Court Critical of Ohio Law Punishing Campaign Lies
The Supreme Court is expressing serious doubts about the constitutionality of an Ohio law that bars people from making false statements about political candidates during a campaign.
Most of the justices during argument at the high court Tuesday appeared likely to let an anti-abortion group move ahead with a challenge to the law as a violation of free-speech rights.
The case has attracted widespread attention, with liberal and conservative groups saying it has a chilling effect on political speech.
The case began during the 2010 election, when the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List accused an Ohio congressman of supporting taxpayer-funded abortion because he backed the new health care law. The congressman claimed the group's billboard ads violated the speech law.