Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Politico Playbook: Obama Speaking to OFA Founders’ Summit
Even after the advocacy group made recent moves to reject corporate and lobbyist money, Obama will be speaking to Organizing for Action’s large donors and supporters at a Wednesday night dinner.
 
Public Campaign: Gov. Cuomo speaks with business leaders about need for Fair Elections reform
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave a great speech Friday stressing the critical importance of creating a small donor driven Fair Elections campaign finance system in New York State, and Public Campaign has a Storify recapping the event
 
USA Today: Senate bill pushes online campaign-finance filings
Could the Senate finally enter the late 20^th century with electronic filing of campaign finance reports? Jon Tester introduces a bill that would do just that, saving the government $500,000 every year.

Congress/2012
HuffPost: Carl Levin's Senate Investigations Feared, Praised By Lobbyists Who Reaped Big Fees
Levin’s chairmanship of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, “the most feared committee” on Capitol Hill, is recognized as one of the most effective investigatory bodies in Washington. Levin’s retirement speech indicated that he will use the post to look into IRS regulation of dark money 501(c)4 groups this year.
 
Roll Call: Rules of the Game: Obama's Nonprofit Carries on Dubious Tradition
Eliza Newlin Carney compares two nonprofit lobbying groups that have drawn heat for their ties to top Democratic politicians: the NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo-linked experience with the Committee to Save New York and Organizing for Action, the new outgrowth of the Obama campaign.
 
WaPo: Derek Khanna wants you to be able to unlock your cellphone
Ezra Klein discusses how the need to raise big campaign money has made it hard for the Republican Party to advocate for free markets, rather than just advancing the issues of existing businesses.
 
CPI: DCCC's most vulnerable House members reaped millions in 2012
“All 26 newly named Frontline participants had DCCC-sponsored ads produced on their behalf in 2012, according to the Center for Public Integrity's analysis. And their races accounted for nearly half of the more than $60 million the DCCC spent on independent expenditures during the 2012 election cycle.”
 
Syracuse Post-Standard: After $10 million campaign, Rep. Dan Maffei says it's time to take money out of politics
It’s not just at the state level—New York’s federal delegation is also increasing its support for Fair Elections.
 
CPI: Toyota forms new campaign money vehicle
“Toyota's North American subsidiary has formed a political action committee, a new Federal Election Commission filing indicates, meaning the Japanese automaker is adding another influence vehicle to its already sizable government outreach operation.”

Other/States
Sacramento Bee: California lawmakers avoid campaign contribution limits with ballot measure accounts
“In addition to their campaign accounts, legislators create "ballot measure" committees of their own that set no limits on the amount donors can contribute. The committees allow legislators to ask special interests for far more than the $4,100 per election they can solicit for their own campaigns.”
 
Grand Rapids Press: Ruth Johnson pushes new campaign finance rules: People 'deserve to know where the money's going'
Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is trying to advance rules that would increase disclosure through more frequent online reporting, as part of Sunshine Week.
 
Pocono Record: Campaign finance reform brings about strategic shifts
Robyn Blumner talks about the need for the reforms proposed in New York: “Here are some things we know to be true: (1) The economic struggles of average working people are not being addressed by the country's political system. (2) Politicians have to spend an inordinate amount of time angling for campaign dollars, and when donors and lobbyists hand over big checks, big favors are expected in return. (3) These issues are related.“