[EL] ELB News and Commentary 3/1/14
Rick Hasen
rhasen at law.uci.edu
Fri Feb 28 20:13:43 PST 2014
143,615 Comments on IRS 501c4 Rule Proposal
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59168>
Posted on February 28, 2014 8:02 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59168>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Wow.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/02/28/an-amazing-number-of-people-care-about-a-single-irs-rule-change/>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>
"NYC Department Of Investigation Chief: Board Of Elections 'Hostile'
To Reform Recommendations" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59166>
Posted on February 28, 2014 8:00 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59166>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Celeste Katz
<http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2014/02/nyc-department-of-investigation-chief-board-of-elections-hostile-to-reform-rec>
reports for the NY Daily News. Still waiting for the NY Times to take
notice of this story.
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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>
"Voting Rights Advocates Try to Put Oversight Back on the Map"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59164>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:47 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59164>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
ProPublica reports
<http://www.propublica.org/article/voting-rights-bail-in-lawsuits>.
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Posted in Voting Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>, VRAA
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=81>
"Kmiec For Congress Now Accepting Donations Without Any Disclosures"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59162>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:44 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59162>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Hmmm
<http://joshblackman.com/blog/2014/02/28/kmiec-for-congress-now-accepting-donations-without-any-disclosures/>....
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
"Pro-Obama Group Fires Fundraiser Who Diverted Felon's $100K Gift"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59160>
Posted on February 28, 2014 5:24 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59160>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
NBC News
<http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/pro-obama-group-fires-fundraiser-who-diverted-felons-100k-gift-n39491>:
A White House-backed advocacy group has fired one of its fundraisers
and returned a $100,000 check she collected from a New Jersey doctor
who is seeking a presidential pardon for Medicare fraud, officials
of the group told NBC News.
Organizing for Action, or OFA, a political nonprofit set up last
year to promote the president's policies, confirmed that it
dismissed consultant Samantha Maltzman this week after receiving
inquiries from NBC News about a contribution she had brought in from
Dr. Joseph Piacentile, who was convicted in 1991 for Medicare fraud
and tax evasion.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>
"What the Supreme Court Has Already Said About McCutcheon v. FEC"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59157>
Posted on February 28, 2014 3:07 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59157>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Liz Kennedy blogs.
<http://www.demos.org/blog/2/28/14/what-supreme-court-has-already-said-about-mccutcheon-v-fec>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>
Dem FEC Commissioners Reject Fine of Pro-Gingrich Super PAC Because
It Was Too Low <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59155>
Posted on February 28, 2014 1:52 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59155>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Read all about it. <http://t.co/vSl4D7WSnH>
On January 30,2014, we voted to reject a conciliation agreement with
Winning Our Future, a super PAC active during the 2012 presidential
election.' Winning Our Future failed tod isclose more than $1.6
million dollars in political advertisements---reporting the spending
only afier the relevant election was over.^ This is a serious
violation; Winning Our Future, a highly active political participant
that raised over $24 million during the 2012 election, denied the
public access to information about at least seventeen communications
at the very time that voters needed to be most informed about the
source of political messages. Nonetheless, the proposed conciliation
agreement would have imposed an extremely low civil penalty.^ We
could not accept this agreement, which we believe would have served
as merely a slap on the wrist more appropriate for a minor
violation. The proposed penalty was not sufficient to vindicate the
vital interest in disclosure set forth in the Act. As the Supreme
Court has affirmed, the law's disclosure requirements are essential
to "provid[e] the electorate with information and insure that the
voters are fully informed about the person or group who is
speaking."* Consequently, we voted to direct our Office of General
Counsel to negotiate a new conciliation agreement with a higher
civil penalty.^ That vote failed, 3-2.
So now I take it that the group won't be fined at all.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, federal
election commission <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24>
Stephen Colbert Wants to Address IRS on 501(c)(4) Rulemaking
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59152>
Posted on February 28, 2014 1:29 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59152>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Read his commen
<http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?objectId=09000064815d7a96&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf>t:
Screen Shot 2014-02-28 at 1.28.34 PM
<http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2014-02-28-at-1.28.34-PM.png>
(h/t John Pomerantz)
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
election law "humor" <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=52>, tax law and
election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>
Fun Statutory Interpretation CA Appellate Opinion on Using Cell
Phone for Map Purposes While Driving
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59149>
Posted on February 28, 2014 11:14 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59149>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Here <http://www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/documents/F066927.PDF>:
While stopped in heavy traffic, Steven Spriggs pulled out his
wireless telephone to check a map application for a way around the
congestion. A California Highway Patrol officer spotted him holding
his telephone, pulled him over, and issued him a traffic citation
for violating Vehicle Code section 23123, subdivision (a), which
prohibits drivers from "using a wireless telephone unless that
telephone is specifically designed and configured to allow
hands-free listening and talking, and is used in that manner while
driving." Spriggs contends he did not violate the statute because he
was not talking on the telephone. We agree. Based on the statute's
language, its legislative history, and subsequent legislative
enactments, we conclude that the statute means what it says -- it
prohibits a driver only from holding a wireless telephone while
conversing on it. Consequently, we reverse his conviction.
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Posted in statutory interpretation <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=21>
"Democrats embrace super PACs, but some fear lack of focus on
midterm elections" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59147>
Posted on February 28, 2014 11:04 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59147>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
WaPo reports
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-embrace-big-money-groups-but-some-fear-lack-of-focus-on-midterm-elections/2014/02/28/dbde5f48-9e6f-11e3-9ba6-800d1192d08b_story.html>.
See also Obama Will Raise Money For Super PACs Despite Past Criticism Of
Money In Politics: Report.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/28/obama-super-pacs_n_4875184.html?1393613855>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
"Does Public Financing Lead to Extremism? No, and Here's Why."
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59145>
Posted on February 28, 2014 10:03 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59145>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Brennan Center blog.
<http://www.brennancenter.org/blog/does-public-financing-lead-extremism-no-and-heres-why>
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
Feb. Issue of NCSL's "The Canvass" Now Available
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59142>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:45 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59142>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Here
<http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/the-canvass-february-2014.aspx?utm_source=Canvass&utm_campaign=b423239260-Canvass_April_20134_25_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c27fe8f428-b423239260-111828865>.
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Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
"Clintons Provide Firepower Behind DNC 'Voter Expansion Project'"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59140>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:33 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59140>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
NPR
<http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2014/02/27/283550311/clintons-provide-firepower-behind-dnc-voter-expansion-project>:
Democrats believe they've discovered a way to play more offense
against Republican efforts that have had the effect of making it
harder for many voters --- especially young, senior and minority
citizens --- to cast their ballots.
Their answer: a new initiative, announced by the Democratic National
Committee at its winter meeting in Washington, aimed at countering
voter ID and other laws and practices that can dampen voting.
The goals of the new effort aren't merely to protect voting rights
but to expand the overall pool of voters, DNC officials told
reporters at a briefing Thursday.
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Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>
"Identifying the Clandestine Videos of Supreme Court Oral Arguments
Posted Online [UPDATED]" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59137>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:25 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59137>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Victoria Kwan sleuthing
<http://jaypinho.com/2014/02/27/identifying-the-clandestine-videos-of-supreme-court-oral-arguments-posted-online/>
on SCOTUS protester. More
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/28/us/rare-supreme-court-outburst-caught-on-even-rarer-videos.html?ref=politics>
from Adam Liptak.
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Posted in Supreme Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>
"GOP fails in attempt to expel Sen. Roderick Wright from office"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59135>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:23 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59135>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
LA Times: "Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked an attempt by Republican
lawmakers to expel Sen.
<http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-california-senate-gop-roderick-wright-resolution-20140227,0,5838916.story#axzz2uZcIeKO3>Roderick
Wright
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/government/roderick-wright-PEPLT007237.topic>
(D-Inglewood), who last month was found guilty of eight felony charges
including perjury and voter fraud. A resolution by three Republican
Senators to expel Wright was referred by Democrats to committee, where
it is expected to languish until a trial judge acts May 16 on a request
by Wright to overturn the jury verdict."
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Posted in chicanery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>
"The FEC Offers a Hand---Or Two Hands---to the IRS"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59133>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:17 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59133>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Bauer blogs
<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2014/02/fec-offers-hand-two-hands-irs/>.
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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>
Mike Sacks About to Interview Kai Newkirk About SCOTUS McCutcheon
Filiming/Protest <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59131>
Posted on February 28, 2014 7:15 am
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59131>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
Watch
<http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/tops/5305f63678c90a6eb1000166>.
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Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
"Montana justices uphold rejection of redistricting lawsuit"
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59128>
Posted on February 27, 2014 6:38 pm
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=59128>by Rick Hasen
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
The /Missoulian/ reports.
<http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-justices-uphold-rejection-of-redistricting-lawsuit/article_4eddb646-a010-11e3-a2d2-0019bb2963f4.html>
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Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>
--
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
949.824.3072 - office
949.824.0495 - fax
rhasen at law.uci.edu
http://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/hasen/
http://electionlawblog.org
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