here are political law links for 1-8

HOUSE ETHICS MOVES. USAT. “In one of its first actions of the new year, the House of Representatives on Tuesday approved rules changes that could give lawmakers a new defense against ethics investigations.”

JUDICIAL ROLLBACK. MM.org. “Major network newscasts have given almost no coverage to an upcoming Supreme Court case that will decide whether judicial candidates can personally solicit campaign donations — despite the risk of corruption.”

PAY TO PLAY AND 16. Corpcounsel.com. “Those in the financial services industry—specifically those who are, or work for, registered investment advisors—who are interested in contributing to candidates should recognize that there may be a significant level of risk created by the federal rule and state pay-to-play rules.”

A 15 FIRST. Yahoo News. “Less than a week into the new year, the first super PAC of 2015 has officially formed — and it’s not the group anticipated to bolster a Jeb Bush presidential bid.”

SUPER PAC MOVE. Newsobserver.com. “Ben Ray, who was with the Forward N.C. organization that helped U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s re-election campaign, is moving to the national super PAC American Bridge.”

SUPER PAC LAUNCH. PRnewsire.com. “Supporters of Governor Sarah Palin announce the formation of The Political Earthquake PAC/Grassroots4Palin, a Super PAC which will independently advocate on behalf of Palin and the leadership and vision that she has for our nation.”

MO: REFORM PROPOSED. Daily Journal Online. “Secretary of State Jason Kander Monday announced legislation to overhaul Missouri’s worst-in-the-nation ethics, lobbying and campaign finance laws.”

NJ: COMPLAINT FILED. NJ.com. “A Democratic group with ties to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today filed a complaint with the New Jersey State Ethics Commission over Gov. Chris Christie’s recent trip to Dallas to root for the Cowboys.”

NJ: COWBOY PROBE MULLED. CNN. “Chris Christie’s decision to accept a plane ride and a box seat at Sunday’s Dallas Cowboys game has Democrats considering an investigation and even some Republicans questioning the New Jersey governor’s judgment.”

NJ: STATE OF ETHICS LAW. WSJ. “Bill Schluter, a former Republican member of the New Jersey State Ethics Commission, said the governor should be subjected to stricter ethical oversight, including a requirement to disclose gifts the way other state officials and lawmakers must.”

PA: SUPER PAC LAUNCH. PoliticsPA. “The American Future Fund, an Iowa-based super PAC founded by former Mitt Romney aides and linked to the Koch brothers, announced a multimedia advertising and advocacy ”

VA: REFORM CALL. 13 News. “One day after his predecessor was sentenced to prison on 11 felony corruption charges, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe once again urged state lawmakers to pass meaningful ethics reforms in the Old Dominion.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Political law links of the day

RIGHT TO RAISE. Politico. “Jeb Bush’s 2016 political operation is off to a fast start, raising six figures in online donations in just a few hours.”

L PAC, SUPER PAC. WP. “Former Florida governor Jeb Bush and his supporters launched two new political action committees on Tuesday as he moves closer to a 2016 presidential campaign, underscoring his desire to get a head start on his potential rivals on both fundraising and organizing.”

CARSON LAUNCH. Buzzfeed.com. “The man behind the Draft Ben Carson for President Committee has launched a new super PAC that will snap into action when Carson announces a presidential bid, he said on Monday.”

O’DONNELL SUED. HuffPo. “The Federal Election Commission filed suit Monday against former Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell for allegedly using campaign funds for personal purposes.”

COS SUPER PAC PICK-UP. Billings Gazette. “U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana named Scott Hommel, the former treasurer of the political action committee that spent nearly $200,000 in support of Zinke’s candidacy, as his chief of staff Monday.”

REFORMERS AND THE LAW. WSJ. “Mayday PAC, which supports more campaign-finance regulations, repeatedly violated existing campaign-finance laws.”

CT: TRIAL BEGINS. Courant.com. “Former Bridgeport state Sen. Ernest Newton’s larceny and campaign finance fraud trial began Tuesday in Superior Court in Hartford with a day of testimony about campaign finance rules and who in a campaign is responsible for adhering to the rules.”

MN: COMPLAINT DISMISSED. Star Tribune. “The state campaign finance board has thrown out a complaint by the Republican Party of Minnesota against Gov. Mark Dayton’s campaign and the state DFL party, alleging that both coordinated to produce a campaign commercials.”

SC: FACING ALLEGATIONS. The State. “Lt. Gov.-elect Henry McMaster, a former state attorney general who helped author an ethics reform task force report for the governor, is facing allegations that his 2010 gubernatorial campaign accepted $72,700 in excess contributions from 51 donors.”

VA: SENTENCE AND APPEAL. RTD. “Former Gov. Bob McDonnell was sentenced to two years in prison today by U.S. Judge James Spencer, who said the historic corruption case ‘breaks my heart’ but that a ‘price must be paid’ for the transgressions by a man who was once considered a rising national political figure.”

ISR: NETANYAHU FUNDS. The Week. “Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gets more than half of his campaign money from three American families. And that’s not all — the U.S. is responsible for more than 90 percent of his total campaign funds.”

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political law links

BUSH HEADLINES. NYDN. “The former Florida governor will headline a fund-raiser for his Leadership PAC on Wednesday in Greenwich, Conn. — the hometown of the late Bush family patriarch and former Connecticut Sen. Prescott Bush, father of former President George H.W. Bush.”

CA: ENFORCEMENT RECORD. LAT. “The state ethics agency closed a record number of cases with proven violations in 2014 and also set new highs on a number of cases in which public officials agreed to fines, according to an annual report released Monday.”

FL: FIRST APPOINTMENTS MADE. WCTV. “Two new members have been appointed to the Tallahassee Ethics Board.”

MD: GIFT MINEFIELD. WP. “Hogan’s staff members say they are assessing and cataloguing the cache of presents, making sure they properly follow state ethics laws so as not to get in trouble over an unsolicited lacrosse T-shirt or other keepsake.”

NJ: CHRISTIE AND COWBOY TIX. IBTimes.com. “According to NJ.com, Christie officials said the gifts from Jones are legal since an executive order signed by a previous governor says governors ‘may accept gifts, favors, services, gratuities, meals, lodging or travel expenses from relatives or personal friends that are paid for with personal funds.'”

NJ: LAW SCRAPPED. Press of AC. “The vote repeals an ordinance approved in October 2012, which prevented those contributing to political campaigns of those seeking city or county office for accepting municipal contracts.”

TX: DONATIONS AND CONTRACT. Salina.com. “An Austin tech executive gave political contributions to Republican House Speaker Joe Straus and other lawmakers days before her company sought approval of a $90 million contract that is now the focus of a criminal investigation, a newspaper reported Saturday.”

VA: MCDONNELL TO BE SENTENCED. WP. “A federal judge in Richmond will decide on Tuesday what punishment former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell deserves for trading the influence of his office to a smooth-talking businessman in exchange for sweetheart loans, lavish vacations and a variety of other loot.”

WI: CALL FOR AUDIT. Press Gazette. “Mayor Jim Schmitt beat his political enemies to the punch on Monday morning, calling for an audit of his campaign finances.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.