[EL] Lessig memo

Fri Aug 14 11:00:36 PDT 2015

The memo and any "advice" provided by Lessig to Sanders would most likely
be considered a "volunteer" activity by the FEC and would therefore not be
needed to be reported as an in-kind...assuming Lessig was not compensated
in any manor for the memo. (100.74)

On Fri, Aug 14, 2015 at 1:33 PM, Bill Maurer <wmaurer at ij.org> wrote:

> I don’t see on the FEC website where Lessig’s confidential memo to the
> Sanders campaign giving valuable advice—presumably for free—has been listed
> as an in-kind contribution. The Politico story doesn’t say when he wrote
> it, so perhaps the campaign has not had to report it yet. But I would think
> that this would qualify as a significant in-kind contribution that has to
> be reported by the Sanders campaign and I would be interested if either of
> them thought that that was the case.
>
>
>
> Bill
>
>
>
> *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, August 14, 2015 8:46 AM
> *To:* law-election at UCI.edu
> *Subject:* [EL] ELB News and Commentary 8/14/15
>
>
> “House GOP lays out plan for Va. redistricting session”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75342>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:42 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75342> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The latest
> <http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/article_ce6025a9-6358-513d-a261-9f34a2e78e9a.html>
>  from Va. I expect a three-judge court will likely draw the lines.
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75342&title=%E2%80%9CHouse%20GOP%20lays%20out%20plan%20for%20Va.%20redistricting%20session%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>
> “Louisiana Republican Party sues over campaign contribution limits to
> state political parties” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75340>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:38 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75340> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The Advocate reports.
> <http://theadvocate.com/news/13169480-123/state-gop-sues-over-contribution>
>   I’ll have more on this suit coming Monday. As for why the last suit was
> dropped:
>
> *The Republican National Committee, along with the state party, sued the
> FEC last year over the same issue. But the RNC decided to drop the lawsuit.*
>
> *“The Louisiana party still wanted to pursue it, so that’s why we have
> refiled,” Bopp said.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75340&title=%E2%80%9CLouisiana%20Republican%20Party%20sues%20over%20campaign%20contribution%20limits%20to%20state%20political%20parties%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, political
> parties <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=25>
> “Virginia ex-governor’s corruption case on way to Court”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75338>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:33 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75338> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Lyle Denniston
> <http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/08/virginia-ex-governors-corruption-case-on-way-to-court/>
> :
>
> *One of the highest-profile political corruption cases in years will soon
> be on its way to the Supreme Court.  Lawyers for former Virginia Governor
> Robert F. McDonnell told a federal appeals court
> <http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/McDonnel-motion-to-stay-mandate-8-13-15.pdf> on
> Thursday that they will be taking his corruption case on to Washington and
> want him to be allowed to stay out of prison until the Justices act.  He
> has been free under an earlier court order after a federal jury in Richmond
> found him guilty of eleven criminal fraud counts, and the trial judge
> sentenced him to two years in prison.*
>
> *In the new filing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit,
> McDonnell’s legal team said it would ask the Court to review two questions
> of major importance in cases bringing public corruption charges: what kind
> of official action must follow a request to an officeholder for a favor,
> and whether the trial judge in this case failed to ask potential jurors if
> they had made up their minds about guilt based on the massive publicity
> that surrounded the case before the trial.*
>
>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75338&title=%E2%80%9CVirginia%20ex-governor%E2%80%99s%20corruption%20case%20on%20way%20to%20Court%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in bribery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=54>, Supreme Court
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>
> “DC Court Reformer Moving to New Job”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75336>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:27 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75336> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Legal Times:
> <http://www.nationallawjournal.com/legaltimes/id=1202734663912/DC-Court-Reformer-Moving-to-New-Job>
>
> *How courts systems find their judges is having a spotlight moment.
> Comedian John Oliver unspooled a 13-minute argument against judicial
> election donations in February. Presidential candidate and Sen. Ted Cruz
> has called for retention elections of U.S. Supreme Court justices
> <http://www.nationallawjournal.com/id=1202732789255?keywords=supreme+court+judicial+election&publication=National+Law+Journal>.
> And this month Justice at Stake, one of the most visible groups opposing
> the politicization of judicial seats, will lose its executive director.*
>
> *Bert Brandenburg will become president of the Appleseed public-interest
> law network this month. In his 14 years at Justice at Stake, awareness of
> the group’s mission has grown.*
>
> *“What was most exciting and I’m proudest of was helping build a movement
> from scratch and put a new issue on the map of the American political
> landscape,” Brandenburg said, reflecting on his tenure. “We’re moving
> towards an enough-is-enough movement. I think getting cash out of the
> courtroom is the fastest growing democracy issue right now.”*
>
> It has been an absolute pleasure speaking to Bert and his group, and I
> will miss having his careful and thoughtful work in this arena. Good luck!
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75336&title=%E2%80%9CDC%20Court%20Reformer%20Moving%20to%20New%20Job%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in election law biz <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>
> “Lerner slammed ‘evil and dishonest’ GOP inquisitors; Emails give a
> revealing look behind the scenes at the IRS leading up to the nonprofit
> targeting scandal” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75334>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:22 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75334> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Politico reports.
> <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/lerner-slammed-evil-and-dishonest-gop-inquisitors-121307.html?hp=t2_r>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75334&title=%E2%80%9CLerner%20slammed%20%E2%80%98evil%20and%20dishonest%E2%80%99%20GOP%20inquisitors%3B%20Emails%20give%20a%20revealing%20look%20behind%20the%20scenes%20at%20the%20IRS%20leading%20up%20to%20the>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law
> and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>
> The 2015 Election Law Teacher Database
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75331>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 8:16 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75331> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> It is now available at this link
> <http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/Election-Law-Database-2015.xlsx>
> .
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75331&title=The%202015%20Election%20Law%20Teacher%20Database&description=>
>
> Posted in election law biz <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>
> Responses to NYT Magazine Piece on Voting Rights, Including Mine from Slate
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75329>
>
> Posted on August 14, 2015 7:48 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75329> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> To be published
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/magazine/the-8-215-issue.html?_r=0> in
> this week’s magazine.
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75329&title=Responses%20to%20NYT%20Magazine%20Piece%20on%20Voting%20Rights%2C%20Including%20Mine%20from%20Slate&description=>
>
> Posted in The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, Voting
> Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
> “McDonnell asks to remain free pending appeal to Supreme Court”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75327>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 4:23 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75327> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The *Richmond Times-Dispatch *reports.
> <http://www.richmond.com/news/local/crime/article_70c5766f-7d7e-5a08-b955-88a1f9f83d2d.html>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75327&title=%E2%80%9CMcDonnell%20asks%20to%20remain%20free%20pending%20appeal%20to%20Supreme%20Court%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in bribery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=54>
> “Federal Election Commission finally names top lawyer — sort of”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75325>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 3:47 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75325> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> CPI reports.
> <http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/08/13/17837/federal-election-commission-finally-names-top-lawyer-sort>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75325&title=%E2%80%9CFederal%20Election%20Commission%20finally%20names%20top%20lawyer%20%E2%80%94%20sort%20of%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, federal
> election commission <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24>
> CA “Supreme Court affirms death penalty, rejecting ‘judicial election’
> argument” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75323>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 3:25 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75323> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> At the Lectern
> <http://www.atthelectern.com/supreme-court-affirms-death-penalty-rejecting-judicial-election-argument/>
> :
>
> *Among many other issues, the court rejects the defendant’s argument that
> he could not get a fair trial or appellate review because the superior
> court judge and the Supreme Court justices are all subject to judicial
> elections.  The opinion summarizes the argument:  “judges who are subject
> to election cannot be impartial because they might be removed from office
> if they rule in favor of a capital defendant.”  For a judge, elections
> might be like a crocodile in his or her bathtub
> <https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC4QFjACahUKEwis4tuJ16bHAhWTM4gKHearAW0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcommons.law.scu.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1403%26context%3Dfacpubs&ei=zeDMVezHG5PnoATm14boBg&usg=AFQjCNEoAlLlCv_Mtu9U9OvSTfyf2ajIVw&sig2=z6tDhTvWmtkOzdqHRRMc0w&bvm=bv.99804247,d.cGU&cad=rja>,
> and the voters’ removal of Supreme Court justices might become more common
> than a hundred-year flood
> <http://www.atthelectern.com/the-specter-of-more-frequent-100-year-floods/>,
> but the court finds they do not present the “extreme facts” necessary to
> cast doubt on judicial impartiality.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75323&title=CA%20%E2%80%9CSupreme%20Court%20affirms%20death%20penalty%2C%20rejecting%20%E2%80%98judicial%20election%E2%80%99%20argument%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in judicial elections <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=19>
> “Watchdogs Urge Supreme Court to Overturn Lower Court & Send Maryland
> Gerrymander Case to 3-Judge Panel” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75321>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 1:59 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75321> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Release
> <http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/news/press-releases/watchdogs-urge-supreme-court-overturn-lower-court-send-maryland-gerrymander-case>
> :
>
> *Today, in Shapiro v. McManus, the Campaign Legal Center joined with
> Common Cause in filing an amici brief
> <http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/sites/default/files/CLC%20%26%20Common%20Cause%20Amici%20Curiae%20Br.%20Shapiro%20v.%20McManus%20%2814-990%29%20SCOTUS%208-13-15.pdf> urging
> the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a U.S. District Court decision which
> dismissed a challenge by voters to the blatant political gerrymander
> carried out by then-Governor Martin O’Malley and the Maryland state
> legislature in 2011.  The petitioners argue that their First Amendment
> rights were violated and they were discriminated against because of their
> political party affiliations when the state drastically redrew the sixth
> congressional district to unseat the incumbent Republican Member of
> Congress and ensure the election of a Democrat.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75321&title=%E2%80%9CWatchdogs%20Urge%20Supreme%20Court%20to%20Overturn%20Lower%20Court%20%26%20Send%20Maryland%20Gerrymander%20Case%20to%203-Judge%20Panel%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
> Wow, This Exchange Between Marc Caputo and Rep. Brown Over FL Redistricting
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75319>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 12:51 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75319>
> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Politico:
> <http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/florida/2015/08/8574280/brown-offers-fiery-rhetoric-no-data-claims-new-district>
>
> *Brown insisted that was the case, without providing specific statistics,
> and the following is a transcript of her responses to repeated questions
> from POLITICO Florida and the News Service of Florida about her claims.*
>
> *QUESTION: “The statistics don’t show that [an African-American would not
> win the district].”*
>
> *BROWN: “Yes it does.”*
>
> *QUESTION: “Let me read these statistics. … These were run by two
> analysts: The African-American share of the 2012 and 2014 Democratic
> Primary was 63 percent. The primary. That’s the voters in the primary: 63
> percent. The African-American share of the 2014 general election is 42
> percent and the general election in 2012 was 46 percent. That is a
> minority-access seat by definition. That’s just African-Americans in that
> newly drawn District 5. How can you say it’s not a minority access seat?”*
>
> *BROWN: “Because of the number of people that’s in that district—”*
>
> *QUESTION: “These are voters. Those statistics are voters. That has
> nothing to do with prisons.”*
>
> *BROWN: “Excuse me. Because of the number of voters in that district and
> the history in that district. And let’s be clear.”*
>
> *QUESTION: “These are black voters we’re talking about. This is a
> minority-access seat according to the voting percentages. How can you say
> it’s not a minority-access seat?”*
>
> *BROWN: “Listen. I say it’s not.”*
>
> *QUESTION: “Based on what?”*
>
> *BROWN: “I say it’s a nonperforming district.”*
>
> *QUESTION: “I understand that if you say something you think it’s true.
> What’s your statistics? What are your numbers?*
>
> *BROWN: “The point is — I’m not giving you the numbers.”*
>
> *QUESTION: “Because you don’t have them.”*
>
> *BROWN: “Excuse me, who are you?”*
>
> *QUESTION: “Marc Caputo, with POLITICO.”*
>
> *BROWN: “OK. Let me explain something to you, we will get you—”*
>
> *QUESTION: “Why don’t you explain to me what the statistics are since
> you’ve cited them up there [while testifying in committee] but you don’t
> have them?”*
>
> *BROWN: “Listen, I’ll tell you what. I will be in court, with the case in
> court. And that’s where we’ll deal with this. Because the fact of the
> matter is, based on how the Florida Supreme Court drew the district, it
> disenfranchised the people that live in the Fifth Congressional District.”*
>
> *NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: “Barack Obama carried that district by more than
> 20 points. How can you say it won’t elect a Democrat?”*
>
> *BROWN: “It won’t elect an African-American one. And it won’t elect a
> Democrat.”*
>
> *NEWS SERVICE: “But Barack Obama carried it by 20 points.”*
>
> *BROWN: “Well, we’ll see.”*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75319&title=Wow%2C%20This%20Exchange%20Between%20Marc%20Caputo%20and%20Rep.%20Brown%20Over%20FL%20Redistricting&description=>
>
> Posted in redistricting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=6>, Voting
> Rights Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
> Did Sanders Campaign Leak Lessig Memo on Campaign Reform as Campaign Issue?
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75317>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 12:34 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75317>
> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> @Lessig in the Daily Beast
> <http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/13/i-m-running-for-president-to-quit.html>
> :
>
> This was the argument that I had made to Sanders directly, as Politico
> reported yesterday
> <http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/bernie-sanders-larry-lessig-2016-campaign-121280.html>,
> citing a confidential memo I had written, and that was apparently leaked to
> Politico by the campaign. As I argued there:
>
> *Reform can’t be just one idea on a list. It can’t be something you talk
> about achieving “in the long run.” Nothing that you’re talking about doing
> is credible unless you achieve this reform first. What you need to do
> clearly is to demonstrate convincingly how you’re going to achieve at least
> the corruption, and voting parts of your program as the first thing you do.*
>
> *This is important both politically and for credibility.*
>
> *Politically: every Democrat is going to be talking about basically the
> same issues. You need to distinguish yourself from them by describing a
> credible plan to make certain these changes happen first.*
>
>
> *Credibility: after the surge of support for you, the single strongest
> attack is going to be the “reality argument.” You’re talking about a string
> of reforms that simply cannot happen in the Washington of today. The
> “system is rigged.” If that rigging is good for anything, it is good for
> blocking basically everything you’re talking about. The only response I’ve
> heard you give to that is that you’re beginning a revolution—making it
> sound like the mechanism of change is a bunch of people in the streets of
> D.C. Whether you believe that is possible or not, other people won’t.
> Indeed, talking like that only weakens your credibility.*
>
> *The only credible way to talk about why you will get the change you want
> where no one else has or could is because you have a plan for making sure
> the “unrigging” of the “rigged system” happens first. If you have a
> convincing and credible plan for that, then the other changes you’re
> talking about don’t sound like mere fantasies.*
>
> *Citizen equality can’t just be one issue on a list. It has to be the
> first issue—the one change that makes all other changes believable. For the
> first time in forever, The Wall Street Journal reports this issue is at the
> top of voters’ mind. You need to be the leader who makes it top of your
> platform as well.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75317&title=Did%20Sanders%20Campaign%20Leak%20Lessig%20Memo%20on%20Campaign%20Reform%20as%20Campaign%20Issue%3F&description=>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
> “Why did you add voting rights and gerrymandering to your reform proposal?”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75315>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 12:27 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75315>
> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Lessig for President FAQ
> <https://lessigforpresident.com/faq/#fancy-title-55cceeb695c49>:
>
> *Why did you add voting rights and gerrymandering to your reform proposal?*
>
> *My work on this issue began with a focus on the way money corrupts the
> system. But pressed by many brilliant souls — Guy Charles, Rick Hasen, and
> others — I have come to see that the reason the system is “corrupt” is
> because it denies a fundamental equality of citizens. And once you
> recognize that, then all the other ways the system denies equality are also
> important. Though differently important. In my view, the motivation for
> denying equal voting rights is partisan — it benefits one party over the
> other. The motivation for denying equal representation is political —
> gerrymandering is a game both parties play, even if it benefits one party
> more than another. And the motivation for the corrupted system of funding
> campaigns is simply power — concentrating the funding in a few gives those
> few enormous power in the political system.*
> *Why not just focus on campaign finance reform?*
>
> *The way we fund campaigns is a corruption of our constitutional design.
> We were promised a Congress “dependent on the people alone,” where “the
> People” meant, “not the rich more than the poor.” The politicians have
> given us a Congress dependent on the funders of campaigns — the rich more
> than all of us.*
>
> *I have spent the last 8 years fighting to end this corruption.*
>
> *But the reason this system is a corruption is because it denies citizens
> a basic commitment of a representative democracy — that it represent its
> citizens equally.*
>
> *If we’re going to fight to correct that fundamental inequality of a
> representative system, we should fight to correct the other inequalities as
> well. We should fight to enact reform that gives all of us equal political
> power, and end the general sense that too many Americans have: that
> Congress doesn’t represent them.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75315&title=%E2%80%9CWhy%20did%20you%20add%20voting%20rights%20and%20gerrymandering%20to%20your%20reform%20proposal%3F%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
> “The Strangest Campaign Pledge; Why it makes sense to support a candidate
> who vows to straighten out democracy and then quit.”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75313>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 10:18 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75313>
> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Eric Posner
> <http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/view_from_chicago/2015/08/lawrence_lessig_presidential_campaign_donate_before_labor_day_for_citizen.html?wpsrc=sh_all_tab_tw_bot>
>  on Lessig at Slate:
>
> *So there is a mismatch between Lessig’s means—a dramatic run for office
> as an unprecedented “referendum president” who resigns as soon as his
> mandate is legislated—and his goal, which is at best incremental reform. In
> the past, he has argued with a great deal more persuasiveness that the only
> way to reform the political system is through a constitutional convention,
> and it is easier to see the logic of this position than to understand his
> campaign goals. Constitutional amendments really could go to the root of
> the problem—by limiting campaign contributions (and thus
> overturning Citizens United
> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC>, which held that the
> First Amendment banned certain limits on political expenditures),
> restructuring the Senate (which is a highly unrepresentative body that
> favors rural interests), limiting the power of the Supreme Court, and
> perhaps creating a parliamentary system or something like it, which would
> avoid the twin problems of gridlock and presidential abuse of power that
> have long been troubling features of our system of separation of powers.*
>
> *But most calls for constitutional conventions come these days from
> conservatives
> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-lawmakers-weigh-bid-to-call-for-constitutional-convention/2015/04/04/b25d4f1e-db02-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html>,
> who want to impose a balanced budget on the federal government and who have
> no interest in adopting Lessig’s electoral reforms—nearly all of which
> would benefit the Democratic party in the short term. And the results of a
> constitutional convention—where moneyed interests as well as all kinds of
> interest groups would play a big role—are unpredictable. Well, not entirely
> unpredictable. Under the amendment process of the Constitution, state
> legislatures can play an important role in selecting delegates and
> ratifying amendments. And while there is a means to circumvent their formal
> participation, they would probably influence the outcome. This matters.
> Republicans have vastly more control over state legislatures than Democrats
> do—in part because of the gerrymandering Lessig wants to end—so we can be
> pretty certain about the ideological tilt of any amendments that might
> ultimately be ratified, if not their content.*
>
> *This is probably why Lessig has not adopted his earlier proposal of a
> constitutional convention to his presidential run. The rot goes too deep.
> But it also should raise doubts about whether the Citizen Equality Act can
> do any good.*
>
> *Even if Lessig can’t win, or can’t do much more than hand over the reins
> to his vice president if he does win, his candidacy would bring a rare
> level of intelligence and political sophistication to the election and
> much-needed attention to the problem of electoral reform. For that reason,
> you might donate a little money to his campaign
> <https://lessigforpresident.com/donate/>. I did.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75313&title=%E2%80%9CThe%20Strangest%20Campaign%20Pledge%3B%20Why%20it%20makes%20sense%20to%20support%20a%20candidate%20who%20vows%20to%20straighten%20out%20democracy%20and%20then%20quit.%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
> “Texas House Battleground Could Hinge on Voter-ID Law in Flux”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75311>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 8:27 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75311> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> National Journal reports.
> <http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/texas-house-battleground-could-hinge-on-voter-id-law-in-flux-20150813>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75311&title=%E2%80%9CTexas%20House%20Battleground%20Could%20Hinge%20on%20Voter-ID%20Law%20in%20Flux%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>, The Voting Wars
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, voter id
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=9>, Voting Rights Act
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
> “Road Ahead Murky After Voter ID Ruling”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75309>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 8:24 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75309> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> The *Austin Chronicle *reports.
> <http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2015-08-14/road-ahead-murky-after-voter-id-ruling/>
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75309&title=%E2%80%9CRoad%20Ahead%20Murky%20After%20Voter%20ID%20Ruling%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>
> “Former lawmakers sit on tens of millions in campaign cash”
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75307>
>
> Posted on August 13, 2015 7:43 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=75307> by
>  *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> USA Today:
> <http://www.news-press.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/12/former-politicians-like-trey-radel-tons-campaign-cash/31522477/>
>
> *At least 141 former members of Congress retain campaign accounts
> containing a total of more than $46 million, a USA TODAY analysis found.
> Twenty are linked to campaign committees with more than $500,000 each.
> Nearly one-third of the ex-lawmakers have been out of office at least five
> years.*
>
> [image: Share]
> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D75307&title=%E2%80%9CFormer%20lawmakers%20sit%20on%20tens%20of%20millions%20in%20campaign%20cash%E2%80%9D&description=>
>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, campaigns
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
>
> --
>
> 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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