United States v. National Treasury Employees Union

In 1989, Congress broadly prohibited federal employees from accepting any compensation for making speeches or writing articles, even where neither the speech's subject matter nor the paying party had any connection to the employee's official duties. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) (plaintiff) brought a class action on behalf of executive branch employees challenging the law; the district court found it violated the First Amendment, and the court of appeals affirmed.