Briefs requested for Anti-Hillary doc

Court may not have jurisdiction to take case

By WILLIAM TRIPLETT

'Hillary - The Movie'

The Supreme Court has asked for new briefs in a case involving broadcast promos for a documentary attacking Hillary Clinton.

At issue is whether the court has jurisdiction to take the case, which is based on a challenge to certain campaign finance regulations.

On Friday afternoon, a website that tracks the Supreme Court (Scotusblog.com) reported that the justices had requested new briefs from both sides in the case. Briefs must address the issue of jurisdiction in no more than 3,000 words and be submitted by March 10.

Citizens United, a conservative advocacy group that regularly criticizes and disparages Hillary Rodham Clinton and her former-president husband, had petitioned the high court to review a district court’s decision in January not to block a Federal Election Commission ruling. The ruling held that under campaign finance laws, broadcast ads for “Hillary: The Movie” -- a sharply critical doc produced and distributed by Citizens United and released as the presidential primary season got under way -- must include a disclaimer and disclose their funding source.

Current campaign finance laws require disclaimer and disclosure information on what the FEC deems “electioneering communications,” which include broadcast messages intended to get people to vote for or against a particular candidate. Citizens United is challenging that requirement.

The FEC claimed that the Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction over the case, arguing it should go to an appeals court first.

Citizens United countered that certain district court cases, such as this one, could be immediately taken to the Supreme Court.

So far, CU has held limited screenings of the doc in New York; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; Tampa, Fla.; San Diego; Santa Ana, Calif.; and Bellevue, Wash. Org also is selling DVDs through its website.

One exec producer of “Hillary: The Movie” is Citizens United president David N. Bossie, who “earned a reputation as a relentless sleuth -- or right-wing hitman, depending on one’s political persuasion -- during his years as a high-profile Republican congressional investigator and conservative activist,” according to the Washington Post.