[Political Activity Law]

BIG MONEY TAKEDOWN.  TIME.  “The Republican’s presidential campaign raised less than half of what Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton did. He ran a fraction of the TV ads, even in decisive battleground states. And although prominent Republican donors came to Trump’s aid during the campaign’s final days, his supportive super PACs and other political groups raised relatively paltry sums when compared to Clinton’s groups.”

SUPER PAC ON YOUTUBE.  TF.  “Real Talk With Ruth, in a clear attempt to appeal to young voters, is styled to look like a vlog. ‘Ruth’ is an upbeat young woman, and her videos are set in a hip-looking coffee shop with exposed brick walls.”

OGE RULES FINALIZED.  FW.  “The Office of Government Ethics has finalized rules, proposed in June, that describe the executive branch ethics program, lay out the responsibilities of various parties, and reinforce ethics messaging.”

TRANSITION PLANNING.  TI.  “Presidential transition teams develop policy plans and come up with a list of more than 4,000 people an incoming president appoints, including White House jobs, cabinet secretaries, and lower level positions that oversee the military, agriculture, trade, and beyond.”

AK:  CHALLENGE REJECTED.  DP.  “U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess in a ruling Monday says the state provided justification for limits on contributions to candidates.”

MT:  PROSECUTION THREAT.  WP.  “A representative (or anyone else) files a complaint alleging that a government official has committed misconduct — and he can’t talk about the complaint?”

OR:  PASSING EASILY.  PT.  “A campaign finance measure for Multomah County races passed easily Tuesday.”

RI:  ETHICS MEASURE UPDATE.  B.  “Rhode Island voters also easily approved a constitutional amendment restoring power to an ethics commission over state lawmakers.”

SD:  PUBLIC FINANCING OK.  MH.  “South Dakota political candidates running in future elections will be able to tap public funds for their campaigns under a new law approved by voters.”

WA:  REJECTING OVERHAUL.  ST.  “Voters were rejecting by five percentage points a measure to overhaul the state’s campaign finance system in Tuesday’s returns.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

SOFT MONEY HEADED TO SUPREMES.  WP.  “The panel in Washington ruled in a 2015 lawsuit by the Republican Party of Louisiana and two parish GOP affiliates that sought to overturn the last major remaining provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, more commonly known as McCain-Feingold after its chief Senate sponsors.”

TAKING AIM AT SUPER PACS.  CN.  “Already looking past Election Day, a bipartisan group of lawmakers and congressional candidates have brought a federal complaint against the Federal Elections Commission to rein in super-PAC spending.”

SUPER PAC QUESTIONS.  DMN.  “To some campaign finance experts, the arrangement raises questions about whether Beal’s super PAC — called Save America From Its Government — is violating regulations that prohibit coordination between the campaign and outside groups.”

SELF-UNFUNDED. WSJ.  “Over the course of the 2016 campaign, Republican presidential nominee and celebrity billionaire Donald Trump has boasted about the extent to which he has funded his campaign. We evaluated those statements to determine which pledges he fulfilled, and which he didn’t.”

D SUPER PACS ON SNAPCHAT.  AW.  “Today, pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action purchased the mobile app’s first political-themed lens, the colorful filters that decorate selfies, ahead of the election on Tuesday.”

SUPER PACS NOT SECURE.  DR.  “New research found gaping security holes in several SuperPAC public websites – from weak or nonexistent encryption and open ports to old and outdated server platforms.”

SUPER PAC AD FAULTED.  TF.  ” I appreciate the defense of the Washington R-words—not a PC guy here—but this ad couldn’t be bothered to even cast some normal football guys.”

AMISH SUPER PAC.  FN.  “A pro-Trump poliitical action committee has been trying to mobilize the reclusive group for the election, and in a battleground state like Pennsylvania, they could form a legitimate voting bloc. Amish PAC is hoping some of the state’s 69,000 adherents will cast ballots – if they can get to the polls.”

K STREET MOVES.  WP.  “Every election season, lobbyists spend weeks analyzing the possible outcomes of House and Senate elections, zeroing in on the handful of lawmakers who are expected to make moves on key congressional committees — either leading them or leaving one to lead another — which helps set the tone for lobbying strategy in the new Congress. Stacks of analyses are written up; decision trees are sketched out; clients are talked off the ledge.”

CA:  PUBLIC FINANCING ON BALLOT.  DK.  “Another voting-related measure in Berkeley would establish a public campaign financing system that provides candidates with $6 for every $1 a donor gives up to $50 in an bid to help level the playing field and support grassroots campaigns. This effort is similar to the “democracy vouchers” a few states are considering adopting this year, and success could serve as a model for other states and municipalities.”

FL:  NEW RULES PLANNED.  J.com. “Lobbyists would be required to file paperwork before speaking with a member of the Florida House or a staff member about issues that may come up for a vote, according to a proposal from incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran.”

OK:  CALL FOR RESIGNATION.  CH9.  “The Oklahoma Democratic Party said state Superintendent Joy Hofmeister has lost the ability to lead and should resign.  This statement was made after Hofmeister was charged with campaign violations last week.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

GMA TO FIGHT.  SMN.  “The Grocery Manufacturers Association has vowed to correct the ‘injustice’ of being ordered to pay $18 million — the largest campaign finance penalty in U.S. history — for violating Washington state’s campaign finance laws during its opposition of a ballot initiative related to GMO disclosure.”

SVOBODA TWEETSTORM.  Don’t miss Brian Svoboda’s tweetstorm on the GMA case, starting with this tweet.

REPAYMENT MADE.  TW.  “Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) agreed Thursday to reimburse his campaign account $49,000 after spending on everything from oral surgery to a garage door to fast food, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.”

ACCOUNTING ERROR.  TH.  “The amount of the donations totaled $250,000. Correct The Record, the super PAC in question, says it has returned the money.”

SUPER PAC FREE RIDE.  DP.  “The SEPTA strike, now entering its second week, appears more and more likely to continue into Election Day. One super PAC hopes to at least mitigate any potential effect on voter turnout.”  Late word is the strike is over, however.

CA:  LOBBYIST REGULATION IN SF.  KALW.  “Prop T would set restrictions on lobbyists making financial contributions to elected officials.”

NV:  UBER PLAYS.  LVS.  “On Sunday, Uber started a campaign to re-elect Republican Assemblyman Derek Armstrong, the first political endorsement the transportation company has made since its founding in 2009.”

NY:  FREE SPENDING.  NYT.  “In many cases, races are shaping up as proxy wars between independent expenditure groups, also known as super PACs, representing the interests of teachers’ unions and backers of charter schools, as well as skirmishes involving newcomers like Airbnb, the online rental service, and the Real Estate Board of New York, which represents the city’s major developers.”

WI:  ASKING ABOUT REFORM.  WXPR.  “Lake Tomahawk voters will see an advisory question on Tuesday’s ballot regarding campaign finance reform.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.