Category Archives: campaign finance

“Independent Spending in Senate Races over $500 Million”

November 4, 2016, 3:40 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Campaign Finance Institute: With the Pennsylvania Senate race leading the way at over $113 million dollars in general election independent spending, all Senate races have combined for $532 million. This continues a trend over the previous two election cycles of… Continue reading

“Super PACs, ‘dark money’ groups eschew presidential race for Senate”

November 4, 2016, 7:48 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

CPI reports. In a striking departure from the 2012 election, super PACs and other non-candidate organizations have spent more on U.S. Senate races in July, August and September than on the presidential election, a new analysis shows. The spending pattern… Continue reading

“How to fix Congress? Make representatives accountable to voters”

November 4, 2016, 7:39 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub for WaPo.

“Legal team seeking to undo super PACs files suit to push FEC to act”

November 4, 2016, 7:33 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

WaPo: A bipartisan group of congressional members and candidates is filing a federal suit Friday against the Federal Election Commission, seeking to force the agency to act on a complaint it brought against 10 super PACs in July. The maneuver… Continue reading

Possible Record $18 Million Penalty for Campaign Finance Violations in Washington State

November 3, 2016, 8:24 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

See the opinion in State of Washington v. Grocery Manufacturers Association. A snippet:

Three-Judge District Court in DC Rejects Challenge to McCain-Feingold Disclosure Requirements, Noting Danger of Foreign Influence

November 3, 2016, 8:15 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

You can find the unanimous opinion for Judges Millett, Kollar-Kotelly, and Mehta at this link. A snippet:

“Shooting Your Brand in the Foot: What Citizens United Invites”

November 3, 2016, 8:04 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy has posted this draft on SSRN (Rutgers Law Review). Here is the abstract: Part of what makes corporate political spending so fraught is the how valuable brand identity is to the average firm, the heterogeneous political views of… Continue reading

“Time for an ACLU Shift on Campaign Finance?”

November 3, 2016, 12:34 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Eliza Newlin Carney for TAP: Now that Georgetown constitutional law professor David Cole has been named the American Civil Liberties Union’s next national legal director, his April article in The Atlantic on “How to Reverse Citizens United” delivers a second… Continue reading

“Democracy 21 Study — Outside Groups Greatly Outspend Candidates in Seven Battleground Senate Races”

November 3, 2016, 8:04 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

See here.

“Presidential Election: Trump Hits $100 Million in Small Donations in October, Team Says”

November 2, 2016, 9:10 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Supreme Court Lets Stand Traditional PAC Limits”

November 2, 2016, 8:51 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Supreme Court declined to review a challenge to Federal Election Commission contribution limits for traditional political action committees (PACs), leaving intact special limits for newly formed PACs (Stop Reckless Economic Instability Caused By Democrats (Stop REID) PAC… Continue reading

NC GOP Says LGBT Forum Sponsored by Charlotte Observer Newspaper Is Unreported Independent Expenditure Supporting Democratic Candidate for Governor

November 2, 2016, 3:15 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Letter via Dominic Holden.

“Despite Citizens United, Corporate Super PAC Contributions Trail Individuals, Study Finds”

November 2, 2016, 7:51 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WSJ: Despite legal rulings allowing companies, trade groups and unions to spend unlimited sums supporting political candidates, they still trail far behind wealthy individuals in political spending, a new study finds. A study by the Conference Board’s Committee for Economic… Continue reading