8.18 political law links

LANDRIEU ALLEGATIONS.  Thetowntalk.com.  “The group, Keep Louisiana Working, based its complaint on CNN stories reporting that Landrieu, D-New Orleans, is reimbursing the federal government for plane flights that should have been charged to her campaign committee.”

FACEBOOK DEFENDS.   Newsweek.  “Facebook made a $10,000 donation to the reelection campaign of a U.S. politician who fought strongly against the legalisation of same-sex marriage, it has emerged.”

AZ:  DISCLAIMER ISSUE.  AZcentral.com.  “A Scottsdale political committee likely violated Arizona campaign-finance law when it failed to include a proper disclaimer on campaign signs and door hangers, according to the city clerk.”

CO:  MOVIE SPAWNS SUIT.  Sacbee.com.  “The Virginia-based group sued Secretary of State Scott Gessler in federal court in Denver on Thursday, saying it deserved the same free-speech protections as traditional media and liberal documentary filmmakers.”

NY:  BOARD RETAINS ATTORNEY.  Crainsnewyork.com.  “The city Campaign Finance Board, which audits spending by local political candidates, is employing a high-powered law firm in connection with a special prosecutor’s probe into the labor-backed Working Families Party.”

PA:  BAN STRUCK.  Legal Intelligencer.  “Pennsylvania’s law barring corporations and associations from making political contributions, which had been in direct conflict with Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, has now been permanently enjoined.”

TX:  VIOLATIONS ALLEGED.  Houston Chronicle.  “The Montgomery County commissioner poised to become county judge next year has been cited for improperly recording and spending campaign money in 2010 and 2011 and fined $2,000, the Texas Ethics Commission said this week.”

VA:  WHAT MCDONNELL NEEDS TO DO.  WP.  “McDonnell will have to make the case that all of the loans, the trips and the luxury goods were unconnected to the meetings and receptions.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

8.15 political law links

NEW CREW CREW. USAT. “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced Wednesday that Democratic activist David Brock (a former Republican activist) is becoming the new chairman of the CREW board…”

WHAT’S THE NEXT BIG CASE?. In the Capital. “Last week the state Republican committees of New York and Tennessee filed a law suit with the purpose of repealing a Securities and Exchange Commission rule that limits the number of campaign contributions that can be made by financiers on Wall Street to state lawmakers running for federal office.”

FAMILY HELP. The Hill. “Alaska Senate candidate Dan Sullivan’s (R) family is stepping up to help his campaign, giving $300,000 to a super-PAC backing Sullivan.”

PA: RULING AS EXPECTED. Pennlive. “A federal judge has permanently barred Pennsylvania from enforcing a political financing law that a Washington D.C.-based Democratic ‘super PAC’ claimed illegally prevented it from receiving corporate and union donations.”

TX: PAC WAITING PERIOD STRUCK. Houston Chronicle. “A federal appeals panel has struck down Texas’ waiting period for newly-formed political action committees, ruling that time and contributor thresholds imposed by the state before a PAC can engage in political activity are unconstitutional.” The Najvar Law Firm’s press release on the case is here.

VT: DATA ONLINE. Bennington Banner. “Vermonters will soon be able to tell how much state political candidates, action committees, and parties are spending on their campaigns as their reports get filed electronically.”

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

8.14 political law links

SUPER PAC LAUNCH. The Hill. “Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s (R) new PAC unveiled its first ad on late Tuesday, hitting the Obama administration over the border crisis.”

SUPER PAC IRONY. HuffPo. “A Democratic House candidate who has consistently voiced opposition to super PAC spending that supports his opponent now has a super PAC of his own.”

LOBBYIST BAN CHANGE ALERT. DLA Piper.

MA: SUPER PAC SHIFT. Commonwealthmagazine.org. “In the case of the Mass Forward PAC, the FCC disclosures show a sudden retrenchment.”

WV: COMMISSION FINES. WOWK. “The West Virginia Ethics Commission announced Monday former City of Huntington mayor and Cabell County Sheriff Kim Wolfe was fined $1,500 for violating the Ethics Act.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.