The Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC struck down limits on corporate independent expenditures, reasoning that independent spending cannot corrupt candidates. The NRSC argues this logic applies to coordinated party spending. But the Supreme Court upheld coordinated spending limits in _____ (year), finding coordinated spending is virtually indistinguishable from _____ (what type of political funding) and creates corruption risk. The current case is _____ (case name) v. Federal Election Commission.

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In FEC v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee (2001), known as Colorado II, the Supreme Court upheld coordinated party spending limits by a 5-4 vote. Justice Souter's majority opinion reasoned that coordinated spending is "virtually indistinguishable from contributions" to candidates because the party and candidate work together, creating the same corruption risks as direct donations. The Court distinguished coordinated spending from the independent expenditures protected in Citizens United, finding that coordination eliminates the independence that prevents quid pro quo corruption. The NRSC now asks the Court to overrule this precedent, arguing Citizens United's reasoning should apply to coordinated spending.

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