WASHINGTON D.C. — Independent Women’s Law Center applauds the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, Inc. v. Davenport, affirming that nonprofit organizations have the right to challenge government demands for donor disclosure information when those demands threaten First Amendment freedoms.
Independent Women’s Law Center, along with a coalition of 68 other amici, filed an amicus brief in support of First Choice, urging the Court to reject compelled donor disclosure and protect the First Amendment rights of organizations and their donors. .
The Court held that a government subpoena seeking donor identities can itself inflict a First Amendment injury by deterring individuals from supporting an organization, even before enforcement action is taken.
“The Supreme Court got this exactly right,” said Beth Parlato, senior legal counsel for Independent Women’s Law Center. “Forcing nonprofits to hand over donor lists is a direct threat to the freedom of Americans to support causes they believe in without fear of exposure or retaliation. For organizations like Independent Women, donor privacy is essential to our ability to operate, speak, and advocate. If our supporters know their identities could be disclosed, many will simply choose not to give. That is the definition of a chilling effect on First Amendment rights. Today’s decision makes clear that organizations do not have to wait until the damage is done to defend those freedoms.”
READ THE DECISION.
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