However, in the decision of the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison in 1803 was an example of the power he exuded in which the Court struck down a Federal statute for the first time (Baum 20). Heres a short catalogue of the high lights and the low lights.The Good We strive for accuracy and fairness. In January 2008, Citizens United, a non-profit corporation, released a film about then-Senator Hillary Clinton, who was a candidate in the Democratic Partys 2008 Presidential primary elections. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Source: FEC Record February 2010; February 2008. Citizens Unitedallowed big political spenders to exploit the growing lack of transparency in political spending. 1050 First Street, NE Pros And Cons Of Citizens United Vs Fec | ipl.org political ads) led to hundreds of millions of dollars in dark money in the 2010 and 2012 federal elections. Majority of the money was spent independently on political activities, such as advertising. At the Federal Communications Commission(FCC), the political files of broadcasters in the top 50 markets have gone from gathering dust in file cabinets to being available on-line. Thus, the district court held that Citizens United had not established the probability that it will prevail on the merits of its arguments against the electioneering communication disclosure and disclaimer provisions. Justice Kennedy, author of the opinion held that This case cannot be resolved on a narrower ground without chilling political speech, speech that is central to the First Amendment s meaning and purpose.(CITIZENS UNITED) Kennedy could have simply said that Citizens could show the film, but it wouldnt establish much. Where is the law four years later? The Court held that, although disclaimer and disclosure requirements may burden the ability to speak, they impose no ceiling on campaign activities and do not prevent anyone from speaking. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stated after the decision With todays monumental decision, the Supreme Court took an important step in the direction of restoring the First Amendment rights of these groups by ruling that the Constitution protects their right to express themselves about political candidates and issues." Finally, addressing the impacts ofCitizens Unitedrequires building a movement in favor of campaign finance reform. Some would try more ambitious reforms like adopting the U.K.s approach to corporate political spending by requiring shareholder votes before a company can spend in an election. On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Citizens United v.Federal Election Commission overruling an earlier decision, Austin v. Michigan State Chamber of Commerce (Austin), that allowed prohibitions on independent expenditures by corporations.The Court also overruled the part of McConnell v.Federal Election Commission that held that corporations could be banned from making .