Opponents of untrammeled corporate campaign spending may have cause for optimism if a conservative organization “dedicated to fighting environmental extremism” persuades the Supreme Court of the United States to hear its case.
American Tradition Partnership, Inc., (ATP) is challenging Montana’s campaign contributions law, the Corrupt Practices Act of 1912. Unlike the relevant Massachusetts statute (M.G.L. c. 55, Section 8) the Montana law does not ban corporate campaign contributions outright. In fact, corporations are free to make campaign contributions so long as they solicit them from employees and shareholders, then pass them on to candidates via separate, transparent accounts, and file two simple forms with the state.
When Montana’s state’s supreme court upheld the law, ATP asked the Supreme Court of the United States to stay the decision, effectively granting an injunction. Although the Supreme Court did, indeed, grant the stay the accompanying statement from Justices Ginsberg and Breyer suggests that the Court may be take advantage of the Montana case to revisit Citizens United.
The case is American Tradition Partnerships, Inc. v. Bullock, Attorney General of Montana and you can read about it here.
Peter Vickery, Esq., 