GUINTA CASE.  RC.  “Last week, the Federal Election Commission found Guinta violated campaign finance rules by accepting more than $350,000 in illegal campaign contributions, ordering him to pay back the funds along with a $15,000 fine.”

CONTINUED PROBE.  CSM.  “The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a bid to stop an investigation in Wisconsin into possible unlawful coordination between potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker’s gubernatorial campaign and conservative advocacy groups.”

ANNOUNCEMENT THEORY.  Slate.  “Since a current senator can’t directly fundraise for, or coordinate with, his affiliated super PAC, he might as well jump in early and capitalize on the buzz created by being among the first actors on stage.”

16 AND SUPER PACS.  NYT.  “With striking speed, the 2016 contenders are exploiting loopholes and regulatory gray areas to transform the way presidential campaigns are organized and paid for.”

AZ:  RULE CLASH.  AZC.  “A proposal by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to crack down on some ‘dark money’ groups has aroused the opposition of the Secretary of State’s Office and escalated the ongoing dispute over the extent of the commission’s authority.”

CA:  PULIDO FINE.  VOC.  “The collective reaction of most Santa Ana City Council members to the $13,000 fine slapped on Mayor Miguel Pulido by the state’s political watchdog for improprieties surrounding a property swap with a city contractor can be best described as a shrug.”

TX:  ETHICS PROSPECTS.  TT.  “The session dedicated to ethics by the new governor could still bear fruit.”

VA: NEW LAW.  Skadden.  “On May 1, 2015, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed Senate Bill No. 1424 (the Bill). The Bill tightens restrictions on gifts, expands Virginia’s lobby law to cover attempts to obtain public contracts and adds a new pay-to-play provision.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.