Monday, June 16, 2003

Supreme Court overrules Fourth Circuit, upholds ban on campaign contributions by non-profits

In Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont, the Supreme Court in an opinion by Justice Souter, joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Stevens, O'Connor, Ginsburg, and Breyer, upheld federal law banning campaign contributions by non-profit corporations, reversing the prior opinion by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Justice Kennedy wrote a separate opinion, concurring in the result, and Justice Thomas dissented, joined by Justice Scalia.

The Fourth Circuit's earlier opinion, written by then Chief Judge Wilkinson, with both Judge Widener and Judge Gregory concurring in part and dissenting in part, is available here.

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