Political law links for 8-7-13

DEBATE ISSUE.  The Hill.  “Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said Tuesday that he expects CNN and NBC to refuse his demand that they cease production of films about potential 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and repeated his threat to cut them out of the 2016 Republican primary debates.”

OFA AND NUNN.  Politico.  “OFA says it’s not endorsing specific candidates or participating in ‘electoral politics,’ but by telling donors that its work will directly help Democratic candidates, OFA is jumping over a partisan boundary it previously had said it wouldn’t cross.”

WORK FOR ZIMBABWE BRINGS CHARGES.  US Attorney’s Office:  “Federal charges were unsealed today against two Chicago men for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions in late 2008 and 2009 by agreeing to assist Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and others in an effort to lift economic sanctions against them in exchange for $3.4 million.”

MD:  RARE ETHICS SUMMER MEETING.  Story here.  “Maryland’s legislative ethics committee announced a rare summer meeting on Monday, a day after a Washington Post story about a complaint filed against Del. Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s) that alleges a conflict of interest.”

PA:  PITTSBURGH CAMPAIGN FINANCE.  Here.  “This year’s mayoral race was set to be the highest-profile test of the city’s 2009 campaign-finance law, which sought to limit the influence of large-dollar contributors. But those limits — $4,000 for individuals and $8,000 for committees — were lifted April 3 by Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James.”

VA:  BOLLING SEEKS SESSION.  Story here.  “Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is calling for a $250 cap on gifts to elected officials, one of a series of detailed proposals he unveiled Tuesday in response to the ongoing controversy over gifts accepted by Virginia’s other two statewide officeholders.”

WI:  CONVERTED CONVERTIBLE FUNDS.  Story here.  “State Rep. Brett Hulsey, D-Madison, used $1,200 to buy himself a 1987 Volkswagen Cabriolet, a convertible he proudly showed me when I ran into him at the Capitol in June.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.  I’ll send around the next set of links on Monday.

Tuesday’s political law links, 8.6.13

DAWN OF THE DEAD DONORS.  HuffPo.  “Some citizens are donating sizably to political campaigns despite being dead, a Monday report by USA Today found.”

COLLUSION IN THE NEWS.  CNN.  “The vice chairman of the Federal Election Commission told CNN on Monday he has seen numerous undisclosed e-mails between FEC staffers and the Internal Revenue Service that raise new questions about potential collusion between the two federal agencies in the alleged targeting of conservative political groups.”

SUPER PAC COMPLIANCE ISSUE.  Roll Call.  “Liberty For All Action Fund, a libertarian-oriented super PAC, failed to include in their initial 2012 July 15 report two contributions from John Ramsey, an undergraduate student at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas.”

NYC:  LIU DENIED.  The Times.  “Three months after a federal jury convicted two of his former associates for participating in an illegal fund-raising scheme, the New York City Campaign Finance Board voted Monday to withhold as much as $3.5 million in public funds to the mayoral campaign of John C. Liu, the city comptroller.”

SC:  WINE, DINE, 95 TIMES.  Story here.  “In the 66 days of this year’s regular legislative session, corporations and special interest groups catered almost 100 meals and receptions for legislators and state officials.”

TN:  LOBBYIST CONTINGENT FEE QUESTIONS.  Story here.  “An audit conducted by the Tennessee Ethics Commission says that a lobbyist receiving 10 percent of the state funding provided to the Tennessee Disability Coalition — more than $64,000 in one year — ‘appears to be in violation’ of a state law banning lobbyist ‘contingency fees.'”

VA:  SPECIAL ETHICS SESSION?  The Post.  “Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II urged Gov. Robert F. McDonnell on Monday to call a special General Assembly session to repair ‘severe holes’ in the state’s ethics laws.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, here are Monday’s political law links, 8-5

POST ON FEC RULES CHANGES. Editorial here.

SUPER PAC SHELF LIFE EXAMINED. Levinthal. “Like massive pop-up stores that disappear once Halloween is over, several presidential contender-specific super PACs that played crucial roles through Election Day 2012 have all but vanished from national politics.”

BUNDLER PICKED. Story here. “President Obama on Thursday evening nominated Washington banker and Obama 2012 mega-bundler Dwight L. Bush Sr. to be ambassador to Morocco.”

AL: CAP ENDED. Story here. “Corporations can give unlimited amounts to political candidates beginning today under changes to Alabama’s campaign finance law.”

CA: TRIP QUESTIONS. Story here. “Six California lawmakers used political funds to take part in a March trip to Cuba with a top Capitol lobbyist, raising eyebrows among state government watchers.”

NYC: DENY LIU FUNDS? Story here. “The New York City Campaign Finance Board staff has recommended that Democratic mayoral candidate John Liu be denied public matching funds, his campaign said Thursday, dealing a potentially crippling blow to his bid for City Hall.”

VA: DONOR ASSISTING. The Post. “A prominent political donor and his dietary supplement company have been cooperating for several months with federal prosecutors in a fast-moving public corruption investigation of Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, according to three people familiar with the probe.”

VA: MCAULIFFE CO. PROBE. Story here. “An electric-car company co-founded by Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission over its conduct in soliciting foreign investors, according to law enforcement documents and company officials.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.