Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Watt moves to slash ethics office budget by 40%
With the blessing of Republican leaders, Rep. Mel Watt (D-N.C.) will push to slash the budget of the Office of Congressional Ethics. Makes total sense, what with the pristine reputation of the House Ethics Committee as of late.

Leadership, free to lead
Do read this. Former Louisana Gov. Buddy Roemer has a piece in the Boston Review on the "urgency of campaign-finance reform." He doesn't think Fair Elections is the answer, but I wonder if he just needs a bit more education on it.

Shareholder Protection Act is silencing speech
The Institute for Justice says that legislation like the Shareholder Protection Act that gives shareholders a voice in corporate political spending silences speech.

FEC rules John Edwards campaign must repay $2.3 million over matching funds
The Federal Election Comission ruled yesterday that John Edwards needs to repay the public financing money he took in 2008.

Congress
House subsidies supporters receive over $1.2 million from big oil in first six months of 2011
Our report with LCV yesterday on Big Oil's PAC giving for the first half of the year. Supporters of subsidies money got a whopping 95% of all donations.

House Republicans advance bill to curb authority of labor relations board
The House continues its efforts to curb the power of the National Labor Relations Board.

Jacksonville car dealer: I'll prove Congressman Buchanan set up campaign finance scheme
And Rep. Vern Buchanan's (R-Fla.) story keeps getting worse with his former business partner saying he'll prove that Buchanan set up a campaign finance scheme.

News Corp. PAC increased political donations in June
Washington Post picks up the News Corp. PAC's donations in June. David Donnelly: “The question today for any member of Congress who took money is whether they will stand up to Rupert Murdoch and News Corp. by joining the growing demand for congressional hearings. With the severity of the acts perpetrated by News Corp. employees — and the possibility that Americans were targeted — I wouldn’t be surprised if they began to return these donations.”
- Wait, did James Murdoch not tell the whole truth in his testimony before parliament? http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/british-lawmaker-says-james-murdoch-should-clarify-after-ex-colleagues-challenge-his-testimony/2011/07/22/gIQAD5lGTI_story.html.
- And it looks like Department of Justice is preparing subpoenas: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/59636.html

GOP offers face-lift for Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
"The fight between the White House and congressional Republicans over the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one of President Barack Obama’s signature accomplishments, took a new turn Thursday when the bureau formally assumed some of its powers as a Wall Street and banking industry watchdog — just as a GOP-controlled House committee voted to further restrict its powers."

Wall Street titans continue to invest millions on K Street
CRP looks at second quarter lobbying: "The financial sector continues to pour millions of dollars into lobbying the federal government amid a shaky economic recovery, disagreements in Washington about raising the debt limit and the implementation of the financial regulatory reforms passed by Congress last year."

Feds investigate Congressman David Rivera on casino contract
"Federal investigators have opened a second criminal probe of U.S. Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.), examining undisclosed payments from a Miami gambling enterprise to a company tied to the Republican congressman, The Miami Herald has learned."
- He disputes the story: http://www.rollcall.com/news/rivera_disputes_report_of_fbi_and_irs_investigations-207576-1.html?pos=htmbtxt.

Corporate money to be returned from Ark. GOP event
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) was listed as a host on a state fundraising event that accepted corporate money. He promises he didn't know, but all the corporate money is being returned anyway. Oops.

Exclusive: Top staffer for Rep. Issa's committee maintains financial relationship with lobbying group
Headline sort of says it all, but just in case: "ThinkProgress investigation has found that at least one of Issa’s (R-Calif.) hires still maintains a financial relationship with the lobbying group he left to become a federal employee under Issa."

Congress, FCC hit brakes on T-Mobile/AT&T merger
"AT&T’s proposed merger with T-Mobile USA, once seen as inevitable, hit some significant speed bumps this week."

Other
Bid to fix Maine campaign funding law
"A day after a federal judge invalidated a key provision of Maine’s public campaign financing law, supporters of the system are confident the law will be fixed in time for next year’s elections."

Group forms to counter Christie backers
A Democratic 501(c)4 is up in New Jersey to fight Gov. Chris Christie. Will they reveal their donors?