Category Archives: campaign finance

“Biden appears to drop his opposition to a super PAC”

October 24, 2019, 10:16 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

WaPo: Joe Biden is apparently dropping his long-held opposition to the creation of an outside group that would supply an infusion of money to benefit his campaign, a recognition that financial struggles are becoming a major problem for his presidential… Continue reading

“Corporate Political Transparency: It’s Optional”

October 24, 2019, 7:21 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Dave Levinthal for CPI: Basking in the sunny side of the corporate political disclosure spectrum are household names such as AT&T, HP Inc., Capital One Financial Corp., General Electric Co. and Google parent Alphabet Inc.Comparatively slinking through the shadows? Netflix… Continue reading

Shah Zuberi, Los Angeles Financier Who Donated $900K to Trump Inaugural, Pleads Guilty to “making almost $1 million in illegal campaign contributions that included funneling money from foreign entities and individuals to influence U.S. elections.”

October 22, 2019, 1:55 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Daily Beast: A Los Angeles financier who donated $900,000 to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee has admitted to falsifying records to hide his work as a foreign agent while he lobbied prominent U.S. government officials, federal prosecutors announced Tuesday.Shah Zuberi,… Continue reading

“Campaign Finance Law Should Do More To Prevent Donor Harassment”

October 21, 2019, 5:28 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Brad Smith oped in the Daily Caller. Although Brad correctly quotes me as saying that I support raising the donor thresholds, it is not because I believe there is a serious increase in unconstitutional harassment (I don’t). It is… Continue reading

“Congress has long sought to bar foreign campaign contributions”

October 21, 2019, 6:51 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Todd Ruger for Roll Call.

“The Pro-Trump Super PAC at the Center of the Ukraine Scandal Has Faced Multiple Campaign Finance Complaints”

October 19, 2019, 5:36 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

ProPublica: Last year, a Department of Defense contractor quietly donated half a million dollars to a group supporting President Donald Trump’s reelection.Once a watchdog organization noticed it, the contribution raised an alarm. Federal contractors are not allowed to donate to… Continue reading

“To Win Giuliani’s Help, Oligarch’s Allies Pursued Biden Dirt”

October 19, 2019, 5:26 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bloomberg: Associates of a Ukrainian oligarch fighting extradition to the U.S. were working to dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden last summer in an effort to get Rudy Giuliani’s help in the oligarch’s legal case, according… Continue reading

“Wealth, philanthropy and politics — considering ‘wealth tax’ proposals”

October 16, 2019, 4:45 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Ellen Aprill oped: The impact of private wealth on public policy through tax-exempt organizations has garnered much attention of late, with recent scandals involving the Sacklers, Jeffrey Epstein, and a number of prestigious universities. Recent critiques, however, fail to… Continue reading

Campaign Finance Attorney Jim Bopp Advising Trump Campaign on Campaign Finance Issues

October 16, 2019, 8:03 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Carrie Levine: 1/One interesting tidbit from the Trump campaign's most recent FEC disclosure: the architect of the Supreme Court's Citizens United case is now on the campaign's ever-growing roster of lawyers. The campaign reported paying Jim Bopp's law firm $25,000… Continue reading

“Honest Ads Act Is False Advertising”

October 15, 2019, 4:09 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

WSJ oped by Bradley A. Smith, Lee E. Goodman, and Michael E. Toner.

“Power Up: FEC chair warns charges against Giuliani associates ‘just the tip of the iceberg'”

October 14, 2019, 8:11 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

“Indicted Donors Spread Campaign Cash Widely; Pair of Soviet-born Florida businessmen donated $675,000 to at least 14 GOP candidates and groups last year”

October 11, 2019, 2:53 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ reports. At least 14 Republican candidates and groups directly received a total of $675,500 in campaign contributions last year from Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, the Soviet-born Florida businessmen indicted this week on campaign-finance violations.Federal prosecutors in Manhattan say… Continue reading

“The Arrest of Giuliani’s Ukraine Associates Shows How Much Trump Has Already Corrupted Our Elections”

October 10, 2019, 10:22 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: The news of Thursday’s indictments of two associates of Rudy Giuliani’s, who according to their lawyer (and former Trump lawyer) John Dowd, assisted Giuliani “in connection with his representation of President… Continue reading

“Two Giuliani Associates Who Helped Him on Ukraine Charged With Campaign-Finance Violations”

October 10, 2019, 10:03 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

WSJ: Two Soviet-born donors to a pro- Trump fundraising committee who helped Rudy Giuliani’s efforts to investigate Democrat Joe Biden were arrested late Wednesday on criminal charges of violating campaign finance rules, including funneling Russian money into President Trump’s campaign.Lev… Continue reading