Political law links, 6-5-14

CRUZ CFR.  Sen. Cruz.  “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today filed a pair of bills to protect the individual right to free speech in the wake of Democrats’ efforts to effectively repeal the First Amendment by allowing Congress to regulate spending on political speech.”

TESTER LOBBYING REFORM.  Sen. Tester.  “Senator Jon Tester is introducing the Close the Revolving Door Act to permanently ban retired lawmakers from lobbying Congress.”

WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION.  Cleveland.com.  “Federal prosecutors called their first witness in the trial of North Canton businessman Ben Suarez Wednesday afternoon.”

PARTY FORUM.  Examiner.  “A huge wave of costly and restrictive elections laws and rules are hitting state and local Democratic and Republican parties so hard that many are closing up shop, unable to compete Washington’s regulatory demands and the growth of outside groups protected by the courts, top officials warned Wednesday.”

EAC, RIP.  The Hill.  “The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) may be one of the most beleaguered administrative agencies in the country, with many a Washington politician trying to axe it.”

FRANK COSTS.  WFTV.  “Tax dollars paid for U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Florida, who is running for re-election, to mail out a four-page letter touting his accomplishments, so Channel 9’s Tim Barber asked if it was his way to campaign using tax dollars.”

5 STEPS TO MAKE A SUPER PAC.  Boston Herald.  “It’s easier than you might think. Just a few easy steps and you, too, can be a super PAC mogul.”

CA:  INDICTED CANDIDATE PULLS VOTE.  LAT.  “Democratic state Sen. Leland Yee faces federal gun trafficking and political corruption charges, but still collected more than a quarter-million votes for California secretary of state in Tuesday’s primary election.”

CO:  CU DISCLOSURE.  Independent.  “Citizens United, the Washington-based conservative messaging group whose name has become synonymous with free-flowing campaign spending, plans to make a documentary and advertisements in Colorado this election season and wants to keep the identities of the people funding its work secret. On Tuesday, executives asked the secretary of state’s office to clarify whether doing so would violate Colorado’s campaign finance laws.”

FL: LOBBYIST INDICTED.  News13.  “A grand jury indicted three people Wednesday in the investigation into whether Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority officials violated Florida’s open meeting laws.”

IL:  CASH DEAL ON FILM.  Chicago Tribune.  “The deal allegedly went down a few days before the 2012 primary on a quiet street in the Bucktown neighborhood, far from state Rep. Derrick Smith’s stronghold on Chicago’s rough-and-tumble West Side.”

ME:  LIMITS LIFTED.  BDN.  “The Maine Ethics Commission has lifted the $25,000 aggregate cap for individuals donating to political campaigns, based on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.”

NJ:  BIG FINE.  NJ.com.  “A former candidate for governor has been slapped with a big fine and a reprimand from the state’s campaign finance watchdog for misusing campaign funds and failing to file information.”

NJ:  CONTRIBUTION FROM PAC ON ICE.  Trentonian.  “According to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission website, ICE PAC called Initiate Civic Empowerment hasn’t filed a report with the state since July 2012.”

SD:  EX-CANDIDATE CHARGED.  ABC.  “South Dakota authorities on Wednesday arrested defeated U.S. Senate candidate Annette Bosworth and charged her with multiple counts of perjury and filing false election documents, saying she fraudulently attested to gathering voter signatures when she was really on a Christian mission trip to the Philippines.”

BRAZIL:  CONTRIBUTION LIMITS.  Lexology.  “It is election year in Brazil, and in such years it is very common that candidates and political parties seek donations from private companies in order to finance their campaigns.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.  

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