Political law links

FINRA SEEKS COMMENT.  Thinkadvisor.com.  “The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is requesting public comment on its proposal to establish pay-to-play type rules for broker-dealers that closely mirror those the Securities and Exchange Commission has set forth for advisors.”

GRAY REJECTED PLEA.  Fox.  “Outgoing District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray rejected a proposed plea bargain offered by federal prosecutors investigating financial irregularity in his 2010 mayoral campaign, according to a published report.”

STILL RAISING.  NJ.com.  “Two weeks after winning re-election with nearly 56 percent of the vote and six years from his next election, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker is back on the fundraising circuit.”

FRESH VIEWS ON CFR. APP.com. “Whether the solution is Christie’s idea to remove limits on contributions from any source as long as the information is publicly disclosed within 24 hours is debatable. That does not, however, invalidate his larger point: namely, that the system is unworkable, should be scrapped and replaced by a process that recognizes that immediate full disclosure is the most effective method of holding candidates and political parties accountable for soliciting and accepting contributions from any source.”

DA MYTH V. FACT. WFB. “DA-backed groups supported a constitutional amendment proposed this year that also explicitly aimed to advance Democratic policies by kneecapping the party’s political opposition.”

IL:  PAY TO PLAY ALLEGATIONS.  Bond Buyer.  “Several Chicago City Council members are asking the Securities and Exchange Commission and city inspector general to investigate whether campaign contributions to Mayor Rahm Emanuel from executives at firms with city pension business violate local ethics or federal pay-to-play rules.”

MS:  JUSTICE AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT.  Volokh.  “The Institute for Justice represents a man named Justice in Justice v. Hosemann.”

NY:  CHARGES FILED.  NYP.  “Two political operatives charged with campaign-finance crimes were cheered in court Monday by their Working Families Party allies.”

OH:  $150  FINE.  Cleveland.com.  “New Cuyahoga County councilman Anthony Hairston failed to comply with two deadlines for filing campaign finance disclosures this year, resulting in a $150 fine from the Ohio Elections Commission.”

OH:  VOTE DELAYED.  Ohio.com.  “After several residents raised objections, Akron City Council delayed a vote Monday on increasing campaign finance limits for next year’s council and mayoral elections.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Political law links

TWITTER QUESTIONS I.  CNN.  “Republicans and outside groups used anonymous Twitter accounts to share internal polling data ahead of the midterm elections, CNN has learned, a practice that raises questions about whether they violated campaign finance laws that prohibit coordination.”

TWITTER QUESTIONS II.  The Verge.  “According to a CNN source, at least two spending groups — American Crossroads and American Action Network — as well as the House GOP campaign arm — the National Republican Congressional Committee — knew about the accounts.”

MAYDAY.  NYT. “But Mr. Lessig isn’t giving up the crusade, however quixotic those results might make his efforts seem. His plan is to deliver money sooner.”

CA:  LOBBYIST SCRUTINY.  Sac Bee.  “Ross’ dual role as both a campaign consultant who helps legislative candidates get elected and a lobbyist who is paid by outside interests to sway legislators’ votes is getting fresh scrutiny.”

CA:  KEEP ON GIVING.  LAT.   “Less than two weeks after winning a fourth term, Gov. Jerry Brown plans to collect more money for his reelection committee Monday at a Sacramento reception with lobbyists and their clients.”

KOR:  MOBILE DONATIONS.  Korea Herald.  “South Korea’s election watchdog said Monday lawmakers and political groups were now allowed to receive political contributions via smartphones, paving the way for new, fast funding channels.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY. 

Political law links

LESSIG FAIL. NPR.  “Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Lessig’s pro-campaign finance reform group had extensive investments, but failed to get most of their preferred candidates elected. NPR’s Arun Rath speaks with Lessig for a post-election post-mortem.”

REFORMERS WON.  HuffPo.   “The final passage of Sabin’s reforms are not just playing out in Arkansas, but reverberate across the country for anti-corruption reformers looking for a way to reach voters when elected bodies are frozen on the issue.”

AZ:  INAUGURATION AND TRANSITION FUNDS.  EV Tribune.  “Scarpinato said there will be no limits on how much anyone can give to the separate fund to pay for the formal inaugural and any parties that might be planned for afterwards.”

CA:  DONORS FINED.  KPBS.  “The San Diego Ethics Commission has issued $35,000 in fines to four donors to District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis’ failed 2012 mayoral run for violating city campaign finance laws.”

MS:  LAW UPHELD.  Hattiesburg American.  “A federal appeals panel has rejected a challenge to a Mississippi campaign finance law that requires reporting by people or groups that spend at least $200 to support or oppose a ballot initiative.”

NV:  GIVING TO SANDOVAL.  Las Vegas Sun.  “Political contributions are capped at $10,000 per contributor, whether it’s a person or a business. But for businesses that operate subsidiaries, each subsidiary or affiliate is eligible to make a $10,000 contribution, even if they’re all controlled by the same person or group of people. Those subsidiaries are typically registered with the state as limited-liability companies, or LLCs.”

NJ:  BALL FUNDRAISING.  Northjersey.com.  “Mayor Jose ‘Joey’ Torres raised more than $217,000 to pay for the inaugural ball he held at The Brownstone in July, according to campaign finance reports filed this week.”

NY:  MISDEMEANOR PLEA.  Bizjournals.com.  “Bruce Tanski, a home builder in Halfmoon and Clifton Park, New York, pleaded guilty Friday to a misdemeanor campaign finance law charge in Saratoga County.”

NY:  TWO CHARGED.  WSJ.  “One of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s highest-ranking aides has backed out of speaking with a special prosecutor examining the Working Families Party’s role in a 2009 City Council race, a person familiar with the matter said Friday.”

LUX:  CONFLICT ALLEGED.   Lurmburger Wort.    “Leaked documents showed the tiny duchy of Luxembourg gave hundreds of global firms huge tax breaks, among them household names such as Pepsi, IKEA and Deutsche Bank.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.