Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus

Description: An Ohio law criminalizes political speech that a state agency determines to be “false.” Former U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus sought to use the statute against the Susan B. Anthony List because the group attempted to erect billboards in his district during the 2010 election cycle. The billboards truthfully educated his constituents about his vote in support of the taxpayer funding of abortion by his vote in favor of the Affordable Care Act. One part of the lawsuit concerns whether SBA List can sue against the Ohio law under the First Amendment; another part of the lawsuit concerns Rep. Driehaus's accusation of defamation against SBA List.

Wednesday, Feb 24, 2016

The following quote may be attributed to Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Casey Mattox regarding Wednesday’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit Wednesday in Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus to affirm a district court’s rejection of an Ohio law that silenced the pro-life group’s ability to speak out about an elected official’s position on Obamacare:

“The First Amendment forbids government from acting as a ‘truth commission’ on matters of public debate. The 6th Circuit understood that this type of government intrusion has no place under the Constitution. The court was right to affirm, as the district court did, the freedom of Susan B. Anthony List and all the people of Ohio to speak in accordance with their views.”

David R. Langdon, one of more than 3,000 private attorneys allied with ADF, is co-counsel representing Susan B. Anthony List in the case.

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

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