Category Archives: campaign finance

“Trump Legacy: Boom in Corporate Political Disclosure”

November 2, 2020, 7:20 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

New from Bruce Freed, Karl Sandstrom, and Dan Carroll: How has the Trump presidency impacted corporate political disclosure and accountability? The answer might come as a surprise. It’s been a boon and a boom.Over the past four years, more large… Continue reading

“NRA Victory Fund” Super PAC Reported as Making Illegal $5,000 Contribution to Trump for President [Updated as Likely Reporting Error]

November 1, 2020, 10:09 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NRA Victory Fund is a super PAC that does not make campaign contributions. Yet there is now a $5,000 contribution listed to Trump for President. Perhaps this is an error and it came from another fund. We’ll see. UPDATE: A… Continue reading

“Top FEC Official’s Undisclosed Ties to Trump Raise Concerns Over Agency Neutrality”

October 28, 2020, 8:23 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Quite a story in ProPublica today: Debbie Chacona oversees the division of the Federal Election Commission that serves as the first line of defense against illegal flows of cash in political campaigns. Its dozens of analysts sift through billions of… Continue reading

“‘We Merely Need to Dampen Turnout’: Leaked Docs Show Top Trump Allies’ 2016 Plan to Suppress Black Voters”

October 28, 2020, 8:21 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Great new reporting from Andy Kroll: The disinformation operation was christened “Project Clintonson.” It brought together two notorious figures in Republican political circles, Blackwater founder Erik Prince and Trump adviser Roger Stone. Their objective couldn’t have been more explicit.“We… Continue reading

“Reforming The FEC: Rulemaking Obligations Must Be Fulfilled”

October 26, 2020, 8:14 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Karl Sandstrom at Law360.

“The 2020 Campaign Money Story”

October 23, 2020, 5:19 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Axios podcast speaks to Ciara Torres-Spelliscy.

“U.S. Businesses Say One Thing on Climate Change, But Their Campaign Giving Says Another”

October 23, 2020, 1:26 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Bloomberg: Bloomberg Green examined political donations by businesses in the S&P 100 and the U.S.-based members of the Climate Action 100, a group representing the world’s largest corporate contributors to climate change. For every dollar these corporations gave to… Continue reading

“Pharma contributed to attorneys general who want to repeal the Affordable Care Act”

October 21, 2020, 6:20 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Stat: The Affordable Care Act has driven a huge boost in revenue for pharmaceutical companies — but ironically, $1.5 million in drug industry donations last election cycle were funneled to Republican state attorneys general who will soon make a case… Continue reading

“Trump Campaign’s $63 Million Dwarfed by Biden’s $177 Million”

October 20, 2020, 8:56 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump’s re-election campaign committee ended September with only $63.1 million in the bank despite canceling some television buys late last month, leaving him badly outmatched financially against Joseph R. Biden Jr., who reported $177.3 million in… Continue reading

“Silicon Valley megadonors unleash a last-minute, $100 million barrage of ads against Trump”

October 20, 2020, 12:44 pmcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

ReCode reports.

“Justice Kavanaugh Unlocked Ways to Fight Foreign Interference”

October 19, 2020, 8:00 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Ellen Weintraub NYT oped: Among many other recent developments not likely on anyone’s 2020 bingo card, a Supreme Court decision about foreign aid and legalized prostitution has shattered perceived constraints on the authority of the United States to robustly… Continue reading

A Guide to Election Year Activities of Section 501(c)(3) Organizations

October 19, 2020, 7:33 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Steven Sholk: I am pleased to announce that an updated version of my article, A Guide to Election Year Activities of Section 501(c)(3) Organizations, has been published by Practising Law Institute as part of its 2020 Course Handbook for the… Continue reading

“Independent Spending in 2020 Congressional Elections Has Surpassed the $1 Billion Mark”

October 16, 2020, 3:18 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Campaign Finance Institute: Independent spending (IEs) in the general elections of 2020 for the U.S. House and Senate reached $1.035 billion as of October 15. This is nearly one-third of a billion dollars more than congressional IEs as of… Continue reading