Bitcoin request and other political law links

BITCOIN REQUEST. Politico. “The Federal Election Commission is poised to determine rules governing donations made in Bitcoins and how they apply to political campaigns.”

ERROR IN PAYMENT. Story here. “Rep. Tom Reed accidentally paid a Steuben County tax bill out of campaign funds last year, but he insisted Tuesday that the mistake – which broke House ethics rules but which he quickly corrected – will not happen again.”

UNIONS FLEX. NBC. “Labor unions are increasingly flexing their muscles in the political arena through the use of super PACs — the organizations frequently funded by billionaire businessmen and often derided for unleashing a flood of special interest money into elections.”

FINANCE MOVES. Story here. “The National Republican Senatorial Committee is replacing its finance director.”

LA: JINDAL RECEIVES NOMINEES. Story here. “Gov. Bobby Jindal has sixty days to choose the member of the Louisiana Board of Ethics.”

MI: NOT SO QUICKEN. Story here. “Online retail mortgage lender Quicken Loans asked a super PAC that supports Detroit mayoral candidate Mike Duggan to give back an $80,000 political donation after a complaint to the Michigan Gaming Control Board.”

TX: TEXANS FOR FREE ENTERPRISE ARGUMENT. Oral argument in the Texans for Free Enterprise case was yesterday. I agree with counsel’s conclusion (though I didn’t attend).

VA: STAKES RAISED. The Post. “An environmentalist billionaire is putting another half-million dollars into the effort to beat Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II, the latest sign that outside groups plan to pour cash into the Virginia governor’s contest.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Wednesday’s political law links, 9-4-13

FL:  BACK TO ETHICS SCHOOL.  Story here. “Local officials already are seeing a tangible effect of the state’s major ethics reforms, passed this spring.”

MI:  SUPER PAC MOTOR CITY.  Story here.  “Super political action committees, which provide a major loophole for donors trying to get around limits on donations to candidates, is likely to have a big influence in the Detroit mayoral election in November.”

NYC:  SELF-FUNDER PROFILE.  The Times.  “While most politicians hold fund-raisers, where attendees give money to the candidates, Mr. Catsimatidis holds ‘friend-raisers,’ where the candidate gives out swag.”

OH:  DONATION REFUND.  Story here.  “Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald collected a $1,000 political contribution from an investment banker one week after nominating him to serve on a board that reviews requests for economic development loans, records show.”

TX:  FIGHTING THE FINE.  Story here.  “Though rare, Keller’s case highlights how the ethics commission, when challenged in court, rarely walks away with the fine it originally levied.”

INDIA:  PARTY DISCLOSURE REPORT.  Story here.  “Political parties in 40 countries including France, Italy, Germany and Japan are required by law to disclose their source of income, assets and liabilities among other records, says a report by an international NGO.”

UK:  LOBBYING BILL VIEW.  Guardian.  “The bad news about the bill, apart from its stupid and long-winded title, is that it is an incomplete and partisan apology for the sort of legislation that is needed. In this case, the bad news far outweighs the good.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, it’s Tuesday and here are today’s political law links

CLINTON PRIORITIES. Story here. “Priorities USA Action, the pro-Obama super PAC that led attacks against Republican Mitt Romney, is quietly positioning itself to ­become the main independent group funding a media campaign for Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, according to Democrats familiar with the plans.”

MCCUTCHEON: MCCONNELL TIME. USAT. “The Supreme Court has granted Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell oral argument time in a major campaign finance case being heard in early October, giving opponents of current contribution limits new firepower.”

USE OF FUNDS. The Hill. “Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) paid off more than $4,200 in property taxes with campaign funds.”

USE OF FUNDS II. Story here. “A car crash involving the state treasurer that was kept quiet until now is raising questions about campaign finance laws and his transportation.”

REAL ESTATE IN THE NEWS. Story here. “A second Washington lobbyist has used Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu’s realtor husband for a home transaction.”

DC: RULES ON CONSTITUENT SERVICE. Story here. “The District’s elected officials have a fresh reason to think twice before picking up the phone on behalf of their constituents after the city’s ethics czar this week issued new guidance on the proper exertion of political influence.” The advisory is online here.

DE: PLEA. Here. “State prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with a prominent Dover developer accused of making illegal campaign contributions to Gov. Jack Markell in 2008.”

MA: $80,000 CASE. Story here. “Former Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray has agreed to pay $80,000 to settle allegations he violated campaign finance laws.”

NJ: BRINDLE ON MCCUTCHEON. Here. “Unless the high court eliminates contribution limits altogether, which seems unlikely given the court’s own precedents, the case should have little impact in New Jersey except in federal races.”

NY: TIMES ON INDEPENDENT SPENDING. Here. “The place where outside electioneering is a bigger problem is in the City Council races, where smaller-bore contests among lesser-known candidates have been swamped by the spending of one group, with the vaguely positive, positively vague name Jobs for New York.”

VA: GOVERNOR’S WIFE SACRIFICE. The Post (Robert McCartney). “It’s painful to watch the governor’s legal team systematically tear down the reputation for good judgment of the woman whom he’s previously portrayed as his beloved partner in a storybook romance.”

VA: AWARENESS OF GOVERNOR. The Post. “Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell was aware of gifts and financial help provided by a wealthy Richmond area businessman during the same months the governor and his wife took steps to help his company, according to people familiar with documents and interviews gathered by federal investigators.”

VA: LOBBYIST BEEF. View here. “Lobbyists say it’s standard practice to divide the costs among all or a group of their clients if they are not talking shop, but merely making nice with powerful politicians. It would be naïve, though, to think it’s merely coincidental that the result allows lobbyists to disguise the value of their largesse and the recipients.” This is related to an earlier Post report here.

HAVE A GREAT DAY.