Read the following excerpt from a US court opinion:
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automatically renewed for successive one-year terms, unless either party gave sixty days’ notice of termination or ninety days’ notice of intent to renegotiate. The contract further provided that, during its term, the county and each city which approved the contract agreed not to contract with “any other individual or firm to provide solid waste removal from residential premises in any [cjity.” Appellees’ App. at 139. Mr. Umbehr hauled trash for six of the seven cities in the county from 1985 until the county terminated the contract in 1991. In other words, the contract was automatically renewed each year, according to its terms. Throughout this time period, Mr. Umbe 02 (6th Cir.), vacated, 882 F.2d 207 (6th Cir.1989), reinstated in pertinent part, 924 F.2d 627 (6th Cir.1991) (en banc) , cert. denied, 501 U.S. 1250, 111 S.Ct. 2889,
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What is the most suitable continuation to the opinion? Your options are:
A. holding that it was not clearly established that independent contractor claiming denial of public contract because of political affiliation was protected under first amendment
B. holding that independent contractor claiming termination of contract in retaliation for petition was not protected by first amendment
C. holding that independent contractor claiming termination of contract because of lobbying and other political activities not protected by first amendment
D. holding that first amendment prohibits government officials from discharging or threatening to discharge lowerlevel public employees based on their political affiliation
E. holding that independent contractor claiming removal from city towing rotation list because of political affiliation was not protected by first amendment
Reply with [A, B, C, D, E] only.