Category Archives: campaign finance

“New York City mayor’s campaign denied millions in public matching funds”

December 16, 2024, 8:12 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Election officials on Monday denied a request from New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ 2025 campaign for millions in public matching dollars. The decision — based on bookkeeping irregularities and a federal criminal case against Adams involving straw donors — deals… Continue reading

“What If Free Speech Means Banning TikTok?”

December 13, 2024, 12:26 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Alan Rozenshtein in The Atlantic: But in its decision, the court did something unexpected. In addition to crediting the government’s national-security arguments, it highlighted an important tension within pro-free-expression arguments: the right to access and speak on the platform of… Continue reading

“Jeff Bezos’ Amazon Plans to Donate $1 Million to Trump’s Inauguration; The tycoon, long a Trump foe, is among tech leaders seeking improved ties with the president-elect”

December 13, 2024, 7:37 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WSJ: Amazon.com is planning a $1 million donation to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, as founder Jeff Bezos and other tech leaders shore up ties with the incoming administration. The donation is being prepared as Bezos, Amazon’s … Continue reading

Republican Party Suit to Blow Up Limits on Coordinated Spending Between Political Parties and Candidates Reaches the Supreme Court: I Expect They Will Take the Case and Further Deregulate Campaign Financing

December 12, 2024, 7:16 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

When the en banc Sixth Circuit decided this case, I wrote: “I have been waiting for this issue to get back to the Supreme Court for a while, and this is just the vehicle that could get it there.… Continue reading

“Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Donates $1 Million to Trump’s Inaugural Fund”

December 12, 2024, 6:51 amcampaign finance, cheap speechRick Hasen

WSJ: Meta Platforms has donated $1 million to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, the latest step by Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to bolster his once-fraught relationship with the incoming president. The donation, confirmed by the company, is a departure… Continue reading

Dec. 12 Torres-Spelliscy Online Book Event on “Corporatocracy”

December 10, 2024, 8:15 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Over at the Brennan Center: The 2024 election underscored the growing power of big money in politics. This year’s races broke spending records, with megadonors backing candidates not only to push their special interests but to buy government access and… Continue reading

“Trump set for $1 million ‘candlelight’ donor meetings after last campaign”

December 10, 2024, 7:11 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

WaPo: The election is over, but the seven-figure candlelight dinners are back. Make America Great Again, Inc., the super PAC that spent more than $450 million to elect Donald Trump this year, will host another “candlelight” meal with the president-elect… Continue reading

“Revealed: the tech bosses who poured $394.1m into US election – and how they compared to Elon Musk”

December 7, 2024, 8:57 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

The Guardian parses the FEC tech-sector filings beyond Musk. Your reminder that FEC filings facilitate the drunkard’s search under the streetlight: they show what they show, but only where the light is good enough to see.

“‘It’s a very dangerous strategy’: The controversial tactic super PACs used to boost Democrats this year”

December 7, 2024, 8:51 pmcampaign finance, political parties, third partiesJustin Levitt

This Politico story highlights money spent on third-party candidates thought to boost Democratic chances of victory. But I’m genuinely pretty confused by the reporting: there’s a claim that the tactic “was used significantly more this year than in other recent… Continue reading

Limits on coordinated spending between candidates and parties back at SCOTUS

December 7, 2024, 8:50 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

Rick said back in September he’d been waiting for this one, and now there’s a petition for cert. Don’t know whether that counts as an early holiday present.

“How Much Did Trump, Biden and Harris Raise? A Stunning $4.7 Billion.”

December 6, 2024, 11:56 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

It’s FEC report season, with takes for everyone. Here’s the NYT on (some of) the bottom line.

“Elon Musk Backed Trump With Over $250 Million, Fueling the Unusual ‘RBG PAC’”

December 6, 2024, 11:55 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

And I think that doesn’t include the value of the X-posure. Lots of these today. Here’s the NYT take, and WaPo’s version.

“Despite campaign rhetoric critical of “the swamp,” Donald Trump raised $10 million in 2024 from lobbyists for foreign governments”

December 6, 2024, 11:54 pmcampaign finance, lobbyingJustin Levitt

Issue One gathers receipts.

The Parallels in the TikTok Ban Case and Regulation of Campaign Spending by Foreign Nationals

December 6, 2024, 1:23 pmcampaign finance, First Amendment theoryRick Hasen

The DC Circuit has held that the U.S. government can force the sale or shutting down of TikTok because of concerns about the influence of the Chinese government over the actions of the platform’s parent company. Among other things, the… Continue reading