[EL] Runner Up for Quote of the Year

Fri Apr 10 09:35:26 PDT 2015

To my eye, somewhere behind “What the fuck does that mean?” I’d have to nominate “I raised money for her the wrong way.”  Quoted here: http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/dinesh-dsouza-interview-life-after/2015/04/09/id/637593/

Strikes me like explaining that the reason you got sent to “confinement” for omitting all the income you piled up in offshore accounts was that “you filled out your tax returns the wrong way.”

To be sure: I don’t think D’Souza belongs in prison or confinement at all for his violations.  I do think straw donor reimbursement and other kinds of campaign finance frauds are serious legal issues, but absent any clear and meaningful connection to official acts or specific government policy I think that area is better addressed as a civil or administrative issue than as a criminal issue.  But (a), we all have to deal with the legal environment we’ve got, not the one we want; and (b), it really does seem clear that one way some people end up with a blind spot on this kind of legal risk within the current legal environment is that they either can’t or just don’t come to grips with what’s actually being regulated.

D’Souza’s not under confinement for giving excessive contributions, and not for “raising money the wrong way” either.  If anything it’s for trying to trick people into thinking he raised those dollars at all instead of admitting all along that he was providing them all himself.  In fact, I can’t help but think that if he had understood that distinction a little earlier he wouldn’t even be facing the toothless anacondas at the FEC, much less confinement or imprisonment or anything else at the hands of the DOJ.

Offered as food for thought.

Best,
Joe

___________________________________
Joseph M. Birkenstock
Sandler Reiff Lamb Rosenstein & Birkenstock, P.C.
1025 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
202.479.1111
*also admitted to practice in CA

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Rick Hasen
Sent: Friday, April 10, 2015 11:34 AM
To: law-election at UCI.edu
Subject: [EL] ELB News and Commentary 4/10/15

“Insane” Hillary Clinton Fundraising Push Coming?<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71653>
Posted on April 10, 2015 8:15 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71653> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Daily Beast.<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/04/10/hillary-to-launch-campaign-this-weekend-with-insane-fundraising-push.html>

NYT:<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/11/us/politics/hillary-clinton-to-announce-2016-run-for-president-on-sunday.html?ref=politics&_r=0>

But even as Mrs. Clinton attempts to set aside her celebrity and offer herself as a fighter for ordinary voters, her finance team and the outside groups supporting her candidacy have started collecting checks in what is expected to be a $2.5 billion effort, dwarfing the vast majority of her would-be rivals in both parties.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71653&title=%E2%80%9CInsane%E2%80%9D%20Hillary%20Clinton%20Fundraising%20Push%20Coming%3F&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
Political Wire Finds the Election Law Quote of the Year<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71651>
Posted on April 10, 2015 8:14 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71651> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

But for Taegen is is only the Quote for the Day<http://politicalwire.com/2015/04/10/quote-of-the-day-898/>:

“He goes, ‘Hey, man, what are you in for?’ I go, ‘Campaign-finance violation.’ He goes, ‘What the fuck does that mean?’”

— Dinesh D’Souza, quoted by Vanity Fair<http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/04/dinesh-dsouza-video-life-after-conviction>, on a conversation with his cellmate on his first night in prison for committing campaign fraud.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71651&title=Political%20Wire%20Finds%20the%20Election%20Law%20Quote%20of%20the%20Year&description=>
Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
“Reflecting a racial shift, 78 counties turned majority-minority since 2000″<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71648>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:55 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71648> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Pew Research Center<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/08/reflecting-a-racial-shift-78-counties-turned-majority-minority-since-2000/>.  See also this graphic.<http://www.pewresearch.org/files/2015/04/FT_15.04.02_minMajorityMap.png>

[cid:image003.png at 01D0738A.D24431B0]<http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/FT_15.04.02_minMajorityMap.png>

(h/t Wonk Wire)<http://wonkwire.com/2015/04/10/chart-of-the-day-311/>
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71648&title=%E2%80%9CReflecting%20a%20racial%20shift%2C%2078%20counties%20turned%20majority-minority%20since%202000%E2%80%B3&description=>
Posted in Uncategorized<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
Federal Court to WI Chief Justice Abrahamson: Follow Federal Rules for TROs<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71646>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:50 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71646> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

This<http://media.jrn.com/documents/chieftroorder.pdf> is somewhat surprising. As I tell my Remedies students, it is well established that under both constitutional law (see Carroll v. Princess Anne<http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=393&invol=175>) and FRCP 65, one cannot get a temporary restraining order without giving notice to the other party unless you have a darn good reason for not giving notice (such as that the person would do the very thing you are trying to constrain before a court could issue a TRO). Under Rule 65, one also must certify what efforts, if any, one has made to give notice to the other side in seeking an ex parte TRO.  Judge Abrahamson, seeking to delay a voter amendment which would remove her as Chief Justice and substitute a chief Justice election instead, went to federal court but did not give notice or provide any reason for not giving notice.  (There is no good reason, especially because the amendment won’t be in effect and certified until April 29.)

This is not a ruling on the merits, and the Chief Justice could well win on the merits (an issue about which I don’t have a strong opinion).  But I find the litigation tactic of not giving notice odd and counterproductive.

(More at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)<http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/judge-declines-to-immediately-halt-chief-justice-amendment-b99478645z1-299256001.html>.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71646&title=Federal%20Court%20to%20WI%20Chief%20Justice%20Abrahamson%3A%20Follow%20Federal%20Rules%20for%20TROs&description=>
Posted in Remedies<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=57>
“A Checkbox On Your Tax Return Helped Kill Public Campaign Funding”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71644>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:41 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71644> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

FiveThirtyEight reports.<http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/a-checkbox-on-your-tax-return-helped-kill-public-campaign-funding/>
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71644&title=%E2%80%9CA%20Checkbox%20On%20Your%20Tax%20Return%20Helped%20Kill%20Public%20Campaign%20Funding%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“Super PACs move to forefront of 2016 campaigns”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71642>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:41 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71642> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Fredreka Schouten <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2015/04/09/super-pacs-forefront-of-presidential-campaigns/25522659/> for USA Today.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71642&title=%E2%80%9CSuper%20PACs%20move%20to%20forefront%20of%202016%20campaigns%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“Second Fiddles, in a Tribute to Buckley”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71640>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:38 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71640> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bauer blogs.<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2015/04/second-fiddles-tribute-buckley/>
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71640&title=%E2%80%9CSecond%20Fiddles%2C%20in%20a%20Tribute%20to%20Buckley%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
Heather Gerken, Vampire Slayer<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71638>
Posted on April 10, 2015 7:37 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71638> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Or something<http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/parenting/2015/04/10/as-a-daughter-becomes-a-teenager-a-mother-becomes-a-vampire-novelist/?referrer=> like that.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71638&title=Heather%20Gerken%2C%20Vampire%20Slayer&description=>
Posted in election law biz<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>
“Supreme Court declines to weigh in on voter eligibility legislation”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71636>
Posted on April 9, 2015 9:16 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71636> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Concord Monitor:<http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/16447437-95/supreme-court-declines-to-weigh-in-on-voter-eligibility-legislation> “The New Hampshire Supreme Court is declining to weigh in on the constitutionality of a bill that would tie a person’s voting domicile to motor vehicle law – for now, at least.”
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71636&title=%E2%80%9CSupreme%20Court%20declines%20to%20weigh%20in%20on%20voter%20eligibility%20legislation%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in voting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>
“New York Board of Elections Must Close LLC Loophole”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71634>
Posted on April 9, 2015 2:43 pm<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71634> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Release<http://www.brennancenter.org/press-release/new-york-board-elections-must-close-llc-loophole>:”After Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State legislature failed to pass the most needed ethics and campaign finance reforms this spring, the Board of Elections must close a corporate loophole that allows wealthy donors to bypass campaign limits and donate millions of dollars in state elections, urged the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and the law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP in a letter<https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/BOE_LLC_Loophole_040915.pdf> Thursday.”

See also this Larry Norden oped<http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/lawrence-norden-close-gaping-campaign-finance-loophole-article-1.2179398>.

[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71634&title=%E2%80%9CNew%20York%20Board%20of%20Elections%20Must%20Close%20LLC%20Loophole%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“Don’t Let Ferguson Turnout Numbers Fool You. America, We Have a Problem.”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71632>
Posted on April 9, 2015 10:03 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71632> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Rob Richie blogs.<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-richie/dont-let-ferguson-turnout_b_7033638.html>
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71632&title=%E2%80%9CDon%E2%80%99t%20Let%20Ferguson%20Turnout%20Numbers%20Fool%20You.%20America%2C%20We%20Have%20a%20Problem.%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in voting<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>
“Why Did Ted Cruz Supporters Create Four Super PACs?”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71630>
Posted on April 9, 2015 9:41 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71630> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

David Keating blogs.<http://www.campaignfreedom.org/2015/04/09/the-four-pro-cruz-super-pacs/>
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71630&title=%E2%80%9CWhy%20Did%20Ted%20Cruz%20Supporters%20Create%20Four%20Super%20PACs%3F%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
“In Accepting Bitcoin, Rand Paul Raises Money and Questions”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71628>
Posted on April 9, 2015 9:21 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71628> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Eric Lichtblau reports <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/us/politics/in-accepting-bitcoin-rand-paul-raises-money-and-questions.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0> for the NYT.
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71628&title=%E2%80%9CIn%20Accepting%20Bitcoin%2C%20Rand%20Paul%20Raises%20Money%20and%20Questions%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>, federal election commission<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24>
“New Report Examines Supreme Court’s ‘Citizens United Era'”<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71626>
Posted on April 9, 2015 8:56 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71626> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Release<http://www.pfaw.org/press-releases/2015/04/new-report-examines-supreme-court-s-citizens-united-era>: “A new report<http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/supreme-court-citizens-united-era-century-after-lochner-era-roberts-court-> released today by People For the American Way Foundation explores the extreme pro-corporate jurisprudence of the Supreme Court in recent years, identifying parallels to the Court’s infamous Lochner era a century ago. “The Supreme Court in theCitizens United Era<http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/supreme-court-citizens-united-era-century-after-lochner-era-roberts-court->” by PFAW Foundation Senior Fellow Jamie Raskin explores how the Roberts Court’s right-wing majority has established a precedent for privileging corporations over individuals, allowing corporations to enjoy the rights of the people while reducing the rights that people have against corporations.”
[cid:image001.png at 01D07384.F97BECB0]<https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71626&title=%E2%80%9CNew%20Report%20Examines%20Supreme%20Court%E2%80%99s%20%E2%80%98Citizens%20United%20Era%27%E2%80%9D&description=>
Posted in campaign finance<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme Court<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>mm

--

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<mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu>

http://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/hasen/

http://electionlawblog.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20150410/661023d2/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 1504 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20150410/661023d2/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 385932 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <http://webshare.law.ucla.edu/Listservs/law-election/attachments/20150410/661023d2/attachment-0001.png>