[Political Activity Law]

Who says the FEC is not doing anything without a quorum?  Just last week the FEC announced it released a number of cases with civil penalties totaling $64,000.  Without a quorum, of course, the FEC cannot accept conciliation agreements or even close a case, among other things.  And the FEC hasn’t had a quorum since January.  So why the releases now? 

The FEC accepted the conciliation agreements (or otherwise closed-out the matters) in 2007, while the Commission enjoyed the last days of its quorum.  The five-month delay probably relates to preparing the cases for the public record, which apparently can take a few months.  The Texans for Truth case (involving political committee status, $5,000 fine for over $300,000 in activity) and ACORN case (“The FEC found [ACORN’s] activities in Florida were nonpartisan.”) warrant a more detailed look. 

The Times reports on the Clinton campaign’s alleged use of “street money” in Texas. 

The payments, known in the political vernacular as “street money,” are a legal but controversial tool that Mrs. Clinton employed at a time when she was desperately seeking a victory after losing 10 consecutive contests to Mr. Obama.