Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

When the conservative nonprofit Citizens United was prevented from airing advertisements for its documentary Hillary: The Movie during the 2008 election on the grounds that its critical content violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, Citizens United brought its case all the way to the Supreme Court, leading to a decision that continues to spark controversy. The Court voted 5–4 in favor of Citizens United in one of the most important First Amendment cases in years. In the majority opinion, the justices said preventing corporations from campaigning for particular candidates is a violation of free speech. Though corporations are still banned from giving money directly to a campaign, Citizens United has been credited with the rise of super PACs, which can accept unlimited donations from individuals and corporations to promote political causes.

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