As we have long been expecting, Federal Election Commissioner Ann Ravel has announced her resignation from the Federal Election Commission, effective March 1. For the last decade or more, beginning with the FEC tenure of Don McGahn (now the White… Continue reading

BAN: On February 1, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan issued a 28-page opinion in Level the Playing Field v Federal Election Commission, 1:15cv-1397, D.C. She ruled that the FEC clearly did not look at the evidence presented by… Continue reading

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

As noted.

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.

Important CPI report.

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

Bob Lenhard in The Hill.

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