Category Archives: campaign finance

Arizona: “Petersen and Toma in court filing aim to quash Prop 211”

August 7, 2023, 5:27 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Capitol Media Services: With efforts by one set of foes already rebuffed, the state’s top Republican lawmakers are making their own bid to quash a new state law designed to shine a light on “dark money.” In a new court… Continue reading

ELB Book Corner: Mary Zielger: “A New Look at the Path to Dobbs”

August 7, 2023, 7:00 amcampaign finance, ELB Book Corner, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Mary Ziegler to the ELB Book Corner, author of the new book, Dollars for Life: The Anti-Abortion Movement and the Fall of the Republican Establishment (Yale, 2022). Here is the first of three posts:… Continue reading

“After Paying Lawyers, Trump’s PAC Is Nearly Broke”

August 1, 2023, 7:11 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: Former President Donald J. Trump’s political action committee, which began last year with $105 million, now has less than $4 million left in its account after paying tens of millions of dollars in legal fees for Mr. Trump and… Continue reading

“The FirstEnergy scandal shows everything that could go wrong with companies’ political spending in 2024”

July 31, 2023, 5:43 pmbribery, campaign financeRick Hasen

Allison Herren Lee and Bruce Freed oped in Forbes: When the Cleveland Browns removed the scandal-tarnished name of FirstEnergy from their football stadium, it symbolized how far the Ohio utility’s good reputation had fallen. The name change followed guilty… Continue reading

“$60 Million Refund Request Shows Financial Pressure on Trump From Legal Fees”

July 30, 2023, 5:25 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: The political action committee that former President Donald J. Trump is using to pay his legal bills faced such staggering costs this year that it requested a refund on a $60 million contribution it made to another group… Continue reading

“The Mystery of How Tim Scott’s Campaign Is Spending Its Millions”

July 28, 2023, 12:51 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: [Sen.] Scott entered the 2024 race with a war chest of $22 million, and his campaign raised $5.8 million from April through June. In that same time, he laid out about $6.6 million, a significant clip — but… Continue reading

“DOJ Will Not Pursue Campaign Finance Charge Against Sam Bankman-Fried”

July 27, 2023, 9:55 amcampaign finance, Department of JusticeDan Tokaji

Forbes: “The Justice Department will not pursue a campaign finance charge against Sam Bankman-Fried as part of an effort to adhere to the legal obligations of the FTX founder’s extradition from the Bahamas.” You can find the letter here… Continue reading

“FEC asked to investigate flower shop’s $500,000 contribution to super PAC backing Suarez’s 2024 bid”

July 26, 2023, 5:34 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

AP: A government watchdog group is asking federal regulators to investigate a $500,000 contribution to a super PAC backing Miami Mayor Francis Suarez’s presidential bid, citing possible campaign finance laws violations. The nonpartisan group Campaign Legal Center said… Continue reading

Who has qualified for the first Republican debate?

July 25, 2023, 4:39 amcampaign finance, primariesDan Tokaji

538 reports that six candidates appear to have satisfied both the polling and donor requirements: Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Chris Christie.

“Democrats eye Wisconsin high court’s new liberal majority to win abortion and redistricting rulings”

July 25, 2023, 4:26 amcampaign finance, judicial elections, redistrictingDan Tokaji

AP: Wisconsin’s Supreme Court will flip from majority conservative to liberal control in August and Democrats have high hopes the change will lead to the state’s abortion ban being overturned and its maps redrawn to weaken GOP control of… Continue reading

“Club for Growth readies $20m fund to boost Boebert, Gaetz and other McCarthy antagonists”

July 24, 2023, 1:43 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico: “The Club for Growth is preparing to spend millions of dollars to help reelect the 20 House Republicans who opposed Kevin McCarthy’s speakership bid…. [A memo to donors obtained by POLITICO] appears intended to spook any McCarthy… Continue reading

“AI Disinformation Drives Lawmaker Fears About 2024 ‘Wild West’”

July 21, 2023, 4:24 amcampaign finance, chicaneryDan Tokaji

Bloomberg: “The increased use of artificial intelligence by campaigns has far surpassed how Congress, political parties, and federal regulators are addressing the technology. Without limits on deepfakes, fears that disinformation could shape the 2024 elections are expected to worsen… Continue reading

“Trump prosecutions consume campaign funds and messaging as charges mount”

July 21, 2023, 3:53 amcampaign finance, election subversion riskDan Tokaji

WaPo on the vanishing distinction between Trump’s campaign and legal defense: “[J]ust over half of the money [Trump] raised last quarter went not to the campaign itself but to an affiliated PAC that is footing the legal bills. Of more… Continue reading

Video Ad from Pro-DeSantis Super PAC Uses AI-Generated Trump Voice

July 18, 2023, 5:09 amcampaign finance, chicaneryDan Tokaji

The next frontier in attack ads? You can watch and listed to the ad on Politico, which reports: The ad, from Never Back Down, charges Trump with attacking Iowa governor Kim Reynolds as part of a larger pattern of… Continue reading