Category Archives: chicanery

“Trump said it’s OK to take campaign dirt from foreign powers. Is it legal?”

June 20, 2019, 4:20 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

LAT: Does receiving ‘dirt’ on an opponent count?Daniel P. Tokaji, a law professor at Ohio State University, said he did not believe so.“My view is that an in-kind contribution has to have some determinate economic value,” he said.Brad Smith,… Continue reading

“Russia’s election interference is no longer a surprise. It should still infuriate.”

June 19, 2019, 8:28 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo editorial.

“We still have questions about whether Russia meddled in N.C. That’s a bad sign.”

June 18, 2019, 11:04 amcampaigns, chicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

WaPo editorial.

“Trump says supporters might ‘demand’ that he serve more than two terms as president”

June 16, 2019, 9:14 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: President Trump on Sunday floated the possibility of staying in office longer than two terms, suggesting in a morning tweet that his supporters might “demand that I stay longer.”The president, who will kick off his reelection campaign on Tuesday… Continue reading

Must-read Politico Deep Dive into Brian Newby, a Kobach Protege Who is Causing Major Problems with Election Administration as Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

June 15, 2019, 12:51 pmchicanery, election administration, Election Assistance Commission, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Read this quite damning portrait: A tiny federal agency that plays a crucial role in assisting the nation’s local election supervisors is gripped by a leadership crisis that hassparked concerns that it is unprepared to play its role in… Continue reading

“Unenforced Campaign Laws Will Be Broken Again”

June 14, 2019, 6:05 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy blogs.

Watch Trevor Potter and Shan Wu Talk About the Illegality of Accepting Foreign Government Assistance in American Campaigns

June 14, 2019, 5:23 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Here on the News Hour (beginning around the 11 minute mark).

“‘Let me make something 100% clear’: FEC chair lays down the law on foreign help”

June 13, 2019, 8:11 pmcampaigns, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Politico: The head of the Federal Election Commission released a statement on Thursday evening reiterating, emphatically, that foreign assistance is illegal in U.S. elections.“Let me make something 100% clear to the American public and anyone running for public office:… Continue reading

“Trump smashed months of FBI work to thwart election interference”

June 13, 2019, 8:05 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: Nearly two years ago, FBI Director Chris Wray set up an office tasked solely with stopping the type of Russian interference efforts that infected the 2016 campaign.On Wednesday night, President Donald Trump undercut the whole operation in a matter… Continue reading

“Republican blocks bill requiring campaigns to alert FBI to foreign assistance”

June 13, 2019, 1:50 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

Axios: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) blocked an effort by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) to pass a bill via unanimous consent requiring campaigns to report any offers of foreign assistance to the FBI.“We are all for free and fair and honest… Continue reading

“Margaret Hunter admits guilt in campaign-finance scandal”

June 13, 2019, 1:46 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

San Diego Union-Tribune: Years of cavalier spending of her husband’s political contributions culminated in a guilty plea Thursday for Margaret Hunter, the wife of Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter who was co-indicted last year in a sweeping campaign-finance investigation.During a change-of-plea… Continue reading

“Judge Hints Trump Admin Misled Court About Voter Fraud Panel Appointment Dates”

June 11, 2019, 10:46 amchicanery, fraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

TPM: President Trump’s voter fraud commission has been dead for nearly a year and a half.But the litigation spurred by its lack of transparency continues, with a judge on Tuesday suggesting that the administration misled the court about the… Continue reading

“House Democrats consider bills to ‘safeguard democracy’ in response to Mueller report”

June 10, 2019, 1:47 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NBC News: One likely piece of legislation would be framed as “Duty to Report,” requiring presidential campaign aides and entities to report foreign contacts and influence to law enforcement after Mueller identified numerous such interactions between Trump campaign aides… Continue reading

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