Category Archives: campaign finance

“In Spite of Executive Order, Cuomo Takes Campaign Money From State Appointees”

March 26, 2018, 7:06 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

NYT: That type of arrangement — appointments go out, campaign cash comes back in — has vexed government reformers in Albany for generations. Things were supposed to change in 2007, when Eliot L. Spitzer, then the newly elected governor, issued… Continue reading

“Another Effort To Get Rid Of The ‘Johnson Amendment’ Fails”

March 23, 2018, 8:44 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

NPR: A provision in the U.S tax code that bars churches and charities from engaging in political campaigns remains intact, more than a year after President Trump pledged to “get rid of and totally destroy” it. Under the Johnson Amendment,… Continue reading

“Small Donors in Congressional Elections”

March 23, 2018, 8:42 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Tyler Culberson, Michael McDonald, and Suzanne Robbins have written this article for American Politics Research. Here is the abstract: Candidates raise substantial sums of money to compete in federal elections. Scholars and election observers are concerned by potential corruption related… Continue reading

“Hush Money May Prove Trump’s Biggest Campaign-Finance Problem”

March 22, 2018, 9:27 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Eliza Newlin Carney for TAP.

“Controversy Swirls as Lawmakers Eye Campaign Finance Changes”

March 21, 2018, 8:33 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Kate Ackley for Roll Call: Lawmakers continue to debate major changes to political money regulations as part of a year-end spending package, despite opposition from numerous congressional Democrats and campaign finance watchdog groups. Even with congressional primaries already underway, the… Continue reading

“FEC Wrong to Drop Nondisclosure Case, Judge Rules”

March 21, 2018, 7:51 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission should have pursued enforcement action against the American Action Network, a conservative nonprofit, for failing to disclose funding sources for millions of dollars in television ads supporting Republican congressional candidates, a federal judge ruled… Continue reading

“Philadelphia-Area Political Consultant Charged in Superseding Indictment With Obstructing Investigation of Federal Election Commission”

March 20, 2018, 2:54 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

DOJ Release: A federal grand jury sitting in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a superseding indictment today adding charges in a pending criminal case against a Philadelphia-area political consultant, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the… Continue reading

“FEC Unlikely To Launch NRA-Russia Probe”

March 20, 2018, 7:13 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

TPM: News broke late last week that the Federal Election Commission had opened a preliminary inquiry into whether Russians illegally channeled money to the National Rifle Association to support Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. But the FEC’s move, which came… Continue reading

“Why does it Matter if the NRA Used Russian Money to help Donald Trump’s Election?”

March 19, 2018, 8:14 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy for the National Law Review.

“FEC probes whether NRA got illegal Russian donations”

March 19, 2018, 1:38 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico : he Federal Election Commission has launched a preliminary investigation into whether Russian entities gave illegal contributions to the National Rifle Association that were intended to benefit the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election, according to people who… Continue reading

Today’s Must-Read: “How Trump Consultants Exploited the Facebook Data of Millions”

March 17, 2018, 2:20 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: As the upstart voter-profiling company Cambridge Analytica prepared to wade into the 2014 American midterm elections, it had a problem. The firm had secured a $15 million investment from Robert Mercer, the wealthy Republican donor, and wooed his… Continue reading

“NRA lawyer said to have had concerns about group’s ties to Russia”

March 16, 2018, 9:10 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

McClatchy: Congressional investigators are examining information that a longtime attorney for the National Rifle Association had concerns about the group’s ties to Russia and its possible involvement in channeling Russian funds into the 2016 elections to help Donald Trump, two… Continue reading

“Elected Officials, Secret Cash”

March 15, 2018, 8:24 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Brennan Center: At least two presidents, seven governors and several prominent mayors – from both major parties – have established nonprofits that allow them to raise unlimited, anonymous funds for political spending after election day. In recent years, the risk… Continue reading

“GOP’s new tax law encourages campaign donor secrecy”

March 15, 2018, 8:22 amcampaign finance, lobbying, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Ellen Aprill oped in the Hill: As a result of these changes, estimates of the percentage of taxpayers who will itemize has fallen to somewhere between 5 percent and 10 percent. The vast majority of taxpayers will benefit more from… Continue reading