To the editor: Guest contributor Simona Grossi is right when she points out that this current administration is using withholding money to punish corporations and organizations or their leaders who oppose or disagree with its policies (“Censorship is out. Harassment is in.” July 23).
In addition to the method she proposes to address this behavior, I believe the judiciary can invoke the First Amendment directly against these repressive actions. In United Citizens v. FEC (2010)The Supreme Court ruled that corporations and other outside groups could no longer be prohibited from making unlimited supposedly “independent” campaign spending. This was an expansion of the court's decision in Buckley v. Valeo (1976) that campaign contributions (money to influence voters' opinions) were words and therefore could not be limited.
I disagree with the opinion and majority ruling of Citizens United. However, since it was ruled that limiting money is equivalent to limiting expression, equal application of those decisions would require that money cannot be withheld from individuals, corporations, or groups due to government disagreements or opposition to those expressed beliefs and opinions.
Neal Sheade, Westwood
