supreme-court-decision/608885/2 "2012-01-09T03:11:04Z")

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> **[Citizens United v. FEC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission)**
>
> Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The court held 5–4 that the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, including nonprofit corporations, labor unions, and other associations.
> The case...

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### Author: ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/controversial-supreme-court-decision/608885/3 "2012-01-09T03:12:25Z")

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Here’s a report from the Christian Science Monitor which tries to provide [“just the facts”](http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2010/0202/Supreme-Court-s-campaign-finance-ruling-just-the-facts).

And here’s the wiki article: [Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission).