Category Archives: campaign finance

“FEC settles Jean Schmidt ethics case”

June 21, 2016, 8:25 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt faces a $2,500 fine for not reporting legal assistance provided by a pro-Turkish group. The Turkish Coalition of America Inc., which aided Schmidt in several legal disputes connected to her political career, will… Continue reading

“Donald Trump Far Behind Hillary Clinton in Campaign Cash”

June 20, 2016, 7:52 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump enters the general election campaign laboring under the worst financial and organizational disadvantage of any major party nominee in recent history, placing both his candidacy and party in political peril. Mr. Trump began June with… Continue reading

“Leaked Guide Shows Clinton Staffers How to Solicit for Super PAC Without Breaking Pesky Rules”

June 20, 2016, 7:42 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

The Intercept: Sadly, however, there are still rules forbidding campaign staffers from explicitly asking the incredibly rich to give more than $5,000 to Super PACs like Priorities USA. They are loose rules, and rarely enforced rules, but they are… Continue reading

“Here’s why the RNC needs Donald Trump to step up his fundraising game”

June 20, 2016, 4:50 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Matea Gold for WaPo: The Republican National Committee took on $2 million more debt in May as it finalized a joint fundraising agreement with Donald Trump’s campaign, underscoring how the real estate mogul’s lack of a fundraising structure has put … Continue reading

“The Kochs’ powerful operation isn’t aimed at helping Trump – but it might anyway”

June 20, 2016, 1:09 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Matea Gold reports for WaPo.

“Court Documents Show The IRS Focused Scrutiny On Conservative Groups”

June 20, 2016, 7:36 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Peter Overby for NPR: Until now, what’s been missing is a list of the nonprofit groups that got special scrutiny — a list that presumably would show whether the agency had a political agenda or not. Now, thanks to filings … Continue reading

“Donald Trump’s big money bait-and-switch; Presumptive GOP nominee embracing super PACs, megadonors he once decried”

June 17, 2016, 12:11 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Dave Levinthal for CPI: Now Trump is no longer spurning super PACs and eschewing tony private fundraisers tailor made for 1 percenters. Rather he’s tolerating, if not embracing, the post-Citizens United era of cash-flush politics that, until recently,… Continue reading

“The First Amendment and a phony foreign threat”

June 17, 2016, 9:35 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Brad Smith in The Hill: Those opposed to free speech are once again threatening to use the Internal Revenue Code and the IRS to chill First Amendment freedoms. This time they raise the imaginary specter of election involvement by “foreigners.”… Continue reading

“The Presidential Candidates’, Super PACs’ and Parties’ May 20 Reports Give Clues for June 20”

June 16, 2016, 1:39 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Latest analysis from the Campaign Finance Institute.

“Donald Trump, Chasing Campaign Cash, Veers From Battleground States”

June 16, 2016, 8:18 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump’s campaign schedule is being driven by his fund-raising needs, prompting him to appear in heavily Republican states like Georgia and Texas and diverting his attention from battlegrounds where Hillary Clinton is spending her time.… Continue reading

“More on Campaign Finance and the Threat of Darkness: Trumpism and Issues Speech”

June 16, 2016, 7:22 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Bauer blogs.

“Trump’s relationship with RNC sours”

June 15, 2016, 7:57 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Politico: In recent days, RNC chairman Reince Priebus has privately grumbled that his advice doesn’t seem welcome with Trump, according to one RNC insider. Other party officials have expressed frustration that Trump’s campaign is trying to take too much control… Continue reading

Minnesota Democrats File FEC Rulemaking Petition to Loosen Rules Governing State and Local Party Fundraising

June 15, 2016, 1:55 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

You can read the petition, written by Neil Reiff and colleagues, at this link. Given the ideological division at the FEC, it will be Republican commissioners who will support this. What the Democratic commissioners do is less certain. And… Continue reading