In the case of Brown et al. v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee (Ohio) et al., 1982, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). The court held that Ohio's campaign disclosure requirements violated SWP's First Amendment rights due to their history of harassment and retaliation from government officials and private parties. The state required political campaigns to disclose contributions over $25, expenditures over $100, names of contributors who donate more than $25, and recipients of campaign funds exceeding $100. However, given SWP’s unique position as a minor party with a documented history of persecution which led to reduced public participation when identities were disclosed; these regulations were deemed unconstitutional by six votes against three for this specific context only.

In the dissenting opinion of Brown v. Socialist Workers '74 Campaign Committee, Justice Blackmun argued that Ohio's campaign disclosure laws did not violate the First Amendment rights of minor political parties and their members. He believed that these laws served a compelling state interest in maintaining electoral integrity and transparency by providing voters with information about who supports which candidates or causes. Furthermore, he contended that any potential harm to minority parties was speculative at best because there was no concrete evidence showing they were disproportionately burdened by these regulations compared to major political parties. Therefore, according to Justice Blackmun, the court majority erred in striking down Ohio's campaign finance rules as unconstitutional under strict scrutiny review.