Wed. political law links

SUPER PAC NAME GAME.  USAT.  “Despite their names, Americans for Progressive Action never backed a single liberal Democrat, and no actual cowboys gave money to the Cowboy PAC.”

TYCOON’S SUPER PAC PLAY.  FP.  “Until now, allegations surrounding Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, the owner of multiple construction companies in Mexico, have not spread beyond local news outlets in San Diego, where he’s accused of bankrolling a handful of southern California candidates. But the scandal is beginning to attract national interest as it ensnares a U.S. congressman, a Washington, D.C.-based campaign firm and the legacy of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions in a generation.”

HEARING ON FIXING ELECTIONS.  Check-in at 10 a.m. at the Senate Rules Commitee’s website to watch live.

NAGIN TRIAL DELIBERATIONS UPDATE.  Times-Picayune.  “The missing juror didn’t show up to court this morning due to a ‘medical issue.'”

FL:  NEW RULES CONSIDERED.  Tampa Bay Times.  “The Florida Senate will consider new laws to require lobbyists to disclose how they seek to influence about 1,600 single-purpose districts, some of which have the power to levy property taxes.”

KY:  CFR TO HELP COMPETITION.  SurfKY.com.  “Stumbo’s bill, HB 366, makes small but significant changes to Kentucky’s campaign finance law in order to help candidates who are unable to finance their own campaigns compete in a statewide election.”

MN:  FIREWALL UPDATE.  TwinCities.com.  “Minnesota campaign regulators reinforced a wall of separation between candidates and outside political groups Tuesday, issuing an opinion that discourages them from cooperating on fundraising that could eventually pour money back into the politicians’ races and likely violate state law.”  The opinion is online here (AO 437).

NJ:  GOV. GETS OK FOR FUNDING.  Philly.com.  “A New Jersey elections panel voted Tuesday that Gov. Christie’s reelection campaign organization can use money remaining in its account and raise more funds to comply with subpoenas issued by legislators and federal prosecutors.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Tues. political law links

FCPA:  DIMON IN THE NEWS.  NYT.  “While the hiring of employees connected to private enterprises would not typically violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which requires the involvement of a government official in a bribe, authorities are exploring whether state-owned Chinese companies indirectly owned some of the private enterprises, according to people briefed on the case. If the private companies are effectively arms of the government, then the federal law could apply.”

GROUPS OPPOSE BIll.  The Hill.  “Almost a dozen campaign finance reform groups are urging lawmakers to oppose a bill that would delay new rules for tax-exempt groups proposed in the wake of last year’s IRS targeting controversy.”

AZ:  HORNE CASE HEARD.  Sacramento Bee.  “A prosecutor says evidence will show that Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne was in constant communication with an aide who was running an independent group backing him in the 2010 election, and she passed on his suggestions about campaign ads attacking his Democratic rival to her campaign consultant.”

CA:  FACING A PENALTY.  LAT.  “A San Fernando Valley businessman who admitted to illegally reimbursing campaign contributors during the 2011 municipal election faces a $45,000 fine from the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.”

CA:  SLOAT SPEAKS.  LA Times.  “In an agreement released Monday by the state Fair Political Practices Commission, Sloat admitted that he and his firm made improper, nonmonetary campaign contributions to elected officials by providing expensive wine, liquor and cigars at their fundraisers at Sloat’s home.”

IL:  DONATIONS IN THE NEWS.  Chicago Tribune.  “As Mayor Rahm Emanuel piles up campaign cash ahead of his run for re-election next year, he continues to collect contributions from real estate developers who need his administration’s approval to build their multimillion-dollar projects.”

LA:  SUPER PAC FIGHT.  The Advocate.  “The organizer of a super PAC formed to support U.S. Sen. David Vitter argues that it should not be subject to Louisiana campaign contribution limits because it is operating independent of Vitter.”

RI:  LET’S MAKE A DEAL.  SF Gate.  “Representatives for three Democratic candidates for Rhode Island governor have met to discuss proposals to keep super PAC spending out of the race.”

VT:  TRYING TO FIX.  BurlingtonFreePress.com. “Vermont lawmakers are planning to take up what’s being called a technical corrections bill to fix a mistake in a recently passed campaign finance law. But some legislators who were unhappy with the law passed last month say they may push for bigger changes.”

AUSTRALIA:  CRIKEY:  WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM NYC.  Here.  “New York City is hardly a byword for efficient and clean governance. So it is eye-opening to find a public service here that is at once reliable, democratic, and an international pace-setter.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Mon. political law links

START A SUPER PAC?  Slate.  “The latest iteration is the single-issue vanity super PAC—a group backed by a single, wealthy donor focusing on an issue of national importance, such as climate change or gun violence.”

SUPER PAC CONSEQUENCES.  WP.  “Super PACs have existed in one midterm cycle and one presidential cycle, and are currently going through round two on midterms.”

SHARING STRATEGIES.  Roll Call.  “With each passing election cycle, both parties are figuring out new ways to skirt campaign finance laws.”

HILLARY INC.  Businessweek.  “Super PACs can’t coordinate with or donate to candidates, but they can raise and spend unlimited money on their behalf.”

AZ:  HEARING TODAY.  AZ Capitol Times.  “Nearly two years of investigations and legal wrangling will come to a head Monday when an administrative law judge will hear evidence in the campaign finance allegations against Attorney General Tom Horne and a top aide.”

CO: SUPER PAC FOR PARTIES.  One of the most interesting and consequential developments on the party front is playing out in Colorado.  The Denver Post has coverage here and Colorado Ethics Watch has some of the documents here.

DC:  MORE THOMPSON ALLEGATIONS.  WP.  “The D.C. businessman at the center of a long-running federal corruption investigation secretly spent more than $100,000 to help elect a D.C. Council member in 2008, according to a court filing and people familiar with the case.”

FL:  UPDATE THE SITE.  Tampa Bay Times.  “The 9-year-old system is difficult and cumbersome and it has no provision for tracking the explosion in soft money checks to the candidates and issues the money is intended to target. Campaign finance watchdogs, the National Institute on Money in State Politics, gave the state a D grade for that oversight in a report last year.”

MD:  MESSY.  WP.  “Mr. Gansler’s allies have filed suit to challenge the ruling. Perhaps in the meantime, members of the elections board can intervene to suspend or reverse the ruling made in their name by staffers. Common sense suggests it contravenes the spirit of the campaign finance law. Let the courts decide whether it also violates the letter.”

MT:  CASE UPDATES.  Ravalli Republic.  “In the last eight months, Motl said his office has made 44 decisions on 45 complaints. In 33 of those decisions, the commissioner found sufficient facts to move forward. So far, 14 of those 33 cases have been settled, he said.”

PA:   LIMITS?  The Mercury.  “With all of that said, there still seems to be something very wrong with campaign finance laws that permit an individual to donate $1 million to a candidate. In Pennsylvania, there is no limit on individual political contributions.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.