Category Archives: campaign finance

Giuliani Being Investigated for Illegal Foreign Campaign Contributions and Illegal Conduit Contributions

November 25, 2019, 12:43 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Among other things, per WSJ: The subpoenas offer the clearest indication yet that federal prosecutors are examining Mr. Giuliani’s consulting work. Among the entities named in the subpoenas are Giuliani Partners, a security-consulting firm founded by Mr. Giuliani in… Continue reading

Breaking: Supreme Court, Ducking Major Confrontation Over Campaign Finance Limits for Now, Reverses 9th Circuit Ruling Upholding Alaska Campaign Contribution Limits

November 25, 2019, 7:00 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I’ve been keeping my eye on Thompson v. Hebdon v. Hebdon for a long time. In this case, leading Supreme Court attorney Paul Clement filed a petition for the Supreme Court to take a case challenging Alaska’s campaign contribution limits… Continue reading

“Do not stifle shareholder voices”

November 24, 2019, 8:15 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Bruce Freed FT oped.

“Ending Foreign-Influenced Corporate Spending in U.S. Elections”

November 21, 2019, 6:51 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

New CAP report.

“A Trump Administration Plan that Could Boost Corporate ‘Dark Money’ in Elections”

November 19, 2019, 8:16 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy writes.

“Possible pay-to-play scheme for ambassador role in Trump administration uncovered by CBS News”

November 18, 2019, 7:18 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

CBS News: A CBS News investigation has uncovered a possible pay-for-play scheme involving the Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Bahamas. Emails obtained by CBS News show the nominee, San Diego billionaire Doug Manchester,… Continue reading

Supreme Court Takes No Action Again on Major Campaign Finance Petition

November 18, 2019, 7:05 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Supreme Court takes no action yet again on major campaign finance petition. Court could eventually grant, or, perhaps at this point more likely now would be either some kind of summary action or a dissent from denial of cert. from… Continue reading

Campaign Legal Center Unsuccessfully Fights Effort to Allow Clinton Campaign and Allied Super PAC to Defend Itself in Federal Court (Comment from Marc Elias)

November 15, 2019, 4:02 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Court order. Comment from Marc Elias via email: “The idea that a so called good government group would use the fact that the FEC is shorthanded to try to score a victory in court and not let the case… Continue reading

“Grassroots Money Beats Amazon in Seattle; ‘Democracy dollars’ and an influx of small donations powered progressive city council members to victory over corporate money.”

November 15, 2019, 1:32 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Nick Nyhart and Adam Eichen at TAP.

“Bloomberg Will Spend $100 Million on Anti-Trump Online Ad Blitz”

November 15, 2019, 7:58 amcampaign finance, Plutocrats UnitedRick Hasen

NYT reports.

Parnas and Fruman Got Access to Trump to Call for Dumping Ambassador By Promising Big Contribution to Trump Super PAC

November 12, 2019, 9:09 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: The April 2018 dinner was designed to be an intimate affair, an opportunity for a handful of big donors to a super PAC allied with President Trump to personally interact with the president and his eldest son.In an exclusive… Continue reading

“AP Exclusive: Steyer aide offered money for endorsements”

November 7, 2019, 12:42 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

AP: A top aide to Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer in Iowa privately offered campaign contributions to local politicians in exchange for endorsing his White House bid, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the conversations.The overtures from Pat… Continue reading

“Our Campaign Finance Nationalism”

November 7, 2019, 8:35 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Gene Mazo has posted this draft on SSRN (forthcoming, Pepperdine Law Review). Here is the abstract: This Article chronicles the history, structure, and contours of our “campaign finance nationalism.” I use this term to describe a system in which the… Continue reading

Supreme Court May Decide to Hear Major Campaign Finance Case This Week

November 6, 2019, 8:14 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

As early as Friday, the Supreme Court could announce it will hear a case that could put the nail into coffin of limits on campaign contributions to candidates. Here’s my preview in The Atlantic from last summer about this Paul… Continue reading