Michigan Secretary of State Benson Accused of Campaign Finance Violations

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson allegedly accepted a donation in excess of $10,000 over the state’s legal campaign finance limits.

The purported discrepancy is the basis for a lawsuit filed with Attorney General Dana Nessel Tuesday by Michigan Rising Action. According to an MRA news release, Benson accepted four separate contributions from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights totaling $81,500. The state-imposed limit is $71,500.

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Nashville Metro Councilman Incurs $360,000 Fine for Campaign Finance Violations

Jonathan Hall

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance fined Nashville Metro Councilmember Jonathan Hall to the tune of $360,000 at their meeting on Thursday.

The Registry found Councilmember Jonathan Hall guilty of campaign finance law violations related to his run for Council in 2018 and 2019. Councilmember Hall represents District One on the Metro Council which covers Bordeaux, parts of North Nashville, Whites Creek and Joelton.

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Rashida Tlaib Violated Campaign Finance Law, House Ethics Committee Unanimously Rules

Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib violated the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 by paying herself a salary from her campaign after securing victory in the 2018 general election, the House Ethics Committee unanimously ruled on Friday.

The Ethics committee found that Tlaib violated FECA’s personal use restrictions by paying herself $10,800 from her campaign when she was no longer a congressional candidate in late 2018 and ordered her to repay that amount back to her campaign within one year, the committee said in a report.

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Report: Investigation Into Ilhan Omar’s Misuse of Campaign Contributions Completed

by Molly Prince   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing a probe into her campaign spending after complaints alleged that she misused contributions for personal use, according to a report published on Monday. The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board is investigating Omar after Minnesota GOP State Rep. Steve Drazkowski filed two complaints alleging she spent nearly $6,000 in campaign funds for personal use while she served in the Minnesota legislature, reported WJLA. Some of the improper expenditures include payments to Omar’s divorce attorney and spending on travel to Boston and Estonia. “I had observed a long pattern,” Drazkowski told WJLA. “Representative Omar hasn’t followed the law. She’s repeatedly trampled on the laws of the state in a variety of areas, and gotten by with it.” The campaign finance allegations come on the heels of a separate incident where the freshman congresswoman had to return $2,500 in speaking fees, according to The Pioneer Press. Omar accepted payment from Normandale Community College and Inver Hills Community College in 2017, despite Minnesota House rules barring lawmakers from accepting speaking fees from entities with business at the Legislature. Authorities have reportedly completed the investigation but have not yet compiled their findings or issued rulings.…

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