A federal appeals court has overturned a rule requiring third-party groups to disclose the funders of election-related television ads. The ruling overrides a lower court decision that said the 2002 McCain-Feingold Act on campaign finance reform likely intended to require such disclosures. It marks a major victory for Republican-linked groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Americans for Prosperity and Crossroads GPS, which had altered their ads after being compelled to disclose who funded them. In a statement, Democratic Rep. Christopher Van Hollen of Maryland, who brought the initial case that won the disclosure rule, said: “The Court of Appeals’ decision today will keep the American people, for the time being, in the dark about who is attempting to influence their vote with secret money.”