Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) joined a coalition of organizations as amici in supporting First Choice Women’s Resource Centers (First Choice) before the United States Supreme Court. First Choice, a nonprofit pro-life pregnancy center, asked the Supreme Court to stop the Attorney General of New Jersey from forcing the center to disclose sensitive and confidential information about its donors. The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, so SLF and the other organizations joined forces again to file an amicus brief on behalf of the pregnancy center.
Every American has the First Amendment right to associate with the ideas and causes they support. The Supreme Court has long protected the right of donors to contribute to organizations anonymously. But the Attorney General of New Jersey is now attempting to wield his power to force the pro-life center to reveal the identity of its donors.
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SLF and amici point out in their brief that this move will undoubtedly deter individuals from giving to the center if they face disclosure. It will also strain the center’s resources as it now must pivot to comply with burdensome disclosure requirements.
The state is clearly targeting the center for its views, as the Attorney General has a long “record of pro- abortion and anti-pro-life pregnancy center advocacy while in office.”
New Jersey’s actions violate the First Amendment protections and will chill the speech and associational rights of First Choice’s donors.