HATCH ACT ISSUES. Politico. “HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius violated the Hatch Act, which prohibits certain political activity, when she made ‘extemporaneous partisan remarks’ during a speech in her official capacity earlier this year, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Wednesday.”
POLITICS AND COMMITTEE WEBSITES. Point of Order discusses political content on websites run by House committees: “An article this week by Fortune senior editor Stephen Gandel questions whether certain House committee websites, particularly that of the Financial Services Committee, comply with rules and regulations established by the Committee on House Administration.”
JOHNSON ON BALLOT. Politico. “The Libertarian Party reports that Gary Johnson will be on the ballot in at least 47 states, plus the District of Columbia.”
PRES. OBAMA AND FUNDRAISING. The Times. “In the race for cash, Mr. Obama often praises his millions of grass-roots donors, those die-hards whose $3 or $10 or $75 contributions are as much a symbol of the president’s political identity as they are a source of ready cash. But his campaign’s big-dollar fund-raising has become more dependent than it was four years ago on a smaller number of large-dollar donors and fund-raisers.”
CENTER FORWARD. The Post. “The nonprofit group, called Center Forward, has poured nearly $4 million into broadcast commercials aimed at helping conservative House Democrats keep their seats. Unlike previous groups that have focused solely on Democrats, Center Forward has also given a boost to several Republican moderates in its ad buys as well.”
DC: MORE ON BROWN MATTER. DCist.com: “Lawyer of Man Accused of Stealing D.C. Campaign Funds Fires Back in Epic Fashion.”
IN: DANIELS ETHICS ISSUE. Story here. “A Democratic lawmaker filed a complaint Wednesday seeking an ethics investigation into whether Gov. Mitch Daniels overstepped his role when his office sent out a statement about renovations to Purdue University’s president’s office –the post Daniels will assume in January.”
MT: CHALLENGE TO LAW. Story here. “Conservative groups told a judge Wednesday that campaign contribution limits in Montana get in the way of running effective political campaigns.”
NE: CAMPAIGN FINANCE CASINO. Story here. “More specifically, [AG] Bruning says [State Sen.] Council withdrew more than $63,000 in campaign funds at various casinos between January 2010 and July 2012.”
PA: TIMES ON ID LAW. Here. “On Thursday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments about the state’s strict new photo ID law, which is allegedly intended to prevent voter fraud. A voter must present a government-issued or other approved photo ID at a polling place to vote or can file a provisional ballot, which must be validated later by a submission of a photo ID or proof that the voter is indigent.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.