Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Edwards donor pleads guilty to illegal donations 
"Court documents show Pierce O'Donnell, a prominent Los Angeles trial lawyer, admitted he gave employees and a relative a total of $20,000 to donate to Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign."

Rep. Woodall of Georgia takes a shot at campaign finance laws
This is interesting. Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) has introduced legislation that: "would ensure that money raised during a campaign could only be used in that one election cycle, and could not be “rolled over” to the next one."

Congress/2012
Watchdogs want bright light on "super committee's" activities
Yesterday, Public Campaign and 23 other groups sent an open letter to Congress demanding that the members selected for the "super committee" cease fundraising until a deal is reached and be fully transparent in all meetings with outside parties. David Donnelly: "I do think there's an opportunity for members and appointees to this super committee to begin to rehabilitate the trust and confidence that Congress as an institution has lost."
- Associated Press: http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/group-deficit-panel-members-1074787.html
- USA Today: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/debt-limit-lobbying/1
- Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/04/super-committee-transparency_n_918533.html
- The Hill: http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/175513-watchdogs-liberal-groups-deficit-committee-should-disclose-contacts-with-lobbyists
- Daily Beast: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/08/04/debt-deal-lobbyists-flood-congressional-super-committee.html
- Madison Daily Leader: http://madisonet.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1302&dept_id=181990&newsid=20464788&PAG=461&rfi=9
- You can see the full letter here: http://publicampaign.org/supercongress

Watchdogs demand investigation into "brazen" $1 million pro-Romney donation
Yesterday, it was reported that a Romney-aligned super PAC received $1 million from a company--then dissolved, a clear exploitation of Delaware's lax incorporation laws. PCAF called for DE AG Beau Biden to investigate. David Donnelly: "If Attorney General Biden doesn't act soon, Delaware is likely to turn into the Cayman Islands of political fundraising."
- Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/08/05/mystery_donation_to_pro_romney_pac_draws_scrutiny/?p1=News_links
- USA Today: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2011/08/soros-jj-abrams-super-pacs/1
- Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/short-lived-firms-1m-donation-to-gop-fund-raises-concern-over-transparency/2011/08/04/gIQAvczruI_story.html
- Our press release and letter is here: http://campaignmoney.org/press-room/2011/08/04/watchdog-calls-investigation-delaware-mystery-corporation

Justice asked to probe mystery donation to pro-Romney group
And it's not just us. Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center have asked the Justice department to look into the donation. Fred Wertheimer: "The apparent effort to keep secret the actual donor or donors of the $1 million may well be a violation of the campaign finance laws and this matter should be investigated by the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department"

Rivals in GOP struggle to woo Bush's donors
Republican 2012 candidates are having a tough time nailing down Bush donors.
- But Bob Perry is just spreading his wealth: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-center-for-public-integrity/conservative-contributor_b_918882.html

CBC Chairman condemns the debt ceiling bill
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri) who famously called the debt deal a "satan sandwich," also decried  "what he calls a woeful lack of civility on Capitol Hill, particularly as lawmakers battled over raising the debt ceiling, adding that politicians 'who are nasty' are rewarded with big campaign contributions."

There is no recess from the call to raise money
"Members of Congress spent the past few months fighting over the nation’s balance sheet, but now that they’ve headed out of town for recess, they are in agreement about one fiscal matter: their own treasuries."

The most unpopular Congress. Ever.
Wow. People really don't like Congress. In the latest CNN poll, just 14% approve of the job it's doing.

Former GOP state Sen. Nancy Argenziano to run for Congress as a Democrat
Wow: "The current iteration of the party abandoned real Republican principles long ago to cater to ideologues and corporations – the Koch entities, most notably – whose interests lie in the profiteering of America and the sacking of the middle class"

Obama's fundraising targets very large, very small donors
"Obama’s strategy has concentrated on two ends of the spectrum — very large and very small donors."

Other
Corporations pay for legislators' conference
A story in Arizona on ALEC's influence in the state. "Months after the Fiesta Bowl scandal..." it begins

Memo to GOP: College students have the right to vote
A college student in Maine takes on voter suppression efforts in the state. "While the need for oversight in elections is vital to ensuring a successful process, the need for young people to participate is vital to the success of democracy itself."

Wellpoint joins Koch to help fight Wisconsin senate recalls
Jonathan Salant looks at the money flowing into Wisconsin recalls.