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Campaign Finance

Robert Wechsler
A Resignation from an Ethics Board for a Possible Future Conflict
A member of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics resigned recently, according to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The reason for his resignation was a possible conflict of interest due to his representation of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) in...
Robert Wechsler
Former House majority leader Tom DeLay is currently on trial for laundering $200,000 in PAC contributions from corporate lobbyists through the Republican National Committee to Texas candidates. In Texas, corporate money cannot be used for political campaigns.

According to an article in today's New York Times, it is not these facts that are in dispute, only whether they actually add up...
Robert Wechsler

U. S. Senate candidate for Connecticut Linda McMahon was, until she announced her candidacy, the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and her management of that company has been her principal argument for electing her. WWE announced yesterday that it will be "giving away WWE merchandise near select Connecticut poll locations on Election Day."

Let's put aside the issue of...
Robert Wechsler
What is the worst local campaign finance violation? According to an article yesterday from the Los Angeles Daily News, it appears to be political money laundering. Mark Abrams, a former Beverly Hills developer, was fined $108,000 yesterday, and $270,000 for similar violations back in 2005.

Robert Wechsler
According to an article in today's Wall Street Journal, business organizations are arguing that government employee unions have a conflict of interest that should prevent them from supporting candidates for office. "Public-sector unions have a guaranteed source of revenue—you and me as taxpayers," the executive director of the U.S. Chamber of...
Robert Wechsler


It's always nice to see clever, simple, effective forms of disclosure that convey the most important information in the most readable, quickly understandable way. Such a form of disclosure is suggested in a paper published a month ago by Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School, and summarized in an...

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