CCP
Ezra Klein Really Sorry About All That Evil Money Talk
By Sarah LeeThere’s something else compelling at work here: the power of journalism to influence public opinion and misinform. The fact is the reporting on campaign finance law and the First Amendment is often wrong, misleading or both.
California Bill Requiring Burdensome Disclosure from Nonprofits and Local Groups Would Stifle Speech
By Sarah LeeCenter for Competitive Politics’ External Relations Director Matt Nese filed comments today on California Assembly Bill 45, currently being considered before the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill, which introduces a new reporting regime for donors who contribute $200 or more to “multipurpose organizations,” is really, according to Nese, “so broad as to likely be misunderstood by everyday citizen groups that choose to speak on issues unrelated to express advocacy concerning a candidate.” An earlier version of the bill had a proposed disclosure thresholdof $250. That amount was decreased to $200 by the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.
Independent Groups
Washington Free Beacon: Nonpartisan Org Gearing Up for Partisan Elections
By Alana GoodmanNEW YORK CITY — Organizing for Action, the advocacy group that evolved from President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, will halt its single-issue fundraising during the 2014 midterm elections in order to free up resources for the “campaign side,” the group’s executive director Jon Carson told a small group of donors at a fundraiser here Monday night.
Roll Call: Super PACs Fuel GOP Civil War
By Eliza Newlin CarneyRepublicans who have long pushed for campaign finance deregulation are now paying for one of its consequences: the rise of influential conservative super PACs vying for the soul of a fractured GOP.
Disclosure
Washington Free Beacon: Media Turns Blind Eye to Liberal Dark Money
Last week the Democracy Alliance held a five-day retreat at an oceanfront resort in Laguna Beach. More than 150 major liberal donors and activists attended the dark money retreat. Meanwhile, Charles and David Koch organized a similar event in nearby Palm Springs.While reporters focused intensely on the activities of the Koch brothers, the Democracy Alliance received almost no attention.
Candidates, Politicians and Parties
The Hill: RNC urges Supreme Court to strike campaign-finance limits
By Sam BakerThe Republican National Committee urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to strike down certain limits on campaign contributions, saying they’re a violation of the First Amendment.The RNC filed its opening brief in a case challenging limits on the total amount one person can donate in a single election cycle. The RNC says the limits are unconstitutional.
Lobbying and Ethics
AP: Ethics questions follow Menendez as he plays key roles in Hill foreign, domestic policy
At issue is Menendez’s relationship with Dr. Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist who is being investigated by the FBI. The two have long, deep ties and their relationship bears similarities to past congressional scandals, experts said. Menendez has acknowledged several instances when actions he or his office has taken appear to have benefited Melgen. Menendez insists he’s done nothing wrong.“No one has bought me, No. 1. No one. Ever,” Menendez has said. “In the 20 years I’ve been in Congress, never has it been suggested that that could even be possible. Never in 40 years of public life. So I’m not going to reach this moment in my life to make that a possibility.”
Bloomberg: Congress Members Sprint for Money to Lobby After Election
By Jonathan D. SalantSince the November elections, at least 22 members of the last Congress took jobs with lobbying firms, running trade associations or handling government relations for organizations. That is an increase of 14 percent over 2012 in the number of former lawmakers now in the lobbying business, according to the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks ex-lawmakers’ employment. Since 1998, a total of 338 former members of Congress have worked as lobbyists or joined such firms for at least some of their time since leaving office.
State and Local
New Jersey –– Burlington County Times: Lawmakers introduce bill to overhaul NJ’s campaign finance laws
By David LevinskyTRENTON — Two Democratic senators have introduced legislation to overhaul New Jersey’s campaign finance laws by requiring candidates, political parties and nonprofit groups to disclose all their donors, even those that make small contributions under $300.The reform bill sponsored by Sens. James Beach, D-6th of Voorhees, and Linda Greenstein, D-14th of Plainsboro, also would raise contribution limits, standardize so-called “pay-to-play” laws at all levels of government, and require nonprofit groups now exempt from reporting donors to make their contributors public.
New York –– NY Times: For Democrats, Corruption Arrest Is One More Barrier to Control of the State Senate
By THOMAS KAPLAN and JESSE McKINLEYALBANY — There are many more Democrats than Republicans in New York State. There are even more Democrats than Republicans in the State Senate.But the seemingly unending string of indictments of Senate Democrats is making it more difficult for the party to win control of the legislative chamber, which it does not lead despite having a numerical majority.
