Hillary the Movie

A conservative organization called Citizens United made a documentary film about presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called Hillary the Movie. The official website for the film describes its content thus, "If you want to hear about the Clinton scandals of past and present, you have it here!" The site lists a cast that includes: Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich and Dick Morris. According to the Federal Election Commission, The Christian Science Monitor reports, the film is considered a form of "electioneering communications", which means that both a disclaimer and the names of anyone who's funding the promotion would have to appear on the ads. Citizens United, which aims to advertise the movie on television, argues that advertisements for the film constitute free speech. On Monday, March 24, 2008, The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the film producers' appeal on the grounds that appeal should be dealt with at the level of the federal appeals court in Washington.

Fast Facts:

1. A documentary film about Hillary Clinton
2. Produced by conservative group Citizens United
3. 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform law is the source of the restrictions
4. Federal Election Commission regulates ads and demands inclusion of disclaimer and names of those who are paying for the ads
5. According to The Christian Science Monitor, FEC officials said, the film was "aimed at advocating Clinton's defeat."
6. Citizens United claims that the FEC regulations violate free speech rights
7. Citizens United hired attorney James Bopp
8. The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed Citiznes United's Hillary the Movie case on Monday, March 24, 2008
9. Citizens United, according to The Christian Science Monitor, is also producing a documentary on Barack Obama

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