Campaign Finance

National: GOP Reaches Landmark Agreement to Juice Small-Dollar Fundraising by Alex Isenstadt for Politico

District of Columbia: D.C. ‘Pay-to-Play’ Ban Closer to Becoming Law after Mayor Declines Veto by Peter Jamison for Washington Post

Illinois: Contractor Challenges Illinois Campaign Finance Law by Lorraine Bailey for Courthouse News

Ethics

National: BuzzFeed’s Stumble Is Highest-Profile Misstep at a Time When Press Is Under Greatest Scrutiny by Paul Farhi (Washington Post) for Danbury News Times

Arkansas: Arkansas Ethics Commission Pushed to ‘Breaking Point’ After Receiving Record Citizen Complaints, Director Says by Michael Wickline for Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Vermont: Ethics Commission Wants Investigatory Authority by Mark Johnson for VTDigger.org

Lobbying

Arizona: Bill Aims to Reduce the Amount Lobbyists Must Report Spending on Lawmakers by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy for Arizona Mirror

New York: Upheaval in State Legislature Creates Opportunities for Lobbyists by David Lombardo for Albany Times Union

Campaign Finance

California: “With FBI Probe Looming, L.A. City Council Members Revive Plan to Limit Developer Donations” by Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times

New Jersey: “NJ Lawmakers Look to Close ‘Dark Money’ Disclosure Loopholes as Top Democrats Face Flak” by Nicholas Pugliese for Bergen Record

Ethics

National: “President Trump Directed His Attorney Michael Cohen to Lie to Congress About the Moscow Tower Project” by Jason Leopold and Anthony Cormier for BuzzFeed News

National: “GOP Rep. Jason Smith Apologizes for Telling Democrats to ‘Go Back to Puerto Rico’” by Jennifer Scholtes, Caitlin Emma, and Sarah Ferris for Politico

National: “Former VA Secretary Violated Ethics Rules by Allowing Employee to Drive His Wife Around” by Donovan Slack for USA Today

North Carolina: “Judge: GOP can’t block liberal group’s Twitter comments” by Todd Richmond (Associated Press) for Charlotte Observer

Lobbying

National: “Law Firm to Pay $4.6 Million in Case Tied to Manafort and Ukraine” by Kenneth Vogel and Mathew Goldstein for New York Times

South Dakota: “Kerfuffle from Article on Lobbyist’s Access to House Floor” by the Staff for KELO.com

Campaign Finance

South Carolina: “Former Myrtle Beach Chamber Chairman Admits to Ethics Violations, Fined Thousands” by David Weissman for Myrtle Beach Sun News

Elections

National: “New Court Filing Indicates Prosecutors Have Extensive Details on Manafort Actions Not Yet Made Public” by Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Judge Orders Trump Administration to Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question” by Hansi Lo Wang for National Public Radio

National: “T-Mobile Executives Stayed at Trump Hotel Often While Seeking Approval on Megadeal” by Jonathan O’Connell and David Fahrenthold (Washington Post) for Seattle Times

National: “House Conflict-of-Interest Rules Still Not Up to Snuff, Ethics Experts Lament” by Griffin Connolly for Roll Call

Georgia: “Ga. Senate Makes It Harder, Riskier to File Ethics, Harassment Complaints” by Johnny Kauffman for WABE

Vermont: “A White Nationalist’s Harassment Helped Force a Black Female Lawmaker to Resign. He Won’t Face Charges.” by Meagan Flynn (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Kentucky: “How Much Is Spent Lobbying Kentucky’s Executive Branch? This Bill Demands an Answer.” by Jack Brammer for Lexington Herald-Leader

Campaign Finance

National: “New Members, Meet the ‘Slush Fund’” by Stephanie Aikin for Roll Call

National: “At Trump’s Inauguration, $10,000 for Makeup and Lots of Room Service” by Maggie Haberman, Sharon LaFraniere, and Benn Protess (New York Times) for MSN

Montana: “U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Take Up Montana Campaign Finance Case” by Holly Michels for Helena Independent Record

New York: “Legislature Passes Sweeping Electoral Reforms” by Rachel Silberstein for Albany Times Union

Ohio: “Columbus Council Appoints Shayla Favor, Approves Campaign Finance Reforms” by Gabe Rosenberg for WOSU

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Ethics Commission Bans Leadership PACs” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman

Ethics

National: “Steve King Stripped of Committee Seats – with More Punishment Coming” by Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris, and John Bresnahan for Politico

Colorado: “Colorado Ethics Commission Narrows Complaint Against John Hickenlooper” by Nic Garcia for Denver Post

Oregon: “Oregon Senate President’s Longtime Aide Resigns Over Harassment Allegations” by Hillary Borrud for Portland Oregonian

Campaign Finance

California: “Downtown L.A. Development Is a Focus of FBI Corruption Probe” by Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times

Oklahoma: “Stitt Inauguration Donors May Not Be Revealed Until Summer” by Trevor Brown for Oklahoma Watch

Ethics

National: “Trump Has Concealed Details of His Face-to-Face Encounters with Putin from Senior Officials in Administration” by Greg Miller (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

National: “F.B.I. Opened Inquiry into Whether Trump Was Secretly Working on Behalf of Russia” by Adam Goldman, Michael Schmidt, and Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) for MSN

Arkansas: “Former Arkansas Senator Charged with Conspiracy in Bribery Scheme” by Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) for Hot Springs Sentinel

Illinois: “Mayor Rahm Emanuel Unveils Ethics Plan Following Ald. Edward Burke’s Criminal Charge” by John Byrne for Chicago Tribune

New Mexico: “Former Governor Will Relinquish Squash Blossom Necklace” by Thom Cole for Santa Fe New Mexican

Lobbying

National: “Ex-Lawmakers ‘Scrambling and Looking’ for Lobbying Gigs” by Theodoric Meyer for Politico

Campaign Finance

Washington: “Split Court: Local initiatives subject to disclosure rule” by Gene Johnson (Associated Press) for KOMO

Ethics

National:”Prosecutors Examining Ukrainians Who Flocked to Trump Inaugural” by Kenneth Vogel, Scott Shane, Mark Mazzetti, and Iuliia Mendel (New York Times) for MSN

National: “Tom Udall to Introduce Senate Campaign Finance, Voting Rights and Ethics Reform Bill” by Richard Blumenthal for Huffington Post

National: “Michael Cohen Agrees to Testify to Congress About Work for Trump” by Maggie Haberman and Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) for MSN

Colorado: “Judge: State ethics panel has no jurisdiction over many Colorado cities” by Marianne Goodland for Colorado Politics

Kentucky: “He Bribed Andy Beshear’s Top Deputy. Now He’s Headed to Prison for Nearly 3 Years.” by Bill Estep for Lexington Herald-Leader

South Carolina: “SC Ethics Advocate Creates Ethics Dilemma by Gifting Corruption Book to Lawmakers” by Avery Wilkes for The State

Legislative Issues

Texas: “Texas Republicans Rally Behind Muslim Official as Some Try to Oust Him Over Religion” by Adeel Hassan (New York Times) for MSN

Campaign Finance

Oklahoma: “Stitt Unveils Plan to Address Potential Business Conflicts” by Paul Monies for Oklahoma Watch

Elections

National: “Paul Manafort Shared 2016 Polling Data with Russian Employee, According to Court Filing” by Rachel Weiner and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) for San Jose Mercury News

Ethics

National: “Court: EPA must release Wheeler’s emails, documents” by Dino Grandoni (Washington Post) for San Jose Mercury News

New Jersey: “Katie Brennan Sues New Jersey, Murphy Campaign and Al Alvarez in Alleged Sexual Assault” by Dustin Racioppi for Bergen Record

Lobbying

National: “Former Lawmakers, Staff Quickly Set Up on K Street” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

Florida: “Some City Workers Can Accept Gifts, Ethics Commission Says” by Lisa Solomon for South Florida Sun Sentinel

Michigan: “Whitmer Choice Raises Questions About State’s Conflicts of Interest Laws” by Paul Egan for Detroit Free Press

Vermont: “Health Care Industry Injects Big Spending in Statehouse Lobbying” by Kit Norton and Felippe Rodrigues for VTDigger.org

Campaign Finance

National: “Federal Judge Stops Enforcement of Maryland Election Law” by Edward Ericson Jr. for Courthouse News Service

Michigan: “Snyder Veto Spree Takes Down GOP Power Play Proposal, 40 Other Bills” by Jonathan Oosting for Detroit News

Pennsylvania: “Former Reading Official Sentenced to 18 Months in Bribery Case with Ties to Allentown Pay-to-Play Probe” by Peter Hall for Allentown Morning Call

Elections

National: “Secret Campaign to Use Russian-Inspired Tactics in 2017 Ala. Election Stirs Anxiety for Democrats” by Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Aaron Davis, and Elizabeth Dwoskin (Washington Post) for Denver Post

Ethics

Oregon: “BOLI Finds ‘Substantial Evidence’ of Sexual Harassment at Oregon Capitol” by Ted Sickinger and Hillary Borrud for Portland Oregonian

Washington: “From Campaign Consultant to Lobbyist and Adviser: The firm that has Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s ear” by Daniel Beekman and Lewis Kamb for Seattle Times

Lobbying

California: “As Fires Ravaged California, Utilities Lobbied Lawmakers for Protection” by Ivan Penn (New York Times) for MSN

Redistricting

National: “Supreme Court to Hear Cases on Partisan Gerrymandering in Maryland, N. Carolina” by Robert Barnes (Washington Post) for Salt Lake Tribune

Campaign Finance

National: “House Democrats Propose Major Campaign Finance Reforms in First Bill of Session” by Carl Evers-Hillstrom for Center for Responsive Politics

Illinois: “Campaign Money Tied to Ald. Edward Burke’s Alleged Extortion Scheme Was Intended for County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Sources Say” by Bill Ruthhart and Jason Meisner for Chicago Tribune

Ethics

National: “Makeup of Cabinet Is Creating More Hurdles for Trump” by Andrew Restuccia for Politico

Florida: “Florida Senate Pays $900,000 in Case Related to Jack Latvala Sexual Misconduct Case” by Elizabeth Koh for Tampa Bay Times

Michigan: “Whitmer Bans Campaign Activities on Public Dime, Use of Private Email” by Beth LeBlanc for Detroit News

Oregon: “Former Oregon First Lady Cylvia Hayes Criticized for ‘Bad Faith’ in Bankruptcy Proceedings” by Ben Botkin for Salem Statesman Journal

Lobbying

National: “Joe Lieberman, Registered Lobbyist Who Doesn’t Actually Lobby” by C. Ryan Barber for Law.com

California: “California Health Care CEO Pleads Guilty in Public Corruption Case That Netted Alabama Legislators” by Melissa Brown for Montgomery Advertiser

Campaign Finance

National: “Congress Unlikely to Stop Super PACs from Hiding Donors” by Maggie Severns for Politico

National: “Potential 2020 Candidates Confront the Need for Campaign Cash, and Fewer Sources of It” by Matt Viser for Washington Post

National: “Trump Effect: How out-of-state money fueled Democratic House wins in 2018” by Maureen Groppe and Christopher Schnarrs for USA Today

South Dakota: “Undisclosed Donors Gave $95K in SD Governor Race” by Seth Tupper for Rapid City Journal

Ethics

Connecticut: “Former Access Health CEO, State Contractor Pay to Settle Ethics Violation” by Clarice Silber for Connecticut Mirror

Delaware: “Former Delaware Lawmaker Melanie George Smith’s New Career Draws Complaints of Self-Dealing” by Scott Goss for Wilmington News Journal

Missouri: “Committee Investigating Eric Greitens Releases 2,100 Pages of Documents on New Year’s Eve” by Jack Suntrup and Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lobbying

Florida: “Lauren Book Proposes ‘Swearing In’ Legislative Speakers” by Jim Rosica for Florida Politics

Redistricting

New Jersey: “New Jersey Is the Latest Battleground in National Redistricting Fight” by Matt Freidman for Politico

Campaign Finance

New Mexico: Legislators Challenge Campaign Finance Rules by Dan McKay for Albuquerque Journal

North Carolina: NC Lawmakers Override Veto of Bill That Makes Allegations of Campaign Finance Violations Secret by Craig Jarvis for Raleigh News and Observer

Elections

National: Sen. Elizabeth Warren Says She Will Seek the Presidency in 2020 by Annie Linskey and Matt Viser (Washington Post) for Chicago Daily Herald

Ethics

California: Gov.-Elect Gavin Newsom to Place California Wineries, Hotels in Blind Trust by Phil Willon for Los Angeles Times

Maryland: Maryland Lawmakers Accused in 11 Sexual Harassment Complaints in the Past Year by Ovetta Wiggins (Washington Post) for Stamford Advocate

New York: N.Y.’s New Attorney General Is Targeting Trump. Will Judges See a ‘Political Vendetta?’ by Jeffery Mays (New York Times) for MSN

North Dakota: Bill Drafted to Enact Provisions of Ethics Measure by Jessica Holdman for Bismarck Tribune

Lobbying

National: Tony Podesta Sues Former Clients, Seeking to Collect on Unpaid Bills by Theodoric Meyer for Politico

National: Lobbyist Conviction Disclosure Bill Heads to President’s Desk by Megan Wilson and Jorge Uquillas for Bloomberg Government

National: Mueller Fuels Foreign Lobbying Crackdown by Morgan Chalfant and Alex Gangitano for The Hill

Alabama: Ethics Revision Commission Could Give Legislators Multiple Choices by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Missouri: Will ‘Clean Missouri’ Slow the Revolving Door That Turns Lawmakers into Lobbyists? By Hunter Woodall for Kansas City Star

Missouri: State Seeks Dismissal of Lobbyist Gift Ban Lawsuit by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Campaign Finance

Michigan: “Legislation Shielding Non-Profit Political Donors Heads to Snyder” by Beth LeBlanc for Detroit News

Mississippi: “Companies Asked a Mississippi Senator to Refund Donations. They Are Still Waiting.” by Nicholas Fandos for New York Times

Vermont: “Did Dunne’s Double Donations Violate Vermont Campaign Rules?” by Colin Meyn for VTDigger.org

Washington: “Facebook, Google to Pay Washington $450,000 to Settle Lawsuits Over Political-Ad Transparency” by Jim Brunner for Seattle Times

Elections

New York: “Why Deep Blue New York Is ‘Voter Suppression Land’” by Vivian Wang for New York Times

Ethics

National: “Blaming the Deep State: Officials accused of wrongdoing adopt Trump’s response” by Julian Barnes, Adam Goldman, and Charlie Savage for New York Times

National: “Former Rep. Steve Stockman’s Staffer Sentenced in Fraud Case” by Katherine Tully-McManus for Roll Call

South Carolina: “SC Lawmaker Benefiting from Law Change That Opened Top State Agency Slot for Him” by Jamie Lovegrove for Charleston Post and Courier

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “Bennett Loses Court Bid to Get Public Financing for Gubernatorial Campaign” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Srevices) for Arizona Capitol Times

New Jersey: “GoFundMe Violates Election Law, but Candidates Keep Using It” by Nicholas Katzban for Bergen Record

North Carolina: “Secrecy Provision in Elections Board Bill Prompted Cooper Veto” by Matthew Burns for WRAL

Elections

Arizona: “Arizona Governor Taps Martha McSally to Fill Senate Seat Once Held by McCain” by Sean Sullivan (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Trump Agrees to Shut Down His Charity Amid Allegations That He Used It for Personal and Political Benefit” by David Fahrenthold (New York Times) for MSN

National: “Judge Postpones Sentencing of Michael Flynn After Harshly Rebuking Him” by Sharon LaFraniere and Adam Goldman (New York Times) for MSN

Vermont: “As Ethics Panel Director Steps Down, Differing Explanations Are Offered” by Mark Johnson for VTDigger.org

Lobbying

National: “Lawmakers Push Review of New Member Events After Complaints Over Lobbyists at Harvard Orientation” by Jeff Stein for Washington Post

Florida: “Savvy Businessman or Sloppy Lobbyist? Ex-City Attorney’s Job-Shopping Tactics Questioned” by Sarah Blaskey and Joey Flechas for Miami Herald

Massachusetts: “Baker Returns Most of Lobbyist’s Donation for Inauguration” by Matt Stout for Boston Globe

Oklahoma: “State Rule Would Disclose Hidden Backers of Groups Trying to Affect Legislation” by Paul Monies for Oklahoma Watch

Campaign Finance

National: “Trump Inaugural Fund and Super PAC Said to Be Scrutinized for Illegal Foreign Donations” by Sharon LaFraniere, Maggie Haberman, and Adam Goldman (New York Times) for MSN

Elections

National: “New Report on Russian Disinformation, Prepared for the Senate, Shows the Operation’s Scale and Sweep” by Craig Timberg and Tony Room (Washington Post) for San Jose Mercury News

Ethics

National: “Ryan Zinke’s Legal Troubles Are Far from Over” by Julie Turkewitz (New York Times) for MSN

Florida: “Ex-City Manager Rick Fernandez Agrees to Fines in Ethics Case” by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee Democrat

Legislative Issues

Wisconsin: “Scott Walker Signs Lame-Duck Legislation Without Vetoes Curbing His Democratic Successor’s Power” by Patrick Marley and Molly Beck (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) for USA Today

Lobbying

National: “Flynn Business Associates Charged with Illegally Lobbying for Turkish Government” by Caitlin Oprysko for Politico

Florida: “FDLE Investigation Finds Brevard School Officials Manipulated Process for Hiring Lobbying Firm” by Caroline Green for Florida Today

New Hampshire: “Sununu, Inner Circle Received Thousands from Lobbyist-Funded Nonprofit” by Todd Feathers for Manchester Union Leader

North Dakota: “Wary of New Ethics Rules, North Dakota Lobbyists Rethink Plans for Legislator Receptions” by John Hageman for Bismarck Tribune