Supreme Court questions company campaign spending limits
September 9, 2009
Corporate spending limits in US political campaigns may be too broad and silence free-speech rights of small businesses, Supreme Court conservatives said on Wednesday. But the court's four liberals, including new Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said more harm than good could be done by overturning precedents upholding the restrictions on corporations and labor unions. The comments came during arguments in a special session to consider ending long-standing limits on corporate and union spending in political campaigns. The case involves a 2008 movie critical of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Supreme Court questions company campaign spending limits Supreme Court sharply questions ban on corporate spending (The Hill) Justices Are Pressed for a Broad Ruling in Campaign Case (NYTimes) Court Debates Campaign Law (WSJ) High Court's Conservatives Skeptical of Election Law (WashPost) Supreme Court hears arguments for corporate funding of candidates (LATimes) Protect free speech without gutting campaign limits (USAToday) 'Hillary' case: the legal stakes (CSM)