ALEC Launches Effort to Protect Gerrymandering from Judges
Efforts to limit the courts' role in creating district maps come as 2020 redistricting looms.
Influence
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Florida Congressman Chairs the Board of Commercial Bank, Owns Stock Options
After the arrest of Rep. Chris Collins for insider trading made possible by his board seat at a pharmaceutical firm, Sludge has discovered another member of Congress who is on the board of a for-profit business.
Arizona Rep Took $10,000 Trip to Speak at British Anti-Muslim Rally
Under the guise of free speech protection, Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona took a pricey trip to London in July, funded by an anti-Muslim group based in Philadelphia.
Paul Ryan-tied Super PAC Reports Last-Minute Spending in Bellwether Ohio Race
The Congressional Leadership Fund has spent almost $290,000 on advertising expenses supporting Republican congressional candidate Troy Balderson for Ohio’s 12th Congressional district.
Dark-Money Donors Must be Revealed, Court Rules
In a potentially game-changing decision, a federal court ruled that “dark-money” groups that spend more than $250 on direct political expenditures will have to disclose all donors who have given $200 or more towards those operations.
Bob Goodlatte May Be the First Member of Congress to Disclose Owning Bitcoin
Goodlatte, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, owns as much as $80,000 in cryptocurrency. His son is an angel investor in cryptocurrency trading platform Coinbase.
Thurgood Marshall Jr. Is Giving Thousands to a Private Prison PAC
Marshall, Jr., has been on the board on the second largest private prison company in the United States since 2002. In just 2016, he received $221,000 in compensation for working on the board.
Despite Ties to Opposition, Michigan High Court Approves Redistricting Measure for November Ballot
In a 4-3 decision, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that an independent redistricting ballot initiative can appear before voters in November.
Breakaway N.Y. Dems Rake in Big Corporate Donations as Challengers Log Many Small Contributions
Just 2.1 percent of the campaign cash received by members of the recently shuttered Independent Democratic Conference, which aligned with Republicans, came in the form of donations of $200 or less.
Judges Deciding Michigan Redistricting Measure Rake in Campaign Contributions from Opposition-Linked Groups
The justices on Michigan's Supreme Court that will decide the fate of a proposal to create an independent redistricting commission have received $336,000 from people and groups affiliated with the opposition.