Litigation

MT Ban on Corporate Political Spending ?Unconstitutional?

By Peter Hardin

Montana’s ban on corporations making independent political expenditures violates the Constitution, a state judge has ruled.

Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled that the century-old law, “insofar as it prevents corporations from making independent expenditures to support or oppose political candidates or political parties, is declared unconstitutional,” according to an Associated Press article.

Attorney General Steve Bullock had been a stalwart defender of the state restrictions (see Gavel Grab), even in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision in January that lifted key restraints on corporate political spending.

Bullock pledged an appeal. The court ruling paves the way “for activist groups organized as corporations to spend as much as they want this election season,” the AP reported.

Full post as published by The Gavel on October 19, 2010 (boomark / email).