Category Archives: campaign finance

Re Don Jr.: Federal Sentencing Guidelines Punish Campaign Finance Cooperation with Foreign Governments More Severely Than Foreign Nationals

July 24, 2017, 9:59 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy: As I explain in a forthcoming law review article, Dark Money as a Political Sovereignty Problem, the federal sentencing guidelines already make a distinction between mere foreign nationals and members of foreign governments. The article states, “[t]he… Continue reading

“In Seattle, vouchers let voters steer city money to political campaigns. But some aren’t buying it”

July 24, 2017, 7:23 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

LAT reports.

“Behind the Price of Power: Q&A with former Rep. David Jolly (R-FL)”

July 20, 2017, 1:12 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Issue One: To help inform Issue One’s landmark report, “The Price of Power,” we interviewed several members of our bipartisan ReFormers Caucus at-length about their experiences with fundraising and concerns with the “committee tax” imposed on lawmakers. Every Tuesday and… Continue reading

“Campaign Finance Reform without Law?”

July 19, 2017, 8:20 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Robert Yablon has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming Iowa L. Rev). Here is the abstract: Conventionally understood, campaign finance reform is a matter of public regulation. Reformers believe that, without adequate government intervention, wealthy individuals and entities are destined… Continue reading

Applying the Foreign Solicitation Ban Against the Russian Government Consistent with the First Amendment

July 19, 2017, 8:11 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

One issue which has arisen over possible campaign finance charges against Donald Trump Jr. concerns whether the statute is substantially overbroad in violation of the First Amendment. Eugene Volokh makes the case here, and I argue against application of… Continue reading

“We disrupted the U.S. Supreme Court to protest money in politics, and are being sentenced today.”

July 17, 2017, 10:03 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Matt Kresling statement.

“Republicans Keep Corporate Lobbying Secret By Adding Riders To Spending Bills”

July 17, 2017, 8:09 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

IBT: In the waning years of the Obama presidency, Democratic lawmakers and good-government groups seemed optimistic that the administration would enact rules forcing companies to disclose more of their political spending. Despite Obama’s stated support for increased transparency in political… Continue reading

Will Trump Jr’s Ignorance of Campaign Finance Law Let Him Off The Hook? What About Manafort?

July 16, 2017, 10:47 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Andy Grewal makes a careful and good case that based on what we know, there might not be enough wilfulness on the part of Donald Trump Jr. for him to be criminally prosecuted. This is an important point and much… Continue reading

Republican FEC Commissioners Reject Comm’r Weintraub Proposal for Foreign Interference Rulemaking

July 14, 2017, 1:18 pmcampaign finance, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Statement of reasons: The specter of any foreign government meddling in U.S. elections is an issue that we, like all Americans, take very seriously. Contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals in connection with U.S. elections are prohibited by the Federal… Continue reading

Updated: Witness at Meeting: Trump Jr. Asked Russian Attorney “for evidence of illicit money flowing to the Democratic National Committee”

July 14, 2017, 8:01 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

AP reports. Update: The updated version of the AP story now reads: In his first public interview about the meeting, Akhmetshin said he accompanied Veselnitskaya to Trump Tower where they met an interpreter who participated in the meeting. He said… Continue reading

Bauer: “Considering the Legal Defenses of the Trump Jr. Meeting”

July 14, 2017, 7:46 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bob Bauer at Just Security.

Tokaji: “What Trump Jr. Did Was Bad, But It Probably Didn’t Violate Federal Campaign Finance Law”

July 14, 2017, 7:43 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Dan Tokaji at Just Security.

“Trump, Jr., Kushner, Manafort Violated Foreign Solicitation Ban, Watchdogs Allege in Complaints”

July 13, 2017, 12:27 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

Release: Today Common Cause, the Campaign Legal Center and Democracy 21 filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) supplementing a complaint filed by Common Cause on Monday. The expanded complaint alleges… Continue reading

“Trump Jr.’s Emails Gain Attention as FEC Eyes Foreign Influence Issue”

July 13, 2017, 7:09 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Ken Doyle reports for Bloomberg BNA.

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