Category Archives: campaign finance
“Bankman-Fried charged with hundreds of illegal campaign donations”
NBC News:
Embattled cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried directed tens of millions of dollars of illegal campaign contributions to elected officials, prosecutors alleged in a new superseding indictment unsealed Thursday in a Manhattan federal court.
The new 12-count indictment adds four… Continue reading
“Trump Spent $10 Million From His PAC on His Legal Bills Last Year”
NYT:
Former President Donald J. Trump, who throughout his business career had a reputation for not paying lawyers, spent roughly $10 million from his political action committee on his own legal fees last year, federal election filings show.
The money… Continue reading
“Minnesota must let sun shine on campaign cash”
George Beck oped:
Eight in 10 Minnesotans support making the identities of contributors to political campaigns public. They realize that who provides money to a campaign is an important factor to consider in deciding whether to support a candidate. It… Continue reading
“Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race is expected to top $6 million in spending. And that’s just for the primary.”
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Wisconsin’s officially non-partisan Supreme Court race is getting big money from outside interest groups in one of the hotly contested races in the country.
With less than two weeks to go, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court candidates and outside groups… Continue reading
“George Santos and the Case of the Missing $365,000”
NYT:
Representative George Santos has spent his campaign money in plenty of conspicuous ways, from lavish hotel stays in Las Vegas and Palm Beach, Fla., to an unusual slew of payments for exactly $199.99 — two cents below the threshold where receipts would… Continue reading
“The Congressional Fundraising Treadmill”
New from Issue One:
My New Paper: “Nonprofit Law as the Tool to Kill What Remains of Campaign Finance Law: Reluctant Lessons from Ellen Aprill”
I have written this draft for a festschrift symposium issue of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review honoring my dear friend, Loyola Law School professor Ellen Aprill. Here is the abstract:
This brief Essay was prepared for a… Continue reading
Eighth Circuit refuses to bar Minnesota Attorney General’s subpoenas against WinRed
An opinion in WinRed Inc. v. Ellison written by Judge Benton, joined by Chief Judge Smith (with some excerpts, below, lightly edited). (Judge Shepherd, “writing separately,” argues the case is not ripe for review and the court lacks jurisdiction.)
“Santos’ unusual $199.99 campaign expenses are putting scrutiny on his longtime treasurer”
CNN:
In the fall of 2020, then-New York Rep. Lee Zeldin’s campaign submitted a report to federal regulators with a series of unusual expenses: 21 payments on a single day of exactly $199.99 each. The outlays – each just one… Continue reading
“FEC announces 2023-2024 campaign cycle contribution limits”
Release:
The Federal Election Commission announced updated contribution limits that have been indexed for inflation and are effective for federal elections in 2023 and 2024.
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) included provisions that indexed some contribution limits… Continue reading
“What are Andy Ogles’ financial ties? Freshman GOP congressman ignores federal disclosure law”
NewsChannel5:
Tennessee’s newest congressman, Rep. Andy Ogles, quickly became a key player in the battle for control of the House, demanding concessions in exchange for his support for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
But a NewsChannel 5 investigation discovered the freshman… Continue reading
Full Set from J.H. Snider on Financing Constitutional Conventions
Snider, J.H., Part I: Alaska’s constitutional convention spending spree, The Fulcrum, Jan. 9, 2023.
Snider, J.H., Part II: Deterrence helps explain the spending spree, The Fulcrum, Jan. 16, 2023.
Snider, J.H., Part III: The failed constitutional convention campaign finance marketplace… Continue reading
“New Report: Publicly Funded Campaigns Can Dilute Big Money’s Influence on California’s Politics”
Release:
“Matching funds” programs and democracy dollars, two approaches to public financing of campaigns, can be keys to breaking big money’s grip on state politics and lifting up the voices of regular Californians, according to a new report released today… Continue reading