11.19.19 political law links

AD QUESTIONS. WT. “Photographs and video from Sen. Gary Peters‘ campaign website have surfaced on a ‘dark money’ group’s new pro-Peters ad, raising questions about illegal coordination between the groups.”

DEFAMATION LAWSUIT. CN. “Roy Moore, the Republican candidate who lost the 2017 U.S. Senate special election in Alabama, filed a defamation lawsuit in federal court Friday against the creators of a series of political attack ads that targeted Moore during his run.”

CA: NEWSOM HAUL. SB. “Gov. Gavin Newsom likely won’t be on the ballot again until 2022, but since August, his reelection campaign has seen a significant boost.”

CA: LIMITS CONSIDERED. MI. “In response to a political action committee’s spending to support some Novato City Council candidates in the November election, the council voted this week to consider changes to its campaign contribution rules.”

CO: JET TRAVEL REPORT. CPR. “Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission has released its investigation into whether former Gov. John Hickenlooper improperly accepted free lodging and travel on private jets, a violation of state laws against corporate gifts.”

NY: FINANCING CONCERN. VRO. “Reform groups say they are dismayed with the direction of a commission appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders to implement a public campaign finance system for state elected offices. The commission has just two more meetings before it issues its final report.”

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11.18 political law links

ETHICS EXTENDS. CNN. “The House Ethics Committee released updates on their investigations into four lawmakers on Thursday, including a high-profile freshman Democratic lawmaker and a Republican lawmaker who they revealed is under investigation by the Department of Justice.”

LAST WEEK AT THE FEC. The agency’s Weekly Digest. The FEC made public one closed enforcement matter, MUR 7582, which closed after unanimous vote on October 23, 2019.

VIOLATIONS ALLEGED. UPI. “The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into Ross Spano over allegations he committed campaign finance violations during his 2018 election, the House Ethics committee said.”

TEAM CLINTON IN CASE. ELB. “Campaign Legal Center Unsuccessfully Fights Effort to Allow Clinton Campaign and Allied Super PAC to Defend Itself in Federal Court…”

SUPER PAC WON’T STOP. HILL. “Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) said he’s willing to accept super PAC money for his presidential bid as a way to catch up to his primary opponents after his late entry in the race.”

MONEY FUNDS. POL. “A dark money group purchased an ad promoting Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign that ran in Iowa’s biggest paper this week — despite the candidate’s opposition to outside big money groups.”

ID: RUNOFF RESET. BN. “City officials say the past general election generated more money and disclosure forms than any election the city’s ever had in recent memory.”

IN: REPAID. NWT. “Hammond’s mayor and his wife, a judge, are preparing to repay $50,000 in campaign contributions originally paid to her judicial campaign fund from his mayoral fund after state officials deemed the amount excessive, the mayor confirmed.”

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11-14 political law links

AK: LIMITS ENFORCED. KTUU. “An Anchorage judge has ruled that contribution limits should be enforced to independent expenditure groups, the Alaska equivalent of super PACs.”

CA: RECUSAL WAIT. TJ. “A state and county-licensed cannabis farmer, Trinity County’s District 4 Sup. Jeremy Brown said last week he will be recusing himself from certain board decisions that may constitute a financial conflict of interest while he awaits a formal opinion on the matter from California’s Fair Political Practices Commission.”

CA: FACING FINE. DB. “San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman and his campaign treasurer face a $10,000 fine after a state agency alleged he violated local and state campaign finance laws.”

NY: BEST WAY DEBATE. BFO. “Some members of a commission that’s creating the rules for a public campaign finance system for state elected offices are concerned that the plans being developed would be too favorable to incumbent politicians.”

OR: OBEYING LIMITS. OPB. “Last year, Portland voters agreed to bar corporate contributions and limit individual donations to $500. A Multnomah County judge has at least temporarily blocked the law from taking effect, ruling that they go against Oregon’s broad protections of campaign spending.”

TX: LIMITS UP. AM. “While candidates for state and federal offices have been gearing up to run in the March 2020 primary, likely City Council candidates have also been considering whether to run in next November’s election. In fact, candidates for Council have been able to start collecting campaign donations since Nov. 4.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.