CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Mar 13 2025POLITICS

Trump's Pardon: A Controversial Move

Brian Kelsey, a former Tennessee state senator, found himself in hot water. He had pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws. This was serious stuff. He was caught funneling money illegally to boost his 2016 congressional campaign. Kelsey even admitted to coordinating secretly with a national political group and faking records to hide the illegal cash transfer...

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Jan 25 2025POLITICS

Mayor's Late Fundraising Report Raises Eyebrows

Recently, Mayor Brandon Johnson's campaign finance report revealed over $200, 000 in previously unreported funds. This comes after his spokesperson, Christian Perry, told Politico in early January that the mayor actually raised around $200, 000, despite an earlier report showing only $970 for the last quarter of 2024. The new report, filed on Thursday evening, lists...

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Jan 16 2025POLITICS

Scott Stringer's Plan to Clean Up NYC Politics: Ban Donations from Contractors and Lobbyists

Imagine a political campaign without money from lobbyists and city contractors. That’s what Scott Stringer, a former city comptroller and current mayoral hopeful, is proposing. He wants to restore trust in NYC’s government by stopping candidates from accepting donations from these groups. This isn’t new for Stringer; he’s proposed similar ideas before. But this time,...

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Jan 15 2025POLITICS

Campaign Funds: A Close Look at Dolton, Orland Park, and Tinley Park Elections

Tiffany Henyard, Dolton's mayor, is funding her own re-election campaign, with no outside contributions except for her loans. Her opponent, Jason House, has raised around $20, 000 from various sources, including contributions from local officials and a law firm. Henyard, who is also under federal scrutiny, hasn't received any campaign contributions since spring 2023....

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Dec 31 2024POLITICS

Two Texas GOP Representatives Cleared of Campaign Finance Misuse Allegations

Earlier this week, the House Ethics Committee wrapped up investigations into two Texas Republican congressmen, Wesley Hunt of Houston and Ronny Jackson of Amarillo. The committee found no intentional misuse of campaign funds for personal gain. The investigations began in March, sparked by allegations that the representatives used campaign money for private club membe...

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Dec 31 2024POLITICS

How Marc Elias's Legal Move Boosted Trump

In March, a significant change in campaign finance rules happened, thanks to a petition from Democratic lawyer Marc Elias. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) allowed political campaigns and outside political action committees (PACs) to work together on canvassing efforts to get out the vote. This was opposed by some watchdog groups who feared it would give wealthy...

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Dec 17 2024POLITICS

Cash Crunch for Adams: Is the System Fair?

In a surprising turn of events, the Campaign Finance Board (CFB) has denied Mayor Adams access to over $4 million in public funds for his re-election campaign. This decision, made by an unelected body, raises serious questions about the democratic nature of New York's public campaign finance system. The board based their decision on alleged crimes and corruption agai...

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Dec 17 2024POLITICS

Keeping Politics Clean: The Fight Against Shady Campaigns

New York City’s campaign finance system is designed to keep big money out of local politics, and it does a pretty good job. But the system faces a big challenge: shady politicians like Mayor Eric Adams. Recently, the Campaign Finance Board stopped Adams from getting public matching funds for his re-election campaign. This happened after he was accused of abusing the ...

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Dec 15 2024POLITICS

Mayor Eric Adams' Funding Dilemma: Public Money on the Line

On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams of New York City will find out if he'll receive millions in public funds for his reelection campaign. This decision by the Campaign Finance Board comes as Adams prepares for a corruption trial in April. If the board says no to funding, Adams could face a tough fight in the June Democratic primary. The board is reviewing Adams' federal ind...

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Dec 13 2024POLITICS

The Mystery Behind a Last-Minute Political Donation

A political group called Save Western Culture spent a whopping $1. 4 million on ads and calls to help Democrats win key races. The money came from a nonprofit called Stop China Now, which was formed just before the election. This sudden donation raised questions because it happened after the deadline for campaign finance disclosures, leaving voters in the dark. Both ...

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