Colorado Ethics Watch, Petitioner v. Senate Majority Fund, LLC; Colorado Leadership Fund, LLC; and the Office Of…

Summary

The court held that the constitutional term "express advocacy" refers only to communications using the specified "magic words" or substantially similar synonyms that explicitly urge election or defeat of a candidate. Because none of the seventeen advertisements contained such language, they were not expenditures, and the organizations were not political committees subject to the challenged registration and contribution requirements. The court therefore affirmed the dismissal and remanded for entry of judgment consistent with its opinion.