FEC v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life
In Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc., 479 U.S. 238 (1986), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc. violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by distributing flyers asking voters to vote “for life” paid for with treasury funds. However, the court also ruled that the FECA section that required any spending by corporations on political campaigning to be done through political action committees (PACs) was itself a violation of the First Amendment rights of nonprofit political and ideological groups.[1][2]
| Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued Oct 7, 1986 Decided Dec 15, 1986 | |
| Full case name | Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc. |
| Docket no. | 85-701 |
| Citations | 479 U.S. 238 (more) 107 S. Ct. 616; 93 L. Ed. 2d 539; 1986 U.S. LEXIS 26 |
| Holding | |
| Massachusetts Citizens for Life violated the Federal Election Campaign Act by distributing flyers asking voters to vote “for life” paid for with treasury funds, however that section of FECA itself violated the First Amendment. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brennan, joined by Marshall, Powell, Scalia |
| Concurrence | O’Connor |
| Dissent | Rehnquist, joined by White, Blackmun, Stevens |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. I | |
See also
References
- Wermiel, Stephen (16 Dec 1986). "High Court Overturns Law Requiring Nonprofit Political Groups to Use PACs". Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition. p. 4. Retrieved 2017-05-16 – via ProQuest.
- "Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc". Oyez. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
External links
- Text of Federal Election Commission v. Massachusetts Citizens for Life, Inc., 479 U.S. 238 (1986) is available from: CourtListener Justia Library of Congress Oyez (oral argument audio)
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