Category Archives: campaign finance
“Free Speech For People Sues Federal Election Commission for Failing to Investigate Trump and Trump Campaign’s Role in McDougal Hush Money Payoff”
Release:
Free Speech For People has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission for failing to investigate a $150,000 “hush money” payment made in 2016 to Karen McDougal, one of President Trump’s former mistresses, under federal campaign finance law.… Continue reading
Watch Trevor Potter and Shan Wu Talk About the Illegality of Accepting Foreign Government Assistance in American Campaigns
Here on the News Hour (beginning around the 11 minute mark).
“Margaret Hunter admits guilt in campaign-finance scandal”
San Diego Union-Tribune:
Years of cavalier spending of her husband’s political contributions culminated in a guilty plea Thursday for Margaret Hunter, the wife of Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter who was co-indicted last year in a sweeping campaign-finance investigation.During a change-of-plea… Continue reading
Trump Says He Would Accept Foreign Government In-Kind Contributions of Opposition Research in the 2020 Elections, in Violation of American Law
Watch the clip:
EXCLUSIVE: Pres. Trump tells @GStephanopoulos he wouldn't necessarily alert the FBI if approached by foreign figures with information on his 2020 opponent: "It’s not an interference. They have information. I think I’d take it." https://t.co/7gvoAViw9r pic.twitter.com/k5Yqd9YxdC… Continue reading
“These voters are using democracy vouchers to influence Seattle’s City Council races”
“NJ’s secret big-money donors will now be named after Phil Murphy backs down”
Gannett:
Big-spending “dark money” political groups in New Jersey will have to reveal who is funding them after all, lawmakers agreed Monday.Gov. Phil Murphy, despite vetoing the exact same legislation last month, has now committed to signing it, but his… Continue reading
In 1987, Mitch McConnell, Now a Leading Opponent of Any Government Limits on Money in Politics, Proposed a Constitutional Amendment to Limit a Candidate’s Use of Personal Funds and Independent Expenditures as “Distort[ing]” the Political Process
This is history I did not know.
Watch the video:
Thanks. Didn’t realize there was more than one page. I wonder what @rickhasen thinks of that proposed amendment.— Mike Stern (@mls1776) June 7, 2019
“The Supreme Court Nixes Corporate Contributions for the 2020 Campaign”
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy:
A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court delivered a surprising rebuke to those who think corporations just don’t have enough influence on U.S. elections. In declining to hear the case of 1A Auto, Inc. vs. Sullivan, the… Continue reading
“Everyone Knows Money Influences Politics … Except Scientists”
JFC: FEC Deadlocks on Rules for Joint Fundraising Committees, Bringing Us Closer to Concerns of Huge Fundraising Raised by SCOTUS Dissenters in McCutcheon Case
Michael Beckel:
Latest example of @FEC gridlock on a major enforcement issue: On Friday, #FEC announced the commission deadlocked 2-2 in complaints against the joint fundraising committees (JFCs) that aided Hillary Clinton & Donald Trump in 2016 https://t.co/vjZsNYECtt &… Continue reading
“In need of cash, Democratic presidential hopefuls turn to wealthy donors”
WaPo:
Across the Democratic field, candidates are embracing the big donors they distanced themselves from early on — a sign of increasing doubt that the small, online donations the campaigns have been chasing will be sufficient to sustain… Continue reading
Top 10 “Interest Group” Contributors to Congress for 2018 Elections
Lots of interesting and perhaps surprising information at the OpenSecrets.org site on the occupation of the “groups” that gave the largest contributions in the 2018 congressional election cycle. A couple points that stood out to me:
Those who list their… Continue reading
“Democrats roll out $90 million super PAC aimed at swing states”
Politico:
The nation’s largest super PAC devoted to grassroots Democratic turnout is launching its organizing efforts earlier than ever in seven swing states with a new campaign director and its largest budget to date: $80 million to $90 million.