[EL] The apocalypse

[Tyler Creighton]

Ilya, I know you know all of this, but dark money generally refers to
undisclosed by donor not by expenditure, though some groups that do not
disclose donors also avoid disclosing expenditures by running issue ads
that are not reported to FEC. It's true a small handful of journalists are
finding creative ways to uncover dark money expenditures (eg FCC data) and
sometimes dark money donors (eg IRS and Department of Labor data) but its
hard to say this patchwork system that is only accessible to the very few
who know how to navigate it is anything close to the transparency voters
want and deserve.

*Tyler Creighton* | tyler at rethinkmedia.org  |  Media Associate
ReThink Media <http://rethinkmedia.org> | (202) 449-6960 office | (925)
548-2189 mobile
@ReThinkDemocrcy <https://twitter.com/rethinkdemocrcy> | @ReThink_Media
<https://twitter.com/rethink_media> | @TylerCreighton
<http://www.twitter.com/tylercreighton>

On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 8:45 PM, Ilya Shapiro <IShapiro at cato.org> wrote:

>  If we know how much various groups spend, how is any of this money
> "dark"? (Regardless of whether you think it's too much -- whatever "too
> much" political speech means.)
>
>  Clearly the goal isn't to "disclose" but to chill/restrict, because
> government knows better than civil society who should speak, how much, and
> on what subjects.
>
>  Quel horreur indeed!
>
> Ilya Shapiro
> Senior Fellow in Constitutional Studies
> Cato Institute
> 1000 Mass. Ave. NW
> Washington, DC 20001
> Tel. 202-218-4600
> Cel. 202-577-1134
> www.cato.org/people/shapiro.html
> twitter.com/ishapiro
>
> On Sep 18, 2014, at 8:35 PM, "Tyler Creighton" <tyler at rethinkmedia.org>
> wrote:
>
>   As Robert Maguire at the Center for Responsive Politics is keen to
> point out, the vast majority of dark money is spent in a handful of
> competitive races, and therefore, the informative comparison is dark money
> to total spending in these particular races, not dark money to all election
> spending in the cycle. In 2012, dark money made up around 5% of total cycle
> spending but was closer to 20% in the most competitive Senate races
> <http://www.commoncause.org/states/massachusetts/issues/money-in-politics/plea-for-a-pledge/overview.html>
> (except Massachusetts where the People's Pledge largely kept dark money
> out). By Election Day the percentages this year in AK, AR, LA, NC, etc.
> will likely be similar meaning dark money will play a big role in
> determining control of the Senate even if their spending is only 4% of
> spending across all races.
>
>  On its own, the Koch's network of dark money groups is responsible for
> funding one out of every 10 TV ads in all Senate races
> <http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/09/04/15459/gop-s-senate-hopes-energized-koch-network-ad-blitz>.
> And on the left the dark money group Patriot Majority USA accounts for
> <http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/09/03/15436/can-dark-money-group-help-democrats-keep-senate>
> about one out of every nine ads aired in the Arkansas Senate race, one of
> every eight in Louisiana and one of every 13 in North Carolina. Add it all
> up and yes you do get horror.
>
>  *Tyler Creighton* | tyler at rethinkmedia.org  |  Media Associate
>  ReThink Media <http://rethinkmedia.org> | (202) 449-6960 office | (925)
> 548-2189 mobile
> @ReThinkDemocrcy <https://twitter.com/rethinkdemocrcy> | @ReThink_Media
> <https://twitter.com/rethink_media> | @TylerCreighton
> <http://www.twitter.com/tylercreighton>
>
> On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 6:45 PM, Smith, Brad <BSmith at law.capital.edu>
> wrote:
>
>>   “Five Signs the Dark-Money Apocalypse Is Upon Us”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65617>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 7:18 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65617> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Andy Kroll
>> <http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/dark-money-2014-elections-house-senate>
>> for *Mother Jones*:
>>
>>  A milestone passed in late August: According to the Center for
>> Responsive Politics
>> <http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/08/dark-money-hits-50-million-most-still-to-come/>,
>> dark-money groups—nonprofits created under the 501(c)(4)
>> <http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Social-Welfare-Organizations>
>>  and (c)(6)
>> <http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Business-Leagues> sections
>> of the US tax code—had by then surpassed $50 million on elections.
>>
>>  That is about 3.7% of political money this cycle, through September 9.
>> Oh, the horror!
>>
>>
>>  *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 <614.236.6317>*
>>
>> *http://law.capital.edu/faculty/bios/bsmith.aspx
>> <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:* Thursday, September 18, 2014 6:11 PM
>> *To:* law-election at UCI.edu
>> *Subject:* [EL] KSSEN breaking news/much more news
>>
>>   Breaking: In #KSSEN, Court Rules Taylor Off the Ballot: Analysis
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65645>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 2:43 pm
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65645> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> You can read the opinion here
>> <http://www.kscourts.org/Cases-and-Opinions/opinions/SupCt/2014/20140918/112431.pdf>.
>> Here are my thoughts:
>>
>> 1. This is a unanimous, per curiam (unsigned) opinion from the Court
>> holding that Democrat Chad Taylor’s name will not be on the ballot in the
>> Kansas Senate race. This has political implications, as it will likely
>> cause more Democrats to vote for independent Greg Orman instead of
>> incumbent Republican Pat Roberts. It puts the seat, and perhaps the Senate,
>> up for grabs. But there’s a wrinkle. There is still possible Court action
>> now to force Democrats to name a new candidate to replace Taylor on the
>> ballot.
>>
>> 2. The Court took the narrowest path to reach this decision.  Despite many
>> arguments <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65498> offered by the partie
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65459>s,  the court took a very narrow
>> textual approach. It found that Taylor’s letter complied with the literal
>> requirement of the statute, because he said he was withdrawing “pursuant
>> to” the relevant section. The court concluded he “incorporated by
>> reference” the standard that he was incapable of serving.
>>
>> 3. In ruling this way, the court avoided a messy factual dispute
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65309>over whether Taylor was promised by
>> election officials that his letter was sufficient.  The court also
>> sidestepped some uncertain legislative history as well as uncertain
>> application of the doctrine of substantial compliance. It was about as
>> simple and straightforward a way to decide the case as one could imagine.
>> But…
>>
>> 4. If the court was going to issue such a simple, straightforward
>> unanimous ruling, why did it take so long?  No doubt more was going on
>> behind the scenes than this simple ruling.  We probably will never know
>> what was going on in judicial chambers. A cynic suggested to me the court
>> delayed so much so there would be no time to litigate over whether
>> Democrats have to name a replacement on the ballot.
>>
>> 5. The big unanswered question is what happens to the other statute which
>> appears to require Democrats to replace a withdrawn candidate on the
>> ballot. The court totally sidesteps the issue, noting that “Nor do we need
>> to act on Kobach’s allegation that a ruling for Taylor would require the
>> Kansas Democratic Party State Committee to name his replacement nominee per
>> K.S.A. 25-3905. The Kansas Democratic Party is not a party to this original
>> action, and this court does not issue advisory opinions.”
>>
>> 6. This leaves the ball in Kobach’s court. He can sue the Democrats to
>> try to force them to name someone. But how could he sue and have Democrats
>> hold a convention within the day before ballots are to be printed.  It will
>> be hard for Kobach to say the printing can wait.  In this way we have the
>> ideal situation for the Democrats, what I’ve termed the “Reverse
>> Torricelli: <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65319>” Democrats get to have
>> the candidate they want removed from the ballot without having to name a
>> replacement. It is sure to infuriate Republicans.
>>
>> 7. This whole mess could have been avoided if Taylor would have done a
>> better job with his letter, or if Kobach did not push the issue—and the
>> evidence that his office had accepted non-complying letters before was
>> damning to his case. The Court noted that Kobach submitted those letters
>> after the deadline for filings, but seemed to praise him for doing it out
>> of an “ethical obligation” to the court. In other words, if he just sat on
>> letters his office just found which showed the inconsistent treatment of
>> withdrawal letters in the past, it would have been deceptive to the court.
>>
>> 8. So what happens next depends upon Kobach’s next move.  He has said he
>> would sue Democrats to get them to name a replacement, but given the time
>> frame now, and the fact that it may not be in Republicans’ political
>> interests to let this fester any more, this may be the end.  [*Update*:
>> Byran Lowry reports
>> <https://twitter.com/BryanLowry3/status/512723360870981632>: "Kobach
>> says Dem chair has been informed that she has 8 days to select a
>> replacement candidate. #ksleg
>> <https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash> #KSSen
>> <https://twitter.com/hashtag/KSSen?src=hash> #kseln
>> <https://twitter.com/hashtag/kseln?src=hash>."  It is not clear how the
>> 8 days fits into the existing ballot printing timeframe.]  [Second update:
>> Kobach is moving the mailing to 8/27
>> <https://twitter.com/BryanLowry3/status/512722314765406209>.  What does
>> this say about what he represented to court about deadlines? Wow wow wow.]
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65645&title=Breaking%3A%20In%20%23KSSEN%2C%20Court%20Rules%20Taylor%20Off%20the%20Ballot%3A%20Analysis&description=>
>>   Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>  On 7th Cir WI Voter ID: “Down to the Haywire in the Badger State”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65643>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 2:35 pm
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65643> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Jon Sherman
>> <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-sherman/down-to-the-haywire-in-th_b_5845630.html>
>> :
>>
>>  The court, however, was completely mistaken when it wrote that
>> Wisconsin’s voter ID law is “materially identical” to the Indiana law
>> upheld by the Supreme Court in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board.
>> This is wrong in four ways.
>>
>> First, Indiana’s ID law only applies to in-person voting, while
>> Wisconsin’s applies to in-person and absentee ballots. In November 2012,
>> 664,597 Wisconsin voters (21.57%) cast absentee ballots. Alabama is the
>> only other state that requires photo ID from absentee voters; even Texas’s
>> draconian voter ID law does not.
>>
>> Second, Indiana accepts any photo ID that contains a name, bears an
>> expiration date, and was issued by the U.S. or Indiana, while Wisconsin
>> only accepts a Wisconsin driver’s license or ID card, military ID, U.S.
>> Passport, certificate of naturalization which is no more than 2 years old,
>> tribal ID, and certain student ID cards.
>>
>> Third, Indiana permits indigent voters to sign an affidavit instead of
>> presenting an ID.
>>
>> Finally, Wisconsin only accepts student IDs if they contain a signature,
>> an issuance date, and an expiration date no later than two years after the
>> election. While the University of Wisconsin System has taken steps to have
>> their schools issue separate voting IDs to students, it is unclear whether
>> other private and technical colleges have taken similar steps. In Indiana,
>> a student ID only needs to have an expiration date.
>>
>> Not only is Indiana’s ID law more lenient than Wisconsin’s, but the
>> Supreme Court’s decision in Crawford did not address the same legal issues.
>> There was no Voting Rights Act claim in Crawford. Moreover, the Crawford
>> plaintiffs’ counsel had assembled almost zero evidence of actual harm to
>> voters, whereas the plaintiffs here have assembled an extensive record
>> documenting ID-less voters who cannot vote or will experience great
>> difficulty in obtaining this license to vote. What the record does not
>> contain is any evidence that the DMV’s untested birth verification
>> procedure will work. The plaintiffs needed to show copious evidence to win
>> their injunction, but the state secured this win on the court’s blind faith.
>>
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65643&title=On%207th%20Cir%20WI%20Voter%20ID%3A%20%E2%80%9CDown%20to%20the%20Haywire%20in%20the%20Badger%20State%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter id
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9>, Voting Rights Act
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
>>  #KSSEN Decision to Be Released Around 5 PM Kansas Time
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65641>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 2:04 pm
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65641> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Stay tuned….
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65641&title=%23KSSEN%20Decision%20to%20Be%20Released%20Around%205%20PM%20Kansas%20Time&description=>
>>   Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>  “Voter Registration Modernization Bill Would Improve Outdated Election
>> System” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65638>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 11:08 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65638> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Press release
>> <http://www.brennancenter.org/press-release/voter-registration-modernization-bill-would-improve-outdated-election-system>:
>> “U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today introduced the Voter
>> Registration Modernization Act, which would provide national standards for
>> secure and accessible online registration and help bring America’s election
>> system into the 21st century.”
>>
>> Did I ever mention I went to law school with the Senator?  I don’t think
>> I’ve seen her since law school graduation (1991).
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65638&title=%E2%80%9CVoter%20Registration%20Modernization%20Bill%20Would%20Improve%20Outdated%20Election%20System%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter registration
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37>
>>  Brennan Center Files 4th Cir. Amicus Brief in NC Voting Case
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65636>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 11:06 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65636> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Here
>> <http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/legal-work/North_Carolina_Amicus_Brief_091714.pdf>
>> .
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65636&title=Brennan%20Center%20Files%204th%20Cir.%20Amicus%20Brief%20in%20NC%20Voting%20Case&description=>
>>   Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>  “Insider Traders in Congress May Soon Be Revealed by the Bipartisan
>> ‘Political Intelligence Transparency Act’”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65634>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 10:37 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65634> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Craig Holman statement
>> <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=4287> at
>> Public Citizen.
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65634&title=%E2%80%9CInsider%20Traders%20in%20Congress%20May%20Soon%20Be%20Revealed%20by%20the%20Bipartisan%20%E2%80%98Political%20Intelligence%20Transparency%20Act%E2%80%99%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>  “Why Does Georgia Keep Going After Black Voters?”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65632>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 10:24 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65632> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Spencer Woodman writes
>> <http://www.vice.com/read/why-does-the-state-of-georgia-keep-going-after-black-voters-918>for
>> VICE.
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65632&title=%E2%80%9CWhy%20Does%20Georgia%20Keep%20Going%20After%20Black%20Voters%3F%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>
>>  Controversial CO SOS Gessler Complains of Partisanship, Gridlock in
>> Election Administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65630>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 10:16 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65630> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> This Electionline Weekly
>> <http://www.electionline.org/index.php/electionline-weekly> interview is
>> sure to get some attention:
>>
>>  *What was the most difficult time/issue you have faced (elections wise
>> of course) as secretary?*
>>
>> As our states’ chief election officials, secretaries of state enforce
>> election laws. We’re tasked with ensuring only eligible voters cast
>> ballots, and the eligibility requirements are few: citizens, 18 or older,
>> and Colorado residents. Instead of relying on a loose honor system, we
>> decided to verify citizenship, just like we check against the other two
>> requirements. But the gridlock, partisanship, and hysteria surrounding this
>> issue is disappointing. Just getting the federal government to comply with
>> federal law and provide us with the information we needed was a big
>> challenge. We got the runaround from various levels of the federal
>> bureaucracy for over a year before we finally worked out an agreement to
>> verify citizenship data. This helped pave the way for other states to also
>> verify data. But it amazes me that certain partisans continue to oppose
>> enforcement of basic, uncontroversial laws that protect election integrity.
>>
>> It also disappointing that people frequently throw common sense out the
>> door when it comes to election integrity. During the 2012 election cycle, a
>> reporter from Mexico City interviewed me. When he disapprovingly focused on
>> election integrity issues like photo identification and citizenship, I told
>> him that I merely wanted to implement something like the Mexican system in
>> Colorado. Mexico has strong integrity protections, which have helped
>> improve the fairness and integrity of its elections. But he thought that
>> Hispanic voters were fundamentally different than Mexican voters, and that
>> while photo identification was fine for Mexico, it was somehow terrible in
>> the United States. I strongly disagreed — fair and honest voting systems
>> are a universal aspiration, regardless of race, ethnicity, or country of
>> origin.
>>
>> Protecting the sanctity of our voter rolls shouldn’t be a wedge issue. In
>> fact, what we’ve seen is that when voters trust the system and trust the
>> results, turnout and participation improves. That should be our goal. If
>> voters don’t trust the system, it makes little difference how easy it is to
>> get a ballot.
>>
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65630&title=Controversial%20CO%20SOS%20Gessler%20Complains%20of%20Partisanship%2C%20Gridlock%20in%20Election%20Administration&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>
>>  “Less than 1 percent of voter registration forms turned in by a Georgia
>> group accused of fraud are actually fraudulent”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65627>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 8:53 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65627> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> WaPo
>> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/18/less-than-1-percent-of-voter-registration-forms-turned-in-by-a-georgia-group-accused-of-fraud-are-actually-fraudulent/>
>> :
>>
>>  Less than 1 percent of voter registration forms turned in by a Georgia
>> group accused of voter fraud are actually fraudulent, the Georgia’s
>> secretary of state’s office announced Wednesday.
>>
>> There were 25 confirmed forgeries found in voter registration documents,
>> Jared Thomas, spokesman for Secretary of State Brian Kemp (R), told The
>> Washington Post. That’s out of more than 85,000 voter registration forms
>> turned in by the New Georgia Project and Third Sector Development.
>>
>> “We believe we’ve identified 25 felonies, and we take that very
>> seriously,” Thomas said.
>>
>> State Rep. Stacey Abrams (D) who heads New Georgia Project said the group
>> flagged potential forms that were not completed, but was required by law to
>> turn in every form someone worked on. “We don’t get to decide if something
>> is good or bad,” she told The Post last week
>> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/10/georgias-gop-secretary-of-state-investigates-allegations-of-voter-fraud-by-democrat-led-group/>
>> .
>>
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65627&title=%E2%80%9CLess%20than%201%20percent%20of%20voter%20registration%20forms%20turned%20in%20by%20a%20Georgia%20group%20accused%20of%20fraud%20are%20actually%20fraudulent%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter registration
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=37>
>>  “Overtime: Five Reasons Senate Control Might Not Be Decided on Election
>> Day” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65625>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 8:50 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65625> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Oh boy
>> <http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/overtime-five-reasons-senate-control-might-not-be-decided-on-election-day/>
>> .
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65625&title=%E2%80%9COvertime%3A%20Five%20Reasons%20Senate%20Control%20Might%20Not%20Be%20Decided%20on%20Election%20Day%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>, recounts
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=50>
>>  “McDonnell Appeal Begs Question: What Is Corruption?”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65623>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 8:48 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65623> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Important piece
>> <http://blogs.rollcall.com/beltway-insiders/gov-mcdonnell-appeal-begs-question-what-is-corruption/>
>>  from Eliza Newlin Carney.
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65623&title=%E2%80%9CMcDonnell%20Appeal%20Begs%20Question%3A%20What%20Is%20Corruption%3F%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in bribery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=54>, campaign
>> finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, chicanery
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>
>>  “35 Groups Write to House Leadership for Debate/Vote on Democracy for
>> All Amendment” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65621>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 8:13 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65621> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Read
>> <http://www.commoncause.org/policy-and-litigation/letters-to-government-officials/National-091714-letter-to-house-leaders.pdf>
>> .
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65621&title=%E2%80%9C35%20Groups%20Write%20to%20House%20Leadership%20for%20Debate%2FVote%20on%20Democracy%20for%20All%20Amendment%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>  “With mayor’s race looming, Philly ethics board takes on big spenders”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65619>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 7:34 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65619> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> News
>> <http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/72883-mayors-race-looms-ethics-board-takes-on-big-spenders?linktype=hp_topstory>
>>
>> Draft regulations
>> <http://www.phila.gov/ethicsboard/PDF/BOERegNo1_CampaignFinance_ProposedAmendmentPostedRecordsDept_7.17.14.pdf>
>>
>> Adam Bonin comment
>> <http://www.scribd.com/doc/240169517/Comments-to-Proposed-Regulation-No-1-9-17-2014>
>> s.
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65619&title=%E2%80%9CWith%20mayor%E2%80%99s%20race%20looming%2C%20Philly%20ethics%20board%20takes%20on%20big%20spenders%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>  “Five Signs the Dark-Money Apocalypse Is Upon Us”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65617>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 7:18 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65617> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Andy Kroll
>> <http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/dark-money-2014-elections-house-senate>
>> for *Mother Jones*:
>>
>>  A milestone passed in late August: According to the Center for
>> Responsive Politics
>> <http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/08/dark-money-hits-50-million-most-still-to-come/>,
>> dark-money groups—nonprofits created under the 501(c)(4)
>> <http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Social-Welfare-Organizations>
>>  and (c)(6)
>> <http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Other-Non-Profits/Business-Leagues> sections
>> of the US tax code—had by then surpassed $50 million on elections. These
>> groups, unlike political action committees and candidates’ campaigns, do
>> not have to disclose their donors. So some of the key players looking to
>> sway election results remain in the shadows. This was a new record
>> and seven times the amount of dark money spent by the same point on House
>> and Senate elections in 2010. And this week, dark-money spending for the
>> 2014 cycle reached $63 million—just shy of the $69 million in dark money
>> spent during the *entire* 2008 presidential election.
>>
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65617&title=%E2%80%9CFive%20Signs%20the%20Dark-Money%20Apocalypse%20Is%20Upon%20Us%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>  “5 States Put Voting Reform to the Voters”
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65615>
>>  Posted on September 18, 2014 7:14 am
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65615> by Rick Hasen
>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>
>> Governing reports
>> <http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-election-reform-ballot-measures.html>
>> .
>>  <share_save_171_16.png>
>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D65615&title=%E2%80%9C5%20States%20Put%20Voting%20Reform%20to%20the%20Voters%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>   Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>
>>  “Native Voting Rights” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=65613>
>>
> ...
>
> [Message clipped]
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