Leftist Lawfare Group Looks To ‘Silence’ Political Speech
The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is suing to reverse an FEC opinion that allows coordination between candidates and like-minded groups.The Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is suing to reverse an FEC opinion that allows coordination between candidates and like-minded groups.SCOTUS Smacks Down Limits On Political Party-Candidate Spending Coordination
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that federal limits on political party-candidate spending coordination are unconstitutional. The ruling was 6-3, with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in the dissent. The case, known as NRSC v. FEC, stems from a 2022 challenge to a provision of the Federal Election Campaign Act […]Early red flag for GOP? Democrats rack up massive Q1 fundraising hauls
The first-quarter campaign fundraising total for the 2026 midterms reveals that House and Senate Democratic candidates have picked up significant early momentum, potentially spelling trouble for Republicans as more primary elections approach.
At least one Democratic candidate raised more than a Republican in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, New Hampshire, and Alaska, Punchbowl News reported.
'There's no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed.'
Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D) raised $27.1 million, breaking a record for the largest amount for a Senate candidate in any state. Talarico's fundraising significantly outpaced his potential opponents. Sen. John Cornyn (R) raised $9 million, and Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) raised $2.2 million.
Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) raised $14 million during the first quarter. The incumbent's fundraising far outpaced that of Republicans hoping to unseat him. Rep. Mike Collins (R) raised just over $1 million, and Rep. Buddy Carter (R) raised just $470,000.
In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) is hoping to defeat Republican incumbent Sen. Jon Husted. Brown raised $10.1 million in the first quarter, while Husted brought in $2.9 million.
Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is running against Michael Whatley (R) and three other candidates to secure retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat. Cooper raised $13.8 million in the first quarter, while Whatley raised $5 million.
RELATED: 'Record' cash advantage gives GOP upper hand in state AG races
House Democratic challengers also raised significant funds in the first few months of the year.
In Arizona, JoAnna Mendoza (D) raised over $2.3 million, among the highest reported by a Democratic House candidate. Mendoza's opponent, incumbent Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R), raised $1.1 million.
In Wisconsin, Democratic candidate Rebecca Cooke is looking to oust incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R). Cooke raised $2.4 million, while Van Orden raised $1.3 million.
"Of course, this is only part of the picture. Candidates are now using joint fundraising committees to air TV ads. Super PACs will play a big role," Punchbowl News reported. "GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson did raise the most in Iowa's open Senate race. And Democratic primaries will drain some resources."
"But there's no way for Republicans to spin this: Their candidates are getting crushed," the outlet stated.
RELATED: 'We have a glaring disadvantage': Democrats panic as GOP dominates in fundraising, NYT reports
While Punchbowl News insisted it was all doom and gloom for Republican candidates, the National Republican Congressional Committee saw the Q1 funding results as a win for the GOP.
"Republicans are LAPPING Democrats in fundraising & building a war chest they can't match," the NRCC wrote in a post on X, adding that the GOP "outraised, outworked, [and] outmatched" their Democratic counterparts.
Mike Marinella, the national press secretary for the NRCC, stated, "Once again, and for every single quarter this campaign cycle, @NRCC Patriots have outraised [the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] Frontliners."
"House Republicans have the momentum on our side, and the money proves it," he wrote.
Federal Election Commission reporting showed that Democratic Senate candidates have raised $368 million for their 2026 races, compared to $324 million raised by Republicans. Democratic House candidates collected $691 million, while Republicans raised $578 million.
Some of the most prominent names in Republican political consulting did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
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Grassley: DOJ Partisans Killed Probe Into Clinton, DNC Steele Dossier Cash
'These records show the same partisans who rushed to cover for Clinton rabidly pursued Arctic Frost, which was a runaway train aimed directly at President Trump,' Grassley said.Maxine Waters caught in shady campaign finance scandal — slapped with hefty penalty
California Democrat U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters is once again caught in a legal bind, this time for allegedly violating several campaign finance rules.
The Federal Election Commission accused Waters' 2020 campaign committee, Citizens for Waters, of "failing to accurately report both receipts and disbursements," "knowingly accepting excessive contributions," and "making prohibited cash disbursements."
'The Committee acknowledges errors were made which were not willful or purposeful.'
A conciliation agreement sent by the FEC to the committee's treasurer on Friday outlined the alleged violations.
"During the 2020 calendar year, the Committee understated $262,391 in receipts and $256,154 in disbursements. The Committee untimely amended its reports to correct these errors," the signed agreement read.
RELATED: House Democrats use campaign funds to pay family members
The committee was further accused of accepting "excessive contributions from seven individuals totaling $19,000 that were not refunded, reattributed, or redesignated within the permissible timeframe." The agreement noted that the Waters campaign "did untimely refund or disgorge the excessive contributions."
"During the 2020 calendar year, the Committee made four prohibited cash disbursements that were each in excess of $100, totaling $7,000," the agreement added.
Waters' campaign agreed to cease and desist from committing such violations and pay a $68,000 civil penalty. As part of the agreement, the campaign treasurer will also attend a "Commission-sponsored training program for political committees."
In January 2024, Waters' campaign attorney, Leilani Beaver, responded to FEC's findings.
Beaver wrote, "The Committee acknowledges errors were made which were not willful or purposeful."
She attributed the "errors" to "limited staff availability and resources during the pandemic."
When reached for comment by Open Secrets, Beaver referred questions to the Waters campaign and congressional office, neither of which responded. Waters' campaign and office also did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
RELATED: Rep. Maxine Waters’ campaign paid her daughter $240K
This is not the first time Waters' campaign has faced allegations of misused donations.
Waters was previously accused of using campaign finances to employ her daughter's company. Over a two-decade period, Waters' campaign gave the company $1.2 million in "slate mailer management fees."
The House Ethics Committee also accused Waters in 2010 of violating conflicts-of-interest rules by allegedly providing government assistance to a bank with ties to her husband. The committee ultimately dismissed the charges.
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Trump fires Democratic FEC commissioner who repeatedly attacked him. Now she's refusing to leave.
Ellen Weintraub, a Democratic commissioner and chair on the Federal Election Commission, revealed Thursday night that President Donald Trump fired her last week. Weintraub, an outspoken Trump critic whose political bias and routine disparagement of Trump have long sparked controversy, suggested she won't leave her post.
Weintraub, who has served on the nation's civil campaign finance regulator since 2002 and previously worked at the Democratic-aligned firm Perkins Coie, shared an image of a Jan. 31 letter she claimed was from Trump, which stated, "You are hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately. Thank you for your service on the Commission."
Weintraub noted, "Received a letter from POTUS today purporting to remove me as Commissioner & Chair of FEC. There's a legal way to replace FEC commissioners — this isn't it."
Weintraub's six-year term — a term limit established by the Federal Election Campaign Act — expired nearly two decades ago, back when George W. Bush was still president. However, commissioners can continue in a holdover status. Evidently, the Democratic commissioner from New York wants to keep holding on.
"I've been lucky to serve the American people & stir up some good trouble along the way," continued the Democratic commissioner, who previously accused Trump of damaging American democracy and questioned the legitimacy of the Electoral College. "That's not changing anytime soon."
'Weintraub's statements indicate that she has prematurely judged matters that could come before the FEC, and that she radically rejects any legal perspective other than her own.'
It appears that in order to can a commissioner, the president must first nominate a replacement, then have him confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Accordingly, Weintraub can continue to haunt the commission until her replacement is named and approved.
Former Republican FEC commissioner Caroline Hunter noted in a 2019 op-ed that Weintraub's partisan hackery was "harming the legitimacy of the institution she purports to serve."
"Commissioners are meant to be independent and neutral arbiters of campaign finance law. Yet Weintraub's statements indicate that she has prematurely judged matters that could come before the FEC, and that she radically rejects any legal perspective other than her own," continued Hunter. "Not only that, she risks misleading the public about what the FEC does and what campaign finance law really says."
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the Biden-pardoned chairman of the Jan. 6 committee, was among the Democrats who had a conniption upon learning that Trump was kicking Weintraub to the curb.
Thompson stated, "Donald Trump is methodically dismantling our democracy. He is firing every person with experience, expertise, character, and commitment to the Constitution in order to replace them with mindless yes-men who will give Donald Trump and Elon Musk carte blanche to break the law and rip off the American people."
The New York Times indicated that the White House had not responded to requests for comment.
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‘This Is ILLEGAL’: Speaker Johnson Calls For Further Investigation Into Democrats’ Fundraising Machine
The Democrats' campaign fundraising platform hauled in record cash while raising troubling questions about foreign donations.Today's top stories
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Levin: Foreign regimes have been pumping money into American universities for decades