[Political Activity Law]

WHO’S AHEAD IN SWING STATE ZOMBIE VOTE.  WP.  “All 19 were initially registered as voters in the Shenandoah Valley city of Harrisonburg, although a clerk double-checking the entries later raised questions about one. She recognized the name of Richard Allen Claybrook Sr., who died in 2014 at age 87, because his son is a well-known local judge. She happened to recall that the judge’s father had died.”

SUPER PAC BLITZ.  WP.  “The Republicans’ central Senate super PAC is plowing $21 million more into six key races in the coming weeks as the fight for control of the chamber moves to states more hospitable to GOP candidates.”

BANKER FUNDING.   Forbes.   “Billionaire Andrew Beal, the richest banker in the nation, is the sole force behind a new super political action committee that is backing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump with newspaper advertisements in swing states.”

BUSINESS NAME HIT.  Politico.  “Ending a long-running dispute, the House Ethics Committee disciplined Rep. Dave McKinley (R-W.Va.) on Wednesday for failing to change the name of his former firm once he was elected to Congress in 2010.”  Documents related to this issue are here.

D BIG MONEY LOVE.  NYT.  “The flow of money, documented in Federal Election Commission reports, shows Democrats expanding their fund-raising advantage in the final phase of the presidential race, defying expectations at the beginning of the campaign that Republicans would dominate the money chase.”

MATCH IN THE NEWS.  WFSU.  “Vowing to embarrass the ‘mainstream media and liberal elites,’ the Trump presidential campaign is issuing an urgent plea for donations ahead of Friday’s federal financial reporting deadline.”

PASSING ON CONTRIBUTIONS.  M.  “The investigation of a Bigfork man the state alleges may have been operating a Ponzi scheme to defraud investors has spilled over into the race for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

FOREIGN SPENDING.  Intercept.  “The six members of the Federal Election Commission found unusual common ground Thursday in a discussion of foreign money in U.S. politics, informally agreeing to move forward after Republican commissioners have had more time to consider the subject.”

CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY PLAYS.  ABC.  “Cards Against Humanity’s Nuisance Committee super PAC launched Wednesday by buying its first anti-Donald Trump billboard just outside Chicago O’Hare International Airport.”

WARREN ON CR.  IBT.  “U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Thursday pressed the Obama administration to pledge to veto any annual budget measure that includes a Republican-backed, anti-transparency provision.”

CA:  SUIT ON CONTRIBUTIONS.  LAT.  “Los Angeles County supervisorial candidate Steve Napolitano has sued his opponent, U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn, demanding that she return hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions deemed improper by county officials. The suit also seeks a court order prohibiting Hahn from spending the money.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE FEC.  The agenda for today’s meeting is here.

THE FED AND CONTRIBUTIONS.  WSJ.  “During a congressional hearing on Wednesday Rep. Scott Garrett (R., N.J.) questioned Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen about alleged conflicts of interest on the board. The congressman asked specifically about Fed governor Lael Brainard and her donations and connections to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.”

HOW BAYH DID IT.  Politico.  “Only people who spend at least 20 percent of their time lobbying for a client and contact at least two government officials have to register under federal law.”

SUPER PAC STRETCH.  PF.  “In campaign fundraising email after campaign fundraising email, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Tammy Duckworth notes that, unlike her opponent Republican Mark Kirk, she isn’t benefitting from a Super PAC and needs donations from average Illinoisans.”

SUPER PAC LAUNCH.  BB.  “2016 Committee, a Super PAC first launched to support Dr. Ben Carson and now focused on opposing Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is up with a $1.45 million dollar ad buy targeting African American voters throughout North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan.”

O’DONNELL PERSONAL USE UPDATE.  WP.  “Former GOP Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell and her campaign committee have offered to pay a $10,000 civil penalty after a federal judge ruled that they violated federal campaign finance laws by using campaign contributions to pay her rent.”

IL:  LIMITS OFF.  NBC.  “Campaign finance limits are now off in the race for Illinois comptroller, according to Illinois Election Data. Incumbent Republican Comptroller Leslie Munger received a $260,000 donation Friday from her husband, John Munger, exceeding the $250,000 self-funding threshold and removing fundraising limits for the race.”

MT:  DISCLOSURE ALLEGATIONS.  BG.  “Funding for the group backing a pro-medical marijuana ballot measure prompted Safe Montana founder Steve Zabawa to file a campaign complaint.”

NY:  COR UPDATE.  CNY.  “At an event in Skaneateles Falls on Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will move campaign contributions, donated by Joseph Gerardi and Steven Aiello, into a different account.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

DONATION QUESTIONED.  LN.  “Washington PDC documents revealed this week show Planned Parenthood Votes Washington PAC reporting a $75,000 donation from New York-based Planned Parenthood, a 501(c)(3)-designated non-profit organization.”

RAVEL AND THE INTERNET.  WE.  “[Commissioner Ann] Ravel, a former deputy assistant attorney general for consumer litigation at the Justice Department, has for years argued in favor of regulating political speech on the Web. She succeeded to some extent in California during her 2011-13 tenure as chair of the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission, implementing a rule that required bloggers to disclose whether they received $500 or more from a political campaign.”

AL:  TRANSFER BAN UPHELD.  MA.  “A federal appeals court Tuesday upheld the Alabama’s ban on transfers between political action committees, saying it did not affect a political group’s ability to make independent expenditures.”  The AG’s press release and a copy of the opinion are online here.

CA:  INVESTIGATING DEMOCRATIC PARTY.  YB.  “The Fair Political Practices Commission has launched an investigation into the California Democratic Party and alleged violations of the Political Reform Act in response to Consumer Watchdog’s investigative report, Brown’s Dirty Hands, the public interest group was told.”

MS:  SEARCHABLE REPORTS.  CL.  “Mississippi politicians running for state or district offices now can — if they so choose — file campaign finance reports in a ‘searchable’ electronic format that will allow people to more easily track the influence of money in politics.”

NC:  SENATOR INDICTED.  12.  “A longtime North Carolina state senator has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges stemming from allegations he spent more than $200,000 in campaign funds over several years for his personal benefit.”

SD:  DEBATING REFORM.  R.  “Initiated Measure 22 — billed by proponents as an anti-corruption act — would impose new caps on campaign contributions, establish a state ethics commission, prohibit certain state officials from lobbying until two years after the conclusion of their public service and create a publicly funded campaign system.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.