SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission
Quick Summary
The case of SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission (2010) stemmed from the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Following Citizens United, which held that laws limiting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions violated the First Amendment, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals applied this reasoning to SpeechNOW.org.123
The SpeechNOW.org ruling struck down limits on the amount individuals could contribute to organizations making independent expenditures. However, it upheld disclosure requirements for these contributors. A significant outcome of this decision was the rise of "Super PACs," which can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, and unions for independent political spending, provided they do not coordinate directly with candidates.123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.