Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
ProPublica: Karl Rove’s Dark Money Group Promised IRS It Would Spend ‘Limited’ Money on Elections
ProPublica was able to get its hands on a copy of Crossroads GPS’s original application (as of yet, not approved) with the IRS, which claimed it planned to spend its money in the following way: “Crossroads' breakdown of planned activities said it would focus half its efforts on "public education," 30 percent on "activity to influence legislation and policymaking" and 20 percent on "research," including sponsoring "in-depth policy research on significant issues."”
More from Politico, and a fun look at the type of ads that Crossroads views as “not political” from Huffington Post.
 
Harvard Law School Forum: Meaningful Corporate Political Disclosure
Bruce Freed and Sol Kwon of the Center for Political Accountability lay out what they see as minimum standards for corporate political disclosure to actually be useful.
 
Jurist: The Question at the Heart of Citizens United
Paul Sherman, a counsel for the plaintiffs in the Speechnow.org v. FEC case that spawned super PACs, explains how the “simple question” decided in Citizens United was just
whether the government can “ban peaceful political advocacy.” That’s right, institutional corruption was totally not relevant.
 
Philadelphia Inquirer: Congress can shed light on secret political donors
Elections are like trials and dark money is like disallowable evidence in secret. That’s what a group of retired Pennsylvania state and federal judges is saying after seeing the 2012 elections, and the Inquirer editorial board applauds them.

Congress/2012
PR Watch: Running Scared: ALEC Anticipating an IRS Audit?
Not suspect at all: “According to internal ALEC documents, the organization has discussed forming a nonprofit organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, apparently in anticipation of the IRS revoking ALEC's current "charitable" status.”
 
OpenSecrets Blog: CRP Receives Grant from Colbert, Names Conference Room for Super PAC
A $136,000 grant with only one condition: “The only string attached is the renaming of the conference room, which will become official with the hanging of a plaque provided by Colbert. Frankly, the room needed a little personality.” Bravo.
 
National Journal: Bloomberg Super PAC Gun-Control Push Off to Strong Start
Michael Bloomberg’s Independence USA super PAC was putting money behind candidates favoring gun control in 2012. After Friday’s tragedy in Connecticut, “Bloomberg could find himself with more company the next time he tries to shape national gun policy at the ballot box.”
 
Chicago Tribune: Ethics panel investigating Rep. Aaron Schock
An ethics panel is investigating Rep. Aaron Schock over a possible illegal solicitation of funds for a super PAC.
 
Alliance for Justice: Former Komen Exec Wrongly Criticizes Planned Parenthood
Class, don’t confuse your 501(c)(3)’s and your 501(c)(4)’s. AFJ takes apart ex-Komen executive Karen Handel’s criticism of Planned Parenthood’s political operations, which was based on a confusion of what is permissible by the two different nonprofit types.

Other/States
Albany Times-Union: The winner this season: Fair Elections
If you missed it on Friday, read this op-ed from Cecilia Tkaczyk explaining how her championing of Fair Elections (and her opponent’s opposition) in her New York State Senate race helped her pull even against an incumbent that was supposed to have a cakewalk. You can also read Public Campaign Action Fund’s reaction.
 
WaPo: D.C. campaign finance misdeeds call for further inquiry
As the number implicated in D.C.’s campaign finance scandals continues to grow, further inquiry is called for, but so is reform of the District’s campaign finance laws and enforcement of what’s already on the books.
 
PBS: Montana to Probe Dark Money Group’s Link to Campaigns
“Two Republican state legislators in Montana have filed complaints against Western Tradition Partnership, an issue-advocacy group central to the Supreme Court decision reaffirming Citizens United.” The complaint pertains to American Tradition Partnership’s primary purpose (registered as a social welfare nonprofit, it cannot be political campaigns) and possible illegal coordination with candidates.