Category Archives: campaign finance

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

“How Brett Kavanaugh could help create an era of rampant corruption”

September 13, 2018, 10:55 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Paul Waldman for the Plum Line.

Unanimous 7th Circuit Panel, in Opinion by Judge Skyes, Rejects Challenges to Illinois Campaign Finance Limits

September 13, 2018, 10:54 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Nice to see.

“Exclusive: Audio Reveals Potentially Illegal Coordination Between NRA and Montana Senate Hopeful Matt Rosendale”

September 13, 2018, 10:20 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Daily Beast: Before the National Rifle Association dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to flip a competitive, Democratic-held Senate seat, the gun-rights group’s chief lobbyist apparently gave the race’s Republican challenger a heads-up. Chris Cox, the top political… Continue reading

New Jersey: “Top 25 Special Interest Groups Spent More than $74 Million in 2017”

September 12, 2018, 2:31 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Release: The top 25 special interest groups in 2017 spent more than $74 million trying to influence elections and government policy in New Jersey, according to a new analysis by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). The analysis… Continue reading

“Dark Money Illuminated Issue One shines a light on the top 15 secretive groups spending millions of dollars to sway voters and malign candidates”

September 12, 2018, 6:40 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Release: Just 15 dark money groups in the post-Citizens United era accounted for over 75 percent of the more than $800 million in political dark money spent between January 2010 and December 2016, according to Issue One’s new year-long investigation, … Continue reading

“Kavanaugh Decision Created Opening for Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections”

September 11, 2018, 9:19 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Brendan Fischer blogs.

“Citizens United As Bad Corporate Law”

September 11, 2018, 9:07 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Jonathan Macey and Leo Strine have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: In this Article we show that Citizens United v. FEC, arguably the most important First Amendment case of the new millennium, is predicated on a… Continue reading

Ninth Circuit reverses on disclosure of top contributors by charities

September 11, 2018, 11:23 amcampaign finance, UncategorizedJustin Levitt

A Ninth Circuit panel today unanimously reversed a lower court decision barring California’s collection of IRS Form 990 Schedule B, which lists the top contributors to 501c3 organizations. This was an as-applied claim by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and… Continue reading

“AP FACT CHECK: Tester did rank No. 1 in cash from lobbyists”

September 11, 2018, 11:17 amcampaign financeJustin Levitt

AP gives a thumbs-up to the claim.

FEC Approves Microsoft Giving Free Security Package to Candidates

September 10, 2018, 4:06 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

Late last week, the FEC unanimously (!) approved an advisory opinion allowing Microsoft to “offer a package of enhanced online account security services at no additional charge on a nonpartisan basis to its election-sensitive customers, including federal candidates and national… Continue reading

Eighth Circuit Affirms Invalidation of Ban on PAC-to-PAC Contributions

September 10, 2018, 11:56 amcampaign financeJustin Levitt

The opinion in Free and Fair Election Fund v. Missouri Ethics Commission is here. (h/t Richard Winger)

“Trump waives millions in claims against Stormy Daniels in new fallout from illegal payoff”

September 10, 2018, 2:08 amcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

LA Times: President Trump has agreed to give up his right to pursue millions of dollars in damages against Stormy Daniels in a move to kill litigation over an illegal payoff to the adult-film star. The maneuver marks a… Continue reading