National/Federal

Hunter Biden Sought State Department Help for Ukrainian Company

DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel (New York Times) | Published: 8/13/2024

Hunter Biden sought assistance from the U.S. government for a potentially lucrative energy project in Italy while his father was vice president, according to records and interviews. The records, which the Biden administration had withheld for years, indicate Hunter Biden wrote at least one letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy in 2016 seeking assistance for the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, where he was a board member. Embassy officials appear to have been uneasy with the request from the son of the sitting vice president on behalf of a foreign company.

Trump Gambles on Outside Groups to Finance Voter Outreach Efforts

DNyuz – Theodore Schleifer (New York Times) | Published: 8/14/2024

The Republican campaign for president is quietly being remade by new federal guidelines that empower big-money groups and threaten to undermine party control well beyond the 2024 election. Donald Trump’s team has enlisted some of these groups to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors across the country, saving the campaign significant money in the process. This transformation is a consequence of a decision by the FEC earlier this year that allows campaigns to coordinate their canvassing efforts with outside groups like super PACs.

Arizona and Missouri Greenlight Abortion Rights Amendments

MSN – Sandhya Raman (Roll Call) | Published: 8/13/2024

Voters in at least eight states will vote on ballot measures related to abortion access in November after officials in Arizona and Missouri certified proposed amendments in the states. The measures are part of a strategy from abortion rights advocates who see direct voting as a way to elevate the issue and circumvent legislative gridlock on abortion. All seven state ballot measures considered following the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision have favored the side of abortion rights.

How Elon Musk Is Using His Wealth, Reach to Support Trump’s Campaign

MSN – Julia Shapiro and Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 8/15/2024

Elon Musk is tapping into his wealth and the power of his social platform X to help sway the election toward Donald Trump, spurring controversy along the way. After years of drifting toward the political right, the billionaire owner of Tesla and SpaceX is throwing his fortune behind a pro-Trump super PAC and has inundated X, which he purchased in 2022, with content criticizing Democrats and Vice President Harris. “The big difference [between Musk and other wealthy donors] is that he is himself a sort of Trump-esque figure,” said Sarah Bryner, director of research and strategy at OpenSecrets.

Man Who Violently Fought Cops Gets 2nd-Longest Jan. 6 Sentence: 20 years

MSN – Tom Jackman (Washington Post) | Published: 8/9/2024

David Dempsey came to the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, well-prepared to commit violence. He wore a bulletproof tactical vest, a black helmet, and a gaiter to obscure most of his face. Dempsey repeatedly attacked police for more than an hour, throwing poles and deploying bear spray at the line of officers protecting the Capitol. He used a crutch to smash an officer’s head, giving him a concussion. A judge recently sentenced Dempsey to 20 years in prison, the second-longest sentence of the approximately 950 defendants sentenced so far.

Experts Warn of Election Disruptions After Trump Says Campaign Was Hacked

MSN – Abbie Cheeseman and Joseph Menn (Washington Post) | Published: 8/11/2024

Analysts and intelligence experts warned that wider efforts may be underway by foreign powers to disrupt the U.S. presidential election, after the Trump campaign said it believed its email systems had been breached by hackers working for Iran. So far, two Democratic House members who have served on intelligence and security committees have called for briefings and for declassification of information related to the possible foreign interference in the election.

Empty Chairs at Candidate Debates a Sign of These Very Partisan Times

MSN – Karin Brulliard (Washington Post) | Published: 8/12/2024

Seeing candidates standing side-by-side is getting rarer as more contenders opt out of debates or forums with their opponents. Strategists say the shift reflects not just an erosion of a ritual long central to American elections and democracy, but also a divided political landscape where sparring takes place online and candidates prioritize attention for supporters instead of the broader community.

Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos

MSN – Andy Kroll (ProPublica) and Nick Surgery (Documented) | Published: 8/10/2024

Project 2025, the policy agenda for a right-wing presidential administration, has lost its director and faced criticism from both Democratics and Donald Trump. But Project 2025’s plan to train an army of political appointees who could battle against the so-called deep state government bureaucracy on behalf of a future Trump administration remains on track. One centerpiece of that program is dozens of videos created for Project 2025’s Presidential Administration Academy. Some of the content is routine advice any incoming political appointee might be told. Other segments offer guidance on radically changing how the federal government works and what it does.

Pro-Israel PAC Notches Striking Electoral Victories with Bush, Bowman Defeats

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 8/8/2024

After losing reelection in her Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush did not hesitate to direct supporters to the alleged culprit. “AIPAC, I’m coming to tear your kingdom down,” a defiant Bush said, referencing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, whose super PAC spent at least $8.6 million to defeat Bush, helping make the race the second-most expensive House primary of the year. Her loss came weeks after the super PAC, United Democracy Project, helped unseat Rep. Jamaal Bowman.

Want to Speed Up a Road or Transit Project? Just Host a Political Convention

MSN – Jeff McMurray (Associated Press) | Published: 8/12/2014

Chicago officials planned to reopen an elevated train station near the United Center more than four years ago, but numerous delays left some wondering if it ever would happen. Then the Democratic National Committee picked the city to host its convention. Construction crews scrambled to finish work before delegates arrived, with most of the high-profile events set for less than a half mile away. Cities might factor in the ability to host major events when prioritizing infrastructure upgrades, but rarely do they embark on big-ticket projects just to land a political convention or woo its delegates. Speeding up construction is another matter.

Biggest Lobbying Interests Buck Trend with Higher 2024 Spending

MSN – Caitlin Reilly (Roll Call) | Published: 8/13/2024

Trade groups and companies responsible for this year’s largest lobbying expenditures so far upped the ante in the first half of 2024 compared to a year earlier, defying expectations for an election year slump. K Street’s top 10 clients shelled out $162.3 million through June, up 13 percent from the first half of 2023. Part of that was due to heavy legislative activity during the first quarter, which saw enactment of two big spending packages and House passage of a $79 billion tax bill that got hung up in the Senate.

Feds Ask Ted Cruz’s Campaign to Explain Dozens of Illegal Donations It Received

San Antonio Current – Sanford Nowlin | Published: 8/8/2024

The FEC wants U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to explain or return tens of thousands of dollars in recent campaign contributions that appear to violate legal limits. Although individuals are prohibited under federal law from giving more than $3,300 to a candidate’s election committee, a letter from the FEC raises concerns that 45 Cruz campaign donors blew past that limit during the second quarter, some by thousands of dollars. The inquiry comes as Cruz faces scrutiny over a deal to distribute his podcast which has so far pumped $786,000 in corporate dollars into a super PAC focused on his reelection.

How a Small Group of Nuns in Rural Kansas Vex Big Companies with Their Investment Activism

Yahoo Finance – Tiffany Stanley (Associated Press) | Published: 8/15/2024

Among corporate America’s most persistent shareholder activists are 80 nuns in a monastery outside Kansas City. The Benedictine sisters of Mount St. Scholastica have taken on the likes of Google, Target, and Citigroup, calling on major companies to do everything from Artificial Intelligence oversight to measuring pesticides to respecting the rights of Indigenous people.

Elections Officials Battle a Deluge of Disinformation

Yahoo News – Tiffany Hsu (New York Times) | Published: 8/12/2024

Increasingly, elections officials must multitask as defenders against disinformation and its consequences. They are debunking claims that masses of dead people are contaminating the voting pool or that mail-in balloting is susceptible to fraud. In the past year, they have been flooded with demands for details about their employees and subjected to threats of bombings and break-ins. The stress has pushed many public servants to resign or retire. The remaining officials are once again marshaling their limited resources to try to reach people unmoved by earlier efforts to debunk and limit persistent rumors.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Alabama Legislator Wants to Limit Power of Political Parties Regarding Campaign Contributions

Alabama Reflector – Ralph Chapoco | Published: 8/13/2024

Alabama Rep. Phillip Pettus prefiled a bill for the coming legislative session that would prohibit political parties from disqualifying candidates for elected office based solely on the campaign contributions they receive from specific people or organizations. The legislation stems from a rule that the Alabama Republican Party adopted in August 2023 that prohibits GOP candidates for superintendent or school board from accepting campaign contributions from the Alabama Education Association, an organization that represents teachers in the state.

Alabama – House Representative Plans to Refile Bill Overhauling Alabama’s Ethics Code

Alabama Reflector – Alander Rocha | Published: 8/13/2024

Rep. Matt Simpson plans to revive a proposal to overhaul the state’s ethics laws. Simpson said he will reintroduce the legislation in the 2025 session, after a bill he filed last year failed to pass. The bill faced significant opposition, particularly from the Alabama Ethics Commission and the attorney general’s office.

Alaska – How Alaska Wound Up with No Limits on Campaign Donations – and How Some Hope to Restore Them

Alaska Public Media – Eric Stone | Published: 8/8/2024

Alaska used to have some of the strictest campaign spending laws in the country. Since 2021, thanks to a court decision, Alaska has been one of only about a dozen states with no limits on contributions from individuals. A ballot initiative campaign is underway to set limits of $2,000 per candidate per election cycle, with higher limits for group donations and contributions to a gubernatorial ticket.

California – Nonprofit Linked to OC Supervisor’s Daughter Says It Won’t Refund $2.2M in Taxpayer Funds Demanded by County

MSN – Nick Gerda (LAist) | Published: 8/8/2024

A nonprofit group says it is refusing a demand by Orange County officials to refund $2.2 million that Supervisor Andrew Do directed to the organization outside of the public’s view. Do’s daughter, Rhiannon Do, led the group, Viet America Society (VAS), off and on over the time that money was awarded. County officials determined VAS failed to show it did the work it was paid to do. They demanded a full refund by August 26 for two contracts meant to feed needy residents during the coronavirus pandemic.

California – State Sting Operation Busts 11 Contractors Making Bids Without a License in Sacramento County

MSN – Vincent Medina (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 8/5/2024

An undercover sting operation in Elk Grove found 11 unlicensed contractors placing bids, according to the Contractors State License Board.  The contractors were caught making bids between $2,100 and $17,500, exceeding the $500 threshold that requires a contractor’s license in California.

Colorado – Former Colorado Official Found Guilty for Role in Election Equipment Tampering

MSN – Yvonne Winget Sanchez and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 8/12/2024

A Colorado jury found a former county election official guilty of seven charges connected to allowing a purported computer expert to copy election data from her office as Donald Trump and his allies spread false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and searched for evidence to prove it. Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was found guilty on seven of 10 charges. Peters is one of the few officials to face consequences for using their positions in local elections offices to try to prove false claims that took root after Trump’s defeat.

Delaware – Emails Show Delaware Lieutenant Governor’s Staff Engaged in Campaign Matters During Business Hours

MSN – Randall Chase (Associated Press) | Published: 8/14/2024

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long’s office staff was in regular communication last year with her husband and other people involved in her campaign for Delaware governor and worked during office hours to help facilitate the use of campaign funds, according to emails. The emails show Hall-Long enlisted her office staff, working with her husband, to help with matters bearing little if any relevance to her role as lieutenant governor. Under Delaware law, state employees are prohibited from engaging in any political activity during work hours. As an elected official, Hall-Long is exempt from that provision, but her office staff is not.

Florida – A Court Will Weigh ‘Legislative Privilege’ and Whether Florida Legislators Should Testify in a Redistricting Case

WMNF – Jim Saunders (News Service of Florida) | Published: 8/13/2024

In a potentially far-reaching case, an appeals court said it will hear arguments in a dispute about whether Florida lawmakers should be shielded from testifying in lawsuits. The House and Senate contend a concept known as “legislative privilege” shields lawmakers from having to testify in civil lawsuits. Ultimately, the House and Senate want to take the issue to the Florida Supreme Court and undo a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that allowed legislative testimony in certain circumstances.

Indiana – Seventh Circuit Orders Injunction on Indiana Campaign Finance Rule

Courthouse News Service – Dave Byrnes | Published: 8/8/2024

An appellate court panel overturned an Indiana law that limits the amount of money corporations can give to super PACs. The panel unanimously ruled to vacate an order from the lower court which barred media company Sarkes Tarzian from contributing $10,000 to the Indiana Right to Life Victory Fund, an anti-abortion PAC. The judges considered the relevant campaign finance rules inconsistent with the First Amendment and remanded the case to the lower court with instructions to enjoin it.

Kansas – Ex-Police Chief Who Led Raid on Kansas Newspaper Faces Felony Charge

MSN – Ben Brasch, Sofia Andrade, and Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 8/13/2024

A former Kansas police chief was charged with a felony for allegedly tampering with an investigation into his raid of a small-town newspaper’s office last year. Gideon Cody faces a count of interference with a judicial process. Barry Wilkerson, a special prosecutor assigned to the case, alleged the ex-chief “induced a witness to withhold information,” according to a court filing. The search sparked outrage from press freedom advocates and other news organizations who said the raid threatened to suppress free speech.

Kentucky – Louisville Official Says She Was in the Process of Filing Ethics Complaints When Fired

MSN – Eleanor McCrary (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 8/9/2024

A senior Louisville official said she was in the process of filing two ethics complaints against members of Mayor Craig Greenberg’s administration when she was fired. Keisha Dorsey, who was the mayor’s deputy chief of staff, believes the administration may have engaged in a pattern of discriminatory behavior “based on race, gender, and age …,” according to one of the complaints.

Louisiana – Louisiana Lawmaker Who Authored Bill to Reduce Politicians’ Ethics Fines Has Racked Up Her Own

Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 8/15/2024

The lawmaker who pushed through a new state law to reduce fines for candidates who do not file campaign finance reports on time has failed to submit her own paperwork properly several times over the 15 years she has been in public office. State Rep. Denise Marcelle, a Democrat, missed deadlines to turn in campaign finance reports and personal financial disclosure forms at least eight times. On six other occasions, staff for the Board of Ethics questioned whether the personal financial disclosure forms Marcelle had submitted were filled out properly.

Massachusetts – Cesar Ruiz Dissolves Latino Political Action Committee Due to Campaign Finance Violations

MSN – Jim Kinney (MassLive) | Published: 8/9/2024

Businessperson Cesar Ruiz dissolved his PAC and agreed to donate $190,000 to charity as punishment for breaking state campaign finance laws. The Latinos Leaders Now Independent Expenditure Committee and supported Latino in candidates statewide. But the committee made direct contributions last year totaling $5,500 to 13 candidates for municipal offices. Under state law, PACs that are set up like Ruiz’s cannot coordinate with campaigns and cannot contribute to them.

Michigan – Lawyer Contended Curtailing Lawmakers’ Ticket Perks Could Have ‘Destabilizing Impact’

Detroit News – Craig Mauger | Published: 8/12/2024

The Michigan Secretary of State’s office finalized guidance that concluded a strategy used by lobbyists to put sports and concert tickets in the hands of legislators was illegal. Lobbyists had been circumventing the state’s ban on gifts to public officeholders, worth more than $76, by providing tickets to lawmakers and then privately sending them letters asking for the value of the tickets over $76 to be paid back to lobbying firms.

Michigan – Michigan Lawyer Who Claimed Election Fraud Arrested after Dominion Hearing

MSN – Rachel Weiner and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 8/13/2024

An attorney involved in efforts to upend the results of the 2020 election was arrested and ordered to turn herself in to authorities in Michigan as civil and criminal cases involving claims of voter fraud collided. Stefanie Lambert’s arrest came after officials had issued a bench warrant for failing to appear for a hearing in her criminal case in Michigan, where she is charged with illegally breaching voting machines, and after she came under scrutiny for the release of documents as the attorney for an ally of Donald Trump in a federal defamation case.

Mississippi – MS Sec. of State Wants to Work with AG on Campaign Finance Violations, AG Gives Nonresponse

MSN – Grant McLaughlin (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 8/11/2024

When Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson told a crowd of people at Neshoba County Fair it might be a good idea for an assistant attorney general to work in his office on campaign finance and elections fraud, it was not just a suggestion. It was a call for something to be done about the more than 20 related violations he has sent to Attorney General Lynn Fitch, whose office has not enforced campaign finance fines the secretary of state has issued and left dozens of election fraud cases unprosecuted, Watson said.

Nevada – Jury Hears Opening Arguments in Trial Against Nevada Official Accused of Killing Journalist

Yahoo News – Julia Reinstein (ABC News) | Published: 8/14/2024

Opening statements were made in the murder trial against Robert Telles, the former Clark County public administrator accused of killing journalist Jeff German in September 2022. Telles has been accused of stabbing the Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter to death outside his home after an investigation into corruption in his office destroyed his political career and marriage. German’s story detailed the alleged hostile work environment in Telles’ office.

New Jersey – New Jersey Governor to Name Former Aide the Caretaker for Bob Menendez’s Senate Seat

MSN – Matt Friedman and Daniel Han (Politico) | Published: 8/14/2024

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy plans to name his former chief of staff, who was a longtime Senate aide, as the state’s temporary replacement to the seat of disgraced U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez. Murphy will appoint George Helmy, a former staffer for Sen. Cory Booker who is now a health care executive in one of the biggest hospital systems in New Jersey, to the seat following Menendez’s resignation that takes effect August 20.

New York – Judge Denies Trump’s Recusal Bid, Rebuking Him for Claiming Harris Ties

DNyuz – Kate Christobek and Ben Protess (New York Times) | Published: 8/14/2024

The judge who oversaw Donald Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial declined for a third time to step aside from the case, rebuking the former president’s lawyers for claiming the judge had a distant yet problematic connection to Vice President Kamala Harris. Justice Juan Merchan’s decision enables him to soon decide two crucial matters that will shape Trump’s legal fate.

New York – Trash Hauler Won Coveted Garbage Pickup Rights After Donating to Mayor Adams’ Campaign

Gothamist – Liam Quigley | Published: 8/13/2024

New York City’s campaign watchdog is scrutinizing a series of donations to Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign by owners and employees of a waste hauling company that later won a set of licenses from the sanitation department. Records show five employees of Royal Waste Services gave a combined $10,800 to then-candidate Adams on the same day just two weeks before Adams won the Democratic primary. The donations from the company’s employees were flagged in a draft audit of Adams’ 2021 election fund by the Campaign Finance Board.

North Carolina – Group That Took NC Legislators on Bourbon Tour Violates Ethics Rules, Complaint Says

MSN – Dan Kane and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 8/9/2024

Greater Carolina confirmed it hosted North Carolina legislators on a distillery tour in Kentucky where participants were accused of being drunk and disorderly. A complaint says the group is a “lobbying front,” providing gambling-industry officials and their lobbyists access to state lawmakers for what it calls “development events,” and using its status as a 501(c)(4) organization to avoid disclosure. The complaint says Greater Carolina violated a ban on gifts to public officials, and it is not disclosing its relationships with lobbyists involved in its events.

Ohio – FirstEnergy Makes $20 Million Deal with AG Dave Yost’s Office to Avoid HB6 Prosecution, Drop Company from Civil Lawsuits

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 8/12/2024

FirstEnergy will avoid state criminal prosecution over its starring role in the House Bill 6 bribery scandal in exchange for paying $20 million, under a deal with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office. The agreement, which follows a similar $230 million fine paid in 2021 avoid federal charges, means FirstEnergy will pay $250 million to elude criminal prosecution (plus another $100 million in expected regulatory penalties) for paying tens of millions in bribes to top state officials to secure lucrative policy priorities.

Ohio – Ohio Economic Developer JobsOhio Loans $2 Million to Company Headed by Insider

Ohio Capital Journal – Marty Schladen | Published: 8/12/2024

When JobsOhio was formed in 2011, officials placed tens of millions of from the state liquor franchise in the hands of a newly formed “private” corporation. Even though the corporation was formed by the state, its assets were placed beyond the transparency required of the public money it previously had been. It was done in the name of economic development. But critics feared it would open the door to insider dealing and possible corruption. Now, JobsOhio is granting more than $2 million in economic incentives to a company run by a man who also heads up a regional entity created by JobsOhio.

Oklahoma – Corporation Commissioners Have Accepted Thousands in Donations, Raising Ethical Questions

MSN – Kennedy Thomason (The Oklahoman) | Published: 8/9/2024

An analysis of campaign finance records filed from January 2018 to July 2024 show the state’s three Corporation Commission members have accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars combined from individuals or industries with direct links to those they are tasked with regulating. Although it is legal under state law to accept those contributions experts say it raises some ethical questions about whether certain donors may receive preferential treatment.

Texas – Inside ‘The Pond’ – CenterPoint’s Private Houston-Area Retreat Used for Lobbying Texas Politicians

MSN – Mike Morris, Amanda Drane, Neena Satija, and Eric Dexheimer (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 8/14/2024

A retreat known as “The Pond” has been a cornerstone of CenterPoint Energy’s lobbying efforts for decades, a space where the company’s lobbyists and executives can enjoy nature alongside the same Texas lawmakers who have voted to make it easier for CenterPoint to charge Houston customers more for electricity. More than 70 current or former state and local elected officials said they have visited the site, reported spending campaign funds on trips there, or were shown on the grounds in public images posted on social media, according to a media investigation.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Election Overseers Donate Thousands to Candidates

Capital Times – Andrew Bahl | Published: 8/12/2024

Despite their key decision-making roles in the elections process, members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission and the state Ethics Commission, as well as dozens of county clerks, have so far given a combined $26,000 this year to candidates, parties, and politically affiliated groups in the state and across the country. Those officials are allowed to donate, as long as they abide by the same limitations on contributions as everyone else. The intense scrutiny on elections in one of the nation’s foremost swing states has left some wondering if the rules, and Wisconsin’s system for running elections, make sense.