[Political Activity Law]

GROUP SUES FEC. CNN. “A gun-safety group is suing the Federal Election Commission for failing to act on its complaints claiming a pattern of the National Rifle Association improperly coordinating its political spending with Donald Trump and other Republican candidates in recent elections.”

TODAY AT THE FEC. The agenda for today’s meeting is here.

FREE HELP CONSIDERED. SLA. “On Thursday, the FEC will again consider a request to allow a nonprofit to offer free and low-cost cybersecurity support to campaigns in the form of software, hardware, tech boot camps, and information-sharing systems.”

AL: QUESTIONS ON REPORTS. KPVI. “State officials have questions about a campaign finance report filed this month by former Alabama House Majority Leader Micky Hammon, who spent three months in federal prison last year for using campaign money on personal expenses.”

NY: WAIT FOR PUBLIC FINANCING. NCPR. “Public campaign financing could be coming to New York by the end of this year, now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature have created a commission to come up with a plan.”

NY: SCANDAL HISTORY. CS. “New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is no stranger to fundraising scandals, even if the allegations never fully stick. Just last week, The City reported on a previously undisclosed investigation by the city Department of Investigation into potential conflict of interest violations in relation to de Blasio’s fundraising.”

NC: REPORT CORRECTED. JN. “Campaign finance reports show multiple financial ties between North Carolina’s lieutenant governor and Greg Lindberg, a political donor recently indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges.”

WV: AIMING AT LOOPHOLE. WVG. “A campaign finance law passed during the legislative session closes a loophole that could have allowed PACs to skirt donor disclosure requirements, state elections officials say.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

20 MONEY RACE. WP. “President Trump’s reelection committee and the Republican Party have a significant head start on the Democratic field.”

ELITE DONATIONS. CBS. “From Ben Affleck and Susan Sarandon to Anna Wintour and Willie Nelson, celebrities lined up to give money — and a dash of star power — to their favorite Democratic presidential candidates ahead of this week’s first quarter fundraising deadline.”

ETHICS RULING. CLE. “Staffers for former Wadsworth Republican Rep. Jim Renacci inappropriately used official resources to promote his 2018 campaigns for U.S. Senate and Ohio governor, an Office of Congressional Ethics investigation found. But Renacci won’t be sanctioned for any violations because he’s no longer in office.”

AL: LOOKING FOR DISCLOSURE. AT. “What rules govern campaign finance in my hometown of Orange Beach and other municipalities throughout the state?”

CA: DEFAMATION AND SLANDER ALLEGED. MCW. “The head of the Monterey County deputy sheriff’s union and a Salinas City Councilmember who ran unsuccessfully for Monterey County Sheriff have sued three sheriff’s office commanders, alleging the trio defamed and slandered them during the 2016 campaign.”

CO: BILL MOVES. CP. “A bill that would codify a 2018 federal court decision that struck down much of Colorado’s enforcement of its campaign finance system won party-line approval from a state Senate committee Monday.”

MA: RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS. NBC. “Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., said she has been fully compliant with the laws and regulations outlined by the Federal Election Commission. She said these allegations highlight why more women need to be in leadership and run for elected office.”

OR: ETHICS DEAL. OL. “It’s the second attempt at a settlement for Hayes, who faced the potential of $110,000 in fines after ethics investigators made “preliminary findings” last year that she violated ethics laws 22 times between 2011 and 2013 while serving as Oregon’s first lady. Investigators confirmed news reports that Hayes accepted more than $200,000 through her clean energy consulting firm while also serving as an unpaid adviser on the same issues for her fiancée, then-Gov. John Kitzhaber.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

CANDIDATE SUES. CO. “Records show that Brown sought an exemption to the rule that would have allowed her business ads to continue.”

WELD IN. POL. “Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is officially challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary.”

OPINION IN DISCLOSURE CASE. POL. “An anonymous individual who secretly funneled $1.7 million to a super PAC in 2012 will soon be revealed after a lengthy legal fight — if a new appeals court decision in Washington is not put off for further review by the court.”

MUELLER REPORT UPDATE. HILL. “Federal campaign finance law and Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations prohibit foreign nationals, directly or indirectly, from making contributions or donations of anything of value to US elections.”

CA: INVESTIGATION CLOSED. PD. “A lengthy state investigation into allegations the son-in-law of a prominent Sonoma County developer violated campaign finance laws during the 2016 Santa Rosa City Council race has been closed without reaching any conclusions.”

CO: NEXT FOR REFORMS. DP. “Denver voters on May 7 will decide who takes the reins of an office that’s charged with carrying out major campaign finance reforms and a new public financing system that could transform future city elections.”

GA: ABRAMS AND SUBPOENA. TPM. “Joyce Gist Lewis, lawyer for former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, is striking a defiant tone in response to the new ethics commission chief’s decision to subpoena the Abrams campaign’s finance records.”

NV: SISTER PAID. RGJ. “Such payments may run afoul of state law if they exceed the fair market value normally paid for the type of services Spearman-Davis provided.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.