Supreme Court Refuses to Hear 'Citizens United' for Nonprofits

The Supreme Court today declined without comment a case that sought to extend Citizens United's lax spending rules to nonprofits, the Christian Science Monitor reports. SpeechNow.org, a conservative advocacy group, had sued the Federal Election Commission in an attempt to loosen restrictions on political action committees, which it likens to the nation's tax code. The justices did not elaborate on why they refused to hear the case; court watchers had thought it might be used to expand on Citizens United.

“In a free country, citizens should not have to register with government bureaucrats and comply with onerous regulations just to speak,” says one SpeechNow rep. “Americans should not have to disclose broad, non-campaign activities to the government, and they should not have to get the government’s permission to disband.” (More US Supreme Court stories.)