SMITH TO TESTIFY. CCP. “Smith will be testifying on the second panel, which also includes Lawrence M. Noble, President, Americans for Campaign Reform and Gregory L. Colvin, Principal, Adler & Colvin. Before Smith testifies, there will be another panel of witnesses including Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division, United States Department of Justice and Patricia Haynes; Deputy Chief, Criminal Investigation, Internal Revenue Service.”
RAMAN TO TESTIFY. Main Justice. “Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman will testify tomorrow about the department’s enforcement of campaign finance laws involving contributions to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, known as 501(c)(4)s.”
SAME SEX MARRIAGE AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE. WT. “Even with the Supreme Court set to rule on the Defense of Marriage Act in the near future, conflict between federal and state definitions of marriage is causing problems in relation to other laws, most recently in the campaign finance arena.”
DE: WAITING FOR ANSWERS. Story here. “It’s been nearly two years since the Attorney General’s office launched a statewide probe into violations of campaign finance laws after the Chris Tigani case.”
FL: BLIND TRUSTS EYED. Story here. “Under SB 2, which passed the Senate on the first day of the legislative session, any public official who wants to avoid disclosing embarrassing financial information on their financial disclosure forms could create a blind trust to hold their assets.”
FL: INCREASED LIMITS UNLIKELY. Story here. “Efforts to raise campaign contribution limit could be dead for this year after Gov. Rick Scott’s office said today he is unlikely to approve any increase.”
NJ: CONTRACTOR GIVING DOWN. Story here. “Under pay-to-play laws, all businesses that have received $50,000 or more in total public contracts must report their contracts and contributions to ELEC each spring. Those with state contracts in excess of $17,500 are prohibited from contributing more than $300 to gubernatorial candidates, state political parties, legislative leadership committees, county political parties, and municipal political party committees.”
PA: BIPARTISAN REFORMS. News here. “In the wake of a recent grand jury report that depicted a widespread culture of corruption in operations at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, a bipartisan group of state senators announced this morning they will introduce legislation aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in state government.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.