Category Archives: campaigns

“The True Source of the N.R.A.’s Clout: Mobilization, Not Donations”

February 25, 2018, 9:47 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: To many of its opponents, that decades-long string of victories is proof that the N.R.A. has bought its political support. But the numbers tell a more complicated story: The organization’s political action committee over the last decade has not … Continue reading

“Behind a Key Anti-Labor Case, a Web of Conservative Donors”

February 25, 2018, 8:54 pmcampaignsRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Argument preview: Justices to hear challenge to Minnesota voting dress code”

February 23, 2018, 9:09 amcampaigns, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Amy Howe preview for SCOTUSBlog.

New Federal Indictment of 13 Russians from Special Counsel Mueller Says, Among Other Things, That Russians Violated Federal Election Law Through Political Ads

February 16, 2018, 10:05 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Here’s the indictment, and a few snippets I’ve posted on Twitter: From the indictment (https://t.co/JFEIwHoJL4) pic.twitter.com/S5UAEkP7sF — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) February 16, 2018 Election-law related charges pic.twitter.com/wnoiq94HIi — Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) February 16, 2018 Yet only some of… Continue reading

“Trump’s Inaugural Committee Paid $26 Million to Firm of First Lady’s Adviser”

February 16, 2018, 7:51 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT reports.

In Response to FEC Complaint by Common Cause, Trump’s Lawyer Michael Cohen Says He Paid $130,000 to Porn Star. Is There a Campaign Finance Violation?

February 14, 2018, 8:00 amcampaign finance, campaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Maggie Haberman for the NYT: Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s longtime personal lawyer, said on Tuesday that he had paid $130,000 out of his own pocket to a pornographic-film actress who had once claimed to have had an affair with… Continue reading

“Russia Sees Midterm Elections as Chance to Sow Fresh Discord, Intelligence Chiefs Warn”

February 14, 2018, 7:23 amcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: Russia is already meddling in the midterm elections this year, the top American intelligence officials said on Tuesday, warning that Moscow is using a digital strategy to worsen the country’s political and social divisions. Russia is using fake accounts… Continue reading

“Fake News and Bots May Be Worrisome, but Their Political Power Is Overblown”

February 13, 2018, 6:00 amcampaignsRick Hasen

Brendan Nyhan for NYT’s The UpShot.

Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Speaking Out on Judicial Issues in Ways Some Find Troubling

February 11, 2018, 8:51 pmcampaigns, judicial electionsRick Hasen

Fascinating Patrick Marley report in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Usually it is conservatives pushing the envelope on judicial campaign speech. But now there’s this: Tim Burns is doing what state Supreme Court candidates have long avoided — telling voters what he… Continue reading

“Seattle finds Facebook in violation of city campaign finance law”

February 5, 2018, 12:59 pmcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

David Ingram for Reuters: Seattle’s election authority said on Monday that Facebook Inc is in violation of a city law that requires disclosure of who buys election ads, the first attempt of its kind to regulate U.S. political ads on… Continue reading

“About 25% of Trump’s Re-election Spending Continues to Go to Lawyers”

February 2, 2018, 7:52 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump’s re-election campaign raised $15.2 million in the last three months of last year, and spent $1.2 million on legal fees — with much of the cash going to law firms responding to investigations of Russian meddling in… Continue reading

“The Minimal Persuasive Effects of Campaign Contact in General Elections: Evidence from 49 Field Experiments”

February 1, 2018, 7:01 amcampaignsRick Hasen

Joshua Kalla and David Broockman have written this article for APSR. Here is the abstract: Significant theories of democratic accountability hinge on how political campaigns affect Americans’ candidate choices. We argue that the best estimate of the effects of campaign… Continue reading

“Lesson of 2017: Political campaign season truly never ends”

February 1, 2018, 6:57 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

CPI reports.

Today’s Must Read: “Zombie Campaigns: The campaign is over. The candidate might be dead. But the spending never stops.”

January 31, 2018, 4:15 pmcampaign finance, campaigns, chicanery, federal election commissionRick Hasen

This is something from the Tampa Bay Times: IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE since South Florida Rep. Mark Foley was forced out of Congress for sending sexual text messages to teenage boys. But Foley tapped his congressional campaign fund… Continue reading