Good morning, here are today’s top political law links

HELPING STATES HIRE.  ABC.  “An Associated Press analysis of the parties’ spending since the 2012 presidential campaign suggests Republicans are trying to copy the Democrats’ playbook: build strong political operations in crucial states and collect as much voter data as possible.”

LOBBYIST FACES FINE.  WP.  “Federal prosecutors have charged a lobbyist and his Alexandria firm with violating federal lobbying law by failing to submit dozens of disclosure reports, a rare legal move that could carry a fine of as much as $5.2 million.”

PRO-CRUZ SUPER PAC.  TIME.  “Draft Ted Cruz For President launched its website Wednesday, citing a goal of collecting one million signatures this year to ‘lay the groundwork for the kind of grassroots army of volunteers, donors, and early-primary voters that is needed to win in 2016.'”

FL:  BILLBOARD COMPLAINT.  Local10.com.  “The complaint contends Crist got an illegal campaign contribution because his name and face were on billboards put up by the Morgan & Morgan law firm.”

HI:  PUBLIC FINANCING BILL DEAD.  SeattlePI.com.  “A bill that would have changed campaign finance laws for state elections in Hawaii died in the state Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, halting its progress unless the group decides to hear the bill again this session.”

OH:  FALSE LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY REPORTS CHARGED.  Columbus Dispatch.  “A payday lending lobbyist pleaded guilty to a bill of information today that says he failed to report when he paid for lawmaker meals at upscale restaurants in Columbus and Cincinnati, and treated them to a Cincinnati Bengals game.”

VA:  PAC DRAWS FOCUS.  Roanoke Times.  “[T]he Democrat’s solicitation seems to stand out because it sells access not only to special events where the governor would mingle with donors but also to a package of seemingly intimate sit-down meetings with the governor and ‘policy experts.'”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Wed. political law links

SUPER PAC IN THE DICTIONARY.  WP.  “It’s been a rapid rise for the super PAC, which didn’t exist prior to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling in January 2010.”

CONVENTION CHANGES URGED.  WP.  “Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday that political parties should be able to raise ‘soft money’ to pay for their presidential nominating conventions now that federal funding for the quadrennial events will be cut off — seeking the kind of big checks that parties have not been allowed to collect since the passage of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.”

CA:  CHANGING PLEA.  NBCSanDiego.com.  “Ernesto Encinas appeared before federal Magistrate Judge William Gallo Tuesday afternoon. Encinas pleaded guilty to two felony charges, conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S. and filing a false tax return.”

DC:  POST HITS BOARD.  WP.  “By the time the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance gets around to releasing its audit on Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s 2010 campaign, the findings may well have lost any relevance.”

MI:  SEIU HIT.  WFB.  “The Service Employees International Union will have to pay the second-highest fine in Michigan history for its failed 2012 campaign to preserve forced union dues among home care workers.”

UT:  NONPROFITS IN FOCUS.  NYT.  “Public records, affidavits and a special legislative report released last week offer a strikingly candid view inside the world of political nonprofits, where big money sluices into campaigns behind a veil of secrecy.”

VA:  JUDGE IN MCDONNELL CASE REACTS.  WP.  “A federal judge on Tuesday signaled that he is growing increasingly frustrated with the voluminous and at times rancorous filings by defense attorneys representing former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell (R) and his wife in a corruption case, dismissing one of their recent requests as ‘dancing through fantasy land’ and asking them and prosecutors to limit their written disputes ‘for the sanctity of the trees.'”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Tues. political law links

LABOR SPENDING.  HuffPo.  “A Koch spokeswoman recently called the brothers’ spending ‘drops in a bucket’ compared to what unions spend.”

DEAL STRUCK.  FINalternatives.com.  “Two of the key players in a pay-to-play scandal that ensnared a number of hedge and private-equity funds have settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

FL:  LET’S GO TO WORK COMPLAINT.  WJCT.  “The head of the Florida Democratic Party contends that the campaign of Gov. Rick Scott is breaking the state’s campaign finance law.”

MN:  LOBBYIST MEAL BAN UPDATE.  Star Tribune.  “A Minnesota Senate subcommittee on elections unanimously approved a bill Monday to reinforce a gift ban that was softened last year.”

NJ:  SUPER PAC SPENDING.  NorthJersey.com.  “Similar groups have gained in prominence and donations across the country since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Citizens United.”

NY:  PUBLIC FINANCING IN THE BUDGET.  NCPR.  “For the first time, New York’s state Senate has included Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan for public campaign financing in its budget resolution.”

WI:  PRWATCH ON PROPOSALS.  Here.  “New court filings confirm that Wisconsin’s John Doe campaign finance investigation hinges on how state election law treats ‘issue ad’ groups coordinating with political campaigns, shedding new light on a Republican effort to quietly change the law in advance of Governor Scott Walker’s reelection campaign.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.