Last Friday, the House passed a measure that aims to block any executive order regarding disclosure of political donations. Eighteen... View Article
Continue readingCRS report highlights President’s authority over federal contractors
by Jacob Hutt, policy intern A recent report by the Congressional Research Service sheds light on President Obama’s draft executive... View Article
Continue readingTransparency Provisions in the Shareholder Protection Act Important to Disclose Corporate Political Expenditures
Sunlight joined dozens of groups from across the political spectrum asking Members of Congress to support the Shareholder Protection Act,... View Article
Continue readingSenators on Armed Services Committee Should Oppose an Anti-Transparency Measure
They’re at it again. Members of Congress who give lip service to transparency and accountability go out of their way... View Article
Continue readingPlaintiff in Citizens United case forms a Super PAC
Citizens United, whose court challenge to rules barring political spending by corporations has led to far-reaching changes in the campaign finance landscape, has formed its own Super PAC, allowing it to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections.
Paperwork for the new committee -- Citizens United Super PAC LLC -- was received by the Federal Election Commission on Saturday Friday and posted on its website this morning.
In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in January 2010 that prohibitions on independent expenditures by corporations and unions are unconstitutional. The case grew out of Citizens United's ...
Continue readingTwo groups oppose soliciting for Super PAC scheme
Bob Kerrey and Warren Rudman, two former U.S. Senators who are now co-chairs of Americans for Campaign Reform, gave testimony almost a decade ago documenting how raising big soft money donations to political parties had a corrupting effect on lawmakers. The see a similar corrupting effect should the Federal Election Commission rule that federal candidates and party officials can raise unlimited contributions from any source for Super PACs. The Campaign Legal Center agrees, arguing that candidates for federal office and party committee officials are barred from raising funds not subject to the limits of the Federal Election Campaign Act ...
Bauer returns to firm with Super PAC practice
Departing White House counsel Robert Bauer is returning to the election law practice he built at Perkins Coie, where his once and future colleagues have been active on behalf of a pair of Super PACs. The firm recently asked the Federal Election Commission to rule on whether politicians can raise unlimited sums from any source for "independent expenditure-only" groups.
As the Reporting Group previously reported, Perkins Coie filed an advisory opinion request with the FEC on behalf of two clients, the Majority PAC (formerly known as CommonSense Ten) and the House Majority PAC, asking whether candidates for federal office can ...
Continue readingBopp seconds request to FEC to allow politicians to raise funds for Super PACs
Citizens United architect and campaign finance law foe James Bopp Jr. has seconded a request by Democratic campaign finance experts Perkins Coie for the Federal Election Commission to allow politicians and party committee officials to solicit corporations and labor unions for unlimited funds to be spent by independent expenditure-only committees, also known as Super PACs. Bopp's new client, the Republican Super PAC, has already outlined such a fundraising strategy to Republican party officials.
If approved, the Perkins Coie request, made on behalf of the Majority PAC and the House Majority PAC, would give FEC approval for a politician to ...
Continue readingDemocratic Super PACs ask FEC to OK candidate fundraising
Following on the heels of the new fundraising strategy laid out by James Bopp Jr. for Republican Super PAC, a pair of similar Democratic groups -- also known as independent expenditure-only committees -- have asked the Federal Election Commission to rule on whether party committee officials and candidates for federal office can permissibly raise unlimited funds from any source for these outside organizations.
The letter, sent on behalf of the House Majority PAC and the Majority PAC by Marc E. Elias, Ezra W. Reese and Jonathan S. Berkon of the Perkins Coie law firm, also asks whether candidates can participate in fundraisers ...
Continue readingTransbearency Strikes Back, or Citizens United and the Case for Comedy
[View the story “Citizens United and the Case for Comedy” on Storify]
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