Pro-Stacey Abrams groups fined $300,000 after admitting they broke Georgia campaign finance law

From The Associated Press:
The Georgia Ethics Commission voted to fine two groups founded by Stacey Abrams – the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Project Action Fund – $300,000 for violations of state campaign finance law. Ethics officials ruled that the groups failed to register as independent campaign committees, and did not properly file campaign finance reports in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial race and a 2019 ballot campaign. Abrams stepped down from leading the groups in 2017, but now-Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was listed as the New Georgia Project’s CEO from 2017-2019. A spokesperson for Warnock’s office says that he had no knowledge of any campaign finance violations. 

Biden pardons Kentuckian Jerry Lundergan for campaign finance conviction

From the Kentucky Lantern:
As one of many pardons issued during his final hours in office, former president Biden pardoned former Kentucky Democratic Party chief Jerry Lundergan for federal campaign finance violations. Lundergan had been convicted in 2019 for using his company to pay for vendors providing services to the Senate campaign of his daughter, Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. 

Sweetwater County lawmakers take the Wyoming Freedom PAC to court for defamation

From Wyoming Public Radio:
Two state lawmakers in Wyoming are suing a PAC for defamation, claiming that the PAC produced mailers and texts that falsely accused them of trying to remove President Trump from the 2024 ballot. The PAC claims that its claim was accurate, because the lawmakers did not support a measure that would have allowed the Wyoming Secretary of State to support Trump’s efforts to not be removed from the ballot in Colorado. 

Hemp advocates gave campaign donations to lawmakers in fight over regulations

From the Chicago Tribune: 
Owners of hemp businesses in Illinois gave over $30,000 to state lawmakers to oppose a bill they claimed would shut down their industry. Currently, hemp in Illinois is “largely unregulated.” The majority of the donations went to the House Speaker, Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who ultimately did not bring the ban to a floor vote. A spokeswoman for Welch’s office claims he did not bring the bill to a vote because it did not have sufficient support from the Democratic Caucus.