Campaign Finance and Other Political Campaign Regulations
The regulation of political campaigns has led to numerous Supreme Court rulings involving free speech rights embodied in the First Amendment. Issues have included ballot access, rights of political parties, electioneering and what can be said during a campaign, campaign dislcosure requirements and contribution limits.
Following is a list of Supreme Court cases involving political campaign regulations and campaign finance.
Brown v. Socialist Workers ’74 Campaign Committee (1982) said the First
Amendment prohibits states from forcing minor political parties to reveal
contributors’ names.
Buckley v. Valeo (1976) said limits on campaign contributions did not
violate the First Amendment freedom of expression, but limits on campaign
spending were unconstitutional.
United States v. CIO (1948), which involved an indictment against a union
for its periodical, said the law in question was not intended to infringe
upon First Amendment freedoms.
In 1957, the Supreme Court held that the use of general union treasury
funds to sponsor commercial television broadcasts touting 1954
congressional candidates was an indictable offense under 18 U.S.C. 610,
which banned corporate or labor contributions or expenditures in federal
campaigns.
Cammarano v. United States (1959) said businesses cannot deduct from their
taxes money spent to influence legislation. The Court said the law did not
violate the First Amendment.
Randall v. Sorrell (2006) said that Vermont’s spending and contribution
limits infringed upon the First Amendment’s right to free speech and
threatened freedom of association.
Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC (2000) concluded that Missouri’s
political contribution limits did not infringe on First Amendment rights of
free speech and association.
Citizens Against Rent Control v. Berkeley (1981) said no compelling
interest exists for restricting First Amendment rights of those donating to
defeat or pass a ballot measure.
In McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission (1995), the Court ruled that an
Ohio statute requiring author identification on election-related
publications violated the First Amendment.
Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee v. Federal Election
Commission (1996) said a law that limited independent campaign expenditures
ran afoul of the First Amendment.