FEC SHUTDOWN. Here. “Like many federal agencies, the FEC will be unable to provide any services during the government shutdown. Agency staff will not report to work, some computer systems will be powered down and the agency’s headquarters will be closed. While the FEC’s website will remain on-line, its content will not be updated.”
SHUTDOWN FUNDRAISING. Here. “Court decisions and changes in election laws have wiped out limits on how much groups can spend, dramatically increasing the influence of outside organizations on political campaigns and legislative priorities.”
LOBBYISTS BRACE. Politico. “Lobbyists from both sides of the aisle have one message for Congress: We’d rather be talking about anything but a shutdown.”
TOP DONORS. Reuters. “The country’s top political donors in the 2012 election cycle represent a wealthy slice of the United States, with most of them being men, according to a study released Tuesday that analyzes campaign finance data.”
AD QUESTIONED. Roll Call. “Former state Rep. Tom Emmer, a Republican running in a crowded primary to replace retiring Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota, may have violated campaign finance rules by appearing in a local contracting company’s television advertisement.”
DEBATE UPDATE. The Hill. “NBC on Monday announced it was canceling plans to air a miniseries on Hillary Clinton.”
SMITH ON MCCUTCHEON. WSJ. “Shaun McCutcheon wants to join with others to speak about candidates and elections. The First Amendment means little if it does not protect that right.”
HASEN ON MCCUTCHEON. Slate. “Roberts could write an opinion that didn’t reach the ‘strict scrutiny’ question, or how to define corruption as applied to contributions. He could say that even under the pre-Citizens United rules, the government should lose.”
SENTENCING UPDATE. Here. “A federal judge in Reno today has the task of examining divergent portraits of Harvey Whittemore as he prepares to sentence the former power broker in a high-profile campaign contribution scheme.”
SENTENCE. Here. “One-time high-profile lobbyist Harvey Whittemore was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Monday for making illegal campaign contributions to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.”
COMPLAINT FILED. Story here. “The Massachusetts Republican Party has filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s chief of staff Mindy Myers.”
GA: ETHICS CASE. Story here. “Ethics reformers are applauding the indictment of State Senator Don Balfour on allegations he illegally claimed travel expenses. But experts say it won’t be easy proving Balfour knowingly misappropriated state funds.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.