[EL] Is Romney lying

Tue Jan 3 09:07:49 PST 2012

It's not only, as Rick points out, that Gingrich is accusing Gov. Romney of lying - he is also accusing him of breaking the law. Seems a bit irresponsible.

Bradley A. Smith

Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault

   Professor of Law

Capital University Law School

303 E. Broad St.

Columbus, OH 43215

614.236.6317

http://law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.aspx

________________________________
From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] on behalf of Rick Hasen [rhasen at law.uci.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 11:59 AM
To: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: [EL] ELB News and Commentary 1/3/12

Mitt Romney Almost Certainly is Not a Liar About His Super PACs<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27315>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:56 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27315> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Newt Gingrich accused<http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-57351153/gingrich-mitt-romney-is-a-liar/> Mitt Romney of lying about whether he is coordinating with pro-Romney Super PACs.  These PACs have been pummeling Gingrich with negative ads in Iowa, which many believe has let to Gingrich’s big fall in the Iowa polls.

Here is the relevant exchange<http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/01/03/gingrich_says_romney_is_a_liar.html> between Gingrich and CBS’s Norah O’Donnell:

Norah O’Donnell: “You scolded Mitt Romney, his friends who are running this Super PAC that has funded that, and you said of Mitt Romney, ‘Someone who will lie to you to get to be president will lie to you when they are president. I have to ask you, are you calling Mitt Romney a liar?”

Gingrich: “Yes.”

O’Donnell: “You’re calling Mitt Romney a liar?”

Gingrich: “Well, you seem shocked by it! This is a man whose staff created the PAC, his millionaire friends fund the PAC, he pretends he has nothing to do with the PAC — it’s baloney. He’s not telling the American people the truth.”

I have no inside information on any communications between Mr. Romney and supportive super PACs.  But Mr. Romney seems like a very intelligent and cautious person.  If he had any communications with the Super PACs, he could be in very serious legal trouble—not to mention that the political fallout from a potential criminal violation of campaign finance laws would be enormous.

And there is absolutely no upside to illegal coordinating.  As Mr. Gingrich himself explains, the people running the pro-Romney Super PAC know Mitt Romney well, understand his campaign strategy, and have deep pockets.  They can simply follow Romney’s lead—and be much more negative than Romney, leaving the candidate unsullied and his opponents beaten up—without risking any legal liability.

It is irresponsible for Mr. Gingrich to accuse Mr. Romney of lying without a shred of evidence. The crime here is not that Romney is coordinating.  It is the system of superPACs which threatens the integrity of our legislative and electoral process.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
In Case You Missed It Over the Holiday Weekend<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27313>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:46 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27313> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

On Friday, Slate published my commentary, Holder’s Voting Rights Gamble<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2011/12/the_obama_administration_s_risky_voter_id_move_threatens_the_voting_rights_act.html>, about DOJ’s recent decision to deny preclearance of South Carolina’s voter id law, and how this issue could end up before the Supreme Court soon, where the constitutionality of part of the Voting Rights Act Could be at stake.

On Sunday, I wrote a blog post about a recent Montana Supreme Court decision<http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/MT-expenditures-decision.pdf> which has attracted some attention.  The Montana Court upheld the state’s ban on corporate spending in elections despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United.  The post is Facts? We Don’t Need No Stinking Facts: The Montana Supreme Court, SCOTUS, and Citizens United.<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27232>

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Department of Justice<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=26>, voter id<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off
“Iowa Campaign Ads Show Power of Negativity in Republican Presidential Race”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27310>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:37 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27310> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bloomberg reports<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-02/gingrich-standing-falters-as-negative-advertising-dominates-iowa-airwaves.html>.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59> | Comments Off
“Abramoff as Ethics Guru Latest Chapter in Political Second Acts”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27308>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:36 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27308> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bloomberg reports<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-03/abramoff-as-ethics-guru-latest-chapter-in-political-second-acts.html>.

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Posted in chicanery<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>, ethics investigations<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=42>, lobbying<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=28> | Comments Off
“Virginia’s Primary Failure”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27305>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:34 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27305> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

WaPo editorializes<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/virginias-primary-failure/2011/12/30/gIQApws3WP_story.html>.

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Posted in ballot access<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=46> | Comments Off
“Voting rights, super PACs and the media cloud the election”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27303>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:33 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27303> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Katrina vanden Heuvel column<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/voting-rights-super-pacs-and-the-media-cloud-the-election/2011/12/30/gIQAKFI3WP_story.html?tid=pm_opinions_pop> in WaPo.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, voter id<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off
“Rick Santorum’s Curious Closing Argument”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27300>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:25 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27300> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Dana Milbank column<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/rick-santorums-curious-closing-argument/2012/01/02/gIQAGYMxWP_story.html?hpid=z1> on Santorum and the 17th Amendment.

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Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1> | Comments Off
Election Dispute Brewing in Northern Mariana Islands<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27297>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:23 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27297> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

See here<http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=115443> and here<http://www.mvariety.com/2012010342947/local-news/voter-challenges-nmi-descent-registry-42947.php>: “Marianas High School vice principal John H. Davis Jr. is suing the Commonwealth Election Commission to stop it from denying U.S. citizens who are not of Northern Marianas descent the right to vote on any issue regarding Article 12 of the CNMI Constitution or on any other issue.”

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Posted in voting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31> | Comments Off
“Why vote on Tuesdays? No good reason”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27294>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:20 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27294> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Jacob Soboroff has written this piece<http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/03/opinion/soboroff-stop-tuesday-voting/index.html> for CNN.

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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18> | Comments Off
Blogs and Social Media at AALS Event<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27292>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:19 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27292> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

This panel <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=26751> on which I will participate will be held on Jan. 5 from 1:30 to 2:45 pm in Madison A, mezzanine level.

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Posted in election law biz<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>, social media and social protests<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=58> | Comments Off
“TN voter ID law may face court fight”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27289>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:14 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27289> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

News<http://www.wbir.com/news/article/198518/2/TN-voter-ID-law-may-face-court-fight> from Tennessee.  See also from The Root: Woman, 93, Who Cleaned State Capitol Denied Voter ID<http://www.theroot.com/buzz/93-year-old-woman-who-cleaned-state-capitol-denied-voter-id>.

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Posted in election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, voter id<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off
SCOTUSBlog Community Today on Texas Redistricting Cases<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27286>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:12 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27286> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Here<http://www.scotusblog.com/community/the-texas-redistricting-cases/#>.

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Posted in redistricting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>, Voting Rights Act<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15> | Comments Off
“Liberty University ads in Iowa featured Gingrich; School says purpose was to boost Liberty, not GOP candidate”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27284>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:11 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27284> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Interesting follow-up<http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2012/jan/03/liberty-university-ads-iowa-featured-gingrich-ar-1583781/> to this story<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27215>.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law and election law<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> | Comments Off
“Editorial: Super PACs will rule if Congress doesn’t act”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27282>
Posted on January 3, 2012 8:10 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27282> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The Sacramento Bee editorializes<http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/03/4158420/super-pacs-will-rule-if-congress.html>.

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“Now the REAL Debate Can Begin: How DOJ’s SC Voter ID Objection FINALLY Brings Data to the Discussion”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27279>
Posted on January 3, 2012 7:46 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27279> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Doug Chapin blogs<http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/peea/2012/01/now_the_real_debate_can_begin.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HHHElections+%28Program+for+Excellence+in+Election+Administration%29>.

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Posted in Department of Justice<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=26>, election administration<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, voter id<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9>, Voting Rights Act<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15> | Comments Off
Legislation/PPT Prof (and Now Northwestern Dean) Dan Rodriguez Has a Blog<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27276>
Posted on January 3, 2012 7:44 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27276> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Here<http://deansblog.law.northwestern.edu/> (via Brian Leiter<http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2012/01/northwestern-dean-dan-rodriguez-has-a-blog.html>).

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Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1> | Comments Off
Will Massive Voter Fraud Hit the Iowa Caucuses?<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27272>
Posted on January 2, 2012 9:18 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27272> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Absolutely not.  But without voter id<http://www.bradblog.com/?p=9016>, how could members of the Fraudulent Fraud Squad be sure?  Or is voter i.d. needed only in states with large, minority Democratic urban populations?

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Posted in fraudulent fraud squad<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=8>, The Voting Wars<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter id<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9> | Comments Off
“1911 United, a new super PAC, backs Barack Obama”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27269>
Posted on January 2, 2012 9:14 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27269> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Politico<http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/70987.html>: “President Barack Obama has a new, moneyed supporter in this new year — a super PAC dedicated to mobilizing black voters in key swing states.”

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
“On Eve of Primary, Super PACs Ready to Unleash”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27266>
Posted on January 2, 2012 9:03 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27266> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

AP reports<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2012/01/02/us/politics/AP-US-Campaign-Outside-Money-.html?ref=politics>.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
“The Slush Funds of Iowa”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27263>
Posted on January 2, 2012 8:35 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27263> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NYT editorializes<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/03/opinion/the-slush-funds-of-iowa.html?_r=1&emc=eta1>.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
“Three Campaign-Finance Lawsuits On the Heels of ‘Citizens’”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27260>
Posted on January 2, 2012 8:30 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=27260> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Marcia Coyle reports<http://www.law.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202537087080> for the National Law Journal.

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Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> | Comments Off
--
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
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