U.S. Supreme Court rules corporate contribution limits unconstitutional

January 21, 2010

Washington, D.C.: In the case Citizens United v. FEC the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5-4 that the current limits on corporate and labor union contributions are unconstitutional. The Supreme Court also rejected the portions of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill that placed bans on issue ads funded by corporations and labor unions in the final days before an election.

Anthony Kennedy led the majority opinion along with John G. Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Antonin Scalia. Justice John Paul Stevens led the dissenting opinion and was joined by Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Stephen Breyer.