3-10 political law links

TODAY AT THE FEC.  The agenda for today’s Federal Election Commission meeting is online here.

TIMELY TIP.  FEC.  “Before deciding to campaign for federal office, potential candidates may want to “test the waters”—in other words, explore the feasibility of their candidacy.”

SOFTWARE SCHOCK.  Politico. “Keith Siilats, the chief technology officer of Bytelogics, said in an interview that the $3,425 that the Schock Victory Fund reported spending with his company was really part of the cost for a ride on his airplane.”

AZ: DISCLOSURE AND INVESTIGATION.   AZ Central. “Eyebrows over APS’s covert campaign activities have been arched skyward since last year when it is widely believed that APS spent several million dollars on a dark-money campaign to get Tom Forese and Doug Little elected to the Corporation Commission.”

CA:  RAISING THRESHOLDS.  LAT.  “CIting inflation, the state’s campaign finance watchdog agency is considering a proposal to raise the fundraising thresholds at which campaigns must report their financing, drawing some concerns from an advocate for fuller disclosure.

CA:  CAMPAIGN FINED.  Keyt.com.  “An investigation by the California Fair Political Practices Commission found Re-Elect Doreen Farr Supervisor 2012 violated state law by failing to timely report payments of $500 or more totaling $149,318.25.”

KS: MEALS WINNER.   Kansas.com. “According to Hawver’s Capitol Report, six members of the south-central Kansas legislative delegation cracked the top 25 for lobbyist-paid food and drink consumption for 2014.”


Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/now-consider-this/article13094336.html#storylink=cpy

MD: PUBLIC FINANCING UPDATE.    SMnewsnet. “Gov. Larry Hogan successfully used public financing when he ran for office, and now he wants to make sure the fund is replenished so other candidates have the same opportunity.”

NC: CHARLOTTE STUDYING.  Observer. “The city of Charlotte will review whether it should require lobbyists to register with the city and disclose interactions with public officials – rules already enacted in most large U.S. cities.”


Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article12872612.html#storylink=cpy

HAVE A GOOD DAY. 

3-9 political law links

MENENDEZ CASE ISSUES.   WP.  “If federal prosecutors pursue corruption charges against Sen. Robert Menendez, they will face a difficult — but not impossible — task in making their case.”

BUILDING FOR 16.   The Gazette. “In a new development that is adding to fundraising and organizational clout, presumptive candidates this year are setting up and working closely with so-called super-PACS and other funding vehicles before they launch official campaigns.”

STAFFING UP.    TX Tribune.  “Allies of former Gov. Rick Perry have launched a super PAC that can raise unlimited amounts of money to boost the likely 2016 candidate, one of several signs that his presidential apparatus is kicking into high gear.”

CA:  POLITICAL TAX SCHEME.  Press Democrat.  “[Marc] Levine introduced legislation last week that would impose a tax on independent expenditures, which is campaign spending done by outside groups, instead of by candidates or party committees.”

FL: PROBATION IN CASE.    Miami Herald. “Former Homestead Mayor Steve Bateman, already facing prison time on a corruption conviction, agreed to probation on additional allegations that he misspent campaign donations.”

SC:  AFTER PLEA.     Post and Courier.  


Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2015/03/ex-homestead-mayor-appealing-corruption-conviction-gets-probation-in-campaign-finance-case.html#storylink=cpy

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Political law links, 3-5

TUESDAY AT THE FEC.  The Federal Election Commission meeting scheduled for today has been moved to Tuesday.

CARSON EXPLORING.  WP.  “Pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson finally announced the formation of an exploratory committee for a White House run on Tuesday, doing exactly what everyone has been expecting him to do for months.”

FIRST LADIES AND ETHICS.  DB (S. Coffina).  “The article highlights the recent legal troubles of the former first ladies of Virginia  and Oregon and how first ladies typically fall in a gray area in the applicability of state ethics laws.”

HI:  CFR MOVING.  Civilbeat.com.  “Hawaii lawmakers are looking at making a simple change to fix this longstanding problem in time for the 2016 elections. Senate Bill 508 would add an additional reporting requirement in early October to break up the long period between filings.”

NC: RESOLUTION UNLIKELY.  TWCNews.  “Backers of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would cancel a Supreme Court decision on campaign finance have yet to receive formal backing from Republicans in charge of the North Carolina legislature.”

NM:  BILL MOVES.  ABQ Journal.  “A measure seeking to increase the disclosure requirements on independent expenditure groups in New Mexico political campaigns cleared its first House committee today.”

PA:  DISCLOSURE IN MUNICIPAL RACES.  NBC.  “In the new world of Philadelphia elections, where free-spending, non-candidate groups could dominate campaigns, a new organization has surfaced that will focus on getting a better City Council.”

VA:  POST POOH-POOHS REFORMS.  WP.  “When the dust settled in the GOP-controlled legislature, the loopholes stayed wide open, and the action turned out to be mostly pantomime.”

WV:  REDUCING LIMITS.  BDT Online.  ” A bill that originally allowed unlimited campaign contributions got reconstructive surgery in the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Tuesday, with amendments from Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael that lowered those limits to $2,700 for every race.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.