As of December 2023, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has received 59 allegations that Donald Trump or his committees violated the Federal Election Campaign Act. In 29 of those cases, nonpartisan staff in the FEC’s Office of General Counsel (OGC) recommended the FEC investigate Trump. Yet not once has a Republican FEC commissioner voted to approve any such investigation or enforcement of the law against Trump.

Democratic Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub pointed this out in her December 5, 2023 statement of reasons after the FEC once again failed to garner the votes to enforce the law against Trump after he allegedly violated the law by illegally soliciting or directing money to a pro-Trump super PAC that spent millions on ads opposing Joe Biden in 2020.

Because at least four of the six FEC Commissioners need to approve any FEC investigation, and because only three of those seats can be filled by Democrats, Republicans hold a veto over the agency’s enforcement and have repeatedly used it to shoot down any recommended enforcement of campaign finance law against Trump—and thus successfully shielded him from accountability over and over. Instead of fostering bipartisanship, the split FEC has often become gridlocked and, in cases involving Trump, its ability to pursue action is constrained by the members of one party.

The FEC’s enabling statute, the Federal Election Campaign Act, specifically subjects the Commission’s non-enforcement to review to prevent it from blocking meritorious enforcement. In June 2018, however, two Republican-appointed judges of the D.C. Circuit—including now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh—largely gutted that rule, giving commissioners the authority to block enforcement of the law without judicial review if the commissioners claimed that they did so as an exercise of prosecutorial discretion or under Heckler v. Chaney.

So, in 21 of the 29 cases where the FEC received recommendations to enforce the law against Trump, Republican commissioners justified non-enforcement by invoking prudential or discretionary factors in attempts to circumvent review.

When dismissing the recommendations to investigate Trump—and to kill further inquiries into his actions—the Republican commissioners have at times claimed that the FEC should not take any action because “proceeding further would not be an appropriate use of Commission resources” or that the resources would be “best spent elsewhere.” Trump has even falsely declared that the FEC “dropped” one of its investigations into him “because they found no evidence of problems.” As Commissioner Weintraub wrote in a statement of reasons in November 2023, “the data is clear: At the FEC, Mr. Trump is in a category by himself.”

Unless courts restore their check on partisan vetoes on enforcement, the commissioners will continue to fail to enforce federal campaign finance law against the powerful figures they are trying to protect.

For all you stupid Biden teet suckers, let me say one sentence that will finalize this entire mentality. Trump did not commit genocide. It doesn't matter if he could, it doesn't matter if he almost did; he did not. Biden DID commit genocide. Biden is worse than trump. Yes, they're both evil. But trump, combining all of his Decades of work, has literally killed less than biden. By significantly a lot. But the fact that you actually think Trump is more evil when the actions and facts refute you shows how much the stupid mentality of blue no matter who will actually God damn fuck you over too, you morons. Biden's a failure. Trump is a failure. But Biden is worse. This is not a debate. This is based solely on his voting actions since the 90s. Which by the way Trump wasn't even in politics back then. Dumbasses. Throw both of them in jail, do not allow any of those affiliated with those two run, and let's get some actual fresh faces. Maybe if we didn't make running just to get onto the ballot millions of dollars we could actually have decent people in the running. But you don't think about that. Like the Electoral college. Or super pacs. Or lobbying. Or citizens united. All things that determine the president more than your fucking vote does. But again don't think about that. Cuz it's easier not to think isn't it? Because if you had to think, ACTUALLY THINK, you would have to admit basically your votes never mattered, you did vote for the lesser of two evils but that's still endorsing evil pushing us closer to evil more each time, and now we have a genocide of an entire people due to a democratic president. Blood is on your hands. That's why you want it ignored. Cuz you can't find the fucking soap...(hint there isn't strong enough soap to clean away the sins you have ignored)

What your friends think of you...

Hello everybody 🌼 another pac is here!!! This one is what your friends think about you. Hope you enjoy!!!

DISCLAIMER : All my readings are only for entertainment purposes. As it is a general reading it may or may not resonate with you.

Choose your pile wisely and intuitively :)

Pile 1 → Pile 2 →Pile 3 → Pile 4

Pile 1

Your friends think that you are a very calm person. And someone who is healing from a deep scar. You are trying to move forward and your friends are supporting you they are there for you. They know that you had overcome a lot of hardships in your life to reach the stability you are today in. Also you might like travelling or you might travel alot. They did notice that.

Other than that they think that you are a very positive human being also you like your freedom and you won't give it away for any reason. You are fun and joyful to be around. You simply radiate positive and happiness. I also see you are very open to other people's opinion and you are ready to listen to them and do a bit alliterations in yours under their influence. But that doesn't mean you get manipulated easily it is just what you find is correct you speak for it. Also some of them might think that you are a good luck for them.

They also think that you could be sensitive about certain topics. You might be healing your inner child right now and trying to show it more on the surface. They think that you are a dreamer and someone who is highly connected to spirituality or your friends might even know that you are a psychic. Some of them might have a crush on you. They also think that you are beautiful inside out.

Pile 2

Your friends think that you are changed. Maybe in the long down you had a mental or physical glowup or both. They think that this is a new beginning for you and you should live it your way. They want you to let to go of something. And be present with them in the moment and enjoy it.

Your friends think that you are cheerful and playful. You are someone who is fun to be around and if you are there nobody will get bored. You are fearless,active, optimistic and loving at the same time. Maybe you are the one in your group who brings out unique ideas for your group to do. Your group of friends really appreciate you. You could be a extrovert.

Even with your bubbly personality they know that whatever you do with dedication you are willed to get success in it no matter what. You can overcome any obstacle which comes between you and your goal and this type of attitude towards achieving your goal gives motivation to your friends to achieve theirs. According to them you are the type of person who if one's get to work then you will completed with hard work and focus. And won't leave it until it's done.

Pile 3

Your friends think that you are surrounded with some kind of sadness and pain. Maybe there has been a situation of unrequited love or break up which your friends know about. They fully support you and they still see a tinch of sadness on your face.

Other than that they think that you are very nurturing, creative and harmonious. You could be really beautiful physically. You are also very caring and gentle towards other. You could have dominant feminine side.

They think you are also an opportunist. You seize the moment in your hand and don't let it go until and unless you are satisfied. You could also be assertive and direct about a certain things. I am also getting that your friends see you as someone who is intelligent sharp rebellious and brave. Someone who will go against the flow just to prove their point.

Pile 4

Your friends think that you are a happy person. You have attained stability and harmony in your life. They think that you are very creative and caring. Also you are blessed by God. I don't know why but your friends think you will make a good mother/father and a good husband/wife.

They also think that you might be traditional with certain topics. But your family has inculcated traditional values into you. They might think that you follow a certain religion with huge faith in it.

They think you are someone who loves to share there knowledge with others. They might also think that you have lack of structure and routine in your life you might get irrational at some places. You might have this tendency to control everything which might not be liked by some of your friends. Under pressure you can also give to dominant and oppressive. You might also lose your head in certain conditions. You might also lack discipline.

Some of your friends might be childhood friends and have been there for you ever since. They think you are kind and caring and giving. You like sharing everything you have and you also support your friends in decisions nobody even considered listening.

Credit to @firefly-graphics for the divider

Masterlist 🔗

Gotta vent for a min! 😤 House Rep. Katie Porter ran to be CA's next senator. Her opponent was backed by corporate interests and they spent a sh!t TON of money to make Porter look BAD. Anyway, she said the election was "rigged" on Threads.

Well, well, well... pearl clutching neo-liberal mayo sapiens are having a MELTDOWN 🌋 and comparing her to Trump for stating the TRUTH.

Like, I was CRINGING 😬 because are they honestly that oblivious? Had to copy/paste this as a reply until Threads told me to cool it:

"She's correct though. Thanks to Citizens United, politics is rigged by corporate interests. It allows unlimited spending by corporations on political campaigns, which effectively amplifies their voice over yours. You should be upset at the state of politics, not Katie speaking truth to power."

Like, LAWD 🙏. Do voters NOT look into who is FUNDING 🤑 candidates before voting for them? Do they NOT KNOW about Citizens United?!?? Do they think it's "normal" and "okay" 👌 for billionaires and corporations to have more power than the people??? The lack of CRITICAL THINKING and COMMON SENSE is WILD. 😭

We have to overturn Citizens United ASAP!!!

"We The People" Are Supposed To Have The Power, But Do We Really?

As Americans, we are taught from a young age that we live in a democracy where "we the people" have the power to elect our leaders and shape the policies that govern our lives. But recent events have raised questions about whether that power truly resides with the people or if it has been usurped by wealthy interests and political elites.

The rise of Super PACs and dark money in politics has allowed corporations and wealthy donors to wield enormous influence over our elected officials and the policy decisions they make. The Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court in 2010 opened the floodgates for unlimited corporate spending in our elections, effectively giving corporations the same rights as individual citizens when it comes to political speech.

As a result, we have seen the rise of a political class that is more responsive to the interests of big donors than to the needs of ordinary citizens. This has fueled widespread cynicism and distrust in our political system, as many people feel like their voices are not being heard and their votes do not matter.

But there are signs of hope. Grassroots movements like Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and the Women's March have mobilized millions of people to demand change and hold our leaders accountable. These movements have demonstrated the power of ordinary citizens to effect change and challenge the status quo.

The upcoming elections will be a test of whether the power truly resides with the people or if it has been completely captured by special interests. We must continue to demand transparency, accountability, and a level playing field for all citizens in our democracy. Only then can we truly say that we the people have the power to shape our collective future.

I don't understand how this is legal.

Shining Light on Dark Money is Good for Democracy

By Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)/ Public Citizen/ September 18, 2023 I have concluded, based on considerable observation and evaluation, that a band of right-wing billionaires has its hooks deep into our government.  It uses these hooks to thwart climate action, putting American and global safety at risk.  The good news?  We can fix the climate threats if we can get their hooks out. When…

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HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!!!

The guy who FOUNDED the DeSantis Super PAC destroys Ron and explains why he is now backing Trump:

“Retail politicking, charisma, charm, discipline, being able to conduct yourself in a likable manner… DeSantis just hasn’t had it…

I haven’t seen really an articulated message of why DeSantis is different than Trump… Why would you go for the cheap knockoff when you can have the OG version?” 🔥💯

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell bluntly warned Republican senators in a private meeting not to sign on to a bill from Sen. Josh Hawley aimed at limiting corporate money bankrolling high-powered outside groups, telling them that many of them won their seats thanks to the powerful super PAC the Kentucky Republican has long controlled.

According to multiple sources familiar with the Tuesday lunch meeting, McConnell warned GOP senators that they could face “incoming” from the “center-right” if they signed onto Hawley’s bill. He also read off a list of Senators who won their races amid heavy financial support from the Senate Leadership Fund, an outside group tied to the GOP leader that spends big on TV ads in battleground Senate races. On that list of senators: Hawley himself, according to sources familiar with the matter.

McConnell has long been a chief opponent of tighter campaign finance restrictions. But there’s also no love lost between McConnell and Hawley, who has long criticized the GOP leader and has repeatedly called for new leadership atop their conference. Just on Tuesday, Hawley told CNN that it was “mistake” for McConnell to be “standing with” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, in their push to tie Ukraine aid to an Israel funding package.

Hawley’s new bill, called the Ending Corporate Influence on Elections Act, is aimed at reversing the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision that loosened campaign finance laws – an effort that aligns the conservative Missouri Republican with many Democrats. Hawley’s bill would ban publicly traded corporations from making independent expenditures and political advertisements – and ban those publicly traded companies from giving money to super PACs.

In an interview, Hawley defended his bill and said that corporate influence should be limited in elections.

“I think that’s wrong,” Hawley told CNN. “I think it’s wrong as an original matter. I think it’s warping our politics, and I see no reason for conservatives to defend it. It’s wrong as a matter of the original meaning of the Constitution. It is bad for our elections. It’s bad for our voters. And I just think on principle, we ought to be concerned.”

According to a list of Senators obtained by CNN, McConnell singled out a number of lawmakers who benefited from his outside group over the last three cycles: Mike Braun of Indiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Susan Collins of Maine, Steve Daines of Montana, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Ted Budd of North Carolina, JD Vance of Ohio and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

In 2018, Hawley benefited from more than $20 million from McConnell’s group.

McConnell’s office declined to comment.

VG Cheats n Beatums reruns are back, with a special comic from 2015 where I got to be mean to Sonic YET AGAIN.

more can be read here: http://kcgreenn.com

Of course Lara Croft is more iconic than Mario, Sonic, Link and the rest, you can cry about it all you want in the replies on Twitter but it's the truth.

She's the most successful woman to ever hit video games.

She jump-started the action adventure genre.

She revolutionised 3D gaming.

She inspired tons of imitations and her likeness (dual pistols, long braid, blue tank top + brown pants combo) continues to be applied to various degrees in female characters to this day.

She has stayed relevant across decades.

She was the very first and only video game character to become a pop culture icon and be treated as a celebrity in the 90s, appearing in magazine covers, advertisements for Séat, Lucozade, Visa etc., touring with U2 and having her own publicist.

She has won multiple Guinness awards.

She has been portrayed by two Hollywood-winning actresses.

Her games have been extremely successful, both critically and commercially, and she has outlived her main and only competitor, Nathan Drake.

Lara Croft IS video games. It's just facts

lukewarm take of the evening: y'all care too much about being ""outdated"". fellas this smp moves inhumanly fast. it is ok to CHILL holy shit CHILL. y'all are like "(posts BANGER ART) super late guys sorry" friend i am hitting you with a blanket i am snapping you with my metaphorical towel WHAT DO YOU MEAN SORRY. "(posts BANGER FIC) rip this is outdated now" WHO CARES???? I LOVE YOU, OK. ohhhh woe is us as the fandom at large for having MORE HAPPY PILLS ARC CONTENT oh no how outdated!! how could you be writing speculative fiction about how forever felt during happy pills :( slash SARCASM!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN!!!! THERE ARE SO MANY BANGER ARCS, WHAT, YOU THINK WE'RE COMPLAINING????? FOR GETTING MORE OF THE CONTENT WE LOVED????? oh no we're past the period where everyone thought green gay ninjas were like Dead Dead, my work is now outdated and noncanon :( WDYM. GIMME. A BANGER IS A BANGER IDC IF IT TAKES THREE MONTHS. you think rome was built in a day?? fuck you, baltimore, GIMME. my ass has been cooking a goddamn backflipo family fic since july when it was ALREADY outdated do you think i fear god??? "oh no, you're making an edit of slime's (attempted) egg murdering spree?? how could you, that was months ago it's irrelevant" SAID NO ONE EVER.

save your wrists kidlings ok carpal tunnel is no joke. CHILL!!!!! CHILL!!!!!!!! TAKE YOUR TIME SHEEEEEESH OK LOVE YOU <3

Citizens United

Money in politics is a highly debated topic, as it has the potential to influence political decisions and undermine the democratic process. In this context, here are 10 facts about money in politics:

The Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision removed restrictions on campaign spending by corporations and unions, opening the floodgates for outside spending in politics.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, spending on federal elections has skyrocketed since Citizens United, with more than $14 billion spent on the 2020 elections alone.

Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns, have become a major force in American politics since the Citizens United decision.

Wealthy donors have an outsized influence on the political process. In the 2020 elections, just 1.5% of donors contributed 68% of all donations to federal candidates and political parties.

The revolving door between government and the private sector allows special interests to gain access and influence over elected officials.

Lobbying is a major industry in Washington, D.C., with more than 11,000 registered lobbyists spending billions of dollars each year to influence policymakers.

Dark money, or undisclosed political spending, is a growing problem in American politics, with more than $1 billion spent by dark money groups in the 2020 elections.

Campaign finance laws vary widely by state, with some states imposing strict limits on contributions and others allowing unlimited donations.

Public financing of elections is an alternative model used in some states and municipalities, which provides a set amount of funding to qualified candidates who agree to abide by certain rules.

The influence of money in politics has led to calls for reform, including proposals for a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United and limit the role of money in elections.