Category Archives: campaign finance

“The super rich boost political giving ahead of November’s tough midterm election”

July 23, 2018, 8:00 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

USA Today: Donors who have given $1 million or more in this cycle contributed $120.1 million to super PACs in the April-to-June fundraising quarter. That’s more than twice the $58.8 million they donated during the previous three-month period. Republicans accounted… Continue reading

“Tabloid Company, Aiding Trump Campaign, May Have Crossed Line Into Politics”

July 21, 2018, 1:26 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Federal authorities examining the work President Trump’s former lawyer did to squelch embarrassing stories before the 2016 election have come to believe that an important ally in that effort, the tabloid company American Media Inc., at times acted more… Continue reading

“Michael Cohen Taped Conversation With Trump About Buying Rights to Playmate’s Story”

July 20, 2018, 2:35 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ: MIchael Cohen taped a conversation in person with Donald Trump in which the two men discussed buying the rights to a former Playboy Playmate’s story that she had an affair with Mr. Trump more than a decade ago, according… Continue reading

“Russian firm indicted in special counsel probe cites Kavanaugh decision to argue that charge should be dismissed”

July 20, 2018, 2:20 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bob Barnes in WaPo: A Russian company accused by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III of being part of an online operation to disrupt the 2016 presidential campaign is leaning in part on a decision by Supreme Court nominee Brett… Continue reading

“All Expenses Paid – How Leadership PACs Became Politicians’ Preferred Ticket to Luxury Living”

July 20, 2018, 2:10 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

Release: A new report released today by Issue One and Campaign Legal Center (CLC) called, “All Expenses Paid: How Leadership PACs Became Politicians’ Preferred Ticket to Luxury Living”reveals how many federal lawmakers continue to exploit loopholes and lax enforcement… Continue reading

“Indicted Russian Company Uses Trump’s Supreme Court Pick as Get Out of Jail Free Card”

July 18, 2018, 9:06 amcampaign finance, campaigns, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Every Voice: A Russian company indicted earlier this year as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into foreign interference in our elections is using a decision written by none other than Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh to… Continue reading

“The Biggest Spender of Political Ads on Facebook? President Trump”

July 18, 2018, 9:04 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: It’s official: President Trump is the single biggest political advertiser on Facebook. Mr. Trump and his political action committee spent $274,000 on ads on the social network since early May, outpacing the second-biggest spender, Planned Parenthood Federation of America,… Continue reading

“Brett Kavanaugh, Who Has Ruled Against Campaign Finance Regulations, Could Bring an Avalanche of Big Money to Elections”

July 16, 2018, 9:06 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Lee Fang for The Intercept.

“Inside John Bolton Super PAC’s deal with Cambridge Analytica”

July 16, 2018, 6:26 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

CPI: John Bolton needed billionaire Robert Mercer’s attention and support — so badly, Bolton spent more than $1 million of his John Bolton Super PAC’s money on “comically bad” data from Mercer’s now-defunct voter profiling firm, Cambridge Analytica… Continue reading

“Donald Trump continues to build 2020 re-election war chest”

July 16, 2018, 5:16 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

CPI: “Trump’s campaign ended June with more than $33 million cash on hand — almost three times the size of its reserve from June 2017, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission.” Update: More on the… Continue reading

“Kavanaugh and Campaign Finance: Republican National Committee v. Federal Election Commission”

July 14, 2018, 9:46 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Charles Davis on SCOTUSBlog: Kavanaugh’s opinion showed hostility towards the Supreme Court’s views in McConnell. It questioned the theory that these [soft money] limits could be justified simply by the close connection between political parties and candidates or officeholders,… Continue reading

“The Mystery Firm That Became the NRA’s Top Election Consultant”

July 14, 2018, 9:41 amcampaign financeDan Tokaji

Politico on the NRA’s payments to the consulting firm Starboard Strategic: It was not unusual for the NRA to spend large sums of cash in an election cycle. What was odd was where the money was going. Before 2013, Starboard… Continue reading

Judge Kavanaugh on Free Speech and Campaign Finance

July 12, 2018, 9:01 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtDan Tokaji

Ken White writes that Judge Kavanaugh’s opinions “are consistent with the Supreme Court’s strong protection of free speech rights this century,” and that he has “voted to strike down campaign financing laws and regulations under the First Amendment.” Jonathan Adler… Continue reading