Citizens United is a conservative, non-profit advocacy group whose stated mission, according to the organization's the official website, is "restoring our government to citizens' control".
The group produced a documentary film called Hillary the Movie which it sought to distribute along with a group of cable-television and media corporations. This violated the McCain-Feingold Law on campaign finance reform, which bans certain corporate-funded TV broadcasts of a political nature prior to a general election. Citizens United, opposed to this ban, pursued the case up to the Supreme Court.
On January 21, 2010, the Court sided with the group in the case, striking down limits on corporate and union spending in elections. The majority opinion, written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, wiped out many of the provisions of the 2002 McCain-Feingold bill, and opposes any limits of the independent spending of money in elections.http://www.slate.com/id/2242209/
Trailer for "Hillary: The Movie"
"Hillary: The Movie" is a documentary film critical of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, produced when she was serving as a Senator from New York and running for the Democratic Party's nomination for President. (Clinton was eventually bested by current President Barack Obama. The film was produced by Citizens United, and includes interviews about Clinton and her political history with Dick Morris, Ann Coulter, Dick Armey, Michael Medved and others.
References
Fast Facts
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President
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Stated purpose
"Restoring our government to citizens' control" and to "restore the founding fathers' vision of a free nation, guided by honesty, common sense and good will of its citizens."
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Stated values
"limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security"
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Producers
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Fact:
Citizens United supported by a 5-4 majority of Supreme Court Justices
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Fact:
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Fact:
Citizens United argued for overrule of 1990 case Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, upholding limits on corporate spending in elections
