FEC Approves Coordination Rule

With a 5-1 vote, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) approved a rule on coordinated communications, to regulate messages that are the "functional equivalent of express advocacy" for or against candidates. This "functional equivalent" language comes from the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Wisconsin Right to Life Inc. v. FEC. A separate provision was voted down and would have covered all messages that "promote, support, attack or oppose" candidates.

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Report Urges the IRS to Improve Enforcement and Oversight of 527s

The Treasury Department's Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to improve oversight of 527 tax-exempt political organizations that do not file timely or complete reports. According to the findings, one out of every four report that was reviewed in the audit had incomplete or missing contributor or recipient information. By aggressively fining groups for filing late or incomplete forms, the IRS could collect $5.3 million.

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Statement of Commissioners Highlights Leniency of FEC Disclosure Rules

Earlier this week, the three Republican members of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) released a statement of reasons explaining their votes in May to dismiss a case against a no longer active 501(c)(4) group, Freedom's Watch.

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Legislation to Overhaul Public Funding for Presidential Campaigns

Legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate (H.R. 6061 and S. 3681) to revise the outdated presidential public campaign financing system. Seeking to encourage smaller individual contributions, the bill would match small contributions of $200 or less with public funds at a 4-to-1 ratio.

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Committee Approves Shareholder Protection Act

The House Financial Services Committee approved the Shareholder Protection Act, H.R. 4790. The bill requires shareholder approval of a corporation's political spending for federal races. The Securities and Exchange Commission would have to issue rules requiring corporations to disclose any materials for political activities created with or purchased using company money. The bill was introduced by Rep.

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Bill Would Create a Task Force for Enforcing the LDA

The Lobbying Disclosure Enhancement Act passed the House to establish a task force to strengthen enforcement of rules for federally registered lobbyists. Originally, the bill was the Fees on Lobbyists Act. It would have set up registration fees and fines for lobbyists' late filings to fund enforcement. However, the bill was amended to simply create the Lobbying Disclosure Enforcement Task Force.

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Groups Work to Change the LDA

Reportedly, the American League of Lobbyists is working with the Sunlight Foundation to change the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). Once again Tom Daschle is the poster child for why such reform is needed. "Daschle, working with his firm's lobbyists, uses his decades of congressional experience to tell clients how to favorably influence policy.

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Unsurprisingly, Senate Will Not Debate the DISCLOSE Act

With a vote of 57-41, the Senate voted against proceeding to debate the DISCLOSE Act, S. 3628. The bill will likely not be addressed again before the August recess.

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Senate Will Consider DISCLOSE Act Next Week

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced a revised version of the DISCLOSE Act (S. 3628) on July 21, in hopes of gaining some much needed support from moderate Republicans before the upcoming August recess.

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FEC Will Eventually Consider Guidance for Disclosing Independent Expenditures

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) had on the agenda advisory opinion requests from the Club for Growth and Commonsense Ten for its July 15 meeting, but the agency has put them off for now. According to BNA Money and Politics ($$), the FEC has given itself a July 21 deadline to respond to the requests, which could set guidelines for the reporting of independent campaign expenditures.

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