Category Archives: campaign finance
“Exclusive: Audio Reveals Potentially Illegal Coordination Between NRA and Montana Senate Hopeful Matt Rosendale”
Daily Beast:
Before the National Rifle Association dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to flip a competitive, Democratic-held Senate seat, the gun-rights group’s chief lobbyist apparently gave the race’s Republican challenger a heads-up.
Chris Cox, the top political… Continue reading
New Jersey: “Top 25 Special Interest Groups Spent More than $74 Million in 2017”
Release:
The top 25 special interest groups in 2017 spent more than $74 million trying to influence elections and government policy in New Jersey, according to a new analysis by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC). The analysis… Continue reading
“Dark Money Illuminated Issue One shines a light on the top 15 secretive groups spending millions of dollars to sway voters and malign candidates”
Release:
Just 15 dark money groups in the post-Citizens United era accounted for over 75 percent of the more than $800 million in political dark money spent between January 2010 and December 2016, according to Issue One’s new year-long investigation, … Continue reading
“Kavanaugh Decision Created Opening for Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections”
“Citizens United As Bad Corporate Law”
Jonathan Macey and Leo Strine have posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
In this Article we show that Citizens United v. FEC, arguably the most important First Amendment case of the new millennium, is predicated on a… Continue reading
Ninth Circuit reverses on disclosure of top contributors by charities
A Ninth Circuit panel today unanimously reversed a lower court decision barring California’s collection of IRS Form 990 Schedule B, which lists the top contributors to 501c3 organizations. This was an as-applied claim by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation and… Continue reading
“AP FACT CHECK: Tester did rank No. 1 in cash from lobbyists”
AP gives a thumbs-up to the claim.
FEC Approves Microsoft Giving Free Security Package to Candidates
Late last week, the FEC unanimously (!) approved an advisory opinion allowing Microsoft to “offer a package of enhanced online account security services at no additional charge on a nonpartisan basis to its election-sensitive customers, including federal candidates and national… Continue reading
Eighth Circuit Affirms Invalidation of Ban on PAC-to-PAC Contributions
The opinion in Free and Fair Election Fund v. Missouri Ethics Commission is here. (h/t Richard Winger)
“Trump waives millions in claims against Stormy Daniels in new fallout from illegal payoff”
LA Times:
President Trump has agreed to give up his right to pursue millions of dollars in damages against Stormy Daniels in a move to kill litigation over an illegal payoff to the adult-film star.
The maneuver marks a… Continue reading
“Small Donors May Soon Be the Only Way to Fight Big Money”
Eliza Newlin Carney for TAP.
“Democrats Outperforming Republicans in Small Donations”
WSJ:
In 28 of the 30 most competitive House races and five of eight tossup Senate races, as rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, the Democratic candidates have outraised the Republicans in donations of less than $200, the Journal’s… Continue reading
“Kavanaugh’s Campaign Finance Record Shows an Atrocious Disregard for Precedent”
Stephen Weissman for Slate.