Undeterred, End Citizens United retained CLC to represent it in a new lawsuit filed Monday. The lawsuit
seeks a court order compelling the FEC to investigate Scott and, if he’s found guilty, punish him for violating campaign finance law. If the two watchdogs win and the FEC still fails to act, they could then sue Scott directly.
All of this points to the urgent need for reform. The For the People Act (also called H.R. 1 in the House and S. 1 in the Senate), which has passed the House and is awaiting a vote in the Senate, would go far to solve the problem.
Among other things, it would break the deadlock by reducing the number of FEC commissioners from six to five, and it would increase turnover by barring commissioners from serving indefinitely beyond the end of their terms until replacements are appointed.
Donald Trump and the endless rally
Three years out from the next presidential election, Donald Trump is already holding rallies and talking about the 2024 election. As of early August, he had raised over $100 million dollars for … well, the what isn’t exactly clear. Trump hasn’t declared his candidacy.
Most of the money is in a leadership PAC, Trump’s Save America PAC. Unlike a super PAC, a leadership PAC can’t accept money from corporations and is subject to other fundraising restrictions. There is a restriction on spending, too. Politicians who create leadership PACs can’t use them to fund their own campaigns. This means Trump won’t be able to use the money to fund a run for president if, as he is expected to do, he declares himself a candidate.
