Category Archives: campaign finance

“A Better Hope for Campaign Finance Reform”

August 9, 2019, 7:03 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ed McCaffery has posted this draft on SSRN. Here is the abstract: There is too much money in American politics, and too much of it comes from too few citizens. Mega-donors like Sheldon Adelson or Tom Steyer make $100… Continue reading

“Trump’s Opponents Want to Name His Big Donors. His Supporters Say It’s Harassment.”

August 8, 2019, 6:24 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: But the Supreme Court’s support for campaign finance disclosure laws has a built-in exemption for people who can show a realistic threat of harassment, and the renewed scrutiny on Trump donors has also raised questions about what qualifies as… Continue reading

A “Call Mitch McConnell” Ad That Really Does Seem to Want You to Call Mitch McConnell (About Election Security)

August 8, 2019, 8:00 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Bill Kristol: We can't count on Trump for election security. And Mitch McConnell is blocking the Senate from even considering bipartisan election security legislation. Enough. This ad from @ForTheRuleOfLaw is on the air in DC and KY. pic.twitter.com/RdbmIcRaNy—… Continue reading

“Dark Money Loses a Round”

August 8, 2019, 7:15 amcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy blogs.

“Joaquin Castro doubles down amid backlash over tweeting names of Trump donors”

August 7, 2019, 7:59 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from Texas and chairman of the presidential campaign of his twin brother, Julián, fired back on Tuesday after being castigated on social media for tweeting the names and occupations of his constituents who’d… Continue reading

“How small-dollar donors are reshaping the Democratic primary”

August 4, 2019, 8:40 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

WaPo: About a fifth of donors have given to more than one Democratic presidential nominee in the first six months of this year, pointing to the difficulty candidates face distinguishing themselves among those giving small amounts at a time.That revelation… Continue reading

“Manhattan D.A. Subpoenas Trump Organization Over Stormy Daniels Hush Money”

August 1, 2019, 9:33 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: State prosecutors in Manhattan subpoenaed President Trump’s family business on Thursday, reviving an investigation into the company’s role in hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to people briefed on the matter.The subpoena, issued by the… Continue reading

“Kris Kobach Uses Border Wall Group to Fund Senate Bid, Likely Illegally”

August 1, 2019, 6:37 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Daily Beast: Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is using a nonprofit group he advises to raise money for his U.S. Senate campaign, and legal experts say one recent fundraising push likely ran afoul of federal campaign finance… Continue reading

Breaking: Federal Court Holds IRS Violated Administrative Procedure Act with Rule that Exempted 501(c)(4) Political (and Other) Organizations from Filing Their List of Donors With the IRS

July 30, 2019, 6:34 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

The court ruled that if the IRS wants to enforce such a rule, it has to go through the notice and comment period.

“Political Fundraising Has a Big, Nasty Secret; U.S. campaign-finance laws have been written to prevent donors from taking advantage of politicians—but do little to protect donors from being scammed.”

July 30, 2019, 7:11 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

David Graham for The Atlantic.

“Democrats swore off donations from lobbyists and fossil fuel execs. But some are skirting their own rules.”

July 29, 2019, 7:27 amcampaign finance, campaigns, lobbyingRick Hasen

WaPo: Among New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s donors to his presidential campaign is a vice president of a leading pharmaceutical company. The senior vice president of Comcast who oversees the company’s lobbying efforts hosted a fundraiser for former vice… Continue reading

“How Fundraisers Convinced Conservatives to Donate $10 Million — Then Kept Almost All of It.”

July 28, 2019, 8:10 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

ProPublica and Politico: After recruiting thousands of donors for the American Conservative Union — the powerful organization behind the annual CPAC conference — a Republican political operative pushed the same contributors to give millions to a PAC that promised to… Continue reading

“A Republican Wants Old Campaign Cash to Fund His Nonprofit. A Democrat Might Show the Way.”

July 26, 2019, 5:11 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

CPI reports.

“Unlimited Donations to Candidates, Coming Soon? Former Solicitor General Paul Clement may get the Supreme Court closer to killing what’s left of campaign-finance limits.”

July 26, 2019, 6:17 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have written this piece for The Atlantic. It begins: During the George W. Bush administration, then–Solicitor General Paul Clement successfully defended the constitutionality of the 2002 McCain-Feingold law, which tightened electioneering and fundraising regulations. Can Clement now get traction… Continue reading

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