Tag: Political consulting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday sentenced Republican political consultant Samuel Patten to 36 months of probation, 500 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine in a case spun out of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Patten, 47, pleaded guilty in August to communicating with U.S. lawmakers and news media organizations on behalf of a Russia-aligned political party in Ukraine called the Opposition Bloc without disclosing that work to the Justice Department, in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), among other offenses. Patten is a former business partner of Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian national indicted by Mueller and accused of having ties to Russian intelligence. In Patten’s guilty plea he also admitted to arranging for a U.S. citizen to act as a straw purchaser to pay $50,000 for four tickets to the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump on behalf of a Ukrainian oligarch, who reimbursed Patten through a Cypriot account. Patten, who spoke briefly at the hearing, said he “fully recognized” that he committed serious criminal conduct. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Patten’s violation of FARA was “not a mere technicality” and undermined the democratic process. You didn’t try to justify them, and you didn’t try to blame them on anyone else,” Berman Jackson said to Patten, adding “that doesn’t happen everyday in this courtroom.” Berman Jackson said the acceptance of responsibility was one reason Patten received a much lighter sentence than former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Patten’s lawyer had asked for a sentence of probation, saying his case was unlike other FARA prosecutions, which have typically involved a lobbyist attempting to conceal the identity of the client and the source of funds. Federal prosecutors in Washington, who started investigating Patten after receiving a referral from Mueller, said in a court filing on Monday that Patten met or spoke with government investigators on the phone nine times. Patten’s case has sparked interest in Washington amid a widening crackdown by the Justice Department on undisclosed lobbying.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday sentenced Republican political consultant Samuel Patten to 36 months of probation, 500 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine in a case spun out of U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe. Patten, 47, pleaded guilty in August to communicating with U.S. lawmakers and news media organizations on behalf of a Russia-aligned political party in Ukraine called the Opposition Bloc without disclosing that work to the Justice Department, in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), among other offenses. Patten is a former business partner of Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian national indicted by Mueller and accused of having ties to Russian intelligence. In Patten’s guilty plea he also admitted to arranging for a U.S. citizen to act as a straw purchaser to pay $50,000 for four tickets to the inauguration of Republican President Donald Trump on behalf of a Ukrainian oligarch, who reimbursed Patten through a Cypriot account. Patten, who spoke briefly at the hearing, said he “fully recognized” that he committed serious criminal conduct. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Patten’s violation of FARA was “not a mere technicality” and undermined the democratic process. You didn’t try to justify them, and you didn’t try to blame them on anyone else,” Berman Jackson said to Patten, adding “that doesn’t happen everyday in this courtroom.” Berman Jackson said the acceptance of responsibility was one reason Patten received a much lighter sentence than former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Patten’s lawyer had asked for a sentence of probation, saying his case was unlike other FARA prosecutions, which have typically involved a lobbyist attempting to conceal the identity of the client and the source of funds. Federal prosecutors in Washington, who started investigating Patten after receiving a referral from Mueller, said in a court filing on Monday that Patten met or spoke with government investigators on the phone nine times. Patten’s case has sparked interest in Washington amid a widening crackdown by the Justice Department on undisclosed lobbying.

Donna Brazile, a nationally known political strategist, is the next speaker at Lincoln University's new lecture series, "A Dream Fulfilled: The Presidential Lecture Series." The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the event is free and open to the public. She was the first African American to manage a presidential campaign, in 2000. Brazile has been an on-air contributor on CNN and ABC, and she has served as a columnist for Universal UClock, Ms. Magazine and O, the Oprah Magazine. Brazile has made appearances at more than 200 colleges and universities, speaking on topics such as "Inspiring Civility in American Politics," "Race Relations in the Age of Obama," "Why Diversity Matters," and "Women in American Politics." In October 2017, she received the W.E.B. In addition, Brazile was named one of Washingtonian Magazine's 100 Most Powerful Women. And she is one of the Top 50 Women in America named by Essence Magazine. Brazile received the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's highest award for political achievement. An LU news release noted the series "is designed to equip and empower students to overcome the economic, social, cultural, and political challenges of today, as they prepare to reshape the fabric of America as the leaders of tomorrow."

Super PACs and independent expenditure hybrid PACs gave out a combined $552 million to the top 10 highest-paid political consultants during the 2018 election cycle, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, meaning only a handful of groups produce a majority of the political ads that fill the airwaves come election season. Data on expenditures from outside spending groups, including payments to political consultants, is now included on the profile pages for super PACs and other outside spending groups on Opensecrets.org, making it easier than ever to see which consultants are being paid by these groups. Political consultants — which use money from super PACs to produce political ads and purchase them on stations along with other duties — tend to stick with one side of the ideological spectrum and are often staffed with former political operatives. With more than $149 million given to the group by super PACs and hybrid PACs, liberal consultant Waterfront Strategies claims the top spot among outside spending vendors in 2018. Between GMMB and Waterfront, the two groups have combined to be the highest-paid consultant in each election cycle since 2012. Waterfront was the top vendor for a number of major liberal super PACs, including Senate Majority PAC, Women Vote! and League of Conservation Voters. The firm has no online presence whatsoever and had just two large clients prior to 2018 — the National Republican Senatorial Committee ($7.4 million) and Liberty for All Super PAC ($1.3 million) in 2012. A majority of those funds — $38 million — came from Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action, which spent $126 million in negative ads against Trump during the 2016 election. Red Eagle Media Group just makes the top 10, getting nearly $22 million from pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.

Karin Caves, a fixture in Sacramento politics who advised powerful California lawmakers and governors since the late 1980s, died early Thursday. The news of her death surprised her friends in the Capitol and beyond. She began her latest assignment as the communications director for the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration in October. She was diagnosed with the illness that took her life only a month ago, her friends said. She's volunteered and worked for political campaigns since the early 1980s, including Gary Hart’s 1984 presidential campaign. Never miss a local story. “She was really good at her job. Caves worked at the Health and Human Services Agency from 2014 until she joined Maduros’ department last year. She will be deeply missed,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Diana Dooley. Caves’ last job put her in charge of communications for a new state department that the Legislature created to replace the Board of Equalization.