Category Archives: chicanery

“‘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

Is DOJ Still Investigating Roger Stone’s 2016 “Stop the Steal” Voter Suppression Activities?

June 8, 2019, 9:57 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Marci Wheeler on the tea leaves.

“Election Security Measures Face a One-Man Roadblock: Mitch McConnell”

June 7, 2019, 1:33 pmchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

NYT: A raft of legislation to better secure United States election systems after what the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, called a “sweeping and systematic” Russian attack in 2016 is running into a one-man roadblock in the form of… Continue reading

“Senate Intelligence Committee summons mysterious British security consultant”

June 6, 2019, 12:46 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: Senate investigators have added yet another name to the constantly evolving cast of characters in the Russia investigation.On April 5, just 2 weeks after Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his final report on Russia’s election interference, the Senate Intelligence… Continue reading

Breaking: Plaintiffs in North Carolina Redistricting Case, Using Hofeller Files, Allege NC Republicans Lied To Federal Court in Covington Case About Timing of and Use of Race in Drawing District Maps

June 6, 2019, 11:56 amchicanery, redistrictingRick Hasen

More major allegations coming out of the Hofeller hard drives. See this pdf, beginning at Exhibit C, page 7 (page 113 of the pdf). Some snippets from the plaintiff’s letter:

“Election Rules Are an Obstacle to Cybersecurity of Presidential Campaigns”

June 6, 2019, 11:38 amchicanery, election administration, federal election commission, voting technologyRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Dems fear report on Russia probe could kill their oversight momentum”

June 6, 2019, 9:39 amchicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: Democrats lurching toward potential impeachment and ramping up their probes of President Donald Trump are becoming increasingly worried that the Justice Department will subvert their efforts.An internal DOJ watchdog report on the origins of the Russia probe is expected… Continue reading

Today’s Must Read: “Federal investigators to examine equipment from 2016 N.C. election amid renewed fears of Russian hacking”

June 5, 2019, 7:20 amchicanery, election administration, voting technologyRick Hasen

Washington Post: It was a single phrase, offered without elaboration, in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report: In August 2016, hackers working for Russian military intelligence “installed malware on the company network” of an unnamed voter registration technology vendor… Continue reading