[Political Activity Law]

SUPER PAC GIVING. NW. “Twenty-five mega-wealthy political donors contributed nearly half of the almost $3 billion donated to super PACs by individuals over the last decade, a new analysis from the good-governance group Public Citizen has found.”

SUPER PAC SPEND. HILL. “The largest Democratic super PAC is expanding its 2020 budget by $50 million as it seeks to keep Democrats competitive with President Trump.”

MD: MAYORAL MONEY. BS. “Baltimore mayoral candidates collectively have raised more than $2.3 million heading into the final months of the Democratic primary campaign, signaling an expensive and bitter fight ahead for the crowded field.”

MA: CONTRIBUTION QUESTIONED. TG. “Middleboro Selectman Allin Frawley agreed to pay $2,000 after the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance found that he violated campaign finance law by accepting excessive donations and failing to disclose their true source.”

OR: NEW BURDENS. OPB. “Since its inception, Portland’s public campaign financing program has aimed to match candidate’s small dollar donations sixfold.”

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COMPLAINT FILED. TVQ. “The Republican Party of Kentucky filed a complaint Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission against Democrat Amy McGrath’s campaign for U.S. Senate.”

DISCLOSURE YEAR IN REVIEW. BPN. “Legislatures in 33 states considered 74 donor disclosure bills in 2019. New York led the way with 10 bills, 13.5 percent of the total. The following states each considered at least two donor disclosure bills in 2019…”

AK: QUICK RETURNS. KN. “The commission is also ordering Quick to pay a maximum penalty fine of $300 for violating a campaign law for failing to return prohibited in-kind contributions from Alaska Yes Inc.”

AZ: MONEY FROM APS. EPI. “A growing number of elected Democrats in Arizona say they won’t accept campaign funding from Arizona Public Service, the utility that has come under fire for its massive spending on political campaigns.”

MO: ETHICS BUNDLE. STL. “A western Missouri Republican wants voters to ban lobbyist gifts and further restrict campaign contributions, but that’s not all.”

NY: ETHICS MISSING. GG. “The government ethics agenda put forth by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his 2020 State of the State is much shorter than those he’s proposed in years passed.”

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2020 REPORTING DATES. The FEC announced a number of new reporting dates and windows in the last few weeks.

PAY TO PLAY CHALLENGE WON’T BE HEARD. L360.

TEN YEARS OF CU. OS. “On Jan. 21, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the longstanding prohibition on independent expenditures by corporations violated the First Amendment.”

SUPER PAC BOOKS. NYT. “One of the leading Democratic super PACs, Priorities USA, will spend $50 million more than previously announced…”

TANDEM PACS. MW. “The campaigns of Republican and Democratic politicians frequently have worked in tandem with super PACs and other big-money organizations that are legally required to be independent from the candidates, says a report released Tuesday by nonpartisan reform group Issue One.”

DARK MONEY FOOLING. TH. “As the election season advances into 2020, we must expose the liberal, dark money operations that threaten the progress of the Administration’s last four years and jeopardize our revived free market system.”

OR: VIOLATIONS DENIED. OL. “Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, one of his primary election opponents and a city commissioner candidate all denied complaints to the city auditor’s office that they’ve violated a voter-approved $500 campaign contribution limit.”

WA: “FOREIGN” FIRMS CHALLENGED. REU. “At least 9% of Amazon’s stock is owned by foreign investors, according to financial data provider Refinitiv.”

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