Wednesday’s ruling concerns Montana’s additional ban on corporate contributions made to a political committee.

Lovell said if those corporate contributions are to be used by the political committee for an independent expenditure in a campaign, they are allowed, and struck down Montana’s ban. But if that money is channeled to a candidate, the ban stands, he said.

“This distinction does not mean that corporations or political committees in Montana have forfeited their First Amendment rights,” Lovell wrote. “Instead, they must simply ensure that independent expenditures and contributions are accounted for separately.”

Jim Murry, Montana’s political practices commissioner, whose office enforces campaign law, said the office likely will come up with some additional reporting requirements for political committees and their corporate donations.

Yet he also said the distinction creates “the potential for lots of confusion and perhaps abuse.”

“We’ll do what we have to with our reporting system to keep track of that as much as we possibly can,” Murry said.