CCP
Smith on New York Reform in Real Clear Policy
By Sarah LeeWith President Obama’s non-profit Organizing for Action expressing an interest in lending to reform efforts in the state, Smith’s piece is a must-read to provide context to an issue that the media so often gets wrong.
CCP Asks FEC to Reconsider Enforcement Regime
By Sarah LeeThe Center for Competitive Politics submitted comments [today,Friday] to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in response to Notice 2013-01, Request for Comment on Enforcement Process. In the letter detailing the comments, CCP Legal Director Allen Dickerson outlines several steps CCP believes the Commission should take in carrying out its duty to enforce the nation’s campaign finance laws.
Independent Groups
Politico: Karl Rove, Koch brothers lead charge to control Republican data
By Kenneth Vogel and Maggie HabermanRather, in a very real way, it’s about who controls the party through its most precious asset — its voter data — and the multimillion-dollar contracts that could follow.
Corporate Governance
Reuters: News Corp deal: a new way to police corporate political spending?
By Alison FrankelThe cash portion of the deal (which will be eventually reduced by legal fees paid to G&E, co-lead counsel from Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann and several other plaintiffs firms that managed to grab a piece of the case) is obviously the big news, but among the many corporate governance enhancements detailed in the memorandum of understanding between News Corp and shareholders, you’ll find what appears to be a historic concession by the company: News Corp has agreed to disclose its campaign and political action committee contributions to shareholders and its lobbying and Super PAC spending to the board.
Candidates, Politicians and Parties
Bloomberg: Inaugural Raises $44 Million Thanks to AT&T, Microsoft
By Jonathan D. SalantMicrosoft Corp. (MSFT), whose employees gave more money to President Barack Obama’s re-election committee than those at any other company, was the second- largest donor to his January inauguration, contributing $2.1 million, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.
State and Local
New Jersey –– Star Ledger: N.J. Senate Democrats to introduce major overhaul of campaign finance laws
By Christopher BaxterThe legislation, expected to be introduced Thursday, would no longer allow candidates to hide donors who give $300 or less, an issue that has received renewed attention since the indictment of the engineering firm Birdsall Services Group.The proposal would also force nonprofit political groups, which have anonymously poured millions of dollars into New Jersey elections in recent years, to open their books and tell the public who gives them their money and how they spend it.All contributions and expenditures would be required to be disclosed within 48 hours.
Vermont –– Burlington Free Press: Former Lt. Gov. Dubie, RGA agree to settle election lawsuit with state
There was no evidence that proved either Dubie or the RGA intentionally violated the state’s campaign finance law, Attorney General Bill Sorrell said Friday. They nonetheless violated the law when the RGA asked Dubie’s campaign for results of a poll Dubie had commissioned, Dubie’s campaign provided the private poll results and the RGA used those results to decide the content and frequency of ads it ran in support of Dubie, Sorrell said.
Virginia –– Washington Post: Donor gave McDonnell and family a lake-house vacation
By Rosalind S. HeldermanVirginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell took a lake-house vacation in 2011 courtesy of the same major campaign donor who paid for the food at the wedding of the governor’s daughter that summer.
