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Stephen Colbert prevails before the FEC

June 30, 2011
The Los Angeles Times via The Chicago Tribune

By Kim Geiger and Melanie Mason

The Federal Election Commission Thursday granted faux talk-show host Stephen Colbert a special exemption to establish a corporate-backed political action committee to run ads on his program.

Colbert had asked the FEC for permission to create a "Colbert Super PAC" that would produce and air election advertisements, with the assistance of resources provided by Viacom -- the parent company of Comedy Central, which airs "The Colbert Report" –- without disclosing the extent of Viacom’s assistance.

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Our View: In America, the people are the ultimate restorers of balance.

December 17, 2009
Peoria Journal Star

From the Peoria Journal Star (Editorial)
Posted Jun 30, 2011 @ 01:19 AM

Some recent decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court have been framed as reflecting the body's 5-4 conservative bent, as well as an unfair bias among the interpreters of the law of the land in favor of the privileged over the powerless. To be sure, the court majority has recently sided with the likes of Wal-Mart, AT&T and the deepest of political campaign pockets.

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Markowitz Fined $20,000 for Wife’s Free Overseas Trips

July 25, 2011
New York Times

By Liz Robbins

When Brooklyn’s borough president, Marty Markowitz, took trips to Turkey and the Netherlands on official city business several years ago, he also accepted free travel expenses for his wife, Jamie Markowitz.

The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board deemed it an ethical violation and fined him $20,000, according to the findings released on Monday.

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Fair Elections

July 25, 2011
Boston Review

By Warren Rudman

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Independent groups getting a head start on 2012 campaign

July 17, 2011
Chicago Tribune

By Matea Gold and Melanie Mason

An early television war fueled by independent groups is poised to shape the focus and landscape of the 2012 presidential race much as "tea-party"-backed organizations helped set the stage for Republican victories in 2010.

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Alabama Democratic Conference files lawsuit to stop new Alabama law banning political fund transfers

July 6, 2011
Birmingham News

By Kent Faulk

The state's oldest black political group filed a federal lawsuit today challenging last year's changes to Alabama's campaign financing law banning transfer of money between political action committees.

The Alabama Democratic Conference says in the lawsuit that the new law hurts its get-out-the-vote efforts in elections and cuts money available for minority candidates.

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F.B.I. Arrests Man Said to Be a Front for Donations

July 19, 2011
New York Times

By Charlie Savage and Eric Schmitt

The Justice Department said that the government of Pakistan, including elements of its intelligence service, has been secretly funneling campaign contributions for years to members of Congress, presidential campaigns, and federal campaign committees, often through an activist working on Kashmiri issues who was arrested by the F.B.I. on Tuesday.

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Campaign Finance: Full Disclosure (Editorial)

July 20, 2011
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Creators Syndicate

Tougher campaign finance disclosure rules may soon be coming in the wake of a misguided U.S. Supreme Court decision that gutted key elements of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.

The House is considering this week a bill that would force interest groups to tell the public who their top donors are when they run broadcast ads or send out mailings prior to elections. The bill also would ban campaign ads by government contractors, some subsidiaries of foreign companies and the banks that haven't repaid their bailout money to the government.

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