WBOY: Citizens United president makes West Virginia governor endorsement
The president of the nonprofit at the center of a controversial Supreme Court decision from 2010 has made an endorsement in the West Virginia gubernatorial race.
The endorsement came from Citizens United President David Bossie and the Citizens United Political Victory Fund. Citizens United is the organization that was involved in the landmark Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) decision on Jan. 21, 2010.
That decision overruled two previous decisions that allowed prohibitions on independent expenditures by corporations and held that corporations could be banned from making electioneering communications, according to the FEC.
Critics of the decision pointed to concerns over money in politics and the granting of “personhood” to corporations. Some groups like End Citizens United continue to endorse candidates that want to roll back the decision to this day.
But supporters of the decision say it’s a First Amendment issue, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which said that it would firmly oppose any constitutional amendment that would limit the free speech clause of the First Amendment, and that “the mixture of money and politics long predates Citizens United and would not disappear even if Citizens United were overruled.”
Outside of the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United financially supports political candidates and produces documentaries from a conservative political perspective, including “Rocky Mountain Heist” (2015), “The Hope and the Change” (2012), “Occupy Unmasked” (2012), “The Gift of Life (2011)” and 16 more.
In a series of tweets Wednesday, Bossie endorsed Attorney General Patrick Morrissey in the race for West Virginia governor:
1-Along with @cupvf I’m pleased to endorse @MorriseyWV for WV Governor. CUPVF has enthusiastically supported Morrisey throughout his consequential career because he’s a proven conservative who is always standing tall for our constitutional rights & God-given liberties.
2-@MorriseyWV has been an outstanding conservative Attorney General for WV & he’ll take those guiding principles into the governor’s office. Patrick is a go-to leader in the fight against the failed big gov’t agenda of the Biden Administration & its unconstitutional overreach.
3-Whether it was fighting for energy jobs, 2nd Amendment rights, the rights of the unborn or school choice @MorriseyWV was there time and time again for hardworking patriotic West Virginians.
4-@MorriseyWV will support pro-growth economic policies that will translate into more jobs for WV. Morrisey will fight the opioid epidemic until it’s eradicated, advocate for a return to Trump’s border policies & lead the way for a new era of world class education for WV kids.
5-@MorriseyWV is the proven conservative in this race and I encourage all West Virginia voters to rally around Patrick Morrisey for Governor in 2024.