To the editor: Guest contributor Simona Grossi is correct when she points out that this current administration is using the withholding of money to punish corporations and organizations or their leadership who oppose or disagree with its policies (“Censoring is out. Bullying is in,” July 23).
In addition to the method she proposes to deal with this behavior, I believe that the 1st Amendment can be invoked by the judiciary directly against these repressive actions. In Citizens United vs. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and other outside groups could no longer be prohibited from unlimited supposedly “independent” spending on campaigns. This was an expansion of the court’s decision in Buckley vs. Valeo (1976) that contributions to campaigns (money to sway voters’ opinions) was speech and therefore could not be limited.
I disagree with the Citizens United majority opinion and ruling. However, since it was ruled that limiting money is equivalent to limiting speech, equal application of those decisions would therefore demand that money cannot be withheld from persons, corporations or groups because of governmental disagreement or opposition to those expressed beliefs and opinions.
Neal Sheade, Westwood