Category Archives: federal election commission

Quote of the Day

August 26, 2019, 8:01 pmfederal election commissionRick Hasen

“When I saw …that Don McGahn went to be the White House counsel, I predicted…that what that meant was that all agencies in the federal government whose job it was to protect the public interest were going to be rendered… Continue reading

What Can the FEC Do Without a Quorum?

August 26, 2019, 10:54 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

CPI investigates.

Breaking: Federal Election Commission Vice Chair Matt Petersen Resigning, Leaving Agency Without A Quorum and a Dysfunctional Agency Even More Powerless

August 26, 2019, 9:23 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

Paul Bedard: FEC Vice Chair Matt Petersen resigns, fought internet regs, leaves agency in voting limbo. Championed 1st Amendment and the little guy. Told Trump, 'The legitimacy of government action is bolstered when everyone feels they have received a… Continue reading

Four Separate Draft Advisory Opinions Signals Potential Deadlock at FEC on Tom Price Plan to Use Campaign Funds for 501c(4) Electioneering

August 17, 2019, 6:30 pmcampaign finance, federal election commission, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

See here. If the FEC deadlocks, Price will have to decide whether to go forward with his plan and risk liability for doing so. But given how lax FEC enforcement is these days, it is not clear how much… Continue reading

Breaking: Republican FEC Commissioners Block Investigation into NRA Russian Ties in 2016 Election

August 16, 2019, 11:54 amcampaign finance, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub (whose full statement is here): BREAKING: @FEC's Republicans block all investigation of & enforcement against Russians Torshin & Butina re the NRA & the 2016 presidential election. Result: FEC does nothing to find out… Continue reading

“Republican FEC commissioners let Clinton campaign off the hook for super PAC coordination”

July 23, 2019, 5:48 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Open Secrets: Deadlocked on a party-line vote, the Federal Election Commission has dismissed a complaint that Hillary Clinton’s campaign illegally coordinated with a super PAC during the 2016 presidential election cycle.Continuing a recent trend with the embattled regulatory agency that… Continue reading

Last week at the FEC

July 15, 2019, 10:57 amcampaign finance, federal election commissionJustin Levitt

Here’s last week’s roundup of the latest at the FEC. Includes, among other things, an advisory opinion allowing a vendor to offer cybersecurity services to campaigns at low- to no-cost, and an advisory opinion allowing a congressional campaign to distribute… Continue reading

“FEC Gets New Internal Watchdog Following Tumultuous Search”

July 12, 2019, 10:49 amfederal election commissionRick Hasen

CPI reports.

“F.E.C. Allows Security Company to Help 2020 Candidates Defend Campaigns”

July 12, 2019, 8:04 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

NYT: The Federal Election Commission said on Thursday that a Silicon Valley security company could immediately start helping 2020 presidential candidates defend their campaigns from the kinds of malicious email attacks that Russian hackers exploited in the 2016 election.The… Continue reading

“Manafort Campaign-Finance Charges Dismissed by Deadlocked FEC”

June 24, 2019, 12:58 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Bloomberg reports.

“Free Speech For People Sues Federal Election Commission for Failing to Investigate Trump and Trump Campaign’s Role in McDougal Hush Money Payoff”

June 14, 2019, 3:32 pmcampaign finance, federal election commissionRick Hasen

Release: Free Speech For People has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Election Commission for failing to investigate a $150,000 “hush money” payment made in 2016 to Karen McDougal, one of President Trump’s former mistresses, under federal campaign finance law.… Continue reading

“‘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