Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling Could Aid Nonprofit Advocacy, but Adds New Concerns

In its ruling on Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (1/21/2010), the U.S. Supreme Court lifted restrictions on corporate campaign spending which some government watchdogs and nonprofit groups fear will allow businesses to drown out the voices of individuals, charities, and smaller advocacy organizations. But while much of the debate and news-media coverage has focused on how the ruling will affect corporations, legal experts say the decision will also make it easier for nonprofit advocacy groups to try to influence elections, as this Chronicle of Philanthropy news article reports.

"And even more intriguingly, they say, because the court grounded its decision on First Amendment free-speech rights, it could pave the way for a challenge to the ban on campaign activity that applies to charities under section 501c3 of the tax code."