Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/558bv.pdf
Page Number: 479

318  CITIZENS  UNITED  v.  FEDERAL  ELECTION  COMM’N 

Opinion of the Court 

Justice Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court. 
Federal  law  prohibits  corporations  and  unions  from  using 
their  general  treasury  funds  to  make  independent  expendi-

Hampshire,  and  by  the  Attorneys  General  for  their  respective  States  as 
follows:  Richard  Blumenthal  of  Connecticut,  Bill  McCollum  of  Florida, 
Mark J. Bennett of Hawaii, Lisa Madigan of Illinois, Tom Miller of Iowa, 
Steve Six of Kansas, Douglas F. Gansler of Maryland, Martha Coakley of 
Massachusetts, Michael A. Cox of  Michigan, Lori Swanson of Minnesota, 
Jim  Hood  of  Mississippi,  Anne  Milgram  of  New  Jersey,  Gary  K.  King  of 
New  Mexico,  Roy  Cooper  of  North  Carolina,  Wayne  Stenehjem  of  North 
Dakota,  Richard  Cordray  of  Ohio,  W.  A.  Drew  Edmondson  of  Oklahoma, 
Thomas  W.  Corbett,  Jr.,  of  Pennsylvania,  Patrick  C.  Lynch  of  Rhode  Is­
land, Lawrence E. Long of South Dakota, Robert E. Cooper, Jr., of Tennes­
see, William H. Sorrell of Vermont, and Darrell V. McGraw, Jr., of West 
Virginia;  for  the  American  Civil  Liberties  Union  by  Steven  R.  Shapiro, 
Joel  M.  Gora,  and  Mark  J.  Lopez;  for  the  American  Justice  Partnership 
et al. by Cleta Mitchell and Michael J. Lockerby; for the California Broad­
casters  Association  et  al.  by  Lawrence  H.  Norton,  James  A.  Kahl,  and 
Gregg P. Skall;  for the California First Amendment Coalition  by Gary L. 
Bostwick and Jean-Paul Jassy; for Campaign Finance Scholars by Allison 
R.  Hayward,  pro  se;  for  the  Center  for  Constitutional  Jurisprudence  by 
Anthony T. Caso, Edwin Meese III, and John C. Eastman; for the Center 
for Independent Media et al. by Monica Youn; for the Center for Political 
Accountability  et  al.  by  Mr.  Sandstrom;  for  the  Committee  for  Economic 
Development  by  Paul  M.  Smith;  for  the  Democratic  National  Committee 
by Robert F. Bauer and David J. Burman; for the Fidelis Center for Law 
and Policy et al. by Patrick T. Gillen; for Former Ofﬁcials of the American 
Civil Liberties Union by Norman Dorsen and Burt Neuborne, both pro se; 
for the Free Speech Defense and Education Fund, Inc., et al. by William J. 
Olson,  Herbert  W.  Titus,  John  S.  Miles,  and  Mark  B.  Weinberg;  for  the 
Hachette Book Group, Inc., et al. by Michael J. Chepiga; for the Independ­
ent Sector by M. Devereux Chatillon; for the Institute for Justice by Wil­
liam  R.  Maurer,  William  H.  Mellor,  Steven  M.  Simpson,  and  Robert  W. 
Gall;  for  Judicial  Watch,  Inc.,  by  Paul  J.  Orfanedes  and  Dale  L.  Wilcox; 
for Justice at Stake et al. by James E. Scarboro; for the Michigan Chamber 
of  Commerce  by  Richard  D.  McLellan,  Gary  P.  Gordon,  John  D.  Pirich, 
and Andrea L. Hansen; for the Paciﬁc Legal Foundation by Deborah J. La 
Fetra  and  Damien  M.  Schiff;  for  Public  Good  by  Seth  E.  Mermin;  for 
Seven  Former  Chairmen  of  the  Federal  Election  Commission  et  al.  by 
Messrs. Bopp and Coleson; and for Representative Chris Van Hollen et al. 
by Bradley S. Phillips and Aaron S. Lowenstein.