William is a candidate running for the position of mayor. Royal Blue, a corporation, provides funds to support William. William's rival files a lawsuit claiming that the corporation's spending was leaving no room for the opinion of others. Which of the following statements is true of the scenario?
A) The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Royal Blue's right to corporate political speech if it can be shown that their business or corporate assets were not materially affected.
B) The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects Royal Blue's right to corporate political speech if it can be shown that their business or corporate assets were not materially affected.
C) Judgment will be against Royal Blue, since an independent entity cannot contribute toward a candidate's election campaign.
D) Judgment will be against Royal Blue if they have spent more than a certain percentage of William's total campaign expenses.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has held that the First Amendment protects the right of corporations to engage in political speech, including funding of political campaigns, as long as it can be shown that their business or corporate assets were not materially affected. This is known as the "Citizens United" ruling. The other options are incorrect as the Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures, corporate contributions to political campaigns are allowed up to a certain limit, and there is no law prohibiting independent entities from contributing to political campaigns.

William Is a Candidate Running for the Position of Mayor