Citizens United v. FEC Opens Unlimited Corporate Campaign Spending

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations, associations, and labor unions. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, held that political speech does not lose constitutional protection simply because its source is a corporation. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a 90-page dissent warning the ruling would corrupt democratic governance. Dark money spending in federal elections exceeded $1 billion in the decade following the decision.