“‘Dark money in politics an even darker place’ now, judges warn”
WaPo:
The partisan split makes the FEC “an unusual agency,” said Commissioner Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic appointee. “Everyone anticipated from the get-go that that was going to make enforcement challenging, and they built in this fail-safe provision that complainants could… Continue reading
“They beat election deniers in the midterm elections. Now they’re gearing up for 2024”
“After Bankman-Fried’s arrest, Washington seeks answers — and distance”
WaPo:
For others in Washington, the FTX founder’s arrest carried immediate political implications, since federal officials coupled their fraud charges against Bankman-Fried with allegations he conspired to commit multiple violations of campaign finance laws involving donations in the “tens of… Continue reading
Watch Video of ABA’s “Seventh Annual State of Voting Rights Event”
You can watch archived video. Here’s information about the speakers.
“Deal to prevent another Jan. 6 included in spending package, Schumer says”
Politico:
The upcoming massive year-end spending package will include a revamp of an obscure law that Donald Trump tried to exploit to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday.
The Senate majority leader also said anticipated additional Ukraine… Continue reading
“Advocates seek federal investigation of multistate effort to copy voting software”
WaPo:
An effort by supporters of former president Donald Trump to copy sensitive voting software in multiple states after the 2020 election deserves attention from the federal government, including a criminal investigation and assessment of the risk posed to election… Continue reading
“2022 Review: How Republicans Lost Despite Winning the Popular Vote”
Nate Cohn for the NYT:
Here’s a figure about the 2022 midterm elections that might surprise you: Republicans won the national House popular vote by three percentage points — 51 percent to 48 percent. They still won by two points… Continue reading
“Elon Musk uses QAnon tactic in criticizing former Twitter safety chief”
WaPo:
Elon Musk escalated his battle of words with previous managers of Twitter into risky new territory over the weekend, allying himself with far-right crusaders against a purported epidemic of child sex abuse and implying that the company’s former head… Continue reading
“A Plot To Overturn An American Election”
TPM:
The messages you are about to read are the definitive, real-time record of a plot to overturn an American election.
TPM has obtained the 2,319 text messages that Mark Meadows, who was President Trump’s last White House chief of… Continue reading
“Lawsuit alleges lifetime jury ban harms Black New Yorkers and undermines democracy”
Brigid Bergin (Gothamist) reports on a recently filed federal class-action suit challenging the constitutionality of a New York state law that bars felons from jury service. The suit argues that jury service is a critical democratic practice, and… Continue reading
“Former top Twitter official forced to leave home due to threats amid ‘Twitter Files’ release”
CNN:
Twitter’s former head of trust and safety has fled his home due to an escalation in threats resulting from Elon Musk’s campaign of criticism against him, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday.
Yoel Roth, who… Continue reading
“Obstruction Charge Takes Center Stage at Jan. 6 Court Hearing”
NYT:
Prosecutors and defense lawyers squared off on Monday at a federal appeals court hearing in Washington over the use of a criminal charge whose viability could affect the cases of hundreds of people indicted in connection with the Jan.… Continue reading
With Two Judges Not Participating and Two Dissenting, D.C. Circuit Will Not Review En Banc Decision That Allows a Minority of FEC Commissioners to Block Judicial Review By Bare Assertion of “Prosecutorial Discretion”
This is a travesty and renders the judicial review procedures of FEC actions mostly meaningless. Judge Millett’s dissent from the denial of en banc review begins:
Essential to the rule of law is the principle that a governmental agency cannot… Continue reading