GOOD MORNING. I hope you’re enjoying some time off until next year. Wondering what’s going on in political law news? Here are this morning’s political law links.
SUPER PAC MAILBAG. Here. “The Strong America Now Super PAC is sending direct mail pieces to Iowans this week in support of Newt Gingrich while attacking Mitt Romney – something the Gingrich campaign has vowed not to tolerate.”
GINGRICH AND LOBBYING. Story here. “Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center For Responsive Politics, said what Gingrich did probably was not technically lobbying.”
YOUNG GUN PAC APPEARS TO BE TERMINATING. Story here.
PERRY SUES. The Hill. “Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who along with Newt Gingrich didn’t submit the required number of signatures to petition to make it onto the Virginia Republican presidential primary ballot, is taking the fight for ballot access to federal court.” The Post notes the development here.
PROJECT GREENLIGHT: SOLYNDRA. The Post. “Meant to create jobs and cut reliance on foreign oil, Obama’s green-technology program was infused with politics at every level, The Washington Post found in an analysis of thousands of memos, company records and internal e-mails. Political considerations were raised repeatedly by company investors, Energy Department bureaucrats and White House officials.”
SUPER PACS ON THE AIR. Story here. “GOP presidential candidates and the political action committees that back them have together spent more than $10 million in advertising on television and radio in Iowa this month alone, a grand slam of advertising that outpaces amounts of previous years.”
FIRMS RESTRUCTURING. The Post. “Lobbying groups within two major law firms are forming separate business units, bringing new attention to an issue that law firm management has struggled with: how to incorporate non-lawyer lobbyists into a law firm.”
VOLZ BOOK. The Hill. “Volz was convicted of conspiracy in 2006 as part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal; his memoir details how he went from a small-town Ohio native working for his congressman on Capitol Hill to a high-flying lobbyist who got caught up in practices that breached ethical and legal boundaries.” Volz has a website here.
CORZINE REFUNDS. Story here. “President Obama’s re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee have returned more than $70,000 in contributions from former New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine following the collapse of MF Global, Corzine’s financial firm, officials said Friday.”
EDWARDS MEDICAL CONDITION. Story here. “Former presidential candidate John Edwards says he has been diagnosed with a medical condition that would make it difficult for him to attend his approaching criminal trial over campaign finances and is asking for it to be delayed.”
OSC’S LERNER PROFILED. The Post. “Since she took over the obscure investigative unit that reviews disclosures of government wrongdoing — and advocates for employees who are punished for reporting it — the employment and civil rights lawyer, 46, has shown a willingness to shake things up.”
PROPOSED LOBBYING FEE INCREASE. News from California here.
CALIFORNIA CAMPAIGN FINANCE DATABASE WOES. Story here. “The year ended on a sour note for California Secretary of State Debra Bowen as her office weathered a barrage of criticism after the state’s campaign finance reporting system buckled after years of neglect.”
COLORADO REPORTING UPDATE. Story here. “Candidates for Colorado’s 2012 primary election must begin filing bi-weekly campaign finance reports on Jan. 30 under a rule issued by Secretary of State Scott Gessler today.” Here’s the release.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, FLORIDA LOBBYISTS. PLEASE REMIT FEE. Story here. “To fall into compliance with Broward County’s new code of ethics which takes effect in January, North Lauderdale has passed a lobbyist registration ordinance and corresponding fee.”
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HAVE A GREAT DAY.