Where’s the line between a campaign and super PAC?

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— A statement from President Donald Trump’s campaign called a super PAC an “approved” group. Campaign finance experts agreed that while the wording was unusual, legal lines likely were not crossed.


— Trump’s campaign did not respond to multiple requests from POLITICO on how it would handle any foreign interference in the 2020 elections.

— Any respite you felt from political ads is coming to an end: A Democratic group is slamming a presidential candidate in New Hampshire, while the Club for Growth goes up for next week’s NC-09 GOP primary.

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Days until the NC-09 primary election: 6

Days until the Kentucky gubernatorial primary and PA-12 special election: 13

Days until the Louisiana gubernatorial primary election: 157

Days until the Kentucky and Mississippi general elections: 181

Days until the 2020 election: 545

WHAT’S IN A WORD? — The Trump campaign lit up an outside group run by the president’s former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie, whose group collected millions in donations from donors by playing up an appearance of a connection to the president (make sure you read Axios’ Alayna Treene, Jonathan Swan and Harry Stevens’ reporting on Bossie’s group and POLITICO’s Gabby Orr and Daniel Lippman on the reaction from Trumpworld on Bossie).

But what caught Score’s eye came at the end of the statement. “There are only four official fundraising organizations authorized by President Trump or the RNC,” the unsigned statement from the campaign read, listing the campaign, the RNC and two joint fundraising committees. “In addition, there is one approved outside non-campaign group, America First Action, which is run by allies of the President and is a trusted supporter of President Trump’s policies and agendas.”

America First Action is a super PAC that supports the president. So is the campaign crossing a legal line by labeling it an “approved” group? Most campaign finance experts contacted by Score agree that, while the wording is interesting, it doesn’t run afoul of campaign finance laws (the Trump campaign did not return a request for comment on what it meant by approved), and it isn’t coordination or a solicitation.

“It pains me to say it, but I don’t think [the statement itself] is a legal problem,” Common Cause’s Paul Ryan told Score (Ryan repeatedly argued that he believed the creation of America First Policies and America First Action was illegal because of their ties to Trump’s orbit while he was a federal candidate). “Pointing to a super PAC and saying, ‘That’s the one I approve of’ doesn’t break the law.”

“That type of language sends an unambiguous signal to potential donors, but it seems to be falling short of an actual solicitation for a super PAC by the president, even as his campaign is giving more than a wink and a nod that this super PAC has its blessing,” Issue One’s Michael Beckel emailed. More agreed: “I would have a hard time believing this alone would be counted by the FEC as coordination,” Rick Hasen, a law professor at the University of California-Irvine and author of the popular Election Law Blog, emailed Score.

“I am not sure that what the Trump campaign said publicly is all that different from what campaigns privately tell wealthy donors. But rarely do campaigns put this kind of language into a press release,” the Campaign Legal Center’s Brendan Fischer told Score, pointing to a memo from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. However, Fischer flagged one major difference in the Trump statement, noting his campaign did not “conspicuously note that the solicitation is limited to federal funds,” a maximum of $5,000.

In a statement, America First Action emphasized its independence. “While America First is an independent organization, we are honored to have the trust and confidence,” of Trump, President Brian O. Walsh said, writing that Trump and other senior officials will be welcomed “as specially invited guests at our events.”

Nevertheless, it could still be coming to a filing near you. “It is an interesting statement, and I’m sure that so-called reformers will file complaints,” Jason Torchinsky, a Republican campaign finance lawyer, told Score.

PRESIDENTIAL BIG BOARD — Former Vice President Joe Biden is leaning in to his deep political network. “Those relationships — both here and elsewhere — have greased Biden's relatively seamless entry into the race, glossing over the flaws of his candidacy as he powers to a lead in national and state polls that has only grown since he joined the crowded field,” POLITICO’s David Siders reported from Nevada.

How strong is Biden’s support among black voters? “Black leaders and strategists are divided over whether that backing will endure over the next year,” The New York Times’ Astead Herndon reported. “One camp believes his experience and appeal to older voters will make him an electoral juggernaut among the black community, while another sees him as a paper tiger whose appeal is generational and who may be overly reliant on his ties to” former President Barack Obama.

— Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) campaign rolled out a plan to fight sexual misconduct and discrimination on his campaign. “Part diagnosis and part prescription, the document lays out ‘guiding principles’ as well as policies and ‘key learnings from inside and outside political campaign work – and from conversations with former staff who have shared often painful personal experiences and ideas to keep them from happening again’,” The Guardian’s Lauren Gambino wrote.” It addresses issues including a lack of diversity among staff and leadership, pay disparity and sexual misconduct.”

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) pledged she would only nominate judges that would back Roe v. Wade if she was president, per POLITICO’s Elena Schneider.

— Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) launched a national training program for volunteers, POLITICO’s Chris Cadelago reported.

— Rob Flaherty, the former creative director at Priorities USA and deputy digital communications director for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid, is set to join former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s campaign, POLITICO’s Alex Thompson and David Siders reported.

HANDLING FOREIGN INTERFERENCE — The president’s campaign won’t say how it’ll handle foreign meddling in 2020. “The Trump campaign did not respond to numerous inquiries about whether it has implemented a policy about foreign interference — including the use of information stolen or hacked by a foreign power and whether aides must formally report outreach from foreigners,” POLITICO’s Eliana Johnson reported. “Several Democratic campaigns, by contrast, have announced policies on the subject.”

THE AD WARS — Demand Justice, a progressive outside group, launched an ad in New Hampshire targeting Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) that shows Trump morphing into Bennet. It criticizes Bennet for voting for Trump’s judicial picks. WMUR’s John DiStaso reported that the buy on the station will be a “five-figure” buy, with an additional digital buy of about $10,000. Some related reading: National Journal’s Zach Cohen reported last week that Bennet voted to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees more than any other 2020 hopeful in the Senate. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) voted for the least.

— Club for Growth launched an ad in NC-09, criticizing Republican Leigh Brown for not supporting Trump (Advertising Analytics tracked $41,000 in spending from the Club in the district). The ad criticizes her for her past work as a fundraiser for the Realtor PAC, saying she worked for an organization that supported Democrats. (The Realtor PAC has gone in big backing Brown in the district.)

The Club for Growth had previously endorsed Republican Dan Bishop in the primary and has also spent $80,000 to oppose another GOP candidate, Union County Commissioner Stony Rushing, who has been endorsed by Mark Harris, the 2018 nominee whose apparent victory was nullified by the state elections board.

MAYORAL WATCH — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is headed to a runoff with challenger Jamie Giellis after Tuesday night's elections, KUSA's Allison Sylte reported. The runoff will be in early June.

THE HOUSE MAP — Harrison Floyd, a Republican military veteran, announced he was running in GA-07, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein. He centered his announcement around “fight[ing] socalists.”

CASH DASH — Many House Democrats have sworn off money from corporate PACs. But the DCCC has made no such promise. The committee "raised about $1.93 million from 143 corporate political action committees in the first quarter of 2019, according to a Daily Beast review of campaign finance records. That’s up substantially from the past two election cycles,” The Daily Beast’s Jackie Kucinich and Lachlan Markay reported. “Lobbyist fundraisers are also ponying up for the DCCC. In the first three months of the year, eight registered federal lobbyists ‘bundled’ more than $1.2 million in contributions for the committee.”

THE SENATE MAP — Progressives are pushing environmental groups to abandon Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in 2020. “The League of Conservation Voters' and Environmental Defense Fund's campaign arms backed Collins in 2014, but it is an open question whether they will be able to again, as her race may determine control of the Senate after 2020,” POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna reported.

CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: “On election night 2018, I didn't hear anybody go, 'Oh jeez, we won! But gosh, wasn't all that stuff really bad that helped everybody win?'” — Mark Riddle, the executive director of Future Majority, on Democrats’ use of dark money to NPR.

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