Category Archives: campaign finance

“As its revenue dropped, the NRA took millions of dollars from its charities and funded political groups”

November 30, 2021, 9:12 amcampaign financeAlleged Campaign Finance Violations, NRATabatha Abu El-Haj

Open Secrets Anna Massoglia reports on NRA’s financial difficulties at Open Secrets. “The NRA faces a lawsuit from the New York attorney general to dissolve its main 501(c)(4) lobbying arm following the attorney general’s investigation of corruption charges that unearthed “inappropriate spending,”… Continue reading

“That ‘Team Beto’ Fund-Raising Email? It Might Not Be From Beto.”

November 27, 2021, 1:15 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Shane Goldmacher for the NYT: Where the money goes from there can be murky, though big payments to the operatives and consulting firms that operate those PACs have drawn increasing scrutiny from political colleagues, regulators and law enforcement alike.Some of… Continue reading

“Pro-Trump nonprofit gives millions to groups boosting his agenda”

November 21, 2021, 11:09 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Carrie Levine for CPI: A nonprofit closely tied to former President Donald Trump and his administration gave millions of dollars in 2020 to an array of conservative groups, a new tax filing from the nonprofit, now called America First… Continue reading

Chart of the Day

November 10, 2021, 10:17 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Dramatic rise in campaign spending in federal elections, per a new FEC Inspector General report.

“Donors threatened to shun the GOP after Jan. 6. Now, Republicans are outraising Democrats.”

November 9, 2021, 1:35 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

WaPo: One day after rioters ransacked the Capitol in a bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Republican lobbyist Geoff Verhoff sent a searing email to top GOP officials.Verhoff, a bundler who works at the lobbying firm Akin Gump,… Continue reading

“Small Donors, Fair Elections: The Changing Nature of Financing D.C. Elections”

November 9, 2021, 1:04 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Craig Holman has written this draft. Here is the abstract: The District of Columbia experienced its first full election cycle in the 2020 elections under its new small donor public financing program, known as the Fair Elections Program (FEP).… Continue reading

“Small Donor Public Financing Plays Role in Electing Most Diverse New York City Council”

November 5, 2021, 2:01 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Brennan Center report.

“The Massive Progressive Dark-Money Group You’ve Never Heard Of”

November 3, 2021, 9:53 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Emma Green for The Atlantic: In a trendy co-working space in Washington, D.C.’s Dupont Circle—where people wear Chucks and fuss about fancy coffee—lies the progressive movement’s empire of political cash. Over the past half decade, Democrats have quietly pulled … Continue reading

“Giuliani associate Lev Parnas convicted in campaign finance fraud case”

October 22, 2021, 2:28 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: It took the federal jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan less than a day to find that Parnas committed fraud through donations to several state and federal candidates that were bankrolled by a Russian financier. Parnas was also… Continue reading

“A Little-Noticed Supreme Court Ruling Could Help Build A Dam Against Foreign Money In American Elections”

October 20, 2021, 7:04 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy for TPM: Meanwhile, a little noticed case that came out during the height of the pandemic could have a big impact on whether and how foreign corporations play in American elections. The Supreme Court in United States Agency … Continue reading

“Pro-Trump PAC fined over foreign money offer”

October 13, 2021, 6:53 amcampaign finance, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Lachlan Markay for Axios: A pro-Trump political group has agreed to pay $25,000 to settle allegations it illegally solicited $2 million from reporters posing as intermediaries for a Chinese national.Why it matters: A key player in the scheme, a veteran… Continue reading

“Corporate political spending scrutinized amid state controversies”

September 23, 2021, 2:04 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

CQ News reports.

Republican FEC Commissioners: Twitter Entitled to Press Exemption for Excluding NY Post Content on Hunter Biden

September 15, 2021, 11:37 amcampaign finance, cheap speech, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Dickerson/Trainor statement: Moreover, the decision as to precisely which news to distribute is, in many ways, the sine qua non of “the business of producing…news stories, commentary,and/or editorials.”27 The New York Times famously emblazons its masthead with the… Continue reading

First Circuit Panel Unanimously Rejects Challenge to Rhode Island Campaign Finance Disclosure Laws

September 15, 2021, 7:45 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Opinion by Judge Selya. I liked this bit: “That ends this aspect of the matter. Equating the production order invalidated in NAACP with the disclosure requirements of the Act is like equating aardvarks with alligators.Consequently, we reject the appellants’… Continue reading