Category Archives: campaign finance

“Does Public Campaign Funding Crowd Out Private Donation Activity? Evidence from Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program”

May 4, 2021, 1:52 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

New analysis from Alan Griffith and Thomas Noonen. Abstract: During each election cycle, the city of Seattle distributes four $25 vouchers to every registered voter, which may be donated to and redeemed by campaigns for city office. Through a difference-in-differences… Continue reading

FEC Republican Commissioners Pave Way for More Foreign Corporate Influence in U.S. Campaigns

May 4, 2021, 7:04 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Free Speech for People: The Federal Election Commission divided 3-3 on Free Speech For People’s 2017 complaint against the oil company Citgo, its Venezuelan state-owned parent company, and President Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee. The FEC’s general counsel agreed with Free… Continue reading

California: “Facebook, Google, other corporate giants flooded Newsom with record $226 million in charity donations in 2020”

April 28, 2021, 7:21 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

LA Times: Facebook, Google and Blue Shield of California are among the companies that contributed $226 million to government causes on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s behalf last year, an unprecedented level of spending that is raising alarms about the influence large… Continue reading

“Supreme Court Wary of Donor Disclosure Requirement for Charities”

April 27, 2021, 7:06 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Adam Liptak for the NYT: The Supreme Court on Monday seemed skeptical of California’s demand that charities soliciting contributions in the state report the identities of their major donors.A majority of the justices appeared to agree that at least the… Continue reading

Thoughts on Today’s Oral Argument in the AFP v. Bonta Case in the U.S. Supreme Court: California Will Lose, But the Question is How It Will Lose and What the Case Will Mean for Campaign Finance Disclosure

April 26, 2021, 8:54 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I just listened to the oral argument in this case (listen here). You can read my tweet thread. Here is my general takeway: California is likely to lose. It collected donor information for law enforcement purposes but allowed… Continue reading

“Trump is backing a new conservative group for donors aiming to compete with Democrats.”

April 26, 2021, 7:35 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Maggie Haberman for the NYT: Former President Donald J. Trump is backing a group whose officials say will aim to combat the sprawling Democratic donor network Democracy Alliance, the latest attempt by Mr. Trump to put his imprint and involvement… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court’s Looming Dark Money Decision”

April 25, 2021, 2:58 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on AFP.

“Corporate America boosts Biden’s inaugural committee”

April 21, 2021, 6:49 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Joe Biden campaigned on raising taxes on companies and the wealthy. It didn’t dissuade some of America’s biggest companies and richest donors from helping to fund his inauguration.Many of them opened up their checkbooks for Biden’s inaugural committee, helping… Continue reading

“Democrats Aim to Revive a Campaign Finance Watchdog”

April 19, 2021, 7:39 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

NYT: Yet as the Senate prepares to begin work on a sweeping voting rights and elections overhaul bill, the two parties are bitterly divided over a proposal to restructure the enforcer of campaign finance rules, a central plank of the… Continue reading

“The Supreme Court hears a case next week that could make Citizens United even worse”

April 19, 2021, 7:36 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Ian Millhiser for Vox: The Supreme Court will hear a major case on April 26 that could fundamentally alter the Court’s approach to laws requiring political organizations to disclose their donors — a change that could make it much easier… Continue reading

“Fund-Raising Surged for Republicans Who Sought to Overturn the Election”

April 18, 2021, 7:55 pmcampaign finance, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

NYT: Republicans who were the most vocal in urging their followers to come to Washington on Jan. 6 to try to reverse President Donald J. Trump’s loss, pushing to overturn the election and stoking the grievances that prompted the… Continue reading

“Election objectors leaned on small donors after corporate PAC backlash”

April 16, 2021, 7:40 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Most House Republicans who objected to the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory saw their small-dollar fundraising rise in the first three months of this year compared to the same quarter in 2019, in the latest indication that Republicans… Continue reading

“How to Fix H.R. 1”

April 15, 2021, 8:57 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Reihan Salam in the Atlantic: As it stands, the For the People Act aims to encourage small donations to congressional campaigns by providing a sixfold federal-government match to donations of $200 or less. Congressional candidates who opt in to this… Continue reading

“The future of political advertising is connected TV”

April 15, 2021, 7:36 amcampaign finance, campaigns, cheap speechRick Hasen

Axios: Political advertising has quickly begun to migrate over to connected TV (CTV), or digital and streaming television, according to new data.Why it matters: “If the current trends of explosive growth in CTV viewership continue, we could see a… Continue reading