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A NOTE FROM FRED
The Center for Responsive Politics reports that outside groups have already spent $400 million to influence the 2016 elections. That is increase of 175 percent over the nearly $146 million outside groups had spent by June of 2012. If that rate of increase were to continue to the November general election, the amount of outside spending would reach $1.8 billion in the 2016 federal elections.
This is just one example of how completely broken our campaign finance system is as a result primarily of disastrous Supreme Court decisions by the Roberts Court. Another example: since the Citizens United decision in 2010, more than $500 million dollars in secret money has been spent by nonprofit groups to influence federal elections. Secret money is the most dangerous money in American politics. It allows large donors and officeholders to exchange money for political favors in secret without any means to hold the donors and officeholders accountable for illegal activity. Polls show that citizens overwhelmingly reject the current campaign finance system. To avoid an even more disaffected and cynical public than what exists today, the next Congress must act to reform and fix the system.
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Jimmy Carter endorses public financing as a campaign finance solution. In an interview at the Clinton Global Initiative, former President Carter said, "Another thing we could do is go back to presidential campaigns just using public funds for the general election." "Personally, I would like to see public funds used for all elections - Congress, U.S. Senate, governor and president." When Carter ran for president in 1976, he received $20 million in public financing. Read more.
Trump's relationship with the RNC sours and is "plagued by distrust, power struggles and strategic differences." Sources told POLITICO that the RNC feels Trump's campaign is trying to take control over the two Trump/RNC fundraising committees. As well, the RNC gave Trump a list of more than 20 top donors to call regarding fundraising and Trump only called three of them. The Trump campaign meanwhile has "deep skepticism" about the RNC's commitment to the candidate. Read more.
Clinton launches first general-election ad buy. The campaign has purchased TV ad time in seven states including Florida, Ohio and Virginia. The ads released for preview showed Clinton attacking numerous Trump statements and painting him as "extreme, unqualified and perhaps unhinged." Read more.
Another big sponsor backs away from Republican convention. Sources say billionaire hedge-fund manager Paul Singer will not donate to or attend the convention in Cleveland. Singer gave $1 million to the convention in 2012, but so far this election cycle, has spent millions trying to prevent Trump from winning the nomination. Last week, a spokesman said David Koch would also not be funding or attending the convention. Read more.
House votes to make dark money darker. The House approved a bill Tuesday that would open the door to illegal foreign influence in U.S. elections. The bill by Rep. Peter Roskam exempts non-profit groups from disclosing the names of their donors to the IRS. Democracy 21 and other reform groups sent a letter to the House earlier this week warning that the bill would eliminate the only protection the government has to prevent foreign interests from illegally funneling money into elections. Read more.
Another new anti-Trump super PAC forms. The former leader of the "Draft Biden" effort launched a new super PAC aimed at stopping Trump, but not supporting Clinton. The Keep America Great super PAC is focused on attracting supporters of Bernie Sanders and "disaffected Republicans". The groups founder Jon Cooper says the new PAC is designed to attract voters who are not enamored with Clinton, but who are against Trump. Read more.
Polarized House committee voted Wednesday to censure IRS commissioner. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted 23 to 15 along party lines to censure Commissioner Koskinen. Democracy 21 and other groups sent a letter to the committee earlier this week attacking the case as "meritless" and said, "There is no justification for taking unwarranted action... to punish Commissioner Koskinen." Fred challenged as "irresponsible" the Koskinen attack by Republican committee members. Read more.
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2016 FACT OF THE DAY
$400 million - The amount that outside groups have spent so far in the 2016 election. This amount "dwarfs the amount spent by this point in the 2012 election," according to The Center for Responsive Politics. Read more.
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NY: "New York legislators back alcohol at brunch. But ethics reform? Hopes are fading," says a headline in the New York Times. The NY legislative session ends today, but major proposals like limiting the corrupting influence of money in politics and ethics reforms remain unresolved. Read more.
CA: The Los Angeles Times looks at the political rise and fall of the Calderon brothers. Former State Senator Ron Calderon was sentenced this week to mail fraud after he accepted bribes from undercover FBI agents and a corrupt hospital executive. His brother Tom Calderon, a former state assemblyman, was charged with money laundering after attempting to cover up his brother's bribes. Read more.
By: Fred Wertheimer (@FredWertheimer) & Kathryn Beard (@KathrynBeard)
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