United States v. National Treasury Employees Union (1994)
- Docket
- 93-1170
- Decided
- 1994-01-01
Summary
Question: Does the honoraria ban abridge freedom of speech as protected by the First Amendment? Conclusion: Yes. In a 6 to 3 decision delivered by Justice John Paul Stevens, the Court declared that a flat ban violated free-speech rights. Concerns about impropriety do not apply if there is no link between a government employee's job and "the subject matter of the expression or the character of the payor."