Weighing the prospects of campaign finance case

The US Supreme Court convened Wednesday to hear arguments in a case that may re-define the role of corporate money in campaign finance. The conservative organization Citizens United appealed to the high court after the Federal Elections Commission ruled that its 90-minute film that criticized former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton could not be shown on TV during last year’s campaign.

Corporate donations helped to pay for Hillary: The Movie, and the legal case focuses on whether corporations enjoy the same free speech rights as individuals. Los Angeles Times reporter David Savage said the five conservative justices asked only skeptical questions of the federal government’s attorney, who argued to maintain existing campaign finance restrictions.

David Savage: "The four more liberal Justices including Justice Sotomayor said, 'Why are we considering doing this?' You know, this is a small case, we could rule narrowly on it. We don’t have to upset 100 years of federal law. We are making a mistake to even consider going down this road."

Savage spoke with KPCC’s Patt Morrison. Many Supreme Court observers expect a 5-to-4 ruling in favor of Citizens United.