Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
ThinkProgress: Rep. Chris Van Hollen On Campaign Finance, Election Reform
Van Hollen interview: “I’m gonna continue to press on a number of fronts, including urging the IRS to determine whether or not a lot of these organizations were using the cover or their tax-exempt status in order to pursue political and electoral objectives, whether they’re meeting the tests that provide them with tax-exempt status and give them the ability to hide their donors.”
 
Venable: Government Contractors Face Growing Risks from Laws Regulating Political Contributions
“However, for government contractors and their principals, a growing number of “pay-to-play” laws restrict political contributions and fundraising, and can result in severe penalties, including the loss of contracts. This alert looks at recent developments with pay-to-play laws and identifies key steps for staying in compliance.”
 
Politico: Mary Schapiro leaving SEC next month
Schapiro will be replaced as chair by Elisse Walter. The move could have significant ramifications for advocates seeking rulemaking by the SEC to require disclosure of political spending by publicly traded corporations. U.S. PIRG had a press release urging the next chair to support disclosure of dark money.
 
Huffington Post: Universities Should Demand Corporate Political Spending Transparency
“Colleges and universities, which control over $400 billion in endowment investments, have a clear and urgent responsibility to demand corporate political spending transparency -- to ensure that campaign spending by the companies in which we are invested is not corroding our democracy.”

Congress/2012
Politico: The un-super PACs
Dave Levinthal on the super PACs you don’t hear as much about: the 60 percent of super PACs that never raised one dollar.
 
Bloomberg BNA ($$): House Ethics Panel Probes Rep. Grimm, Defers Immediate Action at DOJ's Request
“The House Ethics Committee said Nov. 26 that it is investigating Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) for possible campaign finance violations but has put the probe on hold at the request of the Justice Department.”

Politico: GOP split resurfaces after Shelley Moore Capito announcement
After yesterday’s story about establishment Republican “Blowback PACs,” a reminder that the more ideologically purist outside groups will still be looking to have a big impact in the primaries. Club for Growth, Senate Conservatives Fund, and Freedomworks all have indicated they will oppose Capito’s bid.
 
AP: Duke Energy taps Shuler as Washington lobbyist
The revolving door swung quickly on this one.

Other/States
NYT: Why Florida Really Changed Its Voting Rules
David Firestone on the Palm Beach Post’s recent blockbuster interview: “In an interview with the Palm Beach Post published on Sunday, the former chairman of the Florida Republican party said voter suppression was the sole reason for the change to the election rules. Jim Greer, the party chairman in from 2006 to 2010, said he went to several meetings during which Republican officials discussed the damage that early voting — which brought an unprecedented number of black voters to the polls in 2008 — had done to the party.”

Anchorage Daily News: Labor unions taking advantage of Citizens United ruling
The labor-affiliated super PAC in Alaska, Putting Alaskans First Committee, went in big on Alaska’s state legislative elections, spending twice as much as the top two business-affiliated super PACs.
 
California Watch: 2 lawmakers accused of money laundering
Two brothers, Sen. Tom Berryhill and Assemblyman Bill Berryhill have been accused by the California Fair Political Practices Commission for allegedly laundering $40,000 in the 2008 election.