Category Archives: campaign finance

“A Chinese national, charged with fraud by the SEC, just sent Donald Trump $18 million”

December 2, 2024, 11:35 pmcampaign finance, election law and constitutional lawemolumentsJustin Levitt

Popular Information with a deep dive on the sketchy crypto thing that isn’t $6.2 million for a banana. Get ready for the return of (and four-year procedural turmoil over) the emoluments cases. Law review note authors: start your… Continue reading

“How Trump’s CIA Pick Funneled Congressional Campaign Funds To Himself And His Wife”

December 1, 2024, 6:34 pmcampaign financeJustin Levitt

Zach Everson, from Forbes ($), picks up where he left off.

Election Law Scholars and Brennan Center File Amicus Brief in En Banc DC Circuit Case on the Power of FEC Commissioners to Use “Prosecutorial Discretion” to Prevent Judicial Review of Their Decisions

November 26, 2024, 10:52 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Important brief in a key case.

“Trump Is Running His Transition Team on Secret Money”

November 24, 2024, 9:40 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

NYT: President-elect Donald J. Trump is keeping secret the names of the donors who are funding his transition effort, a break from tradition that could make it impossible to see what interest groups, businesses or wealthy people are helping launch… Continue reading

New Interactive Data Base from the Center for Political Accountability

November 22, 2024, 5:57 amcampaign financeTabatha Abu El-Haj

The Center for Political Accountability today announced the launch of The Barbara and Morris Pearl 527 Interactive Database, a user-friendly interactive database created to shine a spotlight on under-the-radar corporate political spending in the United States. The database has two… Continue reading

“Supreme Court won’t hear challenge to Alaska campaign finance laws”

November 19, 2024, 7:40 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I missed this news yesterday: More than 14 years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which removed limits on independent political expenditures by corporations and unions, the justices declined to weigh in on … Continue reading

“Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters”

November 15, 2024, 7:27 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: Muslims in Michigan began seeing pro-Israel ads this fall praising Vice President Kamala Harris for marrying a Jewish man and backing the Jewish state. Jews in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, saw ads from the same group with the opposite message:… Continue reading

“Clashes, confusion and secrecy consume the Harris campaign’s finances”

November 14, 2024, 7:54 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NBC News: If Kamala Harris’ campaign was known for anything, it was its blockbuster fundraising. In just a matter of months, it crossed the $1 billion mark, in a stunning and record-breaking pace. Now, less than a week since… Continue reading

“Elon Musk’s PAC spent an estimated $200 million to help elect Trump, AP source says”

November 12, 2024, 7:30 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

AP: Elon Musk’s super PAC spent around $200 million to help elect Donald Trump , according to a person familiar with the group’s spending, funding an effort that sets a new standard for how billionaires can influence elections. The billionaire… Continue reading

Weissman: “Judge’s Error Casts Shadow Over Trump’s Felony Convictions”

November 7, 2024, 10:47 amcampaign finance, UncategorizedRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Stephen R. Weissman: President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on November 26th for 34 New York State felonies. Even if his lawyers are able to secure an indefinite postponement of that… Continue reading

“What to Know About Trump’s New York Criminal Case After the Election”

November 7, 2024, 7:04 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: The People of the State of New York v. Donald J. Trump was the one criminal case against the former president that actually went to trial. Now that Mr. Trump has reclaimed the presidency, it, too, is in jeopardy.… Continue reading

“Trump’s Victory Is a Major Win for Elon Musk and Big-Money Politics”

November 6, 2024, 2:44 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

NYT: His victory lap was the culmination of an effort that began only six months ago and depended on a risky gamble: Mr. Musk’s new super PAC effectively led Mr. Trump’s get-out-the-vote operation in battleground states — and Mr. Trump… Continue reading

“Musk to Spend Election Night With Trump; Elon Musk has spent $119 million on a super PAC supporting Donald Trump and held events on his behalf. But his ownership of X is especially valuable.”

November 5, 2024, 11:11 amcampaign finance, campaigns, cheap speechRick Hasen

NYT: Elon Musk plans to spend election night with former President Donald J. Trump, giving Mr. Trump direct access to the person controlling one of key information platforms on what could be a chaotic evening…. Mr. Musk is joining the… Continue reading

“Judge Allows Unusual G.O.P. Strategy to Pump Money Into Senate Races”

November 2, 2024, 11:32 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: A federal judge ruled on Friday that Senate Republicans may continue to pump tens of millions of dollars into key swing state races in the final days of the 2024 campaign by employing an unusual advertising strategy that Democrats… Continue reading