Judge: Citizens United must disclose donor information to NY
A nonprofit conservative organization advocating for less government must disclose information about its major donors to New York’s attorney general if it wants to solicit money in the state, a judge said Monday.
U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein said it appeared that Citizens United will not succeed in a lawsuit it brought on First Amendment grounds to try to block disclosures of the information to Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, including names, addresses and the total contributions of major donors.
The judge noted that there is no evidence that Schneiderman’s policy presents a risk that there will be public disclosure of major donor information. He said the group’s “fears of public backlash and financial harm are speculative and fail to support their contention” that the requirement will chill donors’ association with and contributions to charities.