老澳门开奖结果

WASHINGTON 鈥� The Supreme Court today that the National Rifle Association鈥檚 allegations that New York state officials coerced private companies to blacklist the group because of its political views stated a claim under the First Amendment, reversing a decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The 老澳门开奖结果 represented the NRA before the court in NRA v. Vullo, arguing that any government attempt to blacklist an advocacy group because of its viewpoint violates the First Amendment.

David Cole, the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 national legal director, who argued the case for the NRA, said: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 decision confirms that government officials have no business using their regulatory authority to blacklist disfavored political groups. The New York state officials involved here, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his chief financial regulator, Maria Vullo, were clear that they sought to punish the NRA because they disagreed with its gun rights advocacy. The Supreme Court has now made crystal clear that this action is unconstitutional.鈥�

As Justice Sotomayer鈥檚 opinion noted, 鈥淎t the heart of the First Amendment鈥檚 Free Speech Clause is the recognition that viewpoint discrimination is uniquely harmful to a free and democratic society. 鈥� The takeaway is that the First Amendment prohibits government officials from wielding their power selectively to punish or suppress speech.鈥�

While the 老澳门开奖结果 stands in stark opposition to the NRA on many issues, it represented the group to safeguard the First Amendment rights of all advocacy organizations. Across the country, organizations in the fight for racial justice, criminal legal reform, reproductive and LGBTQ rights too often face attacks by state and local government officials who disagree with their point of view. If the court had allowed New York to blacklist a powerful organization like the NRA, government officials would have had even greater power to target less powerful organizations 鈥� especially those who speak for our most vulnerable communities.

鈥淭his is a landmark victory for the NRA and all who care about our First Amendment freedom,鈥� said William A. Brewer III, counsel to the NRA. 鈥淭he opinion confirms what the NRA has known all along: New York government officials abused the power of their office to silence a political enemy. This is a victory for the NRA鈥檚 millions of members and the freedoms that define America.鈥�

Before the case reached the Supreme Court, the NRA sued Maria Vullo, who was the superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) in 2018, after she leveraged her regulatory power over banks and insurance companies to coerce them into denying basic financial services to the NRA and, in Vullo鈥檚 own words, 鈥渙ther gun promotion鈥� groups. Openly claiming that she sought to penalize the NRA because she disapproved of its political advocacy, the NRA鈥檚 complaint alleged that Vullo issued formal guidance to every bank and insurance company in New York urging them to 鈥渟ever ties鈥� with the NRA, promised lenience to certain insurers if they would stop doing business with the NRA, and required the group鈥檚 three principal 鈥渁ffinity insurance鈥� providers never to provide such insurance to the NRA again.

A district court ruled that the NRA's allegations against Vullo were sufficient to claim that she violated the NRA's First Amendment rights. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed this ruling, stating that Vullo's actions constitute 鈥済overnment speech.鈥� The Supreme Court has today clarified that Vullo, and any politician who may seek to duplicate her tactics, will be found in violation of the First Amendment. The 老澳门开奖结果 represented the NRA in the Supreme Court proceeding only.

The issue of when government officials cross the line in urging retaliation against political groups they dislike is especially important because, prior to this case, there was only one Supreme Court precedent addressing such 鈥渋nformal鈥� efforts to suppress First Amendment activity, Bantam Books v. Sullivan. The case is more than 60 years old and, in the past, the circuit courts have divided in applying it. This case is a critically important win for Americans鈥� right to free speech.

The Supreme Court opinion is available here:

NRA v. Vullo is a part of the 老澳门开奖结果鈥檚 Joan and Irwin Jacobs Supreme Court Docket.