In the News
USA Today: Chief Justice Roberts holds key in campaign-finance case
Disclosure
NY Times: Tax Filings Hint at Extent of Koch Brothers’ Reach
FEC
The Baltimore Sun: FEC clears path for new DGA offshoot
State and Local
Virginia –– Washington Post: McAuliffe says he won’t give back Thompson donation
By Richard Wolf
Joel Gora, a Brooklyn Law School professor who represented the American Civil Liberties Union in the Buckley case 37 years ago, says Roberts’ “very muscular decision” in the Arizona case showed that he would not tolerate even a small intrusion on a candidate’s ability to spend his own money — by giving more public funds to the opponent.
“It really insisted that the government justify the kinds of restrictions or burdens on campaign speech that the public funding laws would claim to impose,” Gora says.
Independent Groups
USA Today: Campaign regs shouldn’t silence the public: Column
By Paul ShermanIn the nearly four years since the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its controversial ruling in Citizens United v. FEC, there has been a lot of debate about whether corporations and unions should be permitted to spend money on electoral speech. But no matter what side of that debate you come down on, here’s something everyone should be able to agree with: When it comes to participating in elections, ordinary Americans shouldn’t have fewer rights than corporations and unions do.Astonishingly, federal courts across the country have rejected that commonsense principle. As a result, in most states, grassroots groups that wish to speak out in elections have to deal with regulations and red tape that the U.S. Supreme Court has already held are unconstitutionally burdensome for corporations and unions.
Disclosure
NY Times: Tax Filings Hint at Extent of Koch Brothers’ Reach
By NICHOLAS CONFESSOREA single nonprofit group with ties to Charles G. and David H. Koch provided grants of $236 million to conservative organizations before the 2012 election, according to tax returns the group is expected to file Monday, underscoring the broad reach of the political movement the two business executives and their advisers have built in recent years.
Candidates, Politicians, Campaigns, and Parties
Roll Call: Bachmann Hires ‘Fixer’ for Campaign Money Troubles
By Emily Pierce and Eliza Newlin CarneyRep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has brought in a new treasurer for her congressional campaign and leadership political action committee in the wake of a federal grand jury probe, a potential House Ethics investigation and a possible inquiry from the Federal Election Commission.
The Hill: Reid raises cash to oust McConnell
By Alexandra JaffeSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is hosting a fundraiser for Alison Lundergan Grimes, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) Democratic opponent.The move marks a shift for Reid, who late last year said he wouldn’t campaign against McConnell because he didn’t think it was “appropriate.”
Lobbying and Ethics
The Hill: Small lobby shops are giving K Street giants a run for their money
The Hill: Small lobby shops are giving K Street giants a run for their money
By Megan R. WilsonThe era of the K Street mega-firm could be drawing to a close.At a time when many lobbying giants are struggling to maintain revenue, smaller shops are snagging clients and posting eye-popping revenue numbers that have turned “boutique” into an industry buzzword.
FEC
The Baltimore Sun: FEC clears path for new DGA offshoot
By John Fritze— The Federal Election Commission deadlocked Thursday over a proposal by the Democratic Governors Association to set up an organization that could engage in federal elections — a result that effectively permits the new group to go forward.After a series of meetings and hours of debate, the five members of the commission wound up in essentially the same position they began: a de facto party-line vote that will allow the DGA to create a group called Jobs & Opportunity that will expand its electoral reach.
The Washington Times: Company wants exemption from FEC on disclaimers on political ads on smartphones
By David SherfinskiA D.C.-based media firm is petitioning the Federal Election Commission to exempt political advertisements on mobile and smartphones from standard ad sponsor disclaimers as campaign messaging adapts to ever-changing technologies.The company, Revolution Messaging, says that such a move makes sense given the space restraints on handheld devices, including the new versions of the iPhone.
In the Arena: After Contentious, Impromptu Debate on Enforcement Procedures, FEC Deadlocks on Two Advisory Opinion Requests, Approves a Third
By Nicholas BauerBefore the Federal Election Commission took up the scheduled agenda at today’s public meeting, a contentious debate broke out over its continued inability to agree on whether and how to revise its enforcement procedures. Commissioners have disagreed over how to handle fact-finding during enforcement investigations, as well as proposed guidelines on information sharing with the Department of Justice. In an hour-long back-and-forth, Commissioners McGahn, Hunter and Petersen all called for prompt consideration of the proposed Office of General Counsel (OGC) Enforcement Manual. Commission Chair Weintraub acknowledged that she had placed a hold on consideration of the manual, but criticized McGahn for publicly discussing the matter. While she did not explicitly state when she would remove the hold, Weintraub argued that only after a new general counsel is appointed and two new Commissioners are confirmed by the Senate would there be enough of a “level playing field” to warrant a vote on the manual. (There is currently one vacant seat on the Commission, and McGahn has announced his plans to leave in the near future.) Commissioner Walther (via phone connection) said that while the agency had made “unprecedented improvements in transparency” regarding its enforcement procedures, it needed to go further. Eventually, Chair Weintraub brought the discussion to a close, citing the fact that the matter was not included on the agenda.
State and Local
Virginia –– Washington Post: McAuliffe says he won’t give back Thompson donation
By Ben Pershing and Laura VozzellaTerry McAuliffe’s gubernatorial campaign said Thursday that he would not return a 2009 campaign donation from a businessman at the center of a corruption investigation.Jeffrey E. Thompson, a District businessman, gave $2,500 to McAuliffe’s unsuccessful bid for governor four years ago. Republicans called on McAuliffe — who is now running against Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) — to return that donation after The Washington Post reported Wednesday night that Thompson was linked to an alleged secret effort to turn out votes for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.
