<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> This case overturned a previous ruling or rulings </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 1990 . McConnell v. FEC, 2003 (in part). </Td> </Tr> <P> Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission 558 U.S. 310 (2010) is a landmark U.S. constitutional law and corporate law case dealing with regulation of campaign spending by organizations . The United States Supreme Court held (5--4) on January 21, 2010 that freedom of speech prohibits the government from restricting independent political expenditures by nonprofit corporations, for - profit corporations, labor unions, and other associations . </P> <P> In the case, the conservative non-profit organization Citizens United wanted to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton and to advertise the film during television broadcasts shortly before the 2008 Democratic primary election in which Clinton was running for U.S. President . This would violate a federal statute prohibiting certain electioneering communications near an election . The court found the provisions of the law that prohibited corporations and unions from making such electioneering communications to conflict with the U.S. Constitution . </P>

In its 2010 ruling on citizens united v. federal election commission the u.s. supreme court