The Supreme Court says an anti-abortion group can challenge an Ohio law that bars people from making false statements about political candidates during a campaign.
The justices ruled unanimously on Monday that the Susan B. Anthony List can go ahead with a lawsuit challenging the law as a violation of free-speech rights. Both liberal and conservative groups have criticized the law, saying it has a chilling effect on political speech. Even Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine declined to defend the law in court, sending his deputies to argue for the state. The Susan B. Anthony List was accused of violating the law during the 2010 election, when it accused an Ohio congressman of supporting taxpayer-funded abortion because he backed the new health care law.
