8/7 political law links

OGE ON STOCK ACT.  Here.  “Subsection 11(a)(1) the STOCK Act (Public Law 112 – 105) requires that by August 31, 2012, financial disclosure forms filed pursuant to title I of the Ethics in Government Act in calendar year 2012, and in subsequent years, be made available to the public on the official websites of the respective executive branch agencies not later than 30 days after such forms were filed. Section 1 of S. 3510 amends subsection 11(a)(1) of the STOCK Act by striking the August 31, 2012 date and inserting ‘September 30, 2012’. The extension applies to only the posting on the internet of OGE Form 278 reports and periodic transaction reports (OGE Form 278-T). S.3510 does not delay any other requirements of the STOCK Act, including the filing of periodic transaction reports, which became effective on 3 July. Finally, S. 3510 requires members and employees of the House of Representatives to include transactions by spouses and dependent children in periodic transaction reporting. This provision of the S. 3510 does not apply to the Executive Branch.”

LETTER ON (C)(4) PROBES.  The Hill.  “Republican leaders in the Senate are urging the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to resist political pressure to update tax rules pertaining to 501(c)(4) groups, or super-PACs.”

SMALL DONOR MYTH.  Politico.  “In other words: In an election purportedly being driven by the economic concerns of the middle class, the top 0.07 percent of donors are more valuable than the bottom 86 percent.”

NOT SO SUPER PACS.  WSJ.  “Once a super PAC is created, it is free to collect whatever money it can, to spend however it sees fit, to promote whatever cause it espouses, as long as the spending isn’t coordinated with candidates.”

NO YOUNG CHARGES.  Story here.  “Andrew Young, the former aide to John Edwards who once took the fall for his former boss by claiming to be the father of John Edwards’ child, will not be prosecuted for criminal contempt for his conduct regarding a sex tape featuring the former senator and his mistress, a North Carolina district attorney announced Monday.”

CONVENTION GOES MOBILE.  Story here.  “The Democratic National Convention is releasing its first-ever mobile app today, the convention committee will announce this morning.”

CA:  $49K IN FINES.  Story here.  “The campaign committee for Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure banning gay marriage in California, faces $49,000 in fines for failing to properly report and handle political contributions it received.”

GA: THE PEOPLE ON LOBBYIST CAPS.  Here.  “Georgia voters want to limit lobbyist gifts to legislators or outright eliminate such gifts. That’s the verdict from the straw polls in last week’s referendum. No ifs, ands or buts.”

VA:  NO INVESTIGATION.  Story here.  “Despite an appeal from Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign, the Virginia State Board of Elections won’t seek an investigation of an organization that mailed voter registration forms to individuals who are ineligible to vote and, in some cases, to household pets.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

8/6/12 political law links

GEOTARGETED ADWORDS. The Verge. “Google has long offered specific geographic ad targeting, but this election season it’s getting even more local by allowing users to target ads to specific congressional districts.”

REP. TIERNEY AND PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE. Story here. “Officials with three nonpartisan open-government groups said this week that the House Committee on Ethics should investigate whether US Representative John F. Tierney was ­required to publicly disclose more than $200,000 that his wife received while managing a bank account with money that came from her brother’s ­illegal gambling business.”

OUTSIDE CASH MODEL IN MO. The Times. “The sustained campaign could become a textbook for future efforts in a new era of anything-goes campaign financing, both Ms. McCaskill and her opponents say.”

PLOUFFE FEE IN THE NEWS. The Post. “David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser who was President Obama’s 2008 campaign manager, accepted a $100,000 speaking fee in 2010 from an affiliate of a company doing business with Iran’s government.”

CONVENTION CALCULATIONS. Roll Call. “Washington, D.C., lobbyists are not exactly jazzed about heading south for the major party conventions.”

RECONSIDERING THE STOCK ACT’S DISCLOSURE PROVISIONS. The Post. “In layman’s terms, that means that these officials’ detailed financial information would be instantly available at the click of a mouse — including to those who may wish to steal their identities, harm their families or interfere with the work they do for the government.”

REFORM IN SC? Story here. “Palmetto State politicians only must disclose money earned from government agencies and from contracts between their employers and government agencies.”

MARGIN OF LITIGATION. The Post. “Closing the deal with voters is only the beginning for President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, and not just in Ohio. In courthouses across the country, lawsuits are challenging state laws that dictate who may vote, when they may vote and whether their ballot will be counted once they have voted.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Friday’s political law links (8/3/12)

STOCK ACT DELAY.  Politico.  “The new deadline for implementing the STOCK Act is now Sept. 30.”

CLINTON SUPER PAC ASK.  Story here.  “Former President Bill Clinton is slated to meet with donors at a private residence in Manhattan to urge them to open their wallets to the pro-President Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action, two sources told POLITICO.”

MESSINA ALLEGATIONS.  Story here.  “Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom said today on a conference call with reporters that Obama campaign manager Jim Messina broke the law.”

ADELSON APOLOGY.  Story here.  “Democratic campaign officials apologized on Thursday to Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate who has been spending millions of dollars to help elect Republican candidates for federal office.”

SOLYNDRA REPORT.  Here.  “A House GOP report capping a probe of the Obama administration’s backing for Solyndra calls the solar firm’s collapse a ‘cautionary tale’ of political pressures and misguided policy leading to the loss of about a half-billion taxpayer dollars.”

HONORING MEMBERS.  Roll Call.  “Members of Congress and administration officials got a little less love from K Street in 2011. Lobbyists spent $19 million to honor or fete top policymakers last year, down from $23.2 million the previous year, according to a new report by the Sunlight Foundation.”

BLACK PANTHER CASE UPDATE.  Main Justice.

FORMER SEN. CRAIG IN THE NEWS.  Story here.  “Former U.S. Senator Larry Craig asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Federal Election Commission for using campaign funds to pay for his legal defense, arguing that he was on official travel when he was arrested in a sex-sting operation.”

DARE?  Here.  “The House Democratic leadership stepped out of the Capitol on Wednesday to offer their full support for a package of proposed electoral reforms, including a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision.”

NY LOBBYING CONTROVERSY.  Story here.  “The state lobbying board appears to have taken illegal action to shield donors to wealthy lobbying groups including one that promotes Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a board member said Thursday.”

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.