As we continue our effort to keep you up-to-date with all the news on how money continues to corrupt American government and politics, BillMoyers.com is pleased to be publishing this daily digest of money and politics news compiled and edited by Adam Smith, communications director of the non-partisan campaign finance reform group, Every Voice.
The second member to resign amid scandal this year and it’s only March –> “Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock resigned Tuesday, less than 12 hours after POLITICO raised questions about tens of thousands of dollars in mileage reimbursements he received for his personal vehicle.”
This extra mileage thing looks pretty bad. He’ll get a small pension. Barney Frank has opinions. A timeline of events. Sun-Times calls for investigations to continue. Roll Call: “Harper and others don’t see the Schock affair as a teachable moment.”
Common Cause’s statement: “It’s shocking that members of the House are under no obligation to take ethics training. Without it, this story is bound to replicate itself and further erode trust in government.” CREW.
During this Sunshine Week, a good point from Todd Purdum: “It is a testament to the reforms of the past 40 years since Watergate that Schock was snagged by his own paper trail of incomplete or misleading financial disclosure reports — the sorts of documents once upon a time not required at all…” IN OTHER NEWS: “Zombies swarm Olympia, but they’re just lobbying”
Campaign Finance/Elections
Roll Call: Taxpayer Dollars and Disclosure in Politics –> Public Citizen’s Lisa Gilbert: “We applaud the president for speaking out against the wave of ‘dark money’ that has overtaken US elections, and our response is: ‘We agree. Act now.’ The president should start by issuing an executive order to require federal government contractors to disclose all of their political spending. He has the power to do so at any time.”
Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Dark money hearing gets testy, passage expected Friday –> Bipartisan dark money disclosure legislation is still chugging along in Montana: “Montana lawmakers are poised to pass a law that its sponsor says will increase transparency in elections by requiring more frequent and detailed expenditure reports from candidates and committees.” Editorial on disclosure bills in Washington.
The Hill: Broadcasters want FCC enforcement changes for ad disclosure rules –> Broadcasters want less accountability for ad buy info: “In a filing, the NAB said the commission should consider only allowing local viewers to file complaints when broadcasters fail to fully comply. The change could make it harder for watchdog organizations to make their own complaints when stations fail to properly disclose the information.”
The Hill: Adding independent voices to the debate –> A bipartisan group of politicos have sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates urging it to include third-party or independent candidates, noting “The group also says the rule creates unreasonable fundraising requirements for outsiders, effectively limiting the pool of potential nonmajor candidates to wealthy billionaires like Ross Perot, who in 1992 was the last nonmajor party candidate to participate in a presidential debate.” WaPo. (As a personal aside: what about also releasing the debate contracts negotiated by the campaigns?)
Friday at UC Berkeley –> Reps. John Sarbanes and Jerry McNerney join State Sen. Loni Hancock, Sierra Club SF Bay, and CALPIRG for an event on “New Approaches to Big Money in Politics.”
Congress/Admin/2016
Union Leader: Trump drops ‘Apprentice,’ will launch presidential exploratory committee –> Ok: “Donald Trump will launch a presidential exploratory committee Wednesday, the eve of the business mogul’s return to New Hampshire.” (But this person is my favorite pretend candidate for president.)
HuffPost: 2016 Candidates Thumb Their Noses At Campaign Finance Rules –> “In recent years, non-candidates have taken that freedom and essentially erased the distance between themselves and so-called independent groups that was envisioned by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision and, thus, eliminated any real limits on contributions to candidates — which are the foundation of campaign finance regulation.” At least there are no TV ads yet?
Politico: ‘Sheldon Adelson primary’ cranks up next month –> Rob Portman, whose up for re-election in 2016, is also going: “Prospective GOP presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Mike Pence and Rick Perry are making pilgrimages to Las Vegas next month to appear before Sheldon Adelson and other major Jewish donors.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham in New Hampshire yesterday –> “Jeb couldn’t be here and you better be glad because it would be $10,000 a plate.”
SF Gate: Questions raised on authorship of chemicals bill –> Important tip: don’t forget to change the document properties before you circulate a bill written by an industry trade group. Maplight on chemical industry spending.
Bloomberg View: Billionaires Alter 2016 Playing Field –> Who needs a base of supporters if you have a sugar daddy: “Candidates still assemble campaign finance teams to attract donations, but a single eager billionaire can surpass the contributions of thousands of typical donors.”
Herald-Leader: Rand Paul preps for April announcement –> April 7: “Next month — the day after the NCAA championship game — Paul plans to announce that he is running for president in front of hundreds of supporters at Louisville’s Galt House.”
Some fancy lawyering –> RT @kenvogel: GOP atty Don McGahn must have some major firewalls. Now representing Rick Perry’s PAC, Donald Trump’s exploratory effort & the Kochs c4/PAC.
Every Voice: After Receiving Millions in Wall Street Cash, House Budget Guts Financial Reform –> The House GOP budget released yesterday notes, “a truly strong economy is built by innovators that thrive because of the value they provide to consumers, not on what special connections they have in Washington.” Of course, the budget would also gut Dodd-Frank after Wall Street money helped expand their majority in 2014 so the crony capitalism message gets a little muddled.
Bloomberg: The ‘Super PAC to End Super PACs’ Makes a Strategic Retreat –> On Mayday’s new strategy, with some comments from David Donnelly on Every Voice Action’s work.
WaPo: Top Republican strategists in talks to join Jeb Bush’s super PAC –> “Some of the Republican Party’s top strategists are in serious discussions to work for Jeb Bush’s super PAC, Right to Rise, a well-funded group that will operate independent of Bush’s official campaign but will work to promote his candidacy and tear down his opponents.” Heh, “Independent.”
WFB: House Democrats Court Big Donors at Weekend Getaway –> “High-dollar Democratic donors will attend a New Mexico retreat this weekend that has hosted by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee…”
Daily News: Michael Grimm’s ex-girlfriend sentenced to 3 months in prison over illegal campaign contributions –> “The ex-girlfriend of disgraced Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm was sentenced Tuesday to three months in prison for making illegal campaign contributions” and, the story notes, “Durand’s sentence doesn’t bode well for Grimm.”
National Law Journal: Daschle to Register With DOJ as Lobbyist for Foreign Client –> For Taiwan: “Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who started a public policy practice at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz last year, said he will register with the federal government as a lobbyist for the first time in his career.”
Fox News: Barbara Bush makes new fundraising pitch for son Jeb –> “Former first lady Barbara Bush is making a new fundraising pitch for her son Jeb as the former Florida governor tests the waters for a White House run.” WaPo.
LA Times: MPAA’s Chris Dodd is facing industry upheaval and clashing studios –> Interesting piece on Chris Dodd and the MPAA, with this tidbit: “Some of the studios have balked at the rising costs of operating the trade group. Studios contribute at least $20 million each to support the MPAA, two board members said.”
Other/States
HuffPost: Billionaire Who Backs Rahm Emanuel Also A Big GOP Donor –> Billionaire Ken Griffin, who once said the wealthy have “insufficient influence” in politics and was the first person to hit the new federal party limits cap with donations to the RNC, is also a big donor to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Emanuel’s at close to $20M.
San Diego Source: County OKs campaign finance rules, vision for blue-tech economy –> “Candidates for San Diego County offices whose campaign contributions reach $10,000 will now be required to file their campaign finance statements electronically, after the San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an ordinance it found ‘balances the need for public transparency and operational efficiency.'” (cc: Mitch McConnell)
SacBee: Filings sometimes obscure California political ad details –> In California: “Government records, though, can make it particularly challenging for people to track the money behind election-season ads that blanket the airwaves.”
Reuters: Former Connecticut Governor Rowland to be sentenced on Wednesday –> “Former Connecticut Governor John Rowland is due be sentenced on Wednesday for violating US campaign laws by taking payments from a business owned by the husband of a candidate he advised.”
Star-Tribune: Groups spend $61M lobbying Legislature –> “Groups spent $61 million lobbying the Legislature last year, down from $69 million in 2013, according to reports filed this week with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board.”
Reuters: Chile’s campaign finance scandal fells CEO of SQM fertilizer –> “SQM fertilizer company has fired its chief executive after it became embroiled in an election campaign financing scandal that has rocked the Chilean establishment, tainting business leaders and politicians with close links to the 1973-1990 dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.”
To read more go to http://everyvoice.org/dailyclips.
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