Category Archives: campaign finance

“Recusal as Remedy: Disincentivizing Donors”

January 22, 2024, 10:27 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Benjamin Edelstein and Sara Benesh have written this article for State Politics & Policy Quarterly. Here is the abstract: As judicial elections become increasingly expensive, recusal has emerged as a way to address concerns about the impartiality of judges who… Continue reading

“Super PACs have broken records with their spending in Iowa”

January 14, 2024, 8:12 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Politico: utside groups have poured tens of millions of dollars into Iowa to boost — or knock — the Republican presidential candidates. Since the start of 2023, super PACs have spent more than $85 million on TV ads across the… Continue reading

“Republicans Are Making ‘Dark Money’ Even Darker for 2024”

January 11, 2024, 6:45 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Roger Sollenberger for The Daily Beast: For years, dark money groups have enjoyed certain advantages that offer donors anonymity—putting the proverbial “dark” in “dark money.” But late last month, one small outside group quietly told election law regulators to shove… Continue reading

Final Version of My Paper, “Nonprofit Law as the Tool to Kill What Remains of Campaign Finance Law: Reluctant Lessons from Ellen Aprill,” Now Available

December 28, 2023, 6:14 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

You can read it here, and the citation is 56 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 1233 (2023). Abstract: This brief Essay was prepared for a festschrift honoring the work of Professor Ellen Aprill. I explain in the Essay how Professor… Continue reading

German Constitutional Court decision on state subsidies to political parties

December 17, 2023, 5:16 pmcampaign finance, comparative election law, political partiesDerek Muller

Sam Issacharoff passes along this interesting January ruling from the German Constitutional Court. It found unconstitutional an increase in state subsidies to political parties on the grounds that the parties had an obligation to prove commitment from their constituents. The… Continue reading

“Ron DeSantis wanted to change the way campaigns were funded. Then the fights started.”

December 17, 2023, 5:11 amcampaign finance, campaignsDerek Muller

Washington Post: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis entered the Republican presidential race with an unmatched war chest and a $269 million plan to change how campaigns are usually funded. His first campaign manager, Generra Peck, developed the strategy and selected… Continue reading

“FEC makes it easier for candidates to use campaign dollars to pay themselves”

December 15, 2023, 6:32 amcampaign financeDerek Muller

CNN: Starting next year, federal candidates can more easily use campaign funds to pay themselves salaries, under a rule approved Thursday by federal election regulators. The change, which the Federal Election Commission approved 5-1, is aimed at helping ensure… Continue reading

“Michael Cohen’s lawyer in hot water after citing court cases that don’t exist”

December 13, 2023, 1:53 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, court decisionsDerek Muller

Politico: Michael Cohen’s troubles just keep coming. In the yearslong legal saga over his connection to the hush money payments from Donald Trump to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, Cohen’s lawyer filed a motion to end his supervised release… Continue reading

“‘More money, less disclosure’: N.J.’s new elections law fails a key test”

December 12, 2023, 5:44 amcampaign finance, campaignsDerek Muller

Politico: This fall, the longtime New Jersey political boss George Norcross helped a shadowy group called Jersey Freedom split Republican votes to benefit Democrats in some of the most competitive districts in the state. In ads, the organization promoted… Continue reading

“OpenSecrets Welcomes Hilary Braseth as New Executive Director”

December 11, 2023, 1:34 pmcampaign financeDerek Muller

Press release.

“Kevin McCarthy uses PAC to lavish cash on high-end resorts, private jets and fine dining”

December 7, 2023, 8:52 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

LAT: Rambling above the rust-colored cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the Terranea Resort is known for its ocean views, world-ranked spa and villas that can command $3,000 a night or more. The property is less well known as a… Continue reading

“Why big-money super PACs keep blowing it for their candidates”

December 6, 2023, 8:11 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Dave Weigel: It wasn’t surprising that some candidates jumped at the chance to effectively outsource their campaign to a handful of big donors, once that became a clear possibility, rather than relying on fickle small donors and exhausting grip-and-grins with… Continue reading

Watch Video of Panelists Discussing Ann Southworth’s Terrific New Book, “Big Money Unleashed”

November 30, 2023, 4:42 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

This was a great discussion of Ann Southworth’s must-read new book, Big Money Unleashed. I was honored to be part of the discussion. Watch:

“Donor allegedly offered $20M to recruit a Tlaib primary challenger”

November 22, 2023, 11:44 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: A Michigan businessman called Democratic Senate candidate Hill Harper to offer $20 million in campaign contributions if he agreed to drop out and instead mount a primary challenge to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, according to a source with direct knowledge of the… Continue reading