Category Archives: federal election commission

“With morale in tatters, Federal Election Commission eyes changes”

January 19, 2017, 7:22 amelection law biz, federal election commissionRick Hasen

CPI: Federal Election Commission leaders — dogged by abysmal staff morale and a top manager improperly obtaining employees’ confidential critiques — are considering changes to how the agency operates in a bid to restore staff trust. Chief among them: the… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks on New Rules Against Foreign Campaign Money”

January 12, 2017, 8:36 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: Proposals to write new Federal Election Commission rules aimed at preventing foreign campaign money from influencing U.S. elections led to a deadlock between Democratic and Republican commissioners at the FEC’s first meeting in 2017. FEC Democrats said… Continue reading

FEC Delays Action Until March on Whether to Remove Social Workers Party Harassment Exemption from Campaign Finance Disclosure Laws

January 12, 2017, 7:18 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

As noted.

FEC, on 6-0 Vote, Rejects Complaint Clinton Campaign Joint Fundraising Operations with 32 State Parties Illegal

December 30, 2016, 6:27 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Yup, the problem is not what’s illegal but what’s legal. It is fine to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars using joint fundraising committees despite a $2,700 individual contribution limit of money going directly to candidate campaigns.

“Don McGahn was one of the most principled members of the FEC”

December 15, 2016, 2:31 pmfederal election commissionRick Hasen

Brad Smith letter to the editor responding to Ellen Weintraub oped: Mr. McGahn was one of the most principled people to serve on the FEC. Indisputably, he was influential and consequential. Ms. Weintraub complained that the FEC is dysfunctional.… Continue reading

FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel Leaving Commission by May

December 15, 2016, 2:28 pmelection law biz, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Can you blame her?

“Federal Election Commission: a forgotten tool in Donald Trump’s ‘drain the swamp’ effort”

December 15, 2016, 2:28 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Important CPI report.

Bob Bauer, Former White House Counsel, on How Don McGahn May Do Job for Trump

December 12, 2016, 8:46 amconflict of interest laws, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bauer: To put the point in mildest terms, Ellen Weintraub and Don McGahn do not get along. When they served together on the Federal Election Commission, their mutual hostility was well enough known, and their time apart since Mr. McGahn… Continue reading

FEC Comm. Weintraub: “Trump’s pick for White House counsel is wrong for the job”

December 9, 2016, 3:56 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Ellen Weintraub WaPo oped: The White House counsel operates out of the public eye but has the president’s ear. In the Trump administration, with the unprecedented multiplicity of conflict-of-interest challenges facing the businessman-president, the job will take on added… Continue reading

“Some simple, commonsense, bipartisan campaign finance reforms”

December 7, 2016, 8:10 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bob Lenhard in The Hill.

“McGahn, Trump’s Counsel Pick, Fought Regulation as FEC Member”

November 29, 2016, 7:47 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionDan Tokaji

Bloomberg BNA ($): “President-elect Donald Trump, battling criticism about potential conflicts of interest even before he takes office, is set to be represented in the White House by a tough Washington lawyer whose fight against strict regulation of politics was… Continue reading

“FEC hits Trump on 1,100 errors, totaling roughly $1.3M”

November 22, 2016, 8:06 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

CNN: The Federal Election Commission is asking the campaign of Donald Trump to correct more than 1,000 errors in its latest financial filing. The FEC determined that the Trump campaign accepted close to 1,100 donations, which amounted to roughly $1.3… Continue reading

“FEC Deadlocks on Charges Candidate Sought ‘Soft Money’”

November 22, 2016, 8:02 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg BNA: The Federal Election Commission dismissed on a deadlocked, party-line vote allegations that Jon Keyser, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Colorado illegally solicited $3 million in unlimited “soft money” contributions to aid his 2016 campaign. Documents released by… Continue reading

“FEC inspector general says top agency official duped her into releasing confidential criticisms”

November 8, 2016, 9:38 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

CPI: A Federal Election Commission manager allegedly duped the agency’s inspector general into releasing hundreds of confidential employee comments that has lambasted poor leadership there as part of a morale study. Four current FEC staffers and one former employee… Continue reading