"What Citizen’s United does not allow the corporation to do, however, is contribute money directly to candidates. That remained illegal—until, perhaps, now. Last week, in a decision that received scant media attention, a Reagan-appointed federal judge in Virginia ruled that campaign finance laws banning corporations from direct contributions to candidates are unconstitutional.
US District Judge James Cacheris extended the logic of Citizen’s United to reach his decision. "(F)or better or worse, Citizens United held that there is no distinction between an individual and a corporation with respect to political speech," he wrote in his 52-page opinion. "Thus, if an individual can make direct contributions within (the law's) limits, a corporation cannot be banned from doing the same thing."
The case at hand was not driven by canny operatives in an attempt to further loosen campaign finance laws. Cacheris was presiding over a case brought by the federal government against two former officials at the Galen Capital Group, who are charged with making direct, illegal corporate contributions to Hillary Clinton’s 2006 Senate campaign and 2008 presidential campaign. The two men had their employees make donations and then reimbursing them directly."
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