First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti
| First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Argued November 9, 1977 Decided April 26, 1978 |
|
| Full case name | First National Bank of Boston, et al. v. Francis X. Bellotti, Attorney General of Massachusetts |
| Citations | 435 U.S. 765 (more) |
| Argument | Oral argument |
| Opinion announcement | Opinion announcement |
| Holding | |
| Corporations have a First Amendment right to make contributions in ballot initiative campaigns. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Powell, joined by Burger, Stewart, Blackmun, Stevens |
| Dissent | White, joined by Brennan, Marshall |
| Dissent | Rehnquist |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. I | |
First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti, 435 U.S. 765 (1978), is a U.S. constitutional law case, which defined the free speech right of corporations for the first time. The United States Supreme Court held that corporations have a First Amendment right to make contributions to ballot initiative campaigns. The ruling came in response to a Massachusetts law that prohibited corporate donations in ballot initiatives unless the corporation's interests were directly involved.
In 1976 several corporations, including the First National Bank of Boston, were barred from contributing to a Massachusetts referendum regarding tax policy and subsequently sued. The case was successfully appealed to the Supreme Court, which heard oral arguments in November 1977. On April 26, 1978, the Court ruled 5-4 against the Massachusetts law.
As a result of the ruling, states could no longer impose specific regulations on donations from corporations in ballot initiative campaigns. While the Bellotti decision did not directly affect federal law, it has been cited by other Supreme Court cases such as McConnell v. Federal Election Commission and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
Since the early 1900s, federal law has prohibited the use of corporate funds to influence federal elections. In 1907, Congress passed the Tillman Act, prohibiting corporations and national banks from contributing to federal campaigns. Forty years later, the Taft-Hartley Act banned direct election contributions by labor unions and corporations to federal elections.
In 1971, the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) initiated sweeping reforms by requiring full reporting of contributions to federal elections. In 1974, amendments to the FECA created the Federal Election Commission and enacted stricter limits on election contributions and expenditures.
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