Jim Sedor, Author at State and Federal Communications

October 10, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Texas: “The 2019 Texas Inauguration Cost a Record $5.3 Million. Where Are the Receipts?” by Jay Root and Shannon Najmabadi for Texas Tribune Elections National: “Bernie Sanders Says He Will Slow His Campaign Pace After Heart Attack” by […]

October 9, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Elections National: “Trump’s 2016 Campaign Was Run on a Shoestring. His Reelection Machine Is Huge – and Armed with Consultants.” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Anu Narayanswamy (Washington Post) for Philadelphia Inquirer National: “Bipartisan Senate Report Calls for Sweeping […]

October 8, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Bernie Sanders, Resting at Home, Announces Plan to Curtail Money in Politics” by Chelsea Janes (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle California: “Judge in Insurance Case Refuses to Change Ruling in Favor of Lara Donor” by Jeff […]

October 7, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “DC Court Refuses to Overturn Campaign Finance Law” by Megan Mineiro for Courthouse News Service Missouri: “Mystery Money Tied to McKee Slips into Missouri Attorney General Race” by Jack Suntrup for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Ethics National: “Officials’ […]

October 4, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – October 4, 2019

National/Federal A Trump Hotel Mystery: Giant reservations followed by empty rooms Politico – Anita Kumar | Published: 10/2/2019 House investigators are looking into an allegation that groups, including at least one foreign government, tried to ingratiate themselves to President Trump by […]

National/Federal

A Trump Hotel Mystery: Giant reservations followed by empty rooms
Politico – Anita Kumar | Published: 10/2/2019

House investigators are looking into an allegation that groups, including at least one foreign government, tried to ingratiate themselves to President Trump by booking rooms at his hotels but never staying in them. It is a previously unreported part of a broader examination by the House Oversight Committee, included in the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, into whether Trump broke the law by accepting money from U.S. or foreign governments at his properties. The so-called emoluments clause of the Constitution forbids Trump from profiting from foreign governments, or from receiving any money from the U.S. government aside from his annual salary.

Barr Personally Asked Foreign Officials to Aid Inquiry into CIA, FBI Activities in 2016
MSN – Devlin Barrett, Shane Harris, and Matt Zapotosky (Washington Post) | Published: 9/30/2019

Attorney General William Barr held private meetings overseas with foreign intelligence officials seeking their help in a Justice Department inquiry that President Trump hopes will discredit U.S. intelligence agencies’ examination of possible connections between Russia and members of the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Barr’s personal involvement is likely to stoke further criticism from Democrats pursuing impeachment that he is helping the Trump administration use executive branch powers to augment investigations aimed primarily at the president’s adversaries. Current and former intelligence and law enforcement officials expressed frustration and alarm that the head of the Justice Department was taking such a direct role in reexamining what they view as conspiracy theories and baseless allegations of misconduct.

Chris Collins Enters Guilty Plea in Insider Trading Case
Roll Call – Chris Marquette | Published: 10/1/2019

Former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins pleaded guilty to insider trading charges, ending a congressional career that pushed the House to craft rules prohibiting members from serving on public company boards. Collins pleaded guilty to two of eight counts he was charged with: conspiracy to commit securities fraud and false statements to the FBI. Collins sat on the board of directors for biotechnology company Innate Immunotherapuetics and was also one of its largest shareholders. Collins did not trade himself and his Innate stock declined by millions of dollars when the company’s failed drug trial results were publicly revealed. But he provided the insider trading information to his son, who then relayed it to others.

Dems Seek Lobbyist Cash to Fund Milwaukee Convention
Politico – Maggie Severns and Theodoric Meyer | Published: 9/29/2019

Two top operatives planning the Democratic Party’s 2020 convention in Milwaukee went to K Street to pitch lobbyists on their plans for the $70 million event. Against the backdrop of the Democratic primary, it was an awkward pairing – representatives for special interests meeting with top Democrats while the party’s leading presidential candidates reject corporate PAC and lobbyist money. But Democratic National Committee officials explained during the meeting how corporations can help foot the bill for the convention, regardless of who the nominee is, addressing some lobbyists’ worries that a crusading left-wing nominee like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren could try to reject corporate money, embarrassing convention sponsors.

Elections Chief Says a GOP Colleague Blocked Wide Release of Her Foreign Activity
MSN – Alex Horton (Washington Post) | Published: 9/28/2019

The FEC posts the latest in election regulatory activity in a weekly digest. That was until the last week, after what FEC Chairperson Ellen Weintraub said was Republican Commissioner Caroline Hunter’s effort to block a draft memo on prohibited foreign national electoral activity from being included in the digest, which led to the digest being withheld from the public. But Weintraub found a way to get the information out. She published the digest piecemeal, with 57 tweets in all, including the foreign national prohibitions memo – all while calling out the commissioner who Weintraub said sought to block it from being widely publicized online. Hunter said she merely asked Weintraub for time to evaluate the document before it was included in the digest.

Ericsson Sets Aside $1 Billion to Pay for Ethics Breaches in Six Countries
Dallas News – Dave McCombs and Niklas Magnusson (Bloomberg) | Published: 9/26/2019

Swedish telecommunications equipment giant Ericsson said it expects to pay more than $1 billion to resolve investigations by U.S. authorities into business ethics breaches in six countries in one of the costliest corruption cases on record. Ericsson has said the probe related to a payment system used to win contracts in the 1990s. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits American companies and overseas firms with stocks trading on U.S. exchanges from paying bribes to foreign officials.

Impeachment Inquiry Puts New Focus on Giuliani’s Work for Prominent Figures in Ukraine
Laredo Morning Times – Rosalind Helderman, Tom Hamburger, Paul Sonne, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 10/2/2019

The hunt by President Trump’s attorney Rudolph Giuliani for material in Ukraine damaging to Democrats has put a spotlight on business ties he has had in the former Soviet republic for at least a decade, work that has introduced him to high-level Ukrainian financial and political circles. Giuliani has said he has been working for free solely to benefit his client, Trump, as he has sought information from Ukrainian officials. House investigators are now seeking records about Giuliani’s past clientele in Ukraine, including Pavel Fuks, a wealthy developer who financed consulting work Giuliani did for the city of Kharkiv. House committees have also requested documents from two of Giuliani’s current clients, Florida-based businesspeople who have been pursuing opportunities in Ukraine for a new liquefied natural gas venture.

Millions on Lobbying Will Cost Policy Influencers Under Warren
Courthouse News Service – Amanda Ottaway | Published: 10/2/2019

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced a plan to “end lobbying as we know it” with a proposed tax on any corporation or organization that spends more than $500,000 annually in lobbying the federal government. Her plan calls for a 35 percent tax rate on corporations and trade organizations spending between $500,000 and $1 million on lobbying, 60 percent for those spending between $1 million and $5 million, and 75 percent on all spending over $5 million. “Corporate lobbyists are experts at killing widely popular policies behind closed doors,” Warren wrote in announcing the proposal.

Odd Markings, Ellipses Fuel Doubts About the ‘Rough Transcript’ of Trump’s Ukraine Call
MSN – Carol Leonnig, Craig Timberg, and Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 10/2/2019

President Trump said his controversial July call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was transcribed “word-for-word, comma-for-comma,” an assertion that fueled growing questions about the nature and completeness of an official memorandum about the call released by the White House. Administration officials previously had portrayed the document as not a verbatim transcription but rather a summary that closely tracked the words Trump used in his July 25 call with Zelensky. The whistleblower complaint that spurred an impeachment investigation described an “official word-for-word transcript” of the call, words closely matching the ones used by Trump recently, creating uncertainty about what was included in the document the White House released previously and what may have been left out.

Pompeo Acknowledges He Listened in On Trump’s Ukraine Call
AP News – Matthew Lee | Published: 10/2/2019

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publicly acknowledged for the first time he was on the July 25 phone call in which President Trump pressed Ukraine’s president to investigate political rival Joe Biden. The disclosure puts a spotlight on his previous attempts to distance himself from the call at the center of the impeachment inquiry, in which the State Department prominently figures. In a September 22 interview with ABC News, Pompeo deflected questions about his involvement. Asked then “what do you know” about the conversations between Trump and the president of Ukraine, Pompeo said he had not seen the whistleblower complaint and went on to talk about how the U.S. has provided military support to the government of Ukraine in its fight with Russia-backed separatists.

RNC Solicited Money for Trump’s Reelection with Forms That Look a Lot Like the Official Census
MSN – Kim Bellware and Brittany Shammas (Washington Post) | Published: 10/1/2019

Officials in Montana are warning residents for the second time this year about surveys sent by the Republican National Committee that mimic the look of federal census forms, with the goal of soliciting money for President Trump’s reelection campaign. The mailers are labeled “2019 Congressional District Census” and inform recipients they have been “selected to represent Voters” in Bozeman, Montana. The accompanying literature makes repeated requests for donations, urging recipients to send at least $15 to “help pay for the costs of processing [the] Census Document” if they are unable to afford an amount in the requested range of $25 to $1,000. The potentially misleading mailings come as the U.S. Census Bureau is preparing for what is expected to be one of the most challenging federal counts in decades.

The Catholic Church and Boy Scouts Are Lobbying Against Child Abuse Statutes. This Is Their Playbook
USA Today – Marisa Kwiatkowski and John Kelley | Published: 10/2/2019

Since 2009, state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have tried at least 200 times to extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse cases. The bills have borrowed from and built on each other, sharing common phrases and ideas. Many special interests, including the insurance industry, oppose efforts to give survivors more time to sue. But two organizations are uniquely positioned to wield influence because of their deep ties to local communities: The Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America. Where legislation has been introduced, equally coordinated opposition has followed from the groups that stand to lose the most.

The Interior Secretary Wants to Enlarge a Dam. An Old Lobbying Client Would Benefit.
MSN – Coral Davenport (New York Times) | Published: 9/28/2019

For years, the Interior Department resisted proposals to raise the height of its Shasta Dam in Northern California. The department’s scientists and researchers concluded that doing so would endanger rare plants and animals in the area and devastate the West Coast’s salmon industry downstream. But the project is going forward now, in a win for a powerful consortium of California farmers, the Westlands Water District, that stands to profit by gaining access to more irrigation water from a higher dam and has been trying to get the project approved for more than a decade. For much of that time, the chief lobbyist for Westlands was David Bernhardt. Today, Bernhardt is the Interior secretary. The department said Bernhardt’s ethics pledge when he joined the Trump administration did not prohibit him from decisions about the dam in most instances.

Trump Involved Pence in Efforts to Pressure Ukraine’s Leader, Though Officials Say Vice President Was Unaware of Allegations in Whistleblower Complaint
MSN – Greg Miller, Greg Jaffe, and Ashley Parker (Washington Post) | Published: 10/2/2019

President Trump repeatedly involved Vice President Pence in efforts to exert pressure on the leader of Ukraine at a time when the president was using other channels to solicit information he hoped would be damaging to Joe Biden, current and former U.S. officials said. Officials close to Pence insist he was unaware of Trump’s efforts to press Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky for damaging information about Biden and his son, who had served on the board of an obscure Ukrainian gas company, when his father was overseeing U.S. policy on Ukraine. Trump’s deployment of Pence is part of a broader pattern of using both executive authority and high-ranking officials in his administration to advance his personal or political interests, even in cases when those subordinates appear not to know that another agenda is in play.

Watchdog Allowed to Sue on Donor Disclosure After FEC Won’t Act
Bloomberg Government – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 10/1/2019

A judge eased the way for watchdog groups to bypass the gridlocked FEC in a decision allowing a lawsuit seeking to unmask secret donors to a major Republican campaign spending organization. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) can pursue an unusual “citizen suit” against the American Action Network (AAN). The AAN has spent tens of millions of dollars aiding Republican congressional candidates but never has revealed any of its donors. The Federal Election Campaign Act allows court challenges when the evenly divided FEC splits along party lines and dismisses an enforcement complaint. This can be an effective way to enforce the law if the FEC will not act, the judge said, denying a motion to dismiss CREW’s lawsuit.

Whistleblower Painstakingly Gathered Material and Almost Single-Handedly Set Impeachment in Motion
Anchorage Daily News – Greg Miller (Washington Post) | Published: 9/27/2019

From the moment he learned about President Trump’s attempts to extract political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden from the newly elected leader of Ukraine on July 25, the CIA officer behind the whistleblower report moved swiftly behind the scenes to assemble material from at least a half-dozen highly placed, and equally dismayed, U.S. officials. He wove their accounts with other material on everything from the intervention of Rudolph Giuliani in the U.S.-Ukraine relationship to alleged efforts by attorneys in the Office of the White House Counsel to contain or suppress the accruing damage. The document he delivered to the intelligence community’s inspector general is so concerning and factually sound that it has almost single-handedly set in motion the gears of impeachment.

From the States and Municipalities

Arkansas – Arkansas Asks Panel to Toss Challenge to Campaign-Finance Law
Courthouse News Service – Joe Harris | Published: 9/26/2019

An attorney for the state of Arkansas argued before an appeals court that a woman challenging the constitutionality of a state campaign donation law lacks standing to do so because her preferred candidate has not made an official campaign announcement. Peggy Jones filed a federal lawsuit over the law prohibiting campaign donations for statewide offices more than two years before the election. Jones claims the law infringes on her First Amendment rights by preventing her to donate now to politicians she wants to support in the 2022 election cycle. In June, U.S. District Court Judge James Moody Jr. issued an injunction blocking enforcement of the law until its constitutionality could be decided.

California – L.A. Gave Him a $54,750 Consulting Gig. But Did He Do Any Work?
Los Angeles Times – Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser | Published: 10/1/2019

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said his office approved a consulting contract in 2016 for Michael LoGrande, the departing head of the city planning department, so LoGrande could finish up work before a new planning director arrived. But when asked by reporters for evidence of the work performed by LoGrande, officials in mayor’s office and the planning department said they had nothing to turn over. LoGrande agreed in July to pay a penalty of more than $281,000 for illegally lobbying the city just months after he left his position. Three of the four violations occurred while he was being paid by the city as a consultant. One City Hall critic said it sounded as though LoGrande had secured a “no show, no work” contract, one that essentially functioned as a severance package.

California – Monterey Slaps Limits on Escalating Campaign Contributions
Monterey Herald – Dennis Taylor | Published: 10/2/2019

The Monterey City Council advanced an ordinance limiting campaign contributions by any person to $500. It defines a “person” as any individual and any number of organizations, such as companies, corporations, committees, and labor unions. The ordinance will come back in two weeks for a second reading and if passed again would become law four weeks after that, said Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar.

California – These California Politicians Once Helped Regulate Legal Marijuana. Now They’re Working for the Industry
Los Angeles Times – Patrick McGreevy | Published: 9/30/2019

A growing number of former government leaders, bureaucrats, and regulators have joined or established financial ties with the multibillion-dollar marijuana industry in the last few years. More than two dozen government officials have made the leap. Most jumped in after voters in 2016 approved Proposition 64, which legalized growing, distributing, and selling cannabis for recreational use. Cannabis firms that need help navigating bureaucracy stand to gain valuable knowledge from enlisting government veterans, said former state Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who is a founder of C4 Distro, a state-licensed distribution firm.

Colorado – Recall Polis Group Gives $11,000 in Gifts to Staffers
Denver Post – Anna Staver | Published: 9/26/2019

The Official Recall of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis group, which did not participate in the recent failed recall attempt by two other group has given $11,000 of the money it raised for the effort as gifts to staffers. According to disclosre records, Shane Donnelley got $5,000 as a “thank you for caring about Colorado” gift, and Lisa Pascoe and Rene McGill both received $3,000. It’s not the first time the group has come under scrutiny for its spending. The group’s chairperson, Juli-Andra Fuentes, was questioned about a nearly $30,000 donation to an independent expenditure committee she founded called Colorado for Trump. The Trump campaign said Fuentes’ group was not affiliated with the campaign, and it might take action over the misleading name.

Delaware – Former Wilmington City Council President Indicted
Wilmington News Journal – Jeanne Kuang and Esteban Parra | Published: 9/30/2019

Former Wilmington City Council President Theo Gregory was indicted on charges of profiteering and official misconduct. The Delaware Department of Justice said Gregory used his position on the council to secure a city grant that would enrich both himself and a nonprofit he founded. In April, Gregory settled a case with the Wilmington Ethics Commission, admitting his actions violated one section of the city code, which prohibits elected officials from using their position for personal monetary gain or to influence others’ behavior. He received a public reprimand. The commission agreed to drop a charge alleging he violated a different part of code, which prohibits officials from using “public office to secure unwarranted privileges, private advancement or gain.”

Florida – After Five Years and an ‘Ugly’ Process, Miami-Dade Is Still Trying to Buy Helicopters
Miami Herald – Douglas Hanks | Published: 10/3/2019

Miami-Dade County has been trying to buy new rescue helicopters for five years, and the purchasing process may be the messiest ever for a county famous for extended procurement fights. It sparked a brief criminal investigation, though no charges were filed. Ethics investigators were far more productive, issuing reports accusing bidder Agusta and administrators in the county’s fire department of flouting rules governing how local governments are supposed to select vendors. The report detailed an “alarming” amount of texts and phone calls between an Agusta sales executive and administrators at the county’s fire department at a time when purchasing rules barred private communication. The report also said it “strains credibility” to believe the communications had nothing to do with Agusta’s bid.

Florida – Mayor Dailey Tears into Independent Ethics Board, Balks at Proposed Ethics Code Overhaul
Tallahassee Democrat – Jeff Burlew | Published: 9/26/2019

A proposal by the Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board to strengthen a voter-approved ethics code long seen as ineffectual came under fire at City Hall, with Mayor John Dailey blasting both the recommended ordinance and the board itself. Dailey grilled Independent Ethics Officer, Julie Meadows-Keefe, and the ethics board chairperson, Richard Herring, over their practices and procedures since the panel’s creation nearly five years ago. Treating them at times almost like hostile witnesses, he asked leading questions, answered his own queries, and apologized several times after cutting the speaker off. Dailey tore away at some of the most significant revisions to the ethics code, a document a year in the making that has sat on the shelf since the board delivered it to commissioners in April.

Iowa – Judge Upholds Voter ID, Strikes Parts of 2017 Voting Law
AP News – David Pitt | Published: 10/1/2019

A judge upheld voter ID as allowable under the Iowa Constitution but struck down as unconstitutional portions of a 2017 voting reform law challenged by a Hispanic civil rights group and an Iowa State University student. The law signed by former Gov. Terry Branstad requires voters to show certain forms of identification when voting at the polls, provide an identification number on absentee ballot applications, and allows county auditors to reject ballots if they believe signatures do not appear to match a voter signature on record.

Kentucky – Hospital Group Cancels Beshear Fundraiser After Saying Donation Would ‘Assure Access’
Lexington Herald-Leader – Daniel Desrochers | Published: 10/1/2019

The Kentucky Hospital Association canceled a fundraiser for the gubernatorial campaign of state Attorney General Andy Beshear a day after it was reported the association was urging members to donate in an effort to “assure access” to whoever wins the race for governor in November. “We cannot predict the outcome of the election but we can assure access to the winner with a strong show of support for each candidate,” Bud Warman, the group’s vice president in charge of member engagement, wrote in an email to members.

Montana – ‘Excessive Lobbying’ by Nonprofit Federal Land Critic Prompts Complaint to IRS
Missoulia Current – Laura Lindquist | Published: 9/30/2019

A Montana nonprofit led by a federal land critic should give up its tax-exempt status because of lobbying activities, according to watchdog groups. The Campaign for Accountability sent a complaint to the IRS claiming Citizens for Balanced Use has repeatedly violated laws that limit the amount of lobbying that tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are allowed to carry out. The IRS does allow lobbying, as long as it is not a “substantial part” of a nonprofit’s activities. But the agency has not defined what qualifies as “substantial.”

Nebraska – Nebraska Lags Behind Neighbors in Campaign Finance Regulation
Hastings Tribune – Tony Herrman | Published: 9/27/2019

Kate High, treasurer of the Nebraska League of Women Voters, delineated how Nebraska lags behind neighboring states in regulating campaign finance. High said she began researching campaign finance rules in her retirement. She said most states as well as the federal government have criminalized what Nebraska has legalized and normalized. High offered a 10-part plan to make elections about voters, not big money interests.

New Jersey – Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam Took $87K from Basketball Club, Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
Newark Star Ledger – Joe Atmonavage (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 10/3/2019

A year after an FBI raid on his home, Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Gilliam defrauded a basketball club of more than $87,000, prosecutors said. More than $41,000 was recovered when his house was raided in December 2018. Gilliam said he created AC Starz Basketball Club and opened a bank account for the club. From 2013 to 2018, he admitted soliciting $87,215 in donations on behalf of the club and using them for his personal expenses.

New Jersey – Judge Blocks Implementation of New ‘Dark Money’ Disclosure Law
Burlington County Times – David Levinsky | Published: 10/2/2019

U.S. District Court Judge Brian Martinotti granted a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of New Jersey’s new disclosure law requiring so-called dark money groups and other nonprofits that engage in political activities and lobbying to reveal their donors. A lawsuit by Americans for Prosperity challenged the law on constitutional grounds, arguing its requirement that 501(c)4 groups must reveal contributors who give more than $10,000 if the group engages in any political activities, lobbying, or campaigning infringes on First Amendment rights and could have a chilling effect on its ability to raise funds. In addition to the donor disclosure, the law also mandates the disclosure of expenses of more than $3,000 and boosted the contribution limits to state and county political committees, which are already subject to strict reporting requirements.

New York – Assemblyman Introduced Bill Pushed by Firm That Paid Him
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 9/29/2019

In the month prior to the introduction of state Assemblyperson Michael Blake’s bill that would have benefitted Airbnb, the short-term rental platform paid $189,000 to a prominent political consulting firm, Hilltop Public Solutions, to assist in its lobbying in New York. Hilltop’s efforts included helping organize grassroots support for the legislation Blake introduced. Publicly unknown at the time was that Blake was being paid by Hilltop as a political consultant. In other words: In 2015, Blake was being paid by Hilltop; Airbnb was paying Hilltop; and Blake introduced legislation Airbnb had been pushing. Blake’s financial disclosure form for 2015 reveals that Hilltop paid Blake between $5,000 and $20,000 to work for “out of state” clients. But Blake insists he never worked for Airbnb.

New York – Cuomo-Backed Lobbying Disclosure Law Struck Down
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 10/1/2019

A New York law that compels tax-exempt organizations involved in issue advocacy campaigns to disclose their financial supporters was struck down by a federal judge. The law required 501(c)(3) charities to disclose all their donors of more than $2,500 over six months if they gave more than $2,500 to substantial lobbying campaigns run out of issue-oriented nonprofits. Another provision required a 501(c)(4) to disclose donors who contribute $1,000 or more when the organization spends more than $10,000 in a calendar year on communications made to at least 500 members of the public concerning political or legislative issues.

North Carolina – Former NC GOP Chairman Pleads Guilty to Lying to FBI
WRAL – Adam Owens | Published: 10/2/2019

Former U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an investigation of bribery allegations into a major political donor. As part of the plea deal, conspiracy and bribery charges and two other counts of lying to authorities were dismissed. Hayes, businessperson Greg Lindberg, and two Lindberg associates, John Gray and John Palermo, were accused of trying to bribe North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey with up to $2 million in promised campaign donations if Causey would hire Palermo to regulate Lindberg’s insurance businesses. The department was asking a series of financial questions about Lindberg’s insurance businesses at the time. Prosecutors allege some money was funneled through the North Carolina Republican Party to get around state campaign finance laws.

Ohio – Ohio Purge Ends with Most Culled Because They Haven’t Voted
The Fulcrom; Staff – | Published: 10/2/2019

The controversial culling of Ohio’s voter rolls ended after the deletion of another 182,000 registrations, or two percent of the statewide total, in one of the nation’s biggest electoral bellwethers. Most were purged only because they have not voted in six years. Under a state law, upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, non-voter purges are automatic unless individuals ask to stay on the rolls when the state informs them that they are about to be dropped.

Oregon – Oregon Campaign Finance Watchdog Will Seek to Beef Up Enforcement
Portland Oregonian – Mike Rogoway and Rob Davis | Published: 9/24/2019

The secretary of state’s office said it will seek to beef up enforcement of Oregon’s campaign finance laws after a report by The Portland Oregonian that showed minimal investigation into alleged violations. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Vial said the office has settled on a series of steps to review the elections division’s practices and step up enforcement, there was no immediate decision on whether to apply the new practices to past cases. Vial also said there are practical considerations that may continue to limit future investigations.

Oregon – Oregon Legislature Will Consider Bill to Make Public Records Advocate Independent in 2020
Portland Oregonian – Hillary Borrud | Published: 10/1/2019

Oregon’s public records advocate would no longer be appointed by the governor and would have his or her independence clearly spelled out in state law under a proposal that legislators will take up next year. The plan by the Public Records Advisory Council is a response to news in that Gov. Kate Brown’s top lawyer, Misha Isaak, told Public Records Advocate Ginger McCall that she reported to him and should vet any public records legislation, policy proposal, and report with the governor’s office before releasing them. McCall resigned in September. She cited irreconcilable differences with the governor’s staff over role of the public records advocate, including that she felt pressured by the governor’s administration to advance Brown’s public records policy goals without disclosing who was directing that work.

Rhode Island – R.I. Ethics Commission Head Suggests Lightening Rules for Public Officials
Providence Journal – Katherine Gregg | Published: 9/26/2019

Rhode Island Ethics Commission Executive Director Jason Gramitt has suggested reforming the state’s financial disclosure law for public officials, such as a less punitive procedure for dealing with public officials who fail to disclose all of their family’s sources of income, financial holdings, expense-paid trips, and executive positions on boards. “We agree with the Ethics Commission that the current mix of statute and regulations has created a somewhat confusing situation,” said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island. “… [But] any changes to financial disclosure should start with the principle of first doing no harm. The public should not lose any information that it already has access to under the current law.”

Washington – Firm Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million After Illegally Funneling Money to Initiative Activist Tim Eyman
Seattle Times – Christine Clarridge | Published: 10/1/2019

A judge ordered a signature-gathering firm and its principal to pay $1 million for funneling campaign donations to anti-tax activist Tim Eyman. The ruling is the latest development in a lawsuit that Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed against Eyman, Citizen Solutions LLC, and one of its owners, William Agazarm, accusing the firm and Agazarm of unlawfully concealing a $308,185 payment to Eyman. The attorney general’s office said Eyman created “gift schemes” for Citizen Solutions and its owners to “funnel money” to him. Records also document several $13,000 payments to Eyman and his family members from the owners of Citizen Solutions Inc., a predecessor to the limited liability company.

Washington DC – Metro Board Adopts Revised Ethics Policy in Wake of Evans Scandal
Washington Post – Justin George | Published: 9/26/2019

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) adopted a revised ethics policy that will make alleged violations and future internal investigations of board members public. The move comes after the panel was widely criticized for its handling of the probe into the conduct of former Metro Chairperson Jack Evans. The new policy removes much of the secrecy that surrounded the Evans investigation and its outcome. An investigation by the board’s ethics committee found Evans had failed to disclose a conflict-of-interest arising from his private consulting work for Colonial Parking, which was paying Evans’ consulting firm $50,000 a year.

Washington DC – There Goes the Neighborhood … to Lobbyists and Fundraisers
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 10/2/2019

As more K Street shops and political operations buy real estate on Capitol Hill for the proximity to lawmakers, residents say they fear their neighborhoods are morphing into a commercial district, in some cases in violation of zoning regulations and allowing the lobbyist homeowners possibly to pay less in taxes than the business rate. Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, and his neighbors, some of whom are also professional lobbyists themselves, have raised their concerns with local officials, who are urging the District of Columbia to investigate potential zoning violations and to clarify the rules. “Every residential house that gets turned into a lobbying headquarters or a fundraising house, it’s one less house that a family can live in,” said city council member Charles Allen.

October 3, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Kentucky: “Hospital Group Cancels Beshear Fundraiser After Saying Donation Would ‘Assure Access’” by Daniel Desrochers for Lexington Herald-Leader Elections Iowa: “Judge Upholds Voter ID, Strikes Parts of 2017 Voting Law” by David Pitt for AP News Ethics National: […]

October 2, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “RNC Solicited Money for Trump’s Reelection with Forms That Look a Lot Like the Official Census” by Kim Bellware and Brittany Shammas (Washington Post) for MSN Washington: “Firm Ordered to Pay More Than $1 Million After Illegally […]

October 1, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Elections Chief Says a GOP Colleague Blocked Wide Release of Her Foreign Activity” by Alex Horton (Washington Post) for MSN Nebraska: “Nebraska Lags Behind Neighbors in Campaign Finance Regulation” by Tony Herrman for Hastings Tribune Ethics National: […]

September 30, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Arkansas: “Arkansas Asks Panel to Toss Challenge to Campaign-Finance Law” by Joe Harris for Courthouse News Service Colorado: “Recall Polis Group Gives $11,000 in Gifts to Staffers” by Anna Staver for Denver Post Oregon: “Oregon Campaign Finance Watchdog […]

September 27, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – September 27, 2019

National/Federal Convictions Tossed Out Against Ex-Flynn Business Partner AP News – Michael Barakat | Published: 9/24/2019 A federal judge tossed out convictions against a one-time business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn who was accused of acting as a […]

National/Federal

Convictions Tossed Out Against Ex-Flynn Business Partner
AP News – Michael Barakat | Published: 9/24/2019

A federal judge tossed out convictions against a one-time business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn who was accused of acting as a Turkish foreign agent. U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga ruled the evidence against Bijan Kian was insufficient to sustain a conviction even though a jury convicted him at a trial earlier this year. Trenga had expressed doubts about the government’s case throughout the trial. Trenga also ordered that Kian should be granted a new trial if an appeals court reverses his decision to grant acquittals. Kian was convicted on a conspiracy count and a count of acting as an unregistered agent of Turkey. At trial, Kian also presented evidence that he had intended to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act until a lawyer advised him it was unnecessary in his case.

DNC Raises Threshold to Make November Debate Stage
Politico – Zach Montellaro | Published: 9/23/2019

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has slightly raised the bar to qualify for the November primary debate. The new thresholds represent the DNC’s latest attempt to balance its mandate to cull the field while also facing complaints about excluding candidates with impressive resumes, including sitting senators and governors, who could not meet the previous, lower polling and donor marks. Even some of the major candidates who have appeared in each of the first three debates have been forced to adjust their strategies to boost their poll numbers or trawl for small-dollar donors on Facebook, often spending multiples more to advertise than the money they received in return.

Here’s a Business Plan: Wooing millennials to the polls with prizes, not guilt
The Fulcrom – Bill Theobald | Published: 9/25/2019

Traditionally, voter registration and turnout drives go right for the moral argument. Registering to vote and going to the polls is your obligation in a democracy, the organizers say. But the relatively poor turnout through the years argues for a different approach. Armed with their millennials’ native knowledge of social media, an understanding of behavioral economics from their graduate work as well as their own research, graduate school classmates Jess Riegel and Rachel Konowitz put together a business plan particularly focused on getting younger people to vote.

Justice Department Drops Probe of Mueller-Referred Lobbyists, They Say
San Francisco Chronicle – Tom Hamburger and Matt Zapotosky (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2019

A long-running U.S. Justice Department investigation of two of Washington, D.C.’s best-known lobbyists was closed, the latest sign of the challenges facing prosecutors attempting to more aggressively pursue possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Tony Podesta and Vin Weber said they were notified that federal prosecutors in Manhattan had closed the inquiry into work they did that benefited Ukrainian interests. As the investigation proceeded, Podesta closed his iconic lobbying firm, the Podesta Group. Weber left Mercury, a firm he had helped lead since 2011.

Koch-Linked Nonprofit Must Disclose Donors, Settlement Mandates
Bloomberg Government – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 9/19/2019

In a settlement with the FEC, the now-defunct Americans for Job Security (AJS) said it should have registered as a regulated PAC beginning in 2010 because it spent most of its money to influence elections. Such PACs must disclose their donors, unlike nonprofits that say they are mainly interested in policy issues rather than campaigns. While AJS acknowledged it had violated campaign finance law, the FEC said it would not seek an immediate fine because of the group’s defunct status and the long period of time since the spending occurred. The FEC approved the settlement before the departure of Commissioner Matthew Petersen, which left the agency without a four-member quorum to approve enforcement actions.

Pelosi Announces Impeachment Inquiry, Says Trump’s Courting of Foreign Political Help Is a ‘Betrayal of National Security’
MSN – Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis, and Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2019

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the extraordinary step of initiating impeachment proceedings against President Trump, accusing him of violating the Constitution in seeking help from a foreign leader to damage a political opponent. Pelosi’s move came after Trump acknowledged he urged the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination who holds a wide lead over Trump, polls show, in a potential general election matchup. The revelation prompted a rush of moderate House Democrats to call for an impeachment inquiry into Trump, a step they had resisted for months. The confrontation between the Democratic-led House and Trump is likely to further divide a polarized nation ahead of the 2020 election while carrying implications for both parties.

Politicians and Pundits Used to Refrain from Publicly Attacking Kids. Not Anymore.
Stamford Advocate – Hannah Natanson (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2019

Greta Thunberg is “mentally ill.” Emma González is a “skinhead lesbian.” David Hogg is “a special kind of stupid.” These may sound like playground taunts, but they are not: All are epithets applied by politicians, pundits, or political elites (adults) to the young leaders of global movements against climate change and gun violence. Thunberg is 16, and González and Hogg are in their late teens. This kind of rhetoric, experts say, is the hallmark of a new era of American political discourse: one that allows, even encourages, vitriolic verbal abuse of children and teenagers.

Trump’s Other Ukraine Problem: New concern about his business
Washington Post – Jonathan O’Connell and David Fahrenthold | Published: 9/26/2019

Buried in the controversy over President Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was an effort by the Ukrainian leader at currying favor with Trump through his business. “Actually, last time I traveled to the United States, I stayed in New York near Central Park, and I stayed at the Trump Tower,” Zelensky told Trump, according to a rough transcript of the July 25 call. Zelensky’s comments mark the first known example of an interaction Democrats and ethics experts warned about when Trump took office: that foreign leaders would try to influence Trump by spending money at his properties and telling him about it.

Whistleblower Claimed Trump Abused His Office and That White House Officials Tried to Cover It Up
Portland Press Herald – Matt Zapotosky, Carol Leonnig, and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 9/26/2019

An intelligence community whistleblower raised alarms that President Trump used his office to pressure a foreign government to influence the 2020 U.S. election and his staff orchestrated a cover-up to keep details of a telephone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky off normal channels. In the call, Trump pressed Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter. Trump offered to enlist U.S. Attorney General William Barr’s help in that effort. While the whistleblower’s primary concern is the president’s phone call with Zelensky, it is clear from the document that its author also was troubled by what appeared then to be a four-month pattern of election season misconduct involving the president, his personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani, and White House aides who sought to keep the whole thing quiet.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Ben Stevens Once Left the Alaska Senate in Disgrace. Now He’s Gov. Dunleavy’s Top Deputy.
Alaska Public Media – Nathaniel Herz | Published: 9/25/2019

Former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens has been out of the public eye for a decade after he decided against running for re-election amid an ethics controversy that grew into bribery allegations against him. He was investigated by four federal agencies but was never charged with a crime. In December, Stevens was hired as a policy advisor to Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Then, in July, Dunleavy made Stevens his chief of staff, making him one of the most powerful unelected officials in the state. Stevens’ rise to an influential, public role revives some of the questions raised by Legislature’s 2006 corruption scandal, like the allegations by two former oil industry executives who said their company paid him bribes when he was a senator.

Arizona – Federal Judge Hears Arguments in Challenge to Initiative Law
Arizona Capitol Times – Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) | Published: 9/25/2019

An attorney for the state asked a federal judge to uphold a law that challengers say is designed to make it more difficult for people to propose their own laws. Arizona Assistant Attorney General Joseph La Rue acknowledged the measure requires a judge to throw out all the signatures of paid or out-of-state circulators of initiative petitions if that person does not respond to a subpoena, regardless of whether the signatures gathered are actually valid. La Rue argued, however, that restriction is necessary to protect the integrity of the election process. U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton questioned why, if such automatic disqualification is necessary, that same provision does not apply when initiative signatures are collected by volunteers who are Arizona residents.

Arkansas – Lobbyist Fined $50 Over Late Reports
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Staff – | Published: 9/24/2019

Lobbyist Keith Emis was fined $50 and issued a public letter of caution by the Arkansas Ethics Commission in a settlement of a complaint filed against him. February is the only month in this three-month period in which Emis reported lobbyist expenses on his reports. Emis said he contracts with another accounting firm to file his reports with the state and there was some type of communication problem between the firm and the secretary of state’s website.

California – Commissioner Enjoyed Fine Dining, ‘Relationship Building’ with Insurance Executives Before Donations, Action in Their Favor
San Diego Union Tribune – Jeff McDonald | Published: 9/19/2019

Following Ricardo Lara’s swearing in as California insurance commissioner, Eric Serna, a New Mexico lobbyist who more than a decade ago resigned in disgrace as that state’s most senior insurance regulator, began turning up at meetings between the new insurance chief and industry executives. The second meeting between Lara and Serna included the proposed buyer and seller of Applied Underwriters, a workers’ compensation insurer that has been the subject of dozens of complaints. The pending sale requires the approval of the California insurance commissioner. The meetings raise questions about Lara’s statements in July, when he said he was unaware that donors with ties to Applied Underwriters had contributed some $54,000 to his campaign. After The San Diego Union-Tribune disclosed the donations, Lara issued a statement apologizing for what he called an oversight and pledged to return the contributions.

California – Judge Blocks California Law Requiring Trump Tax Returns
Courthouse News Service – Nick Cahill | Published: 9/19/2019

Delivering a legal win for President Trump, a federal judge temporarily barred California from enforcing a law enacted to force the president to release his tax returns in order to appear on the state’s upcoming primary ballot. U.S. District Court Judge Morrison England Jr. said he is concerned the statute could overstep federal ethics laws regarding candidates’ financial disclosures and granted Trump and the Republican National Committee’s motion for preliminary injunction. The sides are fighting over first-of-its-kind legislation that requires presidential and gubernatorial candidates to release at least five years of recent tax returns in order to land on the state’s primary ballot. State Democrats want to force Trump’s hand and give California voters access to his tax returns before the February primary.

Florida – Orlando Airport Board, Facing Criticism, Reverses Course on No-Bid Lawyer Contracts
Orlando Sentinel – Beth Kassab and Jason Garcia | Published: 9/18/2019

The board that controls Orlando International Airport backed down from a plan to give no-bid contracts to new lawyers. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority scrapped a controversial proposal to name a pair of law firms to serve as co-general counsel for the next six months. Instead, they agreed to solicit proposals from any law firms interested in the temporary job, with plans to pick the new lawyers in November. “I do believe the process was flawed,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said.

Florida – Sen. Farmer Says There Is No Conflict of Interest Over His Relationship with Lobbyist
Orlando Sentinel – Gary Roher | Published: 9/19/2019

Florida Sen. Gary Farmer, slated to be Democratic leader after the 2020 elections, said he has not broken any laws or Senate rules by engaging in a relationship with a lobbyist and dismissed any notion of a conflict-of-interest. “Look at my voting record and compare it to her clients before you do any kind of story,” Farmer said in an interview with The Orlando Sentinel. Farmer told some colleagues he has begun a relationship with Andreina Figueroa, a lobbyist for several clients, including the Florida Justice Association, a trial lawyer group Farmer used to lead. Figueroa also has ties to the Miami-Dade GOP, and Farmer is in charge of Senate Democratic campaign efforts for the 2020 election.

Florida – Shiver’s Checkered Past Includes Role as FBI Informant in Opa-locka Corruption Case
Miami Herald – Jay Weaver | Published: 9/24/2019

Homestead mayoral candidate Steve Shiver’s résumé has had many highs (past commissioner of Homestead, Miami-Dade County manager) and many lows (personal and business bankruptcies, unproven allegations of drug use). But there is one thing no one would have seen until now: “FBI confidential informant.” The FBI tapped him for that part when he was hired as city manager by Opa-locka, a notoriously corrupt city, in 2015. As an FBI source, Shiver had to keep quit when he was publicly accused by a local contractor of soliciting a $150,000 bribe. The contractor’s allegation against Shiver turned out to be false, part of an FBI sting operation. Shiver is hoping the revelation of his role as a confidential source will help his bid for Homestead mayor.

Illinois – Federal Agents Raid Springfield, Cicero Offices of Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval, Says Source
Chicago Tribune – Jason Meisner, Jaime Muncks, and Ray Long | Published: 9/24/2019

Federal agents raided the Springfield and Cicero offices of Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to a source. The exact nature of the investigation was not disclosed. The raids on Sandoval’s offices come amid ongoing corruption probes at Chicago City Hall. Several allies of House Speaker Michael Madigan have also come under scrutiny in recent months. Sandoval, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, has worked with Madigan over the years on a variety of legislative issues.

Maryland – Hogan Raising ‘Dark’ Money to Boost His Agenda, Stop Costly Education Plan
Connecticut Post – Erin Cox (Washington Post) | Published: 9/19/2019

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is launching a campaign to oppose Democratic policy initiatives in the state. Hogan asked supporters to donate to his new super PAC to fund the lobbying and public relations efforts. Campaign finance watchdogs said the governor’s solicitation illustrates a troubling trend that has escalated over the past decade, as public officeholders find methods to raise unlimited money – some from undisclosed donors – in ways often prohibited for traditional candidate committees. Entities similar to Hogan’s caused political trouble for District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2015 and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio this year, after transparency advocates said the fundraising activity can blur ethical boundaries.

Massachusetts – House Approves Campaign Finance Reporting, OCPF Changes
MassLive.com – Matt Murphy (State House News Service) | Published: 9/25/2019

A bill overhauling campaign finance rules for legislative candidates passed the Massachusetts House. While many Republicans cheered the proposed switch to a reporting system that would require more frequent disclosures of campaign fundraising and spending, GOP leaders objected to changes in the way the director of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) is chosen. House Bill 4087 would create a new commission in charge of hiring the director of OCPF that would no longer include the chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties. OCPF Director Michael Sullivan was reappointed to new six-year term last November, but there is speculation that he may soon retire. “This is an obvious power play to eliminate any say that the minority party has when it comes to selecting the next OCPF director,” said state GOP Chairperson Jim Lyons.

Massachusetts – Sen. Jo Comerford Bill Would Ban Use of Public or Campaign Funds for Sexual Harassment Payouts
MassLive.com – Katie Lannan (State House News Service) | Published: 9/18/2019

A bill sponsored by Massachusetts Sen. Jo Comerford would prohibit elected officials in the state from using public or campaign funds to pay settlements or fines in sexual assault or harassment cases. In cases where an official is unable to pay with private funds, a public entity could use its money to cover the claim or settlement. The official would need to reimburse the entity, potentially by having portions of their salary withheld. Comerford was elected last year after a successful write-in campaign for the seat last held by former Senate President Stan Rosenberg, who resigned after an Ethics Committee report criticized his conduct in connection with sexual assault and harassment allegations against his husband, Bryon Hefner.

Michigan – Ex-Detroit Official Sent to Prison in Demolition Scandal
Detroit News – Robert Snell | Published: 9/23/2019

A city official who received as much as $26,500 in bribes from a contractor while rigging bids to tear down homes in Detroit’s federally funded demolition program was sentenced to one year in federal prison. The sentence for Aradondo Haskins represents the latest fallout from a corruption scandal clouding Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s program to rehabilitate the post-bankrupt city. Haskins is one of two people convicted of a pattern of corruption involving demolition contractors and dozens of secret payoffs. The corruption undermined the integrity of an unprecedented plan to remove thousands of dangerous, blighted structures in a city decimated by the Great Recession, prosecutors said.

Michigan – Lobbyists Spend Big on Food and Drink for State Lawmakers in 2019
MLive.com – Alyssa Burr | Published: 9/26/2019

Michigan lawmakers have consumed $540,637 worth of lobbyist-funded food and drink in the first seven months of 2019, a new report says. Craig Mauger, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network who put out the report, said lobbyists’ main strategy is to build relationships with lawmakers. “A lot of these meals take place like that. … It’s about talking about policies that are maybe before these lawmakers,” said Mauger. The lobbying law does not require lobbyists to tie all of their food and drink purchases directly to specific officeholders. Lobbyists only have to disclose which lawmakers they buy food for if they spend more than $62 in a month on an individual officeholder or more than $375 in a year on an individual officeholder.

Missouri – Ferguson Mayor Candidate Nabbed – Again – for Spending Campaign Cash on Himself
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Kurt Erickson | Published: 9/24/2019

Former Missouri Rep. Courtney Curtis, who is running to be mayor of Ferguson, used his campaign account like a personal piggy bank, spending money on visits to spas, hotels, and concert events, state ethics regulators said. Curtis, who has had multiple run-ins with the state Ethics Commission over his campaign accounts, was fined more than $77,000 by the panel for a variety of alleged transgressions, including spending money from his account on gas and hotels while also receiving daily expense reimbursements from the state during his time as a House member. Curtis’ fine could be waived if he pays $7,750 and stays in compliance with state law for two years, the commission said.

Montana – Campaign Contribution Limits Go Up in Montana
The Missoulian – Holly Michels | Published: 9/23/2019

Campaign contribution limits are going up in Montana following an adjustment to match inflation required under state law. The new caps took effect September 21. Contributions made before that were subject to the older limits, but those who have already given money can donate again up to the new limit. The increases are slight: the amount an individual person can give to a campaign for governor rose from $710 to $680 per election, for example.

Nebraska – Prosecutors Drop 1 Charge Against UNL Researcher Accused of Defacing Republicans’ Signs, Office Door
Omaha World-Herald – Rick Ruggles | Published: 9/24/2019

Prosecutors have dropped one of two vandalism charges against a researcher at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln accused of defacing U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry’s campaign. Patricia Wonch Hill was accused of putting “googly eyes” on some campaign signs that promoted Fortenberry. At least one of the signs had been altered so it read “Fartenberry.” The charge associated with the Fortenberry allegation was dropped. The remaining charge against Wonch Hill is an allegation she put stickers on state Sen. Deb Fischer’s office door in Lincoln. Wonch Hill has denied that.

New York – De Blasio to Developers: Donate to my nonprofit. $125,000 came
ENM News – Jeffrey Mayes (New York Times) | Published: 9/20/2019

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) announced it reached settlements with three developers to pay a combined $65,000 for potential violations of New York’s lobbying law. The regulations preclude lobbyists and their clients from “giving gifts to a public official or to third parties on behalf of or at the designation or recommendation of a public official,” according to JCOPE. All three companies had hired lobbyists to influence New York City at the same time they donated money to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s political nonprofit group, the Campaign for One New York. The organization was used to support de Blasio’s political agenda. According to a report from the New York City Department of Investigation, the mayor and his intermediaries solicited donations from individuals and companies with business before the city.

New York – Trump Lawyers Argue He Cannot Be Criminally Investigated
MSN – Michael Gold (New York Times) | Published: 9/18/2019

Lawyers for President Trump argued he cannot be criminally investigated while in office as they sought to block a subpoena from state prosecutors in Manhattan demanding eight years of his tax returns. Taking a broad position that the lawyers acknowledged had not been tested, the president’s legal team argued in the complaint that the Constitution effectively makes sitting presidents immune from all criminal inquiries until they leave the White House. The lawsuit was filed in response to a subpoena issued to Trump’s accounting firm. The subpoena sought eight years of the president’s personal and corporate tax returns as the office investigates the role Trump and his family business played in hush-money payments made in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

North Carolina – Duke Energy PAC Donations, Refunds Spark Complaint
WRAL – Travis Fain | Published: 9/18/2019

A campaign finance watchdog filed a complaint against Duke Energy’s PAC, arguing more than $40,000 in now-refunded campaign donations to key North Carolina legislators were illegal contributions. The donations caught Bob Hall’s eye because the checks were logged just before the start of this year’s legislative session, then refunded in the following weeks and months. Most of the campaign involved said Duke’s PAC asked for the refunds. In some cases, they said, they were not entirely sure why. A company spokesperson said it was a timing issue: The checks were printed in December but given out in January because the PAC had already hit campaign contribution limits for the 2018 election cycle. Hall accused the company of making excess donations in 2018, then hiding it.

North Dakota – Extent of North Dakota Ethics Commission’s Authority Already Questioned
Grand Forks Herald – Jack Dura (Bismarck Tribune) | Published: 9/22/2019

Without any rules or even office space yet, North Dakota’s new Ethics Commission is already facing questions of how far its authority might extend, including a query about oilfield spills. The panel has not yet begun crafting rules related to transparency, corruption, elections, and lobbying. Commissioners say such rules will help guide their actions and decision-making as to investigations of complaints. For now, the board is working to address office and staffing details. One major item for its next agenda likely will be to outline apparent conflicts in constitutional and statutory language related to the board’s duties and definitions, such as confidentiality of complaints permitted by the constitution but not allowed by state law. The board might eventually request an attorney general opinion.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma Legislator Rents Apartment from Energy Lobbyist
The Oklahoman – Carmen Forman | Published: 9/23/2019

Oklahoma Rep. Kevin Wallace, chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee, rented an apartment from lobbyist OGE Energy lobbyist Ken Miller during the legislative session and in other months when Wallace had to be at or near the Capitol for meetings and other events. The arrangement between Wallace and Miller is not illegal, nor does it violate state ethics rules. But it gives the appearance that a special interest group may have outsized influence over legislative actions, said Beth Rotman of Common Cause. “When you have powerful policymakers literally sharing living space with people whose paid role it is to influence policy, things look way too cozy,” said Rotman.

Oregon – Case Closed: In Oregon campaign investigations, ‘I did not’ is all it takes
Portland Oregonian – Rob Davis | Published: 9/17/2019

When Oregon’s election watchdogs investigate potential violations of campaign laws, critics say they take a lackadaisical approach to ferreting out wrongdoing. The state’s weak enforcement gives powerful politicians and their financial supporters an easy out, even when they admit to behavior that may have violated state law. Steve Trout, the Oregon elections director, defended the state’s oversight of campaign finance laws. “Is it 100 percent rock solid? No,” Trout said. “Is it close? Yeah. We have to make decisions based on resources and priorities on how close to 100 percent we get.”

Pennsylvania – Philly Voting Machine Vendor Engaged in Years-Long Effort to Win Contract, City Watchdog’s Investigation Finds
Philadelphia Inquirer – Jonathan Lai | Published: 9/25/2019

Election Systems and Software (ES&S), the vendor that won a $29 million contract to supply Philadelphia with new voting machines, engaged in a years-long effort to lobby elections officials, who then rushed an opaque process that was biased toward that company, City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart said. ES&S spent more than $428,000 since January 2014 in lobbying efforts, the investigation found. Rhynhart said the findings raise questions about the process and whether election commissioners acted ethically when they chose ES&S’ touchscreen ExpressVote XL machines to be used beginning this November.

Rhode Island – Former Providence City Councilman Released from Court After Ethics Fine Paid
Providence Journal – Madeline List | Published: 9/25/2019

Constables with the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs brought former Providence City Councilperson Luis Aponte into court after he was found in contempt for failure to appear to pay a debt owed to the state Ethics Commission. Aponte was released after “a woman showed up with cash” and paid the $1,623 fine, said Paul Grimaldi, spokesperson for the Department of Revenue. Aponte resigned from the council this summer after pleading no contest to embezzling $13,942 from his campaign account.

Tennessee – Former Davidson County Chancellor Bill Young Selected to Oversee Watchdog Agencies
The Tennessean – Joel Ebert | Published: 9/24/2019

Former Nashville Chancellor Bill Young was selected to serve as the next director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance. Young, who twice served in the state attorney general’s office, was chosen to succeed Drew Rawlins, who retired earlier this year, by members of the state Ethics Commission and the Registry of Election Finance. Janet Williams has served in an interim role since Rawlins’ retirement. Several of the candidates for the job talked in their interviews about the need for the watchdog groups to revamp their website, continue collecting civil penalties assessed against candidates and public officials, and the importance of having the registry begin holding its meetings throughout the state.

Virginia – Millions of Dollars Are Missing. The Sheriff Is Dead. A Small Virginia Town Wants Answers.
MSN – Antonio Olivo (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2019

A corruption probe involving current and former public officials resulted in 14 indictments in Warren County, Virginia – including all five county supervisors. The charges resulted from an investigation into the financial dealings of the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority. It has been alleged that at least $21 million has been embezzled in Warren County. The money was discovered missing last March and led to the authority suing its former executive director, Jennifer McDonald, and former Warren County Sheriff Daniel McEathron, who resigned and then committed suicide after McDonald’s arrest. Critics say the scandal reflects the perils of weak oversight in quasi-public economic development agencies.

Virginia – Virginia Senator Says She Never OK’d Ad Vowing to ‘Shoot Down’ Anti-Gun
Connecticut Post – Laura Vozzella (Washington Post) | Published: 9/23/2019

Virginia Sen. Amanda Chase blamed her digital advertising firm, the Prosper Group, for a political ad that shows her vowing to “shoot down” anti-gun activists, releasing a recorded phone conversation she said backs up her claim. A gun rights champion who caused a stir this year by wearing a gun on her hip on the Senate floor, Chase is running for a second term in November. In a recent Facebook ad, she is pictured pointing a gun. “I’m not afraid to shoot down gun groups,” it reads. “SIGN my petition to help end the assault on our liberties.” The backlash was swift, with local and national gun-control groups accusing her of threatening violence against them. The Prosper Group said the campaign had signed off on “shoot down” language for the “website landing page” that accompanies the ad, where supporters can sign a petition.

Washington – Food-Makers Fight Record Fine in Washington GMO Case
Capital Press – Don Jenkins | Published: 9/23/2019

The Washington Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) violated state election law by not naming the companies that spent $11 million to defeat a genetically modified-labeling initiative in 2013. The court also will decide whether to uphold the largest-ever fine levied in the U.S. for a campaign finance violation: $6 million. The GMA argues lower courts were insensitive to internet-fueled reprisals that businesses face. By funneling campaign contributions through an umbrella organization, food-makers preserved their right to band together and take political stands, according to the GMA. The association collected the money and reported itself as the donor.

Washington DC – Why a D.C. Lawmaker Under Investigation Votes on His Own Probe and Discipline
Washington Post – Fernit Nirappil | Published: 9/18/2019

The District of Columbia Council, frustrated by roadblocks in its investigation of possible ethics violations by member Jack Evans, voted to allow city officials to ask a court to compel the lawmaker’s private clients to cooperate. The lone dissenting vote was cast by Evans. It was one of several votes taken by Evans that have pertained to investigations of his conduct in office. The idea of recusal was never broached by Evans or his colleagues on the council during the recent vote. Council rules give lawmakers discretion to decide when to sit out votes. But critics say Evans had an obvious conflict.

Wyoming – Wyoming Is Looking to Close a Campaign Finance Loophole. But It May Not Matter.
Casper Star Tribune – Nick Reynolds | Published: 9/21/2019

Wyoming lawmakers are patching the loopholes that were revealed during the 2018 mid-term election, assembling a reform package ahead of the upcoming legislative session. Among the proposed reforms is a bill intended to close a loophole in the state’s campaign finance law which, previously, allowed corporations and nonprofits to contribute funds or services to campaign committees or PACs who “directly coordinate with a candidate or a candidate’s campaign committee.” This suggestion would knock down a piece of low-hanging fruit that should, if passed into law, create an explicit barrier between politicians and the private sector. But campaign finance experts say the law, while well-intended, does little to obstruct the use of special interest funding to influence the outcome of state elections. Not because the statute itself is a bad law, but because of the lack of any means to enforce it independently.

September 26, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Missouri: “Ferguson Mayor Candidate Nabbed – Again – for Spending Campaign Cash on Himself” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Rhode Island: “Former Providence City Councilman Released from Court After Ethics Fine Paid” by Madeline List for […]

September 25, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Montana: “Campaign Contribution Limits Go Up in Montana” by Holly Michels for The Missoulian Washington: “Food-Makers Fight Record Fine in Washington GMO Case” by Don Jenkins for Capital Press Elections National: “DNC Raises Threshold to Make November Debate […]

September 24, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance North Carolina: “Duke Energy PAC Donations, Refunds Spark Complaint” by Travis Fain for WRAL Oregon: “Case Closed: In Oregon campaign investigations, ‘I did not’ is all it takes” by Rob Davis for Portland Oregonian Wyoming: “Wyoming Is Looking […]

September 23, 2019 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Koch-Linked Nonprofit Must Disclose Donors, Settlement Mandates” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg Government California: “Commissioner Enjoyed Fine Dining, ‘Relationship Building’ with Insurance Executives Before Donations, Action in Their Favor” by Jeff McDonald for San Diego Union Tribune […]

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News You Can Use Digest – September 27, 2019

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