Category Archives: campaign finance

“Independent Spending in the 2018 Congressional Primaries Went Up (Again)”

September 25, 2018, 7:07 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

CFI: Independent expenditures (IEs) spending for congressional primaries went up once again. This unsurprising conclusion was based on a Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) analysis of data supplied by the Federal Election Commission for all federal primaries from 2006 through… Continue reading

“Sheldon Adelson Sees a Lot to Like in Trump’s Washington”

September 24, 2018, 8:43 amcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

NYT: The return on investment for many of the Republican Party’s biggest political patrons has been less than impressive this year. But not for Sheldon Adelson. Mr. Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate, and his wife, Miriam, a physician, have emerged… Continue reading

“Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky Strikes Down a Vague Ban on Speech in Polling Places, But Future Bans May Be Upheld”

September 24, 2018, 7:48 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Interesting Mike Dimino for the Federalist Society Review.

“Political nonprofits seek answers after court decision targeting ‘dark money’”

September 21, 2018, 3:35 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

WaPo: As politically active nonprofits scramble to figure out the implications of a recent court decision requiring them to disclose some of their donors, experts said one thing is clear: There will be ways around the new rules. Groups could… Continue reading

“Senate E-filing Launches New Era in Campaign Disclosures”

September 21, 2018, 1:05 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Kate Ackley for Roll Call: It’s been a good week for advocates of faster, and more, political money disclosure. With President Donald Trump’s signature Friday, it’s official: Senate candidates now must file their campaign finance reports electronically with the Federal… Continue reading

“Shareholders Push Nike for Greater Disclosure on Political Spending”

September 20, 2018, 10:02 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

WSJ: Investors are seeking greater transparency from Nike related to its political spending and putting a proposal demanding regular reporting on political contributions to a vote on Thursday. The vote, at the company’s annual general meeting in Beaverton, Ore., comes… Continue reading

Just How Much Will the Crossroads Ruling Change Disclosure Rules for 2018? Probably Not as Much as You Think

September 20, 2018, 7:28 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

In my post about the Supreme Court’s denial of a stay in the Crossroads campaign disclosure case, I wrote that it “does not solve all of the current disclosure problems, but this is a victory for transparency.” I stand by… Continue reading

Sen. McCaskill Cites Judge Kavanaugh’s Campaign Finance Views as Her Reason for Voting No on His Supreme Court Nomination

September 20, 2018, 7:19 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Gannett: Sen. Claire McCaskill said Wednesday she will vote against federal appellate judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Citing “dark money” in politics as the main reason for her opposition, McCaskill released a… Continue reading

“The Hottest Tool in Campaign Finance Law Enforcement Today Is More Than 100 Years Old”

September 20, 2018, 6:57 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on the Tillman Act.

Breaking: Supreme Court Rejects Stay in Crossroads Campaign Disclosure Case

September 18, 2018, 11:30 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

With no noted dissents, the Supreme Court has turned down Crossroad GPS’s request for emergency relief from an order that will require disclosure of more of its donors who are contributing money to influence federal elections. As I wrote… Continue reading

“Campaign Donor Disclosure Fate May Hinge on Kavanaugh Vote”

September 18, 2018, 7:56 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Ken Doyle for Bloomberg: The continued secrecy of donors to campaign spending groups may depend on whether and how quickly the Senate can confirm Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Chief Justice John Roberts reinstated in a brief order issued over… Continue reading

“Independent Spending in State Elections, 2006-2016”

September 18, 2018, 7:00 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

CFI Release: In the years before the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (CU), independent expenditures (IEs) in state elections were dominated by formal state and local party organizations and labor unions. In the years… Continue reading

“Congress passes bill to require Senate campaign filings to be made electronically”

September 17, 2018, 8:00 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Well this is a long time coming: Congress passed a bill Thursday that would require senators to file campaign finance reports electronically through the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The language was included in a broader appropriations bill sent to the… Continue reading

Chief Justice Roberts Issues Temporary Stay of Order Requiring Crossroads GPS and Similar Groups to Disclose Certain Donor Information to FEC

September 15, 2018, 3:01 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The stay looks to be an administrative one, pending further action of the Court. Witht 4 Justices strongly in favor of disclosure on the Court, I would guess that this results in an eventual denial of the stay, either by… Continue reading