[Political Activity Law]

ISP GIVING.  VERGE.  “The stakes are high. The internet now touches every town, every city, and every single one of us — whether we use it or not. Those who control the network control the future.”

FIRM LAUNCH.   AXIOS.   “Izzy Klein, a top communications aide for Schumer, and Matt Johnson, Cornyn’s former chief counsel, have worked on both sides of Capitol Hill across 12 committees and the Senate and House Leadership.”

CA:  DISCLOSURE FINE.   SDUT.  “Three years after his unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the National City Council, candidate Ken Seaton-Msemaji and his treasurer have been fined $5,000 by state elections regulators for failing to comply with California law.”

CT:  HIT WITH COMPLAINT.  CTP.  “A state labor organizer has filed an elections complaint against Mattei, a Democrat who last week transitioned from testing the waters for governor to a declared candidate for state attorney general.”

FL:  UBER BLITZ.   TD.  “Uber accelerated its lobbying push the same day Tallahassee city commissioners voted on new rules for the ride-sharing giant — and the company ended up getting much of what it wanted.”

MT:  ALLEGED PARTY VIOLATIONS.   USN.  “The Montana Democratic Party failed to identify the issues and candidates that benefited from its spending of about $375,000 on the 2016 general election, the state’s top election watchdog found.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

CONSULTANT PLEA.   FOX.  “A political consultant for United States Rep. Bob Brady is the third defendant to admit his role in a scheme that attempted to conceal unlawful contributions the congressman’s campaign paid to a 2012 primary opponent to withdraw from the race.”

LEFTOVER FUNDS.   AL.  ” A former U.S. senator is continuing to use his leftover campaign money toward political contributions in South Dakota, nearly five years after announcing his retirement.”

MAKE MONEY DEDUCTIBLE.   CNN.  “For the first time in American politics, anonymous ‘dark money’ political donations could become tax-deductible. That’s if a provision currently being debated between House and Senate negotiators makes it into the final tax bill.”

TAX BILL OPENS DOORS.  IPL.  “There is one very important political law provision to watch as the tax bill moves to a final vote in the Senate, and potentially a conference committee reconciles the House and Senate versions.  This amendment will remove the ban on partisan political activities by charitable entities, churches, educational institutions and all other organizations exempt from tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the tax code.”

LOBBYIST EVENTS.   INT.  “Throughout Washington, D.C., this month, special-interest groups will be hosting scores of glitzy holiday parties. In years’ past, legislators, congressional staff, and government officials have been routinely invited to and attended these events.”

FL:  LEGISLATOR SENTENCED.  USN.  “The Orlando Sentinel reported that the 50-year-old Daytona Beach Democrat withdrew the money from ATMs and used it to pay for everything from meals at McDonald’s to $13,000 for his wedding at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. Prosecutors say he $62,000, which he must repay in $300 monthly installments.”

IN:  LEGALITY DEBATE.   WBOI.    “Mayor Tom Henry has responded to a campaign finance reform measure passed by Fort Wayne City Council in late November.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

TODAY AT THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION.   Material related to today’s meeting is here.

CA:  FPPC AND TECH.   SST.  “With upcoming elections, the FPPC is continuing its efforts to use technology to shed light on political spending.”

ID:  ATTORNEY RULES.   PR.  “Two campaign finance complaints filed with the city of Idaho Falls were sustained by the Idaho Falls City Attorney’s Office in municipal elections this year.”

KY:  ALLEGED VIOLATION.   WEKU.   “A lawsuit filed this week by an employee for the House Republican Caucus claims the secret settlement came from ‘prominent campaign donors.’ John Steffen heads the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, which oversees how candidates raise and spend donations. He said that after reading the complaint it doesn’t appear that Hoover broke campaign finance laws.”

NJ:  CASE SETTLED.   PHILLY.  “One of New Jersey’s most powerful political bosses has paid more than $20,000 as part of a settlement with the state’s campaign-finance watchdog, which accused him of illegally spending thousands of dollars in campaign funds on personal expenses including trips to Puerto Rico, a gym membership, and U.S. Open tickets.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.