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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Federal Election Commission

Federal Election Commission stories: 15 news summaries

 Sotomayor's First Case
 Could Transform US Politics

New justice in at the deep end with landmark campaign finance case

Sep 8, 09 7:09 AM CDT
(Newser) - There aren't any easy cases at the Supreme Court level but the one newbie Sonia Sotomayor and her eight colleagues will tackle  tomorrow is as momentous—and as tricky—as they come, McClatchy reports. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission will require the court to decide whether the long-standing ban... More »

MORE ABOUT:
free speech • campaign finance • Federal Election Commission • political action committees • US Supreme Court • Citizens United • Sonia Sotomayor

GOPers Spot
End Run Around Election Law

FEC rule lets 1-man corporations pool
their resources

Jun 9, 09 1:04 PM CDT
(Newser) - A decision by campaign-finance regulators has a pair of GOP strategists hoping to skirt limits set by election law, Politico reports. The Federal Election Commission recently OK’d ad buys made by a solo activist’s one-man corporation. That gave the strategists an idea: Rich individuals could avoid rules against... More »

MORE ABOUT:
campaign finance • campaign fundraising • Federal Election Commission • election monitors • election law • Michael Dubke • Carl Forti

Palin Shopping Spree OK: Feds

Commission nixes complaint that RNC's $150K in clothing purchases broke law

May 19, 09 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Federal Election Commission dismissed today a complaint that the Republican National Committee broke the law when it bought $150,000 in clothes for then-vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The FEC said purchases were “coordinated party expenditures” for campaign purposes, and did not violate... More »

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RNC • campaign funds • clothes • Republican Party • Federal Election Commission • Sarah Palin • election law

 Clinton Writes Off 
 $13.2M Campaign Loan 

Forgiving loan helps clear way for confirmation at State

Dec 23, 08 5:33 AM CST
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton has formally written off the $13.2 million of her own money she lent to her presidential campaign, Bloomberg reports. The move is a big step toward shutting down her campaign committee and removing a potential stumbling block to her Senate confirmation as secretary of state. Clinton still... More »

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Hillary Clinton • campaign finance • Clinton 2008 • Federal Election Commission • Election 2008 • campaign debt

Obama Ordered to Return Illegal Donations

Newsweek report prompts GOP to request federal inquiry

Oct 6, 08 5:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Barack Obama’s record-breaking $485-million war chest includes a number of small, illegal donations that federal officials have ordered the campaign to return, reports Newsweek. The GOP has requested a federal investigation into Obama’s campaign finances, the Washington Post writes. Roughly half of Obama's funds have been raised through... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • John McCain • investigation • campaign finance • Republican Party • Federal Election Commission • Election 2008

Clinton Lends Campaign $1M as Debts Mount

Reticent donors make mountain of liabilities difficult to pay off

Jul 21, 08 6:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hillary Clinton lent her suspended presidential campaign an additional $1 million at the end of last month, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. The newest self-loan—the New York senator has now lent herself $13.2 million—underscores how much difficulty she is facing in retiring her mountain... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John McCain • campaign funds • Federal Election Commission • Election 2008 • campaign debt

Spreadsheets Can't Handle Democrats' Haul

FEC, watchdogs, Excel struggle to keep up with bulging bank accounts

May 26, 08 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Democratic presidential candidates have raised so much money that the FEC can’t handle the data, Politico reports. Barack Obama’s January report was so big that industry standard spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel 2003 couldn’t handle it. By March, Hillary Clinton had also broken the Excel barrier—... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • campaign finance • FEC • Federal Election Commission • campaign finance report

McCain Ousts Consultant
Over Conflict
of Interest

He also worked for tax-exempt 527 group

May 16, 08 10:35 AM CDT
(Newser) - The McCain campaign gave the boot to veteran conservative consultant yesterday after it came to light that he also was a paid consultant for a tax-exempt political group designed to attack Democratic candidates, Politico reports. The campaign says it never coordinated its activities with the so-called 527 group—which would... More »

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John McCain • Campaign Finance Reform • Federal Election Law • Federal Election Commission • 527 groups • McCain 2008 • Craig Shirley

 Dems Sue
 to Cap McCain
 Spending 

Federal lawsuit charges public financing dodge

Apr 15, 08 5:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - The Democratic National Committee yesterday filed a federal lawsuit to limit the amount John McCain can spend on his campaign before the GOP national convention. In apparent violation of federal law, McCain's once-foundering campaign used expected federal matching funds as collateral for a bank loan, but then opted out of... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • John McCain • RNC • campaign funds • Democratic National Committee • Federal Election Commission • Tom McMahon

 $1M Embezzled From GOP 

Former committee treasurer under scrutiny

Mar 14, 08 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - One of the Republican Party's former top bureaucrats is suspected of embezzling up to $1 million from the party's campaign coffers, reports the Washington Post. The former National Republican Congressional Committee treasurer allegedly diverted money into his personal accounts for four years. The news is a tough hit for... More »

MORE ABOUT:
FBI • fraud • GOP • Republican Party • embezzlement • Federal Election Commission • Peter King • Tom Cole • NRCC • National Republican Congressional Committee • financial irregularities • Covington & Burling • Christopher J. Ward • Robert K. Kelner

DNC to File Campaign Fund Complaint Against McCain

DNC says McCain broke campaign finance rules

Feb 25, 08 7:07 AM CST
(Newser) - The Democratic National Committee will file an FEC complaint today against John McCain, accusing the likely GOP nominee of violating policy when he obtained campaign loans by promising to repay them with federal funds, the Washington Post reports. The FEC so far hasn't granted McCain's request to now opt... More »

MORE ABOUT:
John McCain • RNC • campaign finance • Howard Dean • Democratic National Committee • Federal Election Commission • US Congress • public funding

Feds Taking Closer Look at McCain Loan

Could lock him into matching funds—
and $54M limit

Feb 21, 08 12:32 PM CST
(Newser) - Today just isn’t John McCain’s day. The Federal Elections Commission says it may not allow the presumptive Republican nominee to drop out of the federal matching funds program, because he used it as collateral for a $4 million loan he took out to fund his cash-strapped primary campaign... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • John McCain • McCain Feingold • Campaign Finance Reform • matching funds • Federal Election Commission • McCain 2008 • David Mason • Trevor Potter

With Polls Open, Elections Monitor Closed

Partisan deadlock has Federal Election Commission toothless

Jan 9, 08 5:50 PM CST
(Newser) - As the 2008 election cycle kicks into high gear, the partisan wrangling over nominations to the Federal Election Commission has shut down the watchdog body, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Four of six seats on the commission are vacant, and nominations are gridlocked in the Senate—leaving the agency with... More »

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campaign finance • ethics bill • Federal Election Commission

The Hill Has Recess, But It's No Fun

Seconds-long Senate sessions stave off controversial appointments

Dec 26, 07 2:16 PM CST
(Newser) - Democrats in Congress are keeping a watchful eye on President Bush and preventing him from making any appointments during the monthlong holiday recess. The strategy requires the Senate to be in session every couple of days—even if only for a few seconds. On Friday, the Politico reports, the Senate... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Congress • Democrats • recess appointment • Harry Reid • James Webb • Federal Election Commission • Hans von Spakovsky • senator • George W. Bush

Edwards Will Accept Public Financing

Candidate points to principle, analysts
to necessity

Sep 28, 07 10:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - With the deadline to report third-quarter fundraising looming, John Edwards said yesterday his campaign will accept public financing. He calls the unexpected shift “a principled stand,” but the Politico deems it “probably also the only lifeline he has to stay in the race." The ex-senator urged... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Barack Obama • Hillary Clinton • John McCain • John Edwards • campaign finance • campaign fundraising • public financing • matching funds • Federal Election Commission • Democratic presidential primaries • presidential election

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