Tag Archives: campaign finance

Politico reports: Kirsten Gillibrand jumped into the Democratic presidential policy race Wednesday with a “clean elections” plan that would provide a voter-driven public option for campaign financing. The New York Democrat’s first policy rollout aims to reduce the influence of special-interest money in politics, an issue that’s grown in significance for Democratic primary voters — and one that Gillibrand argues …

Politico reports: Joe Biden’s campaign announced Friday that he raised $6.3 million on his first day as an announced candidate, placing him atop the crowded Democratic primary in terms of first-day fundraising totals and quelling doubts about his ability to raise enough money to compete. His surprising total — Biden has not been a candidate on his own since 2008 …

Politico reports: Deep-pocketed Republicans who snubbed Donald Trump in 2016 are going all in for him in 2020, throwing their weight behind a newly created fundraising drive that’s expected to dump tens of millions into his reelection coffers. The effort involves scores of high-powered businessmen, lobbyists and former ambassadors who raised big money for George W. Bush, John McCain and …

The Washington Post reports: The House on Friday approved a far-reaching elections and ethics bill — one that would change the way congressional elections are funded, impose new voter-access mandates on states, require “dark money” groups to publicize their donors and force disclosure of presidential candidates’ tax returns. Democrats dubbed the bill H.R. 1, a designation meant to signal its …

The Hill reports: President Trump on Thursday denied he broke the law when he involved himself in a scheme to pay hush money to two women who alleged to have extramarital affairs with him. The comments come one day after The New York Times reported Trump signed checks to reimburse his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, while he was serving …

Out today from the ethics watchdog group CREW: There is compelling evidence that President Trump may have personally committed up to eight criminal campaign finance and related offenses while running for president and during his first year in office, according to a report released today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). In a new report, A Campaign …

Bloomberg reports: Donald Trump’s presidential campaign may have illegally coordinated with the National Rifle Association in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential election, two watchdog groups said in a complaint filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission. The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action and its political action committee, the NRA Political Victory Fund, placed $25 million worth of television …

CNBC reports: President Donald Trump was involved in “nearly every step” of hush-money agreements with multiple women who claimed they had sexual affairs before he became president, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The newspaper, citing dozens of interviews and document, also reported that Trump may have violated federal campaign-finance laws through his participation in the deals. Trump has denied …

New York Magazine reports: At this point in their first terms, the last five presidents had raised a combined $0 for their own reelection campaigns. But like so many other norms, Donald Trump has smashed that one, raising more than $100 million toward his own bid for a second term in office, Federal Election Commission filings show. Between his own …

When it rains, it motherfucking pours: Rep. Duncan Hunter and his wife, Margaret, were indicted Tuesday on charges related to the misuse of $250,000 worth of campaign funds for personal expenses and the filing of false campaign finance records. The charges of wire fraud, falsifying records, campaign finance violations and conspiracy were the culmination of a Department of Justice investigation …

The Hill reports: Michael Cohen, who worked for years as President Trump’s personal attorney, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges of bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance law violations, delivering a potentially significant legal blow to the president. Cohen pleaded guilty to eight counts total, including five counts of tax evasion and one count of making a false statement …

Politico reports: The FEC will not investigate President Donald Trump’s political campaign for enriching his businesses after considering a complaint from a liberal watchdog group, which alleged that Trump’s boasting about his hotels and use of his private jets constituted a violation of campaign law. The agency released its decision Friday, two years after the complaint was filed during the …

The Hill reports: A nonpartisan watchdog group has filed complaints against President Trump, his campaign and the publisher of The National Enquirer, alleging that they violated campaign finance laws over the payment of a rumor about Trump. Common Cause filed complaints with the Justice Department and the Federal Election Commission after The Associated Press reported that American Media, Inc. had …

NBC News reports: Current and former Federal Election Commission officials tell NBC News it could take a year or longer for the FEC to address the case of whether Trump Organization lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels represents an unreported in-kind, contribution to the Trump campaign. The FEC, which is charged with administering and enforcing …

President-Elect Donald Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho today committed an outright corporate endorsement, urging his followers to buy L.L. Bean products after the company’s heiress was found to have made an illegal campaign donation. The Associated Press reported last week: L.L. Bean heiress Linda Bean made excessive contributions to a political action committee she bankrolled to support Republican President-elect Donald Trump, …

The Hill reports: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox Quesada claimed he received a fundraising email from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. It is against federal law for a campaign to solicit foreign donations. The Trump campaign has received several warnings about such solicitations and a complaint has been filed with the Department of Justice. Other foreign officials have claimed to …

The Huffington Post reports: Newt Gingrich apparently has no plans to pay back dozens of small businesses that made yard signs and TV ads for his 2012 presidential campaign. Gingrich filed a document with the Federal Election Commission this week detailing a debt settlement plan to finally terminate his 2012 presidential campaign committee. The document shows that “Newt 2012” plans …

The Hill reports: Donald Trump’s campaign is still soliciting illegal donations from foreign individuals — including members of foreign governments at their official email addresses — weeks after the campaign was put on notice by watchdog groups. Foreign members of parliament from the United Kingdom and Australia confirmed to The Hill that they received fundraising solicitations from the Trump campaign …

Reuters reports: Donald Trump has forgiven $50 million in loans he made to his campaign, a top staffer said on Thursday, signaling to donors that future contributions will be used to fight Democrat Hillary Clinton and not to repay himself. The announcement that Trump will not seek reimbursement, made by his campaign finance chief in a CNBC interview, came amid …

Donald Trump called into Fox News (where else?) this morning to shrug off reports that his campaign is essentially broke. Via Politico: The billionaire real estate mogul kicked off the month of June with just $1.3 million in his campaign account, a fraction of the $42 million Hillary Clinton had on hand. But that financial gulf between the two campaigns …