Category Archives: chicanery

“DOJ & FEC Complaints Filed Against President Trump, His Campaign & American Media Inc. for Illegal, Unreported $150K Coordinated Expenditure to Former Playboy Playmate”

February 20, 2018, 1:06 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Release: Today, Common Cause filed complaints with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging reason to believe that American Media, Inc.’s August 2016 payment of $150,000 to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal, to buy and… Continue reading

Mueller’s Indictment Shows the Way for Russians to Legally Try to Influence Our Elections Next Time

February 17, 2018, 1:55 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Slate. It begins: The Mueller indictment of 13 Russian nationals for interfering with the 2016 U.S. presidential election offers a remarkably detailed account of a complex plot to sow discord and influence the presidential… Continue reading

Russian Operatives Raised Fake Voter Fraud Claims Against Democrats, Mimicking Claims of Trump and Members of Fraudulent Fraud Squad

February 16, 2018, 10:49 amchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

New Federal Indictment of 13 Russians from Special Counsel Mueller Says, Among Other Things, That Russians Violated Federal Election Law Through Political Ads

February 16, 2018, 10:05 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Here’s the indictment, and a few snippets I’ve posted on Twitter: From the indictment (https://t.co/JFEIwHoJL4) pic.twitter.com/S5UAEkP7sF — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) February 16, 2018 Election-law related charges pic.twitter.com/wnoiq94HIi — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) February 16, 2018 Yet only some of… Continue reading

“Trump Lawyer’s Payment to Porn Star Raises New Questions”

February 15, 2018, 7:03 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: But Mr. Cohen’s assertions left many questions unanswered, including whether the payment was truly a personal gift by him or whether he was reimbursed by some other party, like Mr. Trump or an associate of Mr. Trump. In a… Continue reading

“Was the Payment to Stormy Daniels a Campaign Contribution?”

February 14, 2018, 1:47 pmcampaign finance, Celebrity Justice, chicaneryRick Hasen

WSJ reports. More at TIME. Still MORE from CNN.

In Response to FEC Complaint by Common Cause, Trump’s Lawyer Michael Cohen Says He Paid $130,000 to Porn Star. Is There a Campaign Finance Violation?

February 14, 2018, 8:00 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Maggie Haberman for the NYT: Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, said on Tuesday that he had paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to a pornographic-film actress who had once claimed to have had an affair with… Continue reading

“Russia Sees Midterm Elections as Chance to Sow Fresh Discord, Intelligence Chiefs Warn”

February 14, 2018, 7:23 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Russia is already meddling in the midterm elections this year, the top American intelligence officials said on Tuesday, warning that Moscow is using a digital strategy to worsen the country’s political and social divisions. Russia is using fake accounts… Continue reading

“The mysterious oppo researcher working in the White House lawyer’s office”

February 11, 2018, 8:55 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Politico on Mike Roman, of New Black Panthers and Koch Brothers fame.

“Kobach sits on board of veterans group that isn’t using money to help veterans”

February 8, 2018, 5:23 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Bryan Lowry for the KC Star: Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach sits on the advisory board of a Missouri-based veterans’ group that received a failing grade from the Better Business Bureau this week. Kobach, a candidate for Kansas governor,… Continue reading

“Cybertraining Election Officials For This Year’s Voting”

February 3, 2018, 11:11 amchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

The great Pam Fessler reports for NPR (before she goes on a year-long book leave): It was clear that many of those gathering in Orlando already have protections in place and are well aware of the risks. But some county… Continue reading

Today’s Must Read: “Zombie Campaigns: The campaign is over. The candidate might be dead. But the spending never stops.”

January 31, 2018, 4:15 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

This is something from the Tampa Bay Times: IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE since South Florida Rep. Mark Foley was forced out of Congress for sending sexual text messages to teenage boys. But Foley tapped his congressional campaign fund… Continue reading

“CLC Report: U.S. Elections Remain Vulnerable to Foreign Influence”

January 31, 2018, 9:39 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Release: Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) released a report detailing the vulnerabilities of American elections to foreign interference that were exposed in the 2016 presidential election. The report outlines solutions for addressing this most urgent issue, which would protect… Continue reading

North Carolina Republicans May Not Be Done Trying to Mess with Composition of State Election Boards

January 31, 2018, 9:02 amchicanery, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

AP: Gov. Roy Cooper wants the legal wheels to spin faster after the North Carolina Supreme Court tossed out laws governing the makeup of a combined state elections and ethics board, hoping that will let him seat a new elections… Continue reading

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