SS REIMBURSEMENT. WP. “Donald Trump’s campaign isn’t alone in patronizing his own businesses: taxpayers are indirectly doing so, too.”
LEGAL SERVICES ISSUE. USAT. “The FEC probe began in 2011, when Schmidt’s Democratic foe in the 2008 election, David Krikorian, filed a complaint arguing Schmidt should have reported that $500,000 as an in-kind campaign donation. But as a corporation, the TCA is banned by federal law from donating to any candidate for federal office, so it would be an illegal contribution.”
IMPEACHMENT FIGHT VIEW. NYM. “Is this whole issue of tax-exempt status for political groups, then, just a nothing-burger all around? Well, not exactly.”
NAME CHANGE GAMBIT. HP. “Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party candidate for president, filed a petition with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday to change his name to ‘None of the Above’ in hopes of becoming eligible for future presidential debates and to improve his chances of winning the presidency on November 8.”
PERSONAL USE RULING. DP. “A federal judge has ruled that former GOP Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell and her campaign committee violated federal campaign finance laws by using campaign contributions to pay her rent.”
HOEBER HUSBAND ALLEGATION. WP. “Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) charges in a Federal Election Commission complaint that his Republican challenger in Western Maryland’s 6th District is illegally coordinating with a super PAC, funded almost exclusively by her husband, that has spent more than $1 million on her campaign.”
BOGGS UNITY. WP. “This month, Doug was named managing partner of Manatt’s D.C. office, bringing them another step closer; Hale is a senior partner and part of the firm’s executive committee.”
RIDER INCLUDED? PIRG. “On Thursday, Senate leadership revealed language for a continuing resolution, which includes a rider preventing the Securities and Exchange Commission from strengthening corporate political spending disclosure.”
AND… MC. “The bill also does not address language from last year’s omnibus spending bill that prohibits the use of congressionally appropriated funds for the Securities and Exchange Commission to implement disclosure rules on corporate political donations. Reid and other top Democrats have pushed for an SEC rule that they believe would bring greater transparency to the role of money in politics. But McConnell has resisted these efforts because he and other GOP senators believe the SEC doesn’t have the authority to issue the rule.”
MORE… PBS. “But McConnell drafted the measure in hopes of making it as difficult as possible for Democrats to filibuster. For instance, it retains a top McConnell priority, to block the SEC from requiring corporations to disclose political spending permitted under the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision allowing unlimited political spending by businesses. That would extend a current ban that McConnell won last December — but that Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats were eager to reverse.”
NY: CUOMO SURVIVAIBILITY. PN. “Now, the governor must fend off torrents of criticism rushing his way following the federal corruption charges lodged against his closest advisers – some who have dwelled in his inner circle for decades.”
WA: AG INVESTIGATING. KING. “An investigation into alleged campaign finance violations by a candidate for Snohomish County Superior Court Judge has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s office by the Public Disclosure Commission.”
WI: DEMS ACCUSE. CBS. “Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott has been accused of breaking campaign finance rules by illegally coordinating with the Republican Governors Association on three television ads.”
HAVE A GOOD DAY.