Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta

The case involves Americans for Prosperity Foundation and Thomas More Law Center challenging California's requirement that charities disclose major donor information to the state Attorney General. The plaintiffs argued that compelled disclosure violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of association, citing a history of harassment and threats against donors when such information was inadvertently leaked. The state contended the requirement was necessary to prevent charitable fraud. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that California's blanket donor disclosure requirement was unconstitutional, finding it imposed an unnecessary burden on associational rights without sufficient justification under exacting scrutiny. The Court determined the state could pursue its regulatory interests through less intrusive means.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of Americans for Prosperity Foundation, striking down California's donor disclosure requirement as unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts authored the majority opinion, applying exacting scrutiny and finding the requirement insufficiently tailored to the state's interest in preventing charitable fraud.

Whether California's requirement that charitable organizations disclose the identities of their major donors to the state Attorney General violates the First Amendment's protection of freedom of association, and what level of scrutiny applies to such compelled disclosure requirements.

The ruling significantly strengthened First Amendment protections for anonymous charitable giving and associational privacy. It raised the bar for government-compelled disclosure requirements nationwide, requiring states to demonstrate narrow tailoring. Civil liberties groups celebrated the decision as vital for protecting donors from harassment, while transparency advocates expressed concern about reduced oversight of dark money in politics. The decision has broad implications for campaign finance regulations and nonprofit operations across the United States.