[EL] ELB News and Commentary 1/22/15

Rick Hasen rhasen at law.uci.edu
Thu Jan 22 07:35:01 PST 2015 

    “Sheldon Silver, Speaker of New York Assembly, Is Arrested in
    Corruption Case” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69843>

Posted onJanuary 22, 2015 7:33 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69843>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Big news 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/23/nyregion/speaker-of-new-york-assembly-sheldon-silver-is-arrested-in-corruption-case.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news>in 
NY:

    The powerful speaker of the New York State Assembly,Sheldon Silver
    <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/sheldon_silver/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
    was arrested on federal corruption charges on Thursday and accused
    of using the power of his office to solicit millions in bribes and
    kickbacks, according to court documents.

    The arrest of Mr. Silver, a Democrat from the Lower East Side of
    Manhattan who has served as speaker for more than two decades, sent
    shock waves through the political establishment and upending the new
    legislative session.

    Mr. Silver surrendered to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
    early Thursday morning in Lower Manhattan, law enforcement officials
    said.

    Mr. Silver, before entering 26 Federal Plaza, said, “I hope I’ll be
    vindicated.”

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Posted inbribery <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=54>,chicanery 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=12>


    “At UF, Stevens still sharp in criticism of Citizens United
    decision” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69841>

Posted onJanuary 22, 2015 7:28 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69841>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The /Gainesville Sun /reports. 
<http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150120/ARTICLES/150129968?p=1&tc=pg&tc=ar>

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    “Winner-take-all electoral system is a loser for democracy”
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69839>

Posted onJanuary 22, 2015 7:23 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69839>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

George Skelton LA Times column. 
<http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-cap-elections-20150122-column.html>

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Posted inalternative voting systems 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=63>,electoral college 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=44>


    “Citizens United After Five Years” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69837>

Posted onJanuary 22, 2015 7:22 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69837>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bauer blogs. 
<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2015/01/citizens-united-five-years/>

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    “IRS rarely audits nonprofits for politicking; ‘Dark money’ groups
    active in elections among those that often escape scrutiny”
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69835>

Posted onJanuary 22, 2015 7:21 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69835>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

CPI reports 
<http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/01/22/16640/irs-rarely-audits-nonprofits-politicking>.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>


    More on Foreign Money, Citizens United, and President Obama’s
    Statement <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69833>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 7:37 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69833>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

I’ve gotten some pushback o <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69806>n my 
claim that part of President Obama’s statement regarding the 5th 
anniversary of/Citizens United/was false. The arguments state that 
foreign money in fact may be coming into our elections, either in the 
form of undisclosed “dark money” going to 501(c) or other groups, or 
through American subsidiaries of foreign corporations, which are allowed 
to spend corporate funds, so long as the decision is made only by the 
American subsidiary.

Both of those facts do not alter my view what what the President said is 
false.  Take a look at the key aspect of the statement:

“But five years ago, a Supreme Court ruling allowed big companies – 
including foreign corporations – to spend unlimited amounts of money to 
influence our elections.”

In fact, five years ago, in Citizens United the Court expressly refused 
to rule on whether a ban on foreign money in elections (individual, 
corporate, or otherwise) could be banned in elections. It left the 
foreign spending ban in place. So Citizens United did not allow “foreign 
corporations” to “spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our 
elections.”

A few years later, in the /Bluman/case, the Supreme Court affirmed 
without opinion a lower court ruling upholding the ban on foreign money 
(including foreign corporate money) in our elections.

So the Supreme Court in/Bluman/did not allow “foreign corporations” to 
“spend unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections.”

The Court in /Citizens United/also upheld pretty broad disclosure rules 
for independent spending and other election-related spending.

So to the extent that “dark money” rules are allowing foreign money in, 
that’s on Congress (or the FEC or the IRS) for that, or it is based on 
lack of enforcement. And presumably, under /Bluman/, Congress could ban 
foreign spending by American subsidiaries of corporations.  Congress 
could also ensure that foreign individuals do not set up sham 
/domestic/corporations to engage in election spending.  All of that is 
on the political branches, not the Supreme Court.

There’s a reason Politifact rated President Obama’s earlier statement 
about /Citizens United/allowing foreign money into American elections 
“mostly false: 
<http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jan/27/barack-obama/obama-says-supreme-court-ruling-allows-foreign-com/>” 
because it is.

Because it is.

I find myself in the odd position of defending the Supreme Court in 
/Citizens United, /a case I find profoundly wrong. But there is enough 
to criticize about the case without resorting to hyperbole or worse.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    “Dave Helling: The ballot has become another partisan battleground”
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69831>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 5:19 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69831>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Kansas City Star 
<http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/local-columnists/article7585940.html>:

    Last fall, the courts repeatedly shot down Kobach’s attempt to keep
    Democrat Chad Taylor on the U.S. Senate ballot. (“The law is very
    clear,” Kobach said at the time. Apparently, not clear enough.)

    He pushed through a voter ID law. He tried to limit some registrants
    to casting ballots only in federal races. He now wants the right to
    prosecute voter fraud.

    Does anyone think Kobach took those steps to make voting easier? No.

    Don’t let Democrats off the hook. Already some in Kansas are saying
    straight-ticket voting is bad for democracy, the exact opposite of
    what Missouri Democrats said in 2006 when they fought to protect the
    practice. Partisan Democrats wanted to keep Taylor/off/the ballot.

    If Kansas is truly interested in voter convenience, it could combine
    straight-ticket voting with same-day registration, like Iowa. More
    mail-in elections would be good, too.

    Voting should be convenient, accurate, widely available — and fair.
    It should not be a place for partisan games.

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Posted inelection administration 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,The Voting Wars 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>


    “Here’s what I learned when I helped Stephen Colbert set up his
    Super PAC” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69829>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 2:08 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69829>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Trevor Potter writes 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/01/21/heres-what-i-learned-when-i-helped-stephen-colbert-set-up-his-super-pac/>.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>


    “Activists press Obama to curb secret political spending”
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69827>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:57 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69827>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

USA Today reports. 
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/01/21/watchdogs-say-president-obama-has-so-far-snubbed-efforts-to-address-citizens-united/22119213/>

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    And in Election Administrators Getting the Boot Dep’t…
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69825>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:40 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69825>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

St. Louis County Election Director Forced Out by Election Board After 
November Failures <http://bradblog.com/?p=11014>

Hartford Moves to Remove Registrars After Election Day Debacle 
<http://blog.lib.umn.edu/cspg/electionacademy/2015/01/hartford_moves_to_remove_regis.php>

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Posted inelection administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>


    “The legacy of ‘Citizens United’ strays from the Supreme Court’s
    vision” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69823>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:39 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69823>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

WaPo editorial. 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-legacy-of-citizens-united-strays-from-the-supreme-courts-vision/2015/01/20/ee4466c8-a01c-11e4-b146-577832eafcb4_story.html>

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    “The Truth About Citizens United” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69821>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:37 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69821>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Wendy Kaminer writes 
<http://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2015/01/21/campaign-finance-myths-wendy-kaminer>.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>


    “Citizens United Misunderstood” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69819>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:36 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69819>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Ilya Shapiro 
oped<http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/01/20/citizens-united-misunderstood-five-years-free-speech-anniversary-critics-column/22076597/>in 
USA Today.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    ” Are U.S. rivals hacking the American electoral system? Why it’s
    impossible to know.” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69817>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 1:34 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69817>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Meredith McGehee writes 
<http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/01/21/are-u-s-rivals-hacking-the-american-electoral-system-why-its-impossible-to-know/>for 
Reuters Opinion.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>


    “One by One, Protesters Interrupt Supreme Court Over Citizens United
    Case” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69815>

Posted onJanuary 21, 2015 11:35 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=69815>byRick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NYT reports 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/us/one-by-one-protesters-interrupt-supreme-court-over-citizens-united-case.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news>.

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Posted incampaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>

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

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