Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/11pdf/11-1179h9j3.pdf
Page Number: 1

Cite as:  567 U. S. ____ (2012) 

1 

Per Curiam 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

AMERICAN TRADITION PARTNERSHIP, INC., FKA
 
WESTERN TRADITION PARTNERSHIP, INC., 

ET AL. v. STEVE BULLOCK, ATTORNEY
 
GENERAL OF MONTANA, ET AL. 

ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME 

COURT OF MONTANA
 

No. 11–1179.  Decided June 25, 2012

 PER CURIAM. 
A  Montana  state  law  provides  that  a  “corporation  may 
not  make  .  .  .  an  expenditure  in  connection  with  a  candi-
date  or  a  political  committee  that  supports  or  opposes  a 
candidate  or  a  political  party.”    Mont.  Code  Ann.  §13–
35–227(1)  (2011).  The  Montana  Supreme  Court  rejected 
petitioners’  claim  that  this  statute  violates  the  First 
Amendment.  2011  MT  328,  363  Mont.  220,  271  P. 3d  1. 
In  Citizens  United  v.  Federal  Election  Commission,  this 
Court  struck  down  a  similar  federal  law,  holding  that 
“political speech does not lose First Amendment protection
simply because its source is a corporation.”  558 U. S. ___, 
___ (2010) (slip op., at 26) (internal quotation marks omit-
ted).  The  question  presented  in  this  case  is  whether  the 
holding  of  Citizens  United  applies  to  the  Montana  state 
law.  There can be no serious doubt that it does.  See U. S. 
Const.,  Art. VI,  cl.  2.    Montana’s  arguments  in  support  of 
the  judgment  below  either  were  already  rejected  in  Citi-
zens United, or fail to meaningfully distinguish that case.
The  petition  for  certiorari  is  granted.    The  judgment  of

the Supreme Court of Montana is reversed. 

It is so ordered.