political law links

MACHEN LEAVING.  WP.  “Former D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray’s allies said Monday that U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. should not leave office without resolving the investigation that they think led to Gray’s reelection defeat.”

SCHOCK MILEAGE.    Politico.  “Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock resigned Tuesday, less than 12 hours after POLITICO raised questions about tens of thousands of dollars in mileage reimbursements he received for his personal vehicle.”

SCHOCK SPECIAL.  RC. “A forthcoming special election to replace resigning Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock is unlikely to alter the partisan control of his Peoria-based 18th District.”

WOMAN SENTENCED.  Newsday.  “A Texas woman whose friendship with former Staten Island Rep. Michael Grimm put her under law enforcement scrutiny was unexpectedly sentenced to three months in prison for campaign finance violations in federal court in Brooklyn Tuesday.”

TRAVEL REQUEST.  Hill.  “A federal judge is preventing former Rep. Michael Grimm (R) from traveling to Europe, deeming the disgraced one-time New York lawmaker a flight risk.”

FL:  VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE SOUGHT.  Jacksonville.com.  “The Jacksonville Ethics Commission debated but took no action Monday on whether it will ask a political committee supporting Mayor Alvin Brown to disclose its contributions more frequently than required by state law.”

MA:  INVESTING CAMPAIGN FUNDS.   NEPR.  “Ashe’s committee last year put about $58,000 in a mutual fund. That’s ‘strictly prohibited,’ according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.”

CHILE:  FUNDING SCANDAL.  Reuters.  “SQM fertilizer company has fired its chief executive after it became embroiled in an election campaign financing scandal that has rocked the Chilean establishment, tainting business leaders and politicians with close links to the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Tues. top political law links

FINANCING CRUSADE.  Capital Gazette.  “U.S. Rep. John Sarbanes, D-District 3, visited Thursday with The Capital editorial board, where he fielded questions for about an hour. Sarbanes talked at length about his legislation, H.R. 20, The Government by the People Act, which would create a public financing pool that empowers small donations from individuals.”

AK:  SUPER PAC FORMED.  Newsminer.com.  “An election tool usually seen in national politics is showing up in the Anchorage mayor’s race.”

CA:  TOO LATE.  LAT.  “Citizens for Increased Voter Participation, the group backing the two ballot measures, reported getting more than $172,000 in donations on election day or the day after. Those last-minute funds made up more than 40% of the campaign’s large contributions of $1,000 or more. Such donations must be reported within 24 hours to the city Ethics Commission, which posts the information on its website.”

CO:  COMPLAINTS DISMISSED.  Gazette.com.  “Anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce filed more complaints with the City Clerk’s Office on Wednesday, targeting campaign finance reports by two local political action committees.”

GA:  CFR IN HOUSE.  Macon.com.  “The House bill would allow party caucuses in both chambers to make unlimited contributions to support a party ticket. State law currently requires caucuses to make donations through their parties to avoid donation caps. The House bill passed 166-6.”

MT:  BILL TO CONFIRM.  Standard.  ” Saying he is losing his patience, Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso said Friday he is preparing to introduce a bill next week to confirm Jonathan Motl as the state’s political practices commissioner.”

NY:  DONOR FINED.  NYDN.  “A top donor to Mayor de Blasio — who helped broker a peace deal between the mayor and one of his loudest police critics — was fined $3,561 on Thursday by the Campaign Finance Board.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Today’s political law links

SUPER PACS AND 16.  WP.  “It’s widely believed that super PACs must operate with complete independence from a candidate’s campaign. But the walls between them are quite porous. An official candidate’s campaign team cannot consult and coordinate how his or her super PAC spends its money. Nor can it share strategic information. Candidates can help to raise that money, with some restrictions.”

CRUZ ON CFR.  Star Tribune.  “Unlimited political cash would give rank-and-file conservative activists greater sway in picking their representatives, including the president, White House hopeful Ted Cruz told New Hampshire voters on Sunday.”

MT: CFR HEARING.    Helenair.com.  “On Tuesday, the House Business and Labor Committee considers SB289, by Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, to revise campaign finance laws, including requiring that any individual or group involved in election communications report all contributions and all expenditures.”

NC:  MCCRORY ETHICS.    CO.  “The governor blames the repeated ethics corrections on misinterpretations of the forms.”

WV:  CFR LIKELY DEAD.  Green Field Reporter.  “House Speaker Tim Armstead says a campaign finance reform proposal is likely dead in the Legislature.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.