“McConnell Pushes Campaign Finance Changes”
Roll Call: “An effort to ease limits on spending by party committees was among the late lingering issues as negotiations continued on legislation to keep the government funded past Thursday.”
Monthly Archives: December 2014
“Measuring Illegal and Legal Corruption in American States”
Oguzhan Dincer and Michael Johnston of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics Corruption at Harvard have posted results from a survey of reporters on their perceptions of corruption in their states. The survey asked about both illegal corruption (defined… Continue reading
“Republicans Clash on Reversing Nuclear Option in Senate”
The Hill reports. Senators McCain and Graham are among those urging a return to the 60-vote requirement for cloture on nominations, while Senator Hatch is among those who favor keeping the current rule requiring only a simple majority. Senator… Continue reading
“A Crowded GOP Field for 2016 Encounters Donors Reluctant to Commit Early”
Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger for WaPo:
Efforts by potential Republican presidential candidates to win over wealthy donors have set off a series of contests for their support that could stall the GOP race for months.
In Florida, allies… Continue reading
“The Secret GOP Tech Summit to Plot 2016”
Politico reports:
The Republican Party’s top operatives — including strategists representing the Koch brothers’ political operation and several leading prospective 2016 presidential candidates – on Monday huddled behind closed doors to discuss how to synchronize their sometimes competing tech… Continue reading
Democrats Push for Easier Absentee Voting in Virginia Special Election
WaPo: “Democrats are pressing Loudoun County officials to make it easier for absentee voting in next month’s special election to replace Virginia state delegate Barbara Comstock — a fight they’re unlikely to win, and which shows how close the… Continue reading
More on Arizona Disclosure Decision
The Arizona Republic and AP report on of Friday’s decision by U.S. District Judge James Teilborg, striking down the state’s “political committee” definition. The Arizona attorney general reportedly plans to seek a stay.
Update: Institute for Justice, which represents plaintiff… Continue reading
“Rules for Super PACs Lax, Murky As Their Power Grows in Elections”
Bloomberg BNA ($) reports from COGEL: “Four years after super political action committees were first created by court rulings and Federal Election Commission advisory opinions, the rules for these increasingly powerful, big-money players in the political arena remain murky,… Continue reading
Lawsuit Seeks Counting of Oregon Ballots Rejected for Lack of Signature Match
From Oregon comes news of a state lawsuit alleging that more than 4600 ballots have been wrongly rejected on the ground that voters’ signatures on ballot envelopes don’t match those on file. These votes could conceivably be enough to swing… Continue reading
Steven Sholk’s Updated “Guide to to Election Year Activities of Section 501(c)(3)”
The 2014 version is available for download here.
Goldfeder’s Memo to Hillary: Keep Your Eye on the “Magic Number”
Jerry Goldfeder has this piece on Law.com, advising the presumptive presidential candidate to pay more attention to delegate attention rules this time. No doubt she will.
“81-year-old activist walks from Sarasota to Tallahassee to protest campaign finance”
If you’re going for a long walk this time of year, might as well do it in Florida (h/t Steve Kolbert @Pronounce_the_T).
“G.O.P. Donors Seek to Narrow Field of Presidential Candidates to One”
NYT: “Dozens of the Republican Party’s leading presidential donors and fund-raisers have begun privately discussing how to clear the field for a single establishment candidate to carry the party’s banner in 2016, fearing that a prolonged primary would bolster… Continue reading