Monthly Archives: December 2018

“North Carolina Democrat preparing for special election in contested congressional race”

December 10, 2018, 10:14 amcampaignsRick Hasen

Politico: The Democrat in a North Carolina congressional race marred by accusations of election fraud said Monday that his team is already preparing for the possibility of a special election that would supersede the allegedly tainted contest held last month.… Continue reading

“Campaign finance fraud accusations haunt Spano, congressional office”

December 10, 2018, 10:12 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Politico: U.S. Rep.-elect Ross Spano is struggling to hire office staff as he relies on a controversial adviser: one of the friends at the center of a campaign finance scandal that is rocking the Florida Republican. Spano, an attorney and… Continue reading

“The Remarkable Tale of the Corporate Lobbyist Sworn in as a Temporary U.S. Senator”

December 10, 2018, 9:52 amconflict of interest laws, lobbyingRick Hasen

David Dayen: Few have paid much attention to Kyl, who is wrapping up one of the strangest and — to his critics — one of the most corrupt tenures in the modern history of the Senate. Kyl was a registered… Continue reading

Reducing the Role of the Unrepresentative Caucuses in 2020

December 10, 2018, 7:16 amUncategorizedRichard Pildes

As readers of this blog know, I’m no fan of how far the radical changes that were made in the 1970s to the presidential nominations process went in eliminating any special weight that elected party officials, from throughout the country,… Continue reading

“Vanguard is no friend to shareholders seeking more details on firms’ political spending”

December 10, 2018, 7:04 amcampaign finance, campaignsRick Hasen

Philly Inquirer reports.

Steve Huefner Argues for Anti-Ballot Harvesting Laws in Light of North Carolina Absentee Voting Scandal

December 10, 2018, 7:00 amabsentee ballots, election administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Steve at Moritz: But the North Carolina story makes clear that it behooves states to do more to promote the security of absentee voting by mail. For starters, reform advocates must recognize that the convenience of absentee voting comes with… Continue reading

Breaking: Supreme Court Declines to Hear Austin, Texas Low Campaign Contributions Case, Takes No Action on North Carolina Gerrymandering Petition

December 10, 2018, 6:49 amcampaign finance, redistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

With no noted dissent, the Supreme Court has turned down a cert. petition in the Zimmerman campaign finance case from Austin Texas. I flagged this case (along with a Montana case that the Court will consider taking up in January)… Continue reading

Democratic Party Machine in Chicago Blocks 19-Year-Old Student from Running for Alderman, Potentially Committing Election Fraud

December 9, 2018, 7:26 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

This Chicago Tribune story shows us how little has changed since Abner Mikva’s “we don’t want nobody nobody sent: To get on the ballot, Krupa was required to file 473 valid signatures of ward residents with the Chicago Board of… Continue reading

Tonight’s Must Read from Politico Magazine: “Distrustful, Desperate and Forgotten: A Recipe for Election Fraud”

December 9, 2018, 7:17 pmcampaigns, chicaneryRick Hasen

Politico: “They pick these people who’ve self-destructed their life, then they’re guinea pigs for whatever comes along to make a dollar,” said Sarah Jane Benson, whose family owns a restaurant in Bladenboro. “If it hadn’t been McCrae, it’d been somebody… Continue reading

NYT Deep Dive on Work of McCrae Dowless, at Center of #NC09 Bladen Absentee Ballot Scandal

December 9, 2018, 11:06 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

Worth a read.

“Prosecutors Effectively Accuse Trump of Defrauding Voters. What Does It Mean?”

December 9, 2018, 11:04 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

NYT: In the memo in the case of Mr. Cohen, prosecutors from the Southern District of New York depicted Mr. Trump, identified only as “Individual-1,” as an accomplice in the hush payments. While Mr. Trump was not charged, the… Continue reading

Thought of the Day: Did Trump Commit Just a Paperwork Error in Failing to Report Hush Money Payments to Mistresses before the Election?

December 9, 2018, 11:01 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

If Trump failing to report hush money payments to mistresses as campaign expenses just before the election were a “paperwork error,” he would have filed a correction with the FEC, not denied it for over a year. https://t.co/blph2o681q — Rick… Continue reading

“The Daily 202: This week foreshadows the continuing escalation of the voting wars”

December 8, 2018, 11:50 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

WaPo reports.

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