Good morning, here are today’s political law links (7/9/12)

INDEPENDENT GROUPS IN THE NEWS.  The Times.  “The Democratic Party’s Senate campaign arm will file a formal complaint on Monday with the Federal Election Commission against three of the Republicans’ biggest campaign groups, accusing them of willful violations of federal election law and asking that their electioneering be stopped.”

EC REPORTING IN THE NEWS.  The Hill.  “Outside groups are going to extra lengths to keep their donors secret, worrying that public disclosure could open up their supporters to harassment.”

FRONT PAGE FARA. The Post. “Under federal law, advocates for foreign organizations are required to register as lobbyists and provide details about their clients and income. But the MEK supporters have not registered, which would require disclosing the amounts they are paid and the identities of officials with whom they meet.”

COUNTRYWIDE ISSUES. Time. “The results of the three-year Congressional investigation have renewed attention on one of the more notable influence-peddling schemes in recent memory, and could revive questions about why the well-tanned Mozilo hasn’t spent any quality-time in the slammer.”

CORPORATE GIVING TO (C)(4)’S. The Times. “Two years after the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision opened the door for corporate spending on elections, relatively little money has flowed from company treasuries into ‘super PACs,’ which can accept unlimited contributions but must also disclose donors. Instead, there is growing evidence that large corporations are trying to influence campaigns by donating money to tax-exempt organizations that can spend millions of dollars without being subject to the disclosure requirements that apply to candidates, parties and PACs.”

POLITICAL LAW BRIEFING ON LATEST (C)(4) WRINKLE.  Here.

2012 CA$H RACE. Story here. “The top ‘super PACs’ supporting Republicans in the fall elections have raised more than three times as much money as super PACs aligned with Democrats, $158 million to $47 million, a Globe analysis shows.”

RAGING CORPORATE SPENDING DEBATE.  Roll Call.  “Are big corporations taking over American elections? It depends whether you ask liberals or conservatives, who can’t even agree on the basic facts.”

REP. BERKLEY AND ETHICS ISSUE.  Roll Call.  “The House Ethics Committee is slated to announce today whether it will investigate if Rep. Shelley Berkley’s (D-Nev.) effort to save a kidney transplant program at a Las Vegas hospital was a conflict of interest given that her husband is a nephrologist who works with the medical center.”

GOV. QUINN SIGNS.  Story here.  “Gov. Pat Quinn signed a bill Friday that lifts the state’s campaign contribution limits to candidates once big money starts flowing into a state or local political contest, a move that one watchdog group decried as effectively ending limits in any major race.”

SENTENCING IN MO CASE TODAY. Story here. “Former Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson plans to ask for probation when he is sentenced Monday in federal court for misusing money involved in illegal political donations.”

SEARCH IN CAMPAIGN FINANCE CASE. Story here. “Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s home and his Paris office were searched today by police in an investigation into allegations of campaign finance violations, according to his lawyer.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

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