Category Archives: campaign finance

“Trump says he will pardon Dinesh D’Souza, an Obama critic who violated campaign limits”

May 31, 2018, 8:57 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

USA Today: President Trump said Thursday he would pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, convicted in 2014 of making illegal campaign contributions. “Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D’Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!” Trump … Continue reading

“Trump to appear at fundraiser for allied super PAC”

May 30, 2018, 8:52 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Politico: President Donald Trump is plunging into the big-donor game, planning an appearance at a six-figure-a-head fundraiser benefiting his allied super PAC. Trump is expected to address America First Action’s leadership summit, according to the super PAC’s president, Brian Walsh.… Continue reading

“What Happened to Jill Stein’s Recount Millions?”

May 30, 2018, 7:35 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Daily Beast: But the opacity surrounding the expenditure of money—combined with the fact that a good chunk of the spending has come after all efforts to recount the vote were terminated—has fed criticism that Stein was more interested in boosting… Continue reading

Today’s Must Read: “Inside the Pro-Trump Effort to Keep Black Voters From the Polls”

May 29, 2018, 6:46 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bloomberg: Breitbart News landed an election scoop that went viral in August 2016: “Exclusive: ‘Black Men for Bernie’ Founder to End Democrat ‘Political Slavery’ of Minority Voters… by Campaigning for Trump.” If the splashy, counterintuitive story, which circulated on such… Continue reading

“Campaign-Finance Reform Can Save the GOP”

May 28, 2018, 9:27 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Reihan Salam for the Atlantic: How might we address this bias? Take the “Seattle idea,” which draws heavily on the scholarly work of the liberal legal academics Bruce Ackerman and Ian Ayres. In 2015, Seattle voters approved a… Continue reading

“Dark money tactics used in West Virginia’s primary could spread as midterm season heats up”

May 28, 2018, 9:24 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

CNN: A pair of mysterious pop-up super PACs, one with Republican roots and another tied to Democrats, spent more than $3 million in hopes of swaying West Virginia’s GOP Senate primary while keeping their donor lists hidden from voters until… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks on Probing Pro-Rubio Super PAC Money”

May 26, 2018, 11:55 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission deadlocked over whether to investigate a $500,000 contribution to a super political action committee that backed Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) presidential bid. Watchdog groups contend the 2016 donation was illegally funneled through a limited… Continue reading

“Companies face many dark perils when it comes to political money”

May 25, 2018, 2:28 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Bruce Freed and Karl Sandstrom oped in The Hill.

“Federal Election Commission Can’t Decide If Russian Interference Violated Law”

May 25, 2018, 7:49 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

NPR: As tech companies and government agencies prepare to defend against possible Russian interference in the midterm elections, the Federal Election Commission has a different response: too soon. The four commissioners on Thursday deadlocked, again, on proposals to consider new… Continue reading

“Appeals Court Upholds Montana Campaign Finance Reform Law”

May 24, 2018, 8:17 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

AP: A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said in an order Wednesday that the 2015 state law to increase campaign reporting and disclosure meets constitutional muster. You can find the unpublished, unanimous opinion at this … Continue reading

Nonprofit Spending Millions of Dollars to Influence Federal Elections Asks D.C Circuit for Right to Do So Anonymously

May 22, 2018, 7:21 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: A nonprofit that is spending millions of dollars supporting Republicans in the midterm elections is the latest group to ask a federal appeals court to help keep its donors secret. Three cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals… Continue reading