Category Archives: federal election commission

FEC Deadlock on Crossroads GPS Probe?

December 17, 2013, 2:43 pmcampaign finance, federal election commission, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Politico: “The Federal Election Commission has closed a long-running investigation into the activities of Crossroads GPS — the nonprofit group founded by GOP strategist Karl Rove. According to a letter sent by the FEC to Crossroads GPS and provided… Continue reading

Dave Levinthal: “The FEC is Rotting from the Inside Out”

December 17, 2013, 8:28 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Absolute must-read on the problems plaguing the FEC.

“Regulators to axe secretive super PAC”

December 16, 2013, 8:49 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

CPI reports.

“A Cheer For SEC Chairman Mary Jo White And Good Government”

December 6, 2013, 7:26 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Brad Smith: SEC Chair Mary Jo White deserves kudos for refusing to let the agency be yanked into this fiasco. Normally one would write, “I can only imagine the pressure she was under.” In this case, however, I know… Continue reading

Welcome to D.C., Ms. Ravel

December 4, 2013, 4:47 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: Ann Ravel, the new Democratic commissioner on the Federal Election Commission, has said she would not have taken the job if she had not been an optimist. A few weeks spent at the often-divided FEC, however, may… Continue reading

Meet the New FEC: Nicer, But Still Deadlocking

November 21, 2013, 7:27 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission stopped short of approving an advisory opinion allowing use of the digital currency Bitcoin for campaign contributions and disbursements in a deadlocked vote. Also at the Nov. 21 meeting, the FEC commissioners… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlock Means No Disclosure Exemption for Tea Party Group”

November 21, 2013, 10:10 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Press release: “Today, the Tea Party Leadership Fund (TPLF) failed to gain the disclosure exemption it sought from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) when the group’s request garnered the votes of only two Republican Commissioners. The votes on two… Continue reading

A Good Lesson that the FEC Split is Ideological Not Partisan

November 13, 2013, 5:36 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: “The Federal Election Commission deadlocked in votes taken before the arrival of two new commissioners regarding two enforcement cases targeting the House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC that spent more than $30 million in the 2012… Continue reading

TPM Sits Down for Q&A with New FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel

November 13, 2013, 5:29 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Read.

“Stop Pelosi PAC doesn’t care what feds say”

November 8, 2013, 2:34 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

SF Chronicle.

“FEC Says Attempted Hacking of Website Impedes Public Access to Campaign Data”

November 5, 2013, 7:24 amcampaign finance, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: “Attempts to hack the Federal Election Commission website have caused ongoing problems with the website, the main source for public access to campaign finance data.”

“Report: IRS provided conservative groups’ confidential tax information to FEC”

November 3, 2013, 1:11 pmcampaign finance, federal election commission, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Daily Caller: A conservative government watchdog says it has obtained emails revealing that the Internal Revenue Service sent conservative groups’ private tax exemption application and tax return information to the Federal Elections Commission, in violation of federal law. According to… Continue reading

“FEC Able to Reach Compromise Ruling On First Advisory Opinion With New Members”

October 31, 2013, 5:39 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: For a while, it looked like the newly reconstituted Federal Election Commission was about to end up in the same place as the old FEC: deadlocked. In the end, however, the commissioners were able to compromise during… Continue reading

“Judge Questions FEC Disclosure Rule Challenged by Rep. Van Hollen as Too Lax”

October 29, 2013, 7:46 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: A federal judge repeatedly questioned a Federal Election Commission disclosure rule during a two-hour court hearing, pressing an FEC attorney to explain why the agency’s rule provides enough information about who is funding political advertising (Van Hollen… Continue reading