Hillary The Movie, Now In Courtrooms
Judges are now deciding whether a movie critical of Hillary Clinton and the ads promoting it constitute political advertising.
The makers of "Hillary: The Movie" say the movie and its ads should not be subject to campaign finance laws, which limit when ads can be broadcast and require disclaimers. But the judges deciding the case seem skeptical of their claims, according to an Associated Press report.
An attorney for Citizens United, a conservative advocacy group, said the film and its ads should be considered "issue-oriented" speech, since there is no direct appeal over who to vote for. Here's the exchange that followed a judges inquiry into what the issue is, according to AP:
"That Hillary Clinton is a European Socialist," [attorney] Bopp replied. "That is an issue."In the film, AP reports, conservative commentators make the case for why Clinton is not fit to be president. One ad for the movie features conservative commentator Ann Coulter offering "a kind word" about Clinton: She "looks good in a pant suit." An announcer then says, "Now, a movie about everything else.""Which has nothing to do with her campaign?" U.S District Judge Royce C. Lamberth interjected.
"Not specifically, no," Bopp replied.