Staff Reports
The Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision in favor of the National Rifle Association on Thursday, allowing the NRA to move forward with its First Amendment lawsuit against New York financial regulators. The NRA's lawsuit targets former Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, Maria Vullo, who is accused of pressuring private financial institutions to sever ties with the NRA under the influence of the state’s Attorney General, Letitia James. This ruling overturns a prior Second Circuit decision that had deemed Vullo’s actions as permissible government speech and legitimate law enforcement.
HUGE WIN FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT: The Supreme Court has ruled UNANIMOUSLY to protect free speech in its latest ruling, NRA v. Vullo.
Proud to have submitted a brief in this case.
Here’s my take on the Court’s ruling: https://t.co/Wk6oEQDIcI pic.twitter.com/cjvIEtZnef
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) May 30, 2024
The NRA claimed that Vullo’s actions violated the First Amendment by coercing regulated parties to silence the NRA’s advocacy for gun rights. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writing for the Court, underscored that the government cannot coerce private entities to suppress disfavored speech. She noted that if the NRA's allegations against Vullo are true, they would indeed constitute a First Amendment violation. The Court found that the NRA presented credible allegations that Vullo pressured regulated entities to end their business relationships with the NRA to suppress its advocacy, thus vacating the Second Circuit’s judgment and sending the case back for further proceedings.
First Amendment advocates celebrated the decision as a significant triumph for free speech. Attorney General Andrew Bailey lauded the ruling as a “huge win for the First Amendment,” emphasizing the importance of protecting the rights of individuals and organizations to express their views without government interference. The decision reinforces the fundamental principles of the First Amendment, affirming the protection against government coercion in matters of speech.
