Category Archives: campaign finance
“IRS gives nonprofit status to Rove’s controversial dark money group”
Robert Maguire:
After languishing in limbo for nearly five-and-a-half years, one of the most controversial, politically active 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations in the country has been granted nonprofit status by the IRS. The ruling was made official last Nov.… Continue reading
Watch My #PlutocratsUnited Talk @UCILaw, with Chemerinsky Commentary
You can watch here.
Buy Plutocrats United from Amazon with a 25% discount.
“Meet the super-rich driving the 2016 election”
USA Today:
Nearly half the money pouring into all federal super PACs came from just 107 people or groups that each gave $1 million or more to influence the outcome of this year’s presidential and congressional races, a USA… Continue reading
Jeb Bush Campaign Backs Off His Suggestion to Amend Constitution to Overturn Citizens United
MSNBC:
Bush’s campaign quickly stepped in to clarify the comments, saying that the candidate was restating his old position and did not favor reversing the court’s decision.
“He’s not advocating for additional restrictions on the ability of an organization… Continue reading
“An alternative to nonstop political fundraising”
Eric Wang Wash. Times oped:
The most logical and least constitutionally questionable measure to ease members’ fundraising burden would be to substantially raise the limits on campaign contributions. While worrywarts will hyperventilate that this will exacerbate corruption, there is… Continue reading
“Democrats Are Fuming About Hillary Clinton’s ‘Smear’ Line”
Zach Carter:
“If [Clinton] takes the money, she gets hit with this McCarthyism of the left, this guilt by association, even though there is no evidence that taking this money has had any impact on her policies,” former Rep. … Continue reading
“Hillary Clinton, Wall Street shill? Here are a few facts.”
Greg Sargent:
I’m skeptical of Sanders’s case that Obama could have gotten a lot more than he did or that his explanation accounts for why Obama did achieve what he did. I’m also skeptical of Sanders’s case that he can… Continue reading
“The Federal Election Commission’s Role in A Reform Program”
“Getting a Handle on the Super PAC Problem”
Here is a paper Bob Bauer gave this weekend at the Stanford Law Review symposium.
Bob’s solution is more transparency and letting the parties raise more money and spend it in coordination with candidates. Some might say this is a… Continue reading
Jeb Bush Makes No Sense on Money in Politics
He’d hold a constitutional convention to overturn Citizens United, but favors unlimited contributions with disclosure. Huh? If you allow unlimited contributions, you allow Super PACs (unless his constitutional amendment would allow only candidates to accept unlimited contributions—an incumbency protection measure… Continue reading
Another Cruz Fundraising Gimmick: Matching Funds
Nothing illegal here apparently; just more deceptive marketing.
Ira Glasser Blames IRS for Current Campaign Finance Woes
See this letter to the editor to the NYT Book review.
The rise of large money in politics is due not just to Buckley, but to Citizens United, SpeechNow and the FEC.
As to disclosure, the blame lies not with… Continue reading
“The Many Ills of Campaign Money”
Paul Sherman and others respond in the NYT LTE to Richard Painter’s recent oped making the conservative case for campaign finance reform.