All articles tagged with #campaign contributions
Originally Published 7 months ago — by ABC News
President Donald Trump has issued a series of pardons and commutations, including some to campaign contributors and supporters, amidst a broader pattern of clemency actions during his presidency, raising concerns about potential political favoritism.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Reuters
The U.S. Senate finance and budget committees have launched an investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged offer to roll back environmental regulations in exchange for $1 billion in campaign contributions from energy executives. The probe follows reports that Trump made these propositions at a campaign event, promising to reverse Biden administration policies and auction off more oil drilling leases. The American Petroleum Institute has dismissed the investigation as an election year stunt.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Guardian US
Senate Democrats have launched an investigation into an alleged quid pro quo offer from Donald Trump to oil executives, where he reportedly promised to roll back environmental regulations in exchange for $1 billion in campaign contributions. The investigation, led by Senate budget committee chairman Sheldon Whitehouse and Senate finance committee chair Ron Wyden, seeks details from eight oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute. The API dismissed the probe as a distraction, while Trump continues to seek campaign funding from the fossil fuel industry.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Former President Donald Trump's Save America PAC spent $50,000 in campaign contributions on legal fees for a codefendant in Fulton County's election interference case, and also spent roughly $75,000 in legal fees for another codefendant's representation. This is part of a surge of legal spending from Trump's campaign committees, which spent more than $50 million in 2023 on legal bills linked to criminal indictments he faces in Fulton County and three other jurisdictions, as well as other pending investigations.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Intercept
Payday lenders and banking industry groups regulated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have donated millions of dollars to the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which is backing a Supreme Court case seeking to eliminate the CFPB. Despite Republican voters' support for regulating payday lending, Republican officials in over 20 states are supporting industry groups in the lawsuit. The case challenges a rule aimed at protecting borrowers from payday lenders. The donations to RAGA raise concerns about the influence of campaign contributions on efforts to regulate predatory lending. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case on October 3.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Washington Post
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his political team targeted top lobbyists and their clients for political contributions, with a fundraising document revealing dollar figures next to each lobbyist's name. The document suggested that lobbyists be allowed to offer perks, such as meals and rounds of golf with DeSantis, in exchange for contributions. DeSantis's team aimed for nine lobbyists to raise at least $1 million each, with some golf outings with the governor expected to net contributions of $75,000 or more. The fundraising efforts, which included direct involvement from DeSantis, have raised concerns about the influence of wealthy donors on state policies.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Buffalo News
The Working Families Party has contributed $1,750 each to the campaigns of three unsuccessful Democratic primary candidates for Buffalo Common Council seats. Republicans have also made contributions to their candidates. In other news, Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino abruptly ended a TV interview after being asked about grading the city, and the primary elections in New York State have concluded. The Democratic primary fight for Tonawanda Common Council president has intensified on social media, with candidates exchanging barbs and accusations.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by POLITICO
Former Florida Democratic candidate for governor, Andrew Gillum, was acquitted of lying to the FBI in a corruption case involving illegal use of campaign contributions. However, the federal jury hung on charges that Gillum funneled tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to personal accounts. Prosecutors said they will retry him on those counts. Gillum had faced a potentially lengthy prison sentence if convicted.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Associated Press
Former Florida Democratic candidate for governor, Andrew Gillum, was acquitted of lying to the FBI in a corruption case involving illegal use of campaign contributions. However, the federal jury hung on charges that Gillum funneled tens of thousands of dollars in campaign money to personal accounts. Prosecutors said they will retry him on those counts. Gillum sought to become the first Black governor in Florida history when he took on Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018, but lost by less than 34,000 votes.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by ABC News
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio testified in federal court in Washington, D.C., as a prosecution witness in the trial of hip-hop star Pras Michel, who is accused of running an illegal multimillion-dollar influence scheme by funneling money from a Malaysian financier into U.S. politics, including making contributions to former President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign. DiCaprio spoke about his relationship with the alleged fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low and how Low allegedly leveraged money to gain access to powerful and wealthy people, including celebrities. Michel is charged with conspiring to commit fraud, making illegal campaign contributions, and falsifying records, among other counts.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
The Senate Ethics Committee has reprimanded Senator Lindsey Graham for soliciting campaign contributions in a Capitol office building during a media interview in violation of Senate rules. The committee sent a public letter admonishing the South Carolina Republican for soliciting donations to Herschel Walker’s campaign in the Russell Senate office building during a November 30, 2022, interview with Fox News. Graham acknowledged his mistake and took responsibility for his actions. The admonishment amounts to little more than a slap on the wrist, but the secretive committee exists to police and punish members who break the rules.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Hill
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics has formally admonished Senator Lindsey Graham for soliciting campaign contributions for Hershel Walker during an interview with Fox News in a federal building. The panel found that Graham violated Senate standards of conduct and used public resources for partisan political activity. This is the second time Graham has been found to have solicited campaign contributions in a federal building. The Ethics Committee rarely takes public action against sitting senators.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by POLITICO
The Senate Ethics Committee has formally admonished Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham over his solicitation of campaign contributions for Herschel Walker as he was headed to a runoff election for Senate in Georgia. The admonition is centered on a nine-minute interview with Fox News in the Russell rotunda on November 30, 2022, in which Graham directly solicited campaign contributions on behalf of Walker, mentioning his campaign website five separate times. The Ethics panel declared that the “committee finds that you did solicit federal campaign contributions and otherwise impermissibly conducted campaign activity in a federal building.”
Originally Published 2 years ago — by POLITICO
Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, plans to return the $2,500 campaign contribution she received from Silicon Valley Bank's political action committee in late 2020. The decision comes after federal investigators reportedly opened a probe into the largest bank failure since 2008. Waters opposed the 2018 bill that loosened up regulations of banks like SVB, which has come under renewed scrutiny since the California-based bank's collapse. Silicon Valley Bank's PAC gave more than $50,000 to the campaigns of nearly two dozen senators and representatives between 2017 and 2022, largely to members who served on relevant committees.