COMPLAINTS AGAINST NONPROFITS FILED. Roll Call. “Two campaign finance reform groups on Tuesday called on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether nonprofit organizations that have become popular vehicles for injecting millions of dollars into political campaigns are eligible for the tax-exempt status they currently claim.” Politico‘s coverage is here.
LABOR IE EFFORT. Politico. ” In partnership with local and international unions to elect pro-labor Democrats, leaders of The American Worker say they will spend as much as $1 million per race on advertising, polling, media, phones, mail, research, and new media.”
FACEBOOK GOES OLD SCHOOL. Roll Call. “With the incorporation of FB PAC on Monday, Facebook stands to be an influential player in the 2012 elections. The corporate PAC may be a natural next step for the company that recently stepped up its lobbying and hired several D.C. veterans to manage its policy agenda, but technology companies haven’t always been eager to adopt traditional lobbying practices.”
SOLYNDRA’S LOAN COMPLIANCE AT ISSUE. The Post. “The U.S. Department of Energy learned in December that Solyndra was violating its federal loan deal, but the agency changed the loan terms to allow the solar company to continue receiving taxpayer funds, federal officials confirmed Wednesday.”
MONEY RACE STORY. Q3 reports are due soon and Cillizza talks numbers here.
SUPER PAC BOOSTS. Boston Globe. “The independent fundraising groups can gather and spend unlimited money to run ads supporting a candidate or attacking a rival.”
FARNAM ON OGE PROPOSED RULES. Here. “Federal employees have, since 1992, been barred from accepting gifts from anyone seeking to influence the government, including lobbyists. The proposed changes eliminate most of the exemptions that were available in the past — such as gifts worth less than $20 and invitations to ‘widely attended’ events — when the givers are registered lobbyists or an organization that employs them.”
CHANGES IN SF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW? Story here. “At issue is whether to firmly cap how much money publicly financed candidates for mayor or supervisor can receive. City policy has allowed that cap to be lifted, under certain conditions, but a recent ruling by the nation’s high court puts San Francisco at risk of violating the U.S. Constitution.”
NEW RULES FOR PALM BEACH LOBBYISTS. Story here. “People paid to lobby Palm Beach County commissioners and staffers will have to disclose how much they spend on the effort, under a new ethics rule that takes effect Saturday.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.