Huffington Post: IRS To Take On Karl Rove? Tax Laws Could Take A Bite Out Of Secret Political Spending

Democracy 21 :

"Republican political strategist Karl Rove's method of secretly funneling unlimited contributions from big donors was so hugely successful in the 2010 campaign that Democrats are now trying to copy it. But his model may yet end up backfiring spectacularly.

In one scenario, groups like Rove's Crossroads Grassroots Political Strategies could find themselves subject to massive fines, ranging as high as 35 to 70 percent of the money they received in secret donations.

In another scenario, their deep-pocket donors could be hit by a 35 percent tax on their contributions."

Related articles

• Sunrise (5/25/11) (sunlightfoundation.com)
• Patton Boggs: IRS Examining Gift Tax on Contributions to Section 501(c)(4) Organizations 

Legal Center Files Brief in Ongoing Disclosure Challenge, Real Truth About Obama v. FEC

Campaign Legal Center: "On October 18, 2010, the Campaign Legal Center, along with Democracy 21, filed an amici brief in Real Truth About Obama (RTAO) v. FEC to defend FEC rules that establish when a political organization must register as a federal “political committee” and abide by comprehensive federal disclosure requirements."

How the Republican Establishment Is Raising So Much Money

TIME: "Ohio is hardly unique. From Washington to Florida this election season, candidates risk being drowned out by a flood of advertising from a robust new network of little-known conservative political outfits. 'Shadow Republican groups formed by longtime party officials and party operatives are raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars in this election,' says Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21, a nonpartisan campaign-finance-reform group, 'most of which is going to come in the form of secret undisclosed contributions.'"

News Links 09/24/2010 (a.m.)

• 72 Hours: The New Normal — Sunlight Foundation Blog

  In a few years, the 72 hour rule has gone from a perennial complaint to a serious leadership issue — the sort of attention the issue deserves.
  
  Over the last year, Speaker Pelosi has repeatedly committed to posting major legislation online before floor consideration, and stuck by those promises. 72 hours online has become the new normal.
  
  CBS News has apparently posted an advance draft of the House GOP platform, with some 72 hour language:
  
  Read The Bill:We will ensure that bills are debated and discussed in the public square by publishing the text online for at least three days before coming up for a vote in the House of Representatives.No more hiding legislative language from the minority party, opponents, and the public.Legislation should be understood by all interested parties before it is voted on.

  tags: Pork transparency Congress Bill earmarks

• Ballot Access News -- Evidence from Both Sides in Washington State Federal Lawsuit Against “Top-Two” System is Available on Secretary of State’s Web Page

  Much recent evidence on both sides in the lawsuit against “top-two” in Washington state can be seen at the Washington Secretary of State’s web page.  See here.

  tags: election law top-two Washington

• Rep. Brady Opening Statement on Fair Elections Now Markup

   “Today we mark up H.R. 6116, the “Fair Elections Now Act,” sponsored by Rep. Larson of Connecticut.  The Fair Elections Now Act is a voluntary program and would allow qualified House candidates to run for office utilizing a blend of contributions from small dollar donors and limited public matching funds. It is designed to change the current system of campaign fundraising which largely relies on large donors and special interests.  It does not limit or discourage spending by outside groups, but instead aims to ensure that those voices are not the only ones that can get heard in public debate.  It’s about encouraging more speech, not less.”

  tags: CHA Fair Elections Now Act Congress campaign finance

• Outside groups spending record amounts on mid-term elections - Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group

  Since January 2010, spending by outside organizations to influence congressional elections totals some $57 million--up more than $20 million from a comparable time period in 2006, the most recent non-presidential election cycle--according to reports collected by the Federal Election Commission. 

  tags: campaign finance citizens united independent expenditures FEC

• House Administration Committee Passes Public Funding Bill for U.S. House Candidates

  On September 23, the U.S. House of Representatives Administration Committee passed HR6116, the bill to provide public funding for candidates for U.S. House.  Candidates who raise at least $50,000 from voters in their state (not their district) qualify. 

  tags: CHA public funding Congress campaign finance

• Democracy 21 -- DISCLOSE Act Falls One Vote Short of Reaching Senate Floor for Consideration; Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer

  Senate sponsors of the DISCLOSE Act made clear to Senators Snowe and Collins that they were prepared to change the bill to strip it down to the disclosure provisions, to make 2011 the effective date  for the disclosure reforms and to discuss any other changes the Senators wanted to make.
  
  Yet, Senators Snowe and Collins were not even willing to discuss with the sponsors of the legislation changes in the bill to address any problems they may have.

  tags: DISCLOSE Wertheimer campaign finance Congress

• DISCLOSE Act redo fails to pass procedural test » Newsroom »  Center for Competitive Politics

  "The DISCLOSE Act was not a serious attempt at campaign finance reform," said Center for Competitive Politics Chairman Bradley A. Smith, a former Federal Election Commission Chairman. "This bill was written behind closed doors by the majority party to benefit incumbents. Democratic leaders made no serious attempt to pass a bipartisan bill, writing a bill that silences businesses groups while leaving labor unions largely unfettered."

  tags: DISCLOSE campaign finance Congress CCP

• Daily Herald | Rauschenberger wins case to stay on ballot

  The Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday upheld the Elgin Republican's position on a primary ballot to reclaim his old state Senate seat - the same day it first heard arguments on the case. A written opinion is expected to follow in the coming weeks.
  
  Supreme court spokesman Joseph Tybor said the quick turnaround was unusual for the court, but that the decision was expedited because of the upcoming Nov. 2 election.
  
  The case centers around a 2009 vote Rauschenberger placed in the local Democratic primary to support his sister, Carol Rauschenberger

  tags: election law ballot access

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

News Links 05/21/2010

• GOP House and Senate committees best Dems in April fundraising - The Hill's Ballot Box

  The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) by roughly $2 million in the past month, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised $1.3 million more than the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings.

  tags: gop, house, senate, Congress, campaign finance, fec, fundraising

• Vulnerable Democrats defend support for campaign finance legislation - TheHill.com

  Chamber President Thomas Donohue on Thursday reiterated his opposition to the Disclose Act, calling the bill “an unconstitutional attempt to silence free speech” and a “desperate attempt” by Democrats to gain political advantage in the 2010 elections.


  “It’s unconstitutional,” Donohue said. “It’s un-American. And it must be stopped.”

  tags: DISCLOSE, citizens united, campaign finance, Congress

• David N. Bossie - Elena Kagan: Hostile to free speech?

  I oppose Kagan's nomination because I believe that every American has a fundamental right, guaranteed by the First Amendment, to speak out for or against their elected representatives.

  tags: supreme court, campaign finance, citizens united

• Republicans Push Lawsuits to Unshackle Corporate Campaign Cash - Bloomberg.com

  In a pending case, Republicans asked the Supreme Court to strike down part of the McCain-Feingold law that bans corporate and union contributions to political parties.

  tags: citizens united, campaign finance, campaign finance litigation

• Democracy 21 -- Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer in Response to Absurd and Irresponsible Attack by Senator McConnell against Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan

  Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer in Response to Absurd and Irresponsible Attack by Senator McConnell against Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan

  tags: Wertheimer, citizens united, supreme court, campaign finance

• Pollster.com: Multi-Partyism in American Politics?

  A May 12th Wall-Street Journal/NBC poll finds that 31% of American adults' view on the two-party system is that, "The two-party system is seriously broken, and the country needs a third party."

  tags: parties, partisan, election law, poll

• Chuck Schumer vs. Free Speech - WSJ.com

  ...we believe that the bill proposed on April 30 by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen to "blunt" the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. FEC is unnecessary, partially duplicative of existing law, and severely burdensome to the right to engage in political speech and advocacy.

  tags: DISCLOSE, FEC, citizens united, Toner, Smith, FECA, campaign finance, Congress

• The Committee on House Administration - View Hearings / Meeting

  Additional Discussion of H.R. 5175, The DISCLOSE ACT, Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections

  tags: DISCLOSE, CHA, campaign finance, citizens united, Congress, Potter, Toner

• Danny Tarkanian: Sue Lowden breaking campaign law by accepting donated RV - Monday, May 17, 2010 | 3:15 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

  Sue Lowden, a leading Republican contender to challenge Sen. Harry Reid, is being accused by a chief competitor of breaking campaign finance law for accepting a luxury campaign bus as a campaign contribution

  tags: Nevada, campaign finance

• No system allows voters easy access to identities of special interests funding campaign ads : First Amendment Coalition

  Sunlight Foundation blogger says Congress needs to amend the DISCLOSE Act to make information about the sources available online in a timely, clear, and accessible format.

  tags: DISCLOSE, citizens united, Congress, campaign finance

• Democrats to tweak campaign bill after complaints over PACs - TheHill.com

  House Democrats are planning changes to a campaign finance bill in response to attacks from business groups that argue the measure will sound the death knell for political action committees (PACs) run by foreign-owned companies like Anheuser-Busch.

  tags: PACs, CHA, DISCLOSE, citizens united, Congress

• Ballot Access News » Blog Archive » California Poll Shows Big Lead for Proposition 14

  Assuming the measure passes, those who favor having more than just Democrats and Republicans on the November ballot will resort to the courts.

  tags: Prop14, proposition, California, election law, election law litigation, Elections & Voting, ballot access

• Kagan Critiqued Bush v. Gore Case - WSJ.com

  Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan expressed misgivings about the Supreme Court's ruling in the 2000 Bush v. Gore election case, according to newly released documents that provide further insight into her views on how judges should do their jobs.

  tags: supreme court, Bush v. Gore, 2000, Bush

• Citizens United Bill Underscores Broader Fight - Roll Call

  House Democrats are pushing forward today with a measure to strike back at the controversial Supreme Court decision loosening restrictions on political spending. But leaders are split on the strategy for advancing the bill — a debate that highlights broader Caucus tensions over how best to prepare the party for potentially brutal midterms.

  tags: citizens united, DISCLOSE, Congress, FEC, CHA

• Statement by the President on the House Administration Committee's Passage of the DISCLOSE Act | The White House

  tags: FEC, Congress, FECA, citizens united, DISCLOSE, CHA

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.