# Citizens United v. FEC Definition

> 2010 Supreme Court ruling ended federal limits on corporate and union political spending.
- Title: Citizens United v. FEC Definition · USAFacts | Shortify
- Summary: 2010 Supreme Court ruling ended federal limits on corporate and union political spending. The 2010 Citizens United ruling removed federal limits on…
- Keywords: citizens united, fec, corporate spending, political ads, united states, supreme court, 2010, independent expenditures, political action committees, pacs, news, politics
- Source: USAFacts — https://usafacts.org/articles/citizens-united-v-fec-definition
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: citizens united, fec, corporate spending, political ads, united states, supreme court, 2010, independent expenditures, political action committees, pacs, news, politics
## What is Citizens United v. FEC?
The 2010 Supreme Court case struck down federal limits on independent political spending by corporations and labor unions.
## What is an independent expenditure?
Money spent on ads or messages supporting or opposing a candidate without campaign coordination.
## How did Citizens United challenge the law?
Citizens United made a film about Hillary Clinton in 2008 and sued the FEC after it classified the film as a campaign ad.
## What did the Supreme Court rule?
The Court struck down the ban on corporate and union political spending, calling it speech protected by the First Amendment.
## What changed after the ruling?
Corporations and unions can now spend their own money on political ads without coordination with candidates.
## What happened next?
The ruling led to the creation of super PACs, which accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations.
## Key takeaway

The 2010 Citizens United ruling removed federal limits on independent political spending by corporations and labor unions.