Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* In a bit of a surprise, the Democratic National Committee this morning filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the Russian government, Donald Trump’s campaign, and WikiLeaks, alleging their coordination to disrupt the 2016 campaign. This civil suit is on a separate legal track from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
* Rep. Ron DeSantis, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Florida who’s enjoyed support from Donald Trump, was confronted with a new ethics complaint this week following reports that he rented a condo “from campaign donors who are executives at a defense contractor that lobbies the federal government.”
* Illinois’ gubernatorial race just got a little more complicated, with state Sen. Sam McCann (R) kicking off a third-party bid for Illinois’ highest office. The Republican state lawmaker is apparently describing himself as an “independent conservative,” who may further undermine Gov. Bruce Rauner’s (R) chances for a second term.
* McClatchy reported this week that Trump-owned businesses “have received at least $15.1 million in revenue from political groups and federal agencies since 2015.” The bulk of the revenue was spent by Trump’s own campaign.
* With Blake Farenthold recently having resigned from Congress, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is apparently eager to hold a special election to fill the vacancy. Roll Call reported, “Abbott sent a letter Thursday to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton outlining his desire to hold a special election soon and asking what laws he could bypass to speed up the process.” * In Pennsylvania, which will have a less-Republican-friendly congressional map this year following a state Supreme Court ruling, the latest Muhlenberg/Morning Call poll found Democrats leading Republicans on the generic ballot, 47% to 38%. * And a sign of the times in Indiana: “The start of early voting this week is a stark example that casting ballots is much more convenient in the Republican stronghold of Hamilton County than in Democratic-leaning Marion County.”
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
