An advocacy group whose Supreme Court victory loosened campaign spending restrictions for corporations, unions and associations is exempt from disclosure laws because the group's film operations are part of the press, federal regulators have decided.

In a 4-1 vote, the Federal Election Commission decided that the conservative group, Citizens United, is exempt from federal law requiring the group to publicly disclose its income from - or spending on - its films.

Citizens United and its unflattering film about then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton were at the center of a ground-breaking Supreme Court ruling earlier this year: The high court ruled that the organization had a constitutional right to spend unlimited funds on political advocacy in federal elections, which dramatically changed core elements of campaign finance rules for many others.

In the same ruling, however, the court said the group must still abide by disclosure requirements required of those who broadcast election-season campaign information that identifies a specific candidate on radio, TV or cable. 

Citizens United appealed to the FEC for an exemption from this requirement, which the FEC granted after concluding that the group's film operations amount to a "press entity." The FEC recently broadened its definition of what constitutes the "press." 

The lone dissenter, Commissioner Steven Walther, said the FEC should consider narrowing the definition of those who can be considered part of the press to ensure more disclosure.

Read the full article here.

Read the FEC document granting the exemption here