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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.

The Tallahassee Democrat has hired William Hatfield as its new executive editor.

President and Publisher Skip Foster announced Hatfield's selection Wednesday. Hatfield is currently the editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News in Fort Walton Beach. He will start his new position in April.

The Illinois native moved to Florida in 2000 to take a position as a copy editor and page designer at the Daily News. He worked his way up, eventually becoming editor last year.

Hatfield has a journalism degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and a master's degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Hatfield replaces Bob Gabordi, who left the Democrat in January to become executive editor at another Gannett paper, Florida Today.

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Information from: Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, http://www.tdo.com

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Tallahassee Democrat hires new executive editor

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has denied any wrongdoing by Liberal Democrat MPs after a party fundraiser faced allegations that he sought to bypass donation laws.

The party's election campaign leader Lord Ashdown acknowledged that Ibrahim Taguri had "serious questions to answer" after the Daily Telegraph reported that he told an undercover reporter posing as a wealthy Indian businessman that he could channel donations via family members and backdate cheques to avoid appearing on public registers.

The party's former chief fundraiser - who has quit as the Lib Dems' general election candidate in Brent Central following the allegations - was also said to have promised big donations could "open doors" and introduced the fake donor to key figures including Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander.

Mr Alexander was recorded at a dinner thanking the supposed businessman for what he was doing, adding: "I won't intrude on the details, but genuinely it will make a difference."

Mr Clegg told LBC radio that the recording showed "Danny being a polite guy, just saying thank you to someone who he has been told is supporting the party".

The Lib Dem leader added: "The idea that Danny or any parliamentarian has done anything wrong is categorically untrue.

"On the issue of Ibrahim Taguri, no cheque has been received by the Liberal Democrats, no cheque has been cashed. If we had received this cheque in question, of course it would have been scrutinised and checked."

Mr Clegg said that, alone among political parties, the Lib Dems had invited the Electoral Commission to examine the processes they have in place to scrutinise donations and been told they were "sound and satisfactory".

He called on the other major parties to come together within six months of the general election to agree new rules for party funding, accusing David Cameron and Ed Miliband of "skewering" his attempts to deal with the problem during this Parliament.

Asked whether individuals could buy access to senior Lib Dems with large donations, Mr Clegg said: "That's ridiculous. It doesn't work like that at all."

Continued here:
Lib Dem quits amid donation claims

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has denied any wrongdoing by Liberal Democrat MPs after a party fundraiser faced allegations that he sought to bypass donation laws.

The party's election campaign leader Lord Ashdown acknowledged that Ibrahim Taguri had "serious questions to answer" after the Daily Telegraph reported that he told an undercover reporter posing as a wealthy Indian businessman that he could channel donations via family members and backdate cheques to avoid appearing on public registers.

The party's former chief fundraiser - who has quit as the Lib Dems' general election candidate in Brent Central following the allegations - was also said to have promised big donations could "open doors" and introduced the fake donor to key figures including Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander.

Mr Alexander was recorded at a dinner thanking the supposed businessman for what he was doing, adding: "I won't intrude on the details, but genuinely it will make a difference."

Mr Clegg told LBC radio that the recording showed "Danny being a polite guy, just saying thank you to someone who he has been told is supporting the party".

The Lib Dem leader added: "The idea that Danny or any parliamentarian has done anything wrong is categorically untrue.

"On the issue of Ibrahim Taguri, no cheque has been received by the Liberal Democrats, no cheque has been cashed. If we had received this cheque in question, of course it would have been scrutinised and checked."

Mr Clegg said that, alone among political parties, the Lib Dems had invited the Electoral Commission to examine the processes they have in place to scrutinise donations and been told they were "sound and satisfactory".

He called on the other major parties to come together within six months of the general election to agree new rules for party funding, accusing David Cameron and Ed Miliband of "skewering" his attempts to deal with the problem during this Parliament.

Asked whether individuals could buy access to senior Lib Dems with large donations, Mr Clegg said: "That's ridiculous. It doesn't work like that at all."

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Lib Dem 'faces serious questions'

March 10, 2015 Senate Democrat Leadership Press Conference
Senate Democratic leaders discussed an anti-human trafficking bill, a potential nuclear weapons deal with Iran and a Department of Justice investigation into Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., at...

By: Roll Call

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March 10, 2015 Senate Democrat Leadership Press Conference - Video

By Emily Cahn Posted at 2:10 p.m. today

Cannon is a Michigan Democrat. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon is mulling another bid against Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich., according to two sources with knowledge of the Democratsplans.

Democrats billed Cannon a veteran of the wars in Vietnamand Iraqas a top recruit in 2014. But he went on to loseto Benishek by a 7-point margin last year, a poor cycle overall for Democrats.

If Cannon runsagain, he may facea primary.State Rep. Scott Dianda, a Democrat who represents a legislative district in the Upper Peninsula, is also considering a bid, according to partyoperatives.

Benishek came to Congress in 2010, winning an open-seat race to succeed former Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.

Benisheknearly lost re-election in 2012, defeating former state Rep. Gary McDowell by less than 1 point. That same year, Mitt Romney won the district by 8 points.

Yet in 2014, Benishek became a more astute campaigner, picking upthemost-improved candidatetitle from national Republican operatives.

But its unclear whetherBenishek will seek a fourth term. During his 2010 campaign, Benishekwas a vocal supporterof term limits, and signed onto a pledge to only serve three terms.

I am happy to tell voters I strongly favor term limits, Benishek said in a 2010 news release. Three terms and youre retired seems about right to me.

Excerpt from:
Democrat Mulls Rematch in Michigan House Contest