Category Archives: campaign finance

“Michael Cohen sues Trump Organization for legal fees resulting from Mueller probe, porn star lawsuit”

March 7, 2019, 11:45 amcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

This ought to be fascinating. Not least because if it goes anywhere, it may actually shed some light on what Cohen and the Trump Organization actually thought was legal representation and what was not. There’s been an awful lot… Continue reading

AOC PAC USDs to LLC, TBD by FEC

March 6, 2019, 3:05 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

A new FEC complaint alleges that several PACs directed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and/or her chief of staff reported large lump-sum expenditures to a set of campaign vendor LLCs, apparently complaining that the specific expenditures should have been reported individually. … Continue reading

Nevada State Senate Majority Leader Resigns Based on Federal Campaign Finance Violations

March 6, 2019, 3:03 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryJustin Levitt

Nevada Senate Maj. Leader Kelvin Atkinson resigned yesterday, “announcing he would be pleading guilty to federal charges of misappropriation of campaign funds for personal use and taking ‘full responsibility’ for his actions.” The resignation letter is here. There… Continue reading

“Transgender Political Candidates Are Increasingly Common. The Money Backing Them Is Not”

March 6, 2019, 4:23 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

CPI: At least 51 transgender people unsuccessfully ran for state, local and federal office last year, according to data collected by Logan Casey, a political scientist who now works with the Movement Advancement Project. Nine ran for Congress,… Continue reading

“House Democrats ready ethics overhaul for floor vote this week”

March 5, 2019, 7:05 amcampaign finance, election administration, legislation and legislaturesDan Tokaji

Roll Call: The House Rules Committee will take up the package [HR 1] Tuesday, setting the parameters for consideration on the floor. Lawmakers then will debate the measure on the House floor over the following days, with an expected… Continue reading

“Can the internet save Congress from ‘call time’?”

March 5, 2019, 4:37 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Marketplace: Several presidential candidates have said they will avoid corporate political action committee money, and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren has promised to avoid “call time,” when candidates can spend hours a day on the phone with donors to raise… Continue reading

“With Sweeping Document Request, Democrats Launch Broad Trump Corruption Inquiry”

March 4, 2019, 10:45 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsDan Tokaji

NYT: The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee delivered a flurry of document demands to the executive branch and the broader Trump world on Monday that detailed the breadth of the Democrats’ investigation into possible obstruction of justice, corruption… Continue reading

“Hiding in Plain Sight: PAC-Connected Activists Set Up ‘Local News’ Outlets”

March 4, 2019, 5:56 amcampaign finance, chicaneryDan Tokaji

Snopes: On 6 February 2017, a website of uncertain origin named “The Tennessee Star” was born. At the time, it was unclear who funded or operated this “local newspaper,” which was largely filled with freely licensed content from organizations… Continue reading

“Key House Democrat Plans to Request Documents From Dozens of People Tied to Trump”

March 4, 2019, 3:45 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: Representative Jerrold Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Sunday that he planned to request documents from more than 60 people with ties to President Trump, his administration and his businesses, including the president’s eldest son,… Continue reading

“Campaign finance reformers call on Inslee to disavow 2020 super PAC”

March 4, 2019, 3:38 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico: The letter to Inslee, sent by the group End Citizens United, warns that super PACs founded to support a single candidate are “designed to serve as an arm of the campaign” and are frequently used to exploit gray… Continue reading

“Doctors’ PACs Favored Candidates Opposing Gun Background Checks”

March 3, 2019, 12:13 pmcampaign financeDan Tokaji

WSJ: ” Political-action committees affiliated with doctors’ organizations donated more money to congressional candidates who opposed tighter gun laws than to those supporting them, according to a new study that has revived a debate over what role physicians should… Continue reading

“Why Allen Weisselberg, Trump’s Money Man, Could Face Scrutiny Next”

March 1, 2019, 4:22 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

NYT: Mr. Cohen said he had paid Ms. [Stormy] Daniels with his own money, and then was repaid by the Trump Organization….Mr. Cohen submitted to Congress a copy of a $35,000 check … that he said was one of… Continue reading

“Trump’s 2020 money machine in disrepair”

March 1, 2019, 3:55 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico on the Super PAC supporting the President’s reelection: Trump political aides, members of the president’s family, and top Republicans have been considering potential candidates to spearhead America First Action’s 2020 fundraising efforts. They want someone with deep ties to… Continue reading

Shane Leong, “The Democracy Enhancement Fund”

March 1, 2019, 3:38 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

New in ELJ. From the abstract: …. This article argues that creating a “democratic enhancement fund” (DEF) would provide a better outcome for democracies that, for either financial or political reasons, cannot provide sufficient funds to run a public… Continue reading