Category Archives: campaign finance

ELB Book Corner: Michael Kang: “Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections”

October 9, 2023, 7:00 amcampaign finance, judicial electionsRick Hasen

I am pleased to welcome Michael Kang to ELB Book Corner. Michael, along with Joanna Shepherd, is author of the new book, Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections. Here is the first… Continue reading

“Trump Announces $45.5 Million Fund-Raising Haul, Tripling DeSantis”

October 5, 2023, 7:37 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump’s campaign announced on Wednesday that it had raised $45.5 million from July through September, an enormous sum that tripled what his closest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, had revealed raising earlier in the day. The… Continue reading

Democratic, Republican fundraising for election litigation hits $22 million in 6 months of 2023-24 election cycle, half of last cycle to date

October 2, 2023, 5:08 amcampaign financeDerek Muller

After witnessing a non-presidential election cycle with $154 million earmarked for election litigation to the major political parties, I expected to see continuing climbing figures. Not so fast. The 6-month figures are in, and a mere (?) $22.6 million was … Continue reading

“The FEC, Still Failing to Enforce Campaign Laws, Heads to Capitol Hill”

September 17, 2023, 7:22 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

The latest from the Brennan Center: Ultimately, any system of rules is only as good as the body that enforces them. Most Americans want strong campaign finance rules, which require an FEC committed to enforcing duly enacted laws in a… Continue reading

“What Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo wrought: How a justice’s wife and a key activist started a movement”

September 10, 2023, 2:42 pmcampaign finance, chicanery, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Very deep dive by Politico’s Heidi Pryzybyla: At the time, the Citizens United ruling was widely expected, as the court had already signaled its intentions. When it came, it upended nearly 100 years of campaign spending restrictions. The conservative legal movement seized… Continue reading

“DeSantis Super PAC’s Urgent Plea to Donors: ‘We Need 50 Million Bucks'”

August 31, 2023, 7:27 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Hours before the Republican Party’s first presidential debate, the chief strategist for the super PAC that has effectively taken over Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign met with donors in Milwaukee. “Now let me tell you a secret — don’t leak… Continue reading

“GOP salivates at the biggest campaign finance win since Citizens United”

August 29, 2023, 7:04 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Republicans have waged a decades-long battle to blow up the campaign-finance laws that rein in big-money spending. Now, they are making a play that could end in their biggest victory since the Citizens United ruling in 2010. The GOP is growing… Continue reading

Republican Federal Election Commission Commissioner Wants to Hobble the FEC Even More Than It Already Is

August 25, 2023, 7:41 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Details. A Republican FEC commissioner has quietly formulated a rules change that would hamstring the Office of General Council (OGC) and slow investigations to a standstill. Here’s the breakdown:— Campaign for Accountability (@Accountable_Org) August 24, 2023

“How Jack Smith May Charge Trump PAC with Fraudulent Fundraising Within the Bounds of First Amendment”

August 24, 2023, 7:25 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy at Just Security.

“‘I could sell golf’: How DeSantis and aides courted lobbyists for campaign cash”

August 20, 2023, 8:48 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, lobbyingRick Hasen

WaPo: When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took office in 2019, his political team made a list of the state’s top 40 lobbyists and about 100 of their “Suggested Clients to target” for political contributions, according to a fundraising document reviewed… Continue reading

“Spiraling Legal Bills Threaten Trump With a Cash Crunch”

August 11, 2023, 7:15 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: Donald J. Trump’s legal problems aren’t just piling up — his legal bills are, too. New financial reports show that the former president’s various political committees and the super PAC backing him have used roughly 30 cents of every… Continue reading

“DeSantis, With a Subtle Maneuver, Hides His Small-Dollar Donations”

August 10, 2023, 7:50 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: When WinRed, the company that processes nearly all online Republican campaign contributions, recently released its enormous trove of donor data for the first half of the year, donations were conspicuously absent for one presidential candidate: Gov. Ron DeSantis of… Continue reading