Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/558bv.pdf
Page Number: 480

Cite as: 558 U. S. 310 (2010) 

319 

Opinion of the Court 

tures  for  speech  deﬁned  as  an  “electioneering  communi­
cation”  or  for  speech  expressly  advocating  the  election  or 
defeat of a candidate.  2 U. S. C. § 441b.  Limits on election­
eering communications were upheld in McConnell v.  Federal 
Election Comm’n, 540 U. S. 93, 203–209 (2003).  The holding 
of  McConnell  rested  to  a  large  extent  on  an  earlier  case, 
Austin  v.  Michigan  Chamber  of  Commerce,  494  U. S.  652 
(1990).  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.  It  has  been  noted  that  “Austin  was  a 
signiﬁcant  departure  from  ancient  First  Amendment  princi­
ples,” Federal Election Comm’n v.  Wisconsin Right to Life, 
Inc., 551 U. S. 449, 490 (2007) (WRTL) (Scalia, J., concurring 
in  part  and  concurring  in  judgment).  We  agree  with  that 
conclusion  and  hold  that  stare  decisis  does  not  compel  the 
continued acceptance of Austin.  The Government may reg­
ulate  corporate  political  speech  through  disclaimer  and  dis­
closure  requirements,  but  it  may  not  suppress  that  speech 
altogether.  We turn to the case now before us. 

I 
A 

Citizens United is a nonproﬁt corporation.  It brought this 
action in the United States District Court for the District of 
Columbia.  A  three-judge  court  later  convened  to  hear  the 
cause.  The resulting judgment gives rise to this appeal. 

Citizens United has an annual budget of about $12 million. 
Most  of  its  funds  are  from  donations  by  individuals;  but,  in 
addition,  it  accepts  a  small  portion  of  its  funds  from  for-
proﬁt corporations. 

In  January  2008,  Citizens  United  released  a  ﬁlm  entitled 
Hillary: The Movie.  We refer to the ﬁlm as Hillary.  It is 
a  90-minute  documentary  about  then-Senator  Hillary  Clin­
ton,  who  was  a  candidate  in  the  Democratic  Party’s  2008 
Presidential  primary  elections.  Hillary  mentions  Senator