Category Archives: chicanery

“TurboTax Maker Linked to ‘Grassroots’ Campaign Against Free, Simple Tax Filing”

April 15, 2014, 8:19 amchicanery, lobbyingRick Hasen

Must-read ProPublica: Over the last year, a rabbi, a state NAACP official, a small town mayor and other community leaders wrote op-eds and letters to Congress with remarkably similar language on a remarkably obscure topic. Each railed against a… Continue reading

A Win for O’Keefe

April 11, 2014, 1:24 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “State Senate President Mike Ellis dropped out of his re-election race Friday, two days after a secret recording was released revealing him discussing setting up an illegal political action committee to attack his challenger.”

“Rowland Charged In Campaign Finance Conspiracy”

April 10, 2014, 4:13 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Connecticut.

“U.S. Attorney Criticizes Cuomo’s Closing of Panel”

April 9, 2014, 7:37 pmchicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Less than two weeks after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo abruptly shut down a commission he had formed to investigate political corruption in New York State, the United States attorney in Manhattan is sharply questioning the governor’s decision and… Continue reading

“Mike Ellis: Talk of illegal fundraising, attack ads was hypothetical”

April 9, 2014, 5:51 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Gannett from Wisconsin: Secretly recorded remarks by state Sen. Mike Ellis about illegal fundraising and attack ads were hypothetical, Ellis told Post-Crescent Media on Wednesday. The comments were captured on video at a Madison hotel bar by Project Veritas, a… Continue reading

“Bombshell Corruption Case Shines Merciless Light On How Politicians Raise Money”

April 1, 2014, 11:00 ambribery, campaign finance, chicanery, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Paul Blumenthal: California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat running for secretary of state, was arrested March 26 as part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into a San Francisco-based Chinese tong and charged with public corruption and arms trafficking.… Continue reading

Quote of the Day

March 30, 2014, 9:42 pmbribery, campaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

“I’m just trying to run for secretary of state. I hope I don’t get indicted.” —Leland Yee, according to indictment at a meeting where he had arranged for a $10,000 payoff.

“Leland Yee’s campaign debt at root of criminal behavior, authorities allege”

March 30, 2014, 9:39 pmbribery, campaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Sac Bee: In more than a decade of campaigns for the California Legislature, San Francisco mayor and secretary of state, state Sen. Leland Yee raised in excess of $5 million. Yet it was a campaign debt only a fraction… Continue reading

“Local couple upset after receiving pre-marked voter registration card from Covered California”

March 30, 2014, 11:22 amchicanery, election administrationRick Hasen

ABC 10 News: “LA MESA, Calif. – A local couple called 10News concerned after they received an envelope from the state’s Obamacare website, Covered California. Inside was a letter discussing voter registration and a registration card pre-marked with an… Continue reading

“For Democrats, politicians in handcuffs point to image problems”

March 26, 2014, 8:52 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Yup.

“Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon resigns after arrest on corruption charges”

March 26, 2014, 8:33 pmbribery, chicaneryRick Hasen

News and Observer story. On Jan. 17, 2013, agents met Cannon at a SouthPark apartment rented by agents for $2,100 a month. It was outfitted with secret recording equipment. That day, the undercover agent gave Cannon the $12,500 in cash… Continue reading

“Yee wanted campaign cash from gun conspiracy, feds say”

March 26, 2014, 8:21 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Chris Megerian writes on the surreal Leland Yee indictment for a guy running for Secretary of State: The history of politics is littered with unorthodox and illegal schemes to raise campaign cash, but the method allegedly used by Sen. Leland … Continue reading

Sen. Harry Reid Campaign Expenditures Benefitting Granddaughter Could Well Blossom Into Political Issue

March 26, 2014, 8:13 pmcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

Jon Ralston broke the story and follows up.

“Khanna recruited candidates to split GOP vote, lawsuit claims”

March 26, 2014, 2:30 pmchicanery, primariesRick Hasen

Interesting potential consequence of the top two primary in CA: “Democratic congressional candidate Ro Khanna recruited two last-minute Republican candidates to split the GOP vote and restore his position as the top challenger to Rep. Mike Honda, an East Bay… Continue reading