CA: INVESTIGATION REVEALED. LAT. “Although Russo handed over $25 million, only about $15 million ended up back in California. And when the money surfaced, it sparked an investigation by state authorities, who last month levied $16 million in penalties against the Arizona group and three others.”
CO: AMDT. 41 ISSUE. Here. “The complaint, filed by a conservative group, alleges the governor violated Amendment 41, the state’s ban on gifts to public officials, by allowing the Democratic Governor’s Association to pick up $1,200 in costs for the governor to register for a DGA conference and stay at a hotel in Aspen.”
FL: NEW LIMITS. Here. “That relationship between special interests and Florida’s political establishment is set to grow even stronger now that donors can write much larger campaign checks.”
FL: HIGHER LIMIT IMPACT. Here. “The maximum contribution to political campaigns in Florida rises from $500 to $1,000 for legislative races and $3,000 for statewide races Friday, but the increase in the limits isn’t expected to produce a huge surge in the total amount of donations because candidates can still set up campaign committees with unlimited donations.”
FL: ARREST. Here. “On Friday, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office arrested Bateman, charging him with breaking state election law with some of his post-election expenditures.”
MA: COAKLEY NEWS. Here. “State law prohibits the use of federal campaign funds to support a state race.”
MA: MAYOR’S RACE CASH. Here. “Outside cash has been pouring into the mayoral race in the last few days, about three times as much of it for Mr. Walsh, 46, a state representative and union leader backed by organized labor, as for Mr. Connolly, 40, a city councilman who is receiving money from education groups.”
NJ: CHRISTIE AND 12. Here. “Ethics troubles complicated New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s chances of becoming Mitt Romney’s running mate last year, The New York Times reports is in an upcoming chronicle of the 2012 presidential campaign.”
SC: CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE NEWS. Here. “There is good reason for S.C. politicians to feel an affinity for Boeing, Michelin and BMW.”
TX: INSTANT FRIENDS. Here. “Public office in Texas comes with a salary, office and instant friends, called lobbyists.”
VA: ETHICS ISSUES. The Post. “Richmond political culture clings to a quaint notion that its elected representatives are gentlemen and ladies who are above the petty venality that afflicts lesser states.”
VA: MY PHOTOS. A few of my photos from Gov. Scott Walker’s visit to Virginia are on my flickr page here.
VA: FLYING POLITICIANS. Here. “In a state as congested and wide as Virginia — sprawling from the Atlantic to west of Detroit — an airplane can be a candidate’s ticket to the governor’s mansion.”
WA: COMCAST GIVES. Here. “While Comcast denies there is any connection between McGinn’s broadband policies and their donations, the company has given thousands of dollars to PACs that have, in turn, given heavily to anti-McGinn groups.”
INDIA: FOREIGN BAN. Here. “The law forbids a ‘foreign company’ to make any donation to political parties even if it has an Indian subsidiary. Yet, the home ministry and the two leading parties, Congress and BJP, have all filed affidavits claiming that a political donation is allowed if the majority shareholding in the foreign company registered abroad is of an Indian.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.