News You Can Use Digest – August 8, 2025

National/Federal

Push to Ban Lawmaker Stock Trading Finds New Life

MSN – Mychael Schnell (The Hill) | Published: 8/3/2025

The long effort to ban members of Congress from trading stocks is back in the spotlight following a House ethics committee report that took issue with transactions made by a member’s spouse, and after a Senate panel advanced legislation to prohibit lawmakers from making transactions. Some lawmakers are vowing to keep the topic front and center into the fall as they look to make headway on a matter that has mystified Congress.

Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith Faces Investigation by Office of Special Counsel

MSN – Maegan Vazquez and Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) | Published: 8/2/2025

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said it is taking the unusual step of investigating Jack Smith, the former Justice Department official who oversaw two federal prosecutions of Donald Trump, for potentially violating the law barring federal officials from political activity. If the office concludes a federal employee has violated the law, it refers the case to the president. The investigation is out of the norm for the OSC, an office responsible for looking into federal employees’ potential violations of prohibited personnel practices.

CPB Says It Is Shutting Down After Being Defunded by Congress, Targeted by Trump

MSN – Ted Anthony and Kevin Freking (Associated Press) | Published: 8/1/2025

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a cornerstone of American culture for three generations, announced it would take steps toward its own closure after being defunded by Congress. The demise of the corporation is a direct result of President Trump’s targeting of public media. The closure is expected to have a profound impact on the journalistic and cultural landscape – in particular, public radio and television stations in small communities across the United States. CPB helps fund both PBS and NPR.

Revealed: Threat of political violence is keeping parents of young children out of politics

MSN – Barbara Rodriguez (The 19th) | Published: 8/4/2025

When Liuba Grechen Shirley ran for Congress in 2018, she began a journey that helped change federal policy to ensure parents like herself could use campaign funds to pay for childcare. Less known was the harassment and threats of violence that she says she experienced at the time. Now Vote Mama, the umbrella organization Grechen Shirley founded that supports parents who run for office, is elevating the use of campaign funds for security measures.

Smithsonian to Restore Trump to Impeachment Exhibit ‘in the Coming Weeks’

MSN – Jonathan Fischer and Samantha Chery (Washington Post) | Published: 8/20/2025

The Smithsonian said it would restore information about President Trump’s two impeachments to an exhibit in the National Museum of American History within weeks. In July, the museum removed a placard describing Trump’s impeachments and reverted the exhibit to how it looked in 2008. That display – a glass case dominated by a file cabinet damaged in the Watergate break-in – says that “only three presidents have seriously faced removal”: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton.

Trump’s Tactics Are Bending the Criminal Justice System to His Personal Preferences

MSN – Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) | Published: 8/6/2025

President Trump’s team has mounted a direct assault on all three pillars of the justice system, attacking judges whose rulings he dislikes, firing prosecutors for doing their jobs, and taking revenge on law firms for having clients or partners he considers hostile. The president has also broken one of the chief taboos of an independent justice system by using it to attack his political enemies. He is not the first president to be accused of trying to inappropriately sway, but Trump’s actions have been more far-reaching.

Ghislaine Maxwell’s Move to ‘Country Club’ Prison Smacks of Special Treatment, Experts Say

MSN – Derek Hawkins (Washington Post) | Published: 8/5/2025

The Bryan Federal Prison Camp in Texas looks almost like a college campus, befitting its reputation as one of the nation’s most lenient lockups for nonviolent women offenders. That it is now Ghislaine Maxwell’s new home for serving her 20-year sentence for sex trafficking flouts federal guidelines on who should be held in such minimum-security facilities, according to corrections experts, who said Maxwell appeared to have received preferential treatment for answering the Justice Department’s questions about her deceased partner in crime, Jeffrey Epstein.

MAGA Antitrust Agenda Under Siege by Lobbyists Close to Trump

MSN – Dave Michaels and Annie Linskey (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 8/6/2025

The second Trump administration seemed poised to deliver on MAGA’s embrace of aggressive antitrust enforcement. Instead, those efforts have run headlong into power brokers with close ties to President Trump who have snatched up lucrative assignments helping companies facing antitrust threats. The injection of politically connected lobbyists and lawyers into antitrust investigations is a shift in an arena that for decades was a niche area dominated by specialized lawyers and economists.

Republicans Quietly Fret About ‘Disturbing’ Cory Mills Allegations

MSN – Hailey Fuchs, Gary Fineout, and Meredith Lee Hill (Politico) | Published: 8/6/2025

Rep. Cory Mills has faced accusations that he benefited from federal contracts while in office, assaulted a onetime girlfriend in his Washington apartment, and threatened another ex-girlfriend with the release of nude videos. So far, the drumbeat of tawdry allegations has raised eyebrows in Washington, but it has not translated into any overt effort to sideline Mills. GOP leaders in the House appear to be betting Mills’ various messes will sort themselves out without blowing back on the party more broadly and potentially threaten its hold on power.

House Republicans Issue Subpoena for Jeffrey Epstein Files

MSN – Kadia Goba and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 8/5/2025

The House subpoenaed the Justice Department for its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, potentially setting up a contentious standoff between Congress and the administration over an issue that has sparked major headaches for President Trump. Oversight Committee Chairperson James Comer also subpoenaed documents or testimony from several high-profile figures, who had either investigated or associated with Epstein in the past. That list included Bill and Hillary Clinton as well as a slew of former attorneys general under Democratic and Republican administrations.

Trump Fires Labor Statistics Chief After Large Revision to Jobs Report

MSN – Andrew Ackerman and Jacob Bogage (Washington Post) | Published: 8/1/2025

President Trump said he ordered the dismissal of the official in charge of compiling basic statistics about the U.S. economy after the release of a soft jobs report that showed lackluster July employment growth and revealed large downward revisions for hiring in May and June. Trump, who announced Erika McEntarfer ouster on social media, criticized her as a Biden appointee. Without evidence, he alleged the jobs numbers had been manipulated for political purposes.

Donor List Suggests Scale of Trump’s Pay-for-Access Operation

Seattle Times – Kenneth Vogel and David Yaffe-Bellany (New York Times) | Published: 8/2/2025

Lobbyists, political consultants, and others in the influence industry have capitalized on President Trump’s aggressive fundraising while in office to deliver for clients and earn points with a president who keeps close tabs on who is delivering cash and listens to their appeals. It is a cycle that has helped Trump fill the coffers of his political groups, defying the gravity that sometimes drags down the fundraising of term-limited presidents.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Turning Point USA Political Arms Accused of Violating Arizona Dark Money Disclosure Law

Yahoo News – Jerod MacDonald-Evoy (Arizona Mirror) | Published: 7/31/2025

A student-led Democratic PAC has filed a complaint against Turning Point USA’s political arms accusing it of violating Arizona’s dark money disclosure law by not revealing its funders who are providing money to run a campaign backing U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs’ bid for governor. The complaint alleges the two political advocacy arms of Turning Point USA have not filed the needed financial disclosures that are required under the Voters’ Right to Know Act which requires that the identities of each donor who contributes “directly or indirectly” more than $5,000 for campaign media spending to be revealed in a report that is available to the public.

California – Federal Judge Rebukes California Laws Targeting Misinformation

Courthouse News Service – Alan Riquelmy | Published: 8/5/2025

A federal judge knocked down a California law requiring large social media companies to remove deceptive content from their platforms, saying federal law preempts the state. Social media giants challenged Assembly Bill 2655, which requires certain platforms to remove “materially deceptive content” about candidates, elections officials, and elected officers. They argued the federal Communications Decency Act gives service providers like social media platforms immunity from content posted by a third party.

California – Sacramento County Administrator Overseeing COVID Food Program Profited from It

MSN – Joe Rubin (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 8/4/2025

The Sacramento County official who oversaw the troubled COVID-19 food aid program not only profited from it through public money distributed to her private business but also participated in the audit that concluded the initiative improperly allocated federal funds the county should demand be returned. A review of the audit and records of the Dine-In 2 program shows Stephanie Hopkins, a program planner with the county’s Department of Human Assistance, was paid by one of the leaders of the project accused of wrongdoing while approving the very dispersal and the invoices for it.  

Connecticut – Former CT Chief State’s Attorney Colangelo Fined in Ethics Case

MSN – Andrew Brown (Connecticut Mirror) | Published: 8/4/2025

State ethics officials fined Richard Colangelo Jr., Connecticut’s former chief state’s attorney, $7,000 for allegedly hiring the daughter of former state deputy budget director Konstantinos Diamantis to secure raises for himself and other state prosecutors. The job that Diamantis’ daughter was selected for paid $99,000 per year. Diamantis, who worked as a deputy in the Office of Policy and Management at the time, had influence over the state’s budget and state employee pay.

District of Columbia – Senate Confirms Jeanine Pirro as Top Federal Prosecutor for D.C.

MSN – Grace Moon, Theodoric Meyer, and Afia Barrie (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2025

The Senate confirmed former Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. She is one of a number of Fox hosts whom Trump has recruited for the administration. In a written response to senators’ questions ahead of her confirmation, Pirro declined to say whether those convicted in the Capitol riot cases should have been pardoned, and sidestepped several other questions, including whether there would ever be a legal basis for someone from the executive branch of government to defy a federal court order.

District of Columbia – Trump Regulatory Czar Jeffrey Clark Should Be Disbarred for Role in 2020 Election Plot, Disciplinary Board Rules

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 7/31/2025

The District of Columbia Bar’s disciplinary arm has recommended that longtime Donald Trump ally Jeffrey Clark lose his law license for assisting Trump’s failed bid to overturn the 2020 election. The recommendation now moves to the Court of Appeals for a final determination. It also triggers an automatic suspension for Clark from practicing law, unless he convinces the court within 30 days to intervene and block that immediate punishment.

Florida – Newly Released Records Linked to Hope Florida Reignite Intra-GOP Political Battle

MSN – Arek Sarkissian (Politico) | Published: 8/6/2025

Records released by the Florida attorney general revealed new details about community-based welfare program Hope Florida and its financial and legal dealings, reviving one of the state’s largest political battles this year. The documents reveal details of a $67 million settlement between Florida and the state’s largest Medicaid provider, meant to settle overbilling claims. The final drafts of the settlement included a $10 million donation to the nonprofit arm of Hope Florida, an effort spearheaded by first lady Casey DeSantis. The donation was later used to fund the campaign to defeat a marijuana initiative last year.

Illinois – Longtime ComEd Lobbyist Gets 1 Year in Prison for Role in Madigan Bribery Scheme

Capitol News Illinois – Hannah Meisel | Published: 8/5/2025

Longtime Chicago lobbyist Jay Doherty was sentenced to a year and a day in prison for his role in a yearslong bribery scheme between his biggest client, electric utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), and former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Doherty agreed to use his consulting company as a pass-through in order to pay several political allies of Madigan’s, who did nothing for ComEd but received monthly checks. Two separate juries found the payments were the cornerstone of a larger bribery scheme aimed at influencing Madigan while the utility pushed for major legislation in Springfield.

Kentucky – An Inside Look into Frankfort Lobbying Events: Bourbon, breakfast & Jimmy John’s

MSN – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 8/7/2025

In 2024, the total reported amount that lobbying groups spent on events to influence Kentucky lawmakers was $484,000, a 160 percent increase from the pre-pandemic average. The rise has raised some eyebrows among Democrats and observers. Others argue the events, whether an elaborate reception or a quick breakfast, do little to sway policy or are merely a reflection of the increasingly active way the GOP-led Legislature is shaping the state. But what actually happens at a legislative reception?

Louisiana – The Supreme Court Just Dropped a Hint About Its Next Big Voting Rights Act Case

MSN – Zach Montellaro and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 8/1/2025

The Supreme Court said it will weigh the constitutionality of a common form of redistricting used to protect the voting power of Black and Hispanic voters: the drawing of congressional districts where racial minorities make up at least half the population. Experts in election law said the move signals that the court may be poised to further narrow the Voting Rights Act. The order came in a case challenging Louisiana’s congressional map, which contains two majority-Black districts out of the state’s six House seats.

Michigan – MAGA Michigan Sheriff Faces New Criticism for Politicking with Official Resources

Yahoo News – Ben Solis (Michigan Advance) | Published: 8/6/2025

Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy, who is also running for the Michigan Senate, held a political fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and coordinated the event using taxpayer-funded resources to do it, according to emails. Michigan law prohibits public officials from using their offices and public resources for outside political purposes. The records show he helped coordinate aspects of the event using his government work email.

Montana – Group Releases Text of Proposed Montana Constitutional Amendment to Curb Dark Money

Yahoo News – Darrell Ehrlick (Daily Montanan) | Published: 8/1/2025

Montana began the constitutional initiative process aimed at challenging dark money, corporate campaign spending, and the Citizens United ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court has said the power to spend money in elections is tantamount to free speech and so most attempts to thwart or limit it have run afoul of the Constitution and the nation’s highest courts. But the wording of the new initiative seeks to limit the amount of money corporations can spend, not through traditional campaign laws or limitations, but rather by limiting corporate charters.

Nebraska – Rep. Mike Flood Met with Anger at Nebraska Town Hall

MSN – Kadia Goba (Washington Post) | Published: 8/5/2025

U.S. Rep. Mike Flood faced about 750 voters during a contentious town hall in Lincoln, Nebraska recently. The two-term Republican lawmaker was there to explain his vote for President Trump’s signature achievement: the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that extended the 2017 tax cuts and plowed billions into immigration enforcement while slashing health care and food programs for the poor. But from the start of the 90-minute session, Flood was met with an angry crowd that asked substantive questions but rarely seemed satisfied with his answers.

Nevada – Clark County Commissioners to Face Ethics Board Over Accepting Pricey F1 Tickets

MSN – Mary Hynes (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 7/31/2025

Five current and former Clark County commissioners will face the Nevada Commission on Ethics in connection with accepting free Formula One racing tickets. Each accepted a four-day ticket worth $10,900 to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in November 2023. Leading up to the event, commissioners approved the use of public roads for the race and streamlined the permitting process. In January 2024, the five commissioners reported accepting the tickets in an annual disclosure form, though in some instances incorrectly or belatedly.

New Jersey – Federal Judge Will Decide Whether Trump Ally Alina Habba Can Lead Prosecutions in New Jersey

Yahoo News – Ry Rivard, Kyle Cheney, Josh Gerstein and Matt Friedman (Politico) | Published: 8/1/2025

A federal judge will decide whether President Trump’s pick to lead federal prosecutors in New Jersey, Alina Habba, has the legal authority to continue operating as the state’s acting U.S. attorney. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brann indicated Friday that he would delve into the thorny question following a series of unusual maneuvers by Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to keep Habba in the role on a temporary basis. That prompted some criminal defendants to raise questions about Habba’s legitimacy.

New Mexico – Most Ethics Complaints Filed Against NM Lawmakers Resolved Quietly

Yahoo News – Dan Boyd (Albuquerque Journal) | Published: 8/4/2025

The recent internal ethics investigation into Sen. Mimi Stewart marked the first time in years that a complaint against a New Mexico lawmaker led to a public hearing. But there has been no shortage of filed complaints. With the exception of the complaint against Stewart, all other allegations of misconduct filed against lawmakers in the last five years – there have been a total of 17 – were quietly resolved without any details being publicly released.

New York – NYC Campaign Finance Board Denies Mayor Eric Adams Millions in Matching Funds

MSN – Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 8/6/2025

The New York City Campaign Finance Board denied Mayor Eric Adams millions of dollars in matching funds for the tenth time and suggested in a strongly worded statement that Adams will not be getting a penny anytime soon. The board denied Adams the public funding for his general election bid on two grounds: his campaign has not submitted required paperwork, and the board has reason to believe the campaign violated the law.

New York – GOP Mayoral Hopeful Curtis Sliwa’s Group Bills Itself a Charity Despite Losing Tax-Exempt Status

Yahoo News – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 8/6/2025

New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s crime prevention group, the Guardian Angels, is soliciting donations while portraying itself as a tax-exempt charity even though it was stripped of that status years ago amid tax issues and legal troubles involving the organization’s longtime treasurer. The Guardian Angels, which Sliwa founded in 1979 and still controls, has not filed a 990 Form with the IRS since 2019.

North Carolina – Lobbyist’s $6,800 Donation to Rep. Sarah Stevens’ Supreme Court Campaign Likely Violates State Law

Yahoo News – Ahmed Jallow (NC Newsline) | Published: 8/7/2025

A donation from registered lobbyist Harold Brubaker to Rep. Sarah Stevens’ campaign for North Carolina Supreme Court appears to violate a law that bars lobbyists from contributing to sitting legislators regardless of the office they are seeking. The $6,800 contribution matches the maximum allowed from an individual donor under current state limits.

Ohio – ‘He Was Not Supposed To’: Cleveland Councilman’s role in gift card giveaway draws attention from state auditors

MSN – Sean McDonnell (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 8/4/2025

State auditors are reviewing whether Cleveland City Councilperson Joe Jones breached a city contract when his office helped hand out $50,000 in taxpayer-funded gift cards, a role that was supposed to fall entirely to a nonprofit. Records suggest Jones was cautioned against participating in the giveaway. Jones denies ever receiving such a warning, and said only his staff handed out the cards, not him personally.

Ohio – Ohio Elections Commission Getting Affairs in Order Ahead of Jan. 1 Handoff

Yahoo News – Nick Evans (Ohio Capital Journal) | Published: 8/4/2025

The Ohio General Assembly tacked an expiration date on the state’s independent campaign finance watchdog as part of the latest state budget. On January 1, the Ohio Elections Commission’s responsibilities shift to a new office under the secretary of state’s umbrella. Beyond that date-certain transfer, much of what happens next is still up in the air. In the meantime, their work continues.

Oregon – Judge Overturns Campaign Finance Violations from Rene Gonzalez’s 2024 Run for Portland Mayor

MSN – Jamie Parfitt (KGW) | Published: 7/31/2025

A pair of penalties against Rene Gonzalez for campaign finance violations during his 2024 run for Portland mayor were overturned by a Circuit Court judge. While the judge’s determination does not concern the merits of the campaign violations, Gonzalez successfully argued the process under which he was penalized, which is written into the city charter’s section on campaign finance, did not afford him due process rights under the U.S. Constitution because he was not afforded a hearing.

Pennsylvania – We Finally Know Who Paid for Josh Shapiro’s Inauguration Celebrations (Kinda)

MSN – Stephen Caruso (Spotlight PA) | Published: 8/4/2025

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2023 inauguration and the ball that followed it cost more than $4 million, but the identity of the benefactors who paid the bill remained a secret. Now, through a first-of-its-kind analysis, Spotlight PA identified a portion of those donors, which include influential lobbying firms, unions, and corporations with interests before the commonwealth’s government.

Texas – The IRS Says Churches Can Now Endorse Candidates. That Could Give Texas Pastors More Power Than Ever.

MSN – Marissa Greene (Fort Worth Report) | Published: 8/4/2025

The IRS recently decided to allow religious leaders to endorse candidates from the pulpit. For decades, pastors have fought for the right to speak on political issues and actively endorse candidates in their capacity as religious leaders. Now, before a judge has weighed in on whether to allow the IRS policy change, some religious leaders are already calling on congregations to demand greater political involvement from their churches.

Texas – Texas Democrats Flee State in Effort to Block GOP’s House Map Overhaul

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2025

With control of the U.S. House hanging in the balance in the midterm elections, Democratic lawmakers in Texas fled the state to prevent a Republican effort to redraw district boundaries. Democrats plan to stay away for two weeks to run out the clock on a special legislative session called by Gov. Greg Abbott to draw a map that would give the GOP five more seats. While some states have adopted nonpartisan systems for drawing maps, Texas and many others have not, and partisans there have free rein to give themselves as much power as possible.

Utah – A Utah Progressive Group Mentioned a GOP Lawmaker in Its Fundraising. He Sent a Legal Threat.

MSN – Emily Anderson Stern (Salt Lake Tribune) | Published: 7/31/2025

On the homepage of its website, Alliance for a Better Utah lays out a one-sentence description of its purpose: “a nonprofit that holds politicians accountable and advocates for progressive policies.” But after a Republican lawmaker saw his name in the organization’s recent fundraising messages, he sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding Better Utah remove his “name, photograph, and likeness” from its content and issue a public retraction.

Washington – Seattle Prop 1 to Fund ‘Democracy Voucher’ Program Passing

Seattle Times – Daniel Beekman | Published: 8/5/2025

Seattle voters appear to have approved a 10-year, $45 million renewal of the city’s taxpayer-funded democracy vouchers. Proposition 1 would set the city on a course to continue an unusual campaign finance program that began with fanfare in 2017. The program mails four $25 vouchers to each voter, each city election cycle. Voters can sign the vouchers over to candidates, who convert them into cash to pay for things like yard signs and consultants.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Is Getting a New Electronic Campaign Finance System. Here’s What to Know About the New Website.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Anna Kleiber | Published: 8/6/2025

After 16 years, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission will be upgrading to a new website for its electronic Campaign Finance Information System. Candidates and other users will have about five months to learn how to use the new system before a report is due. The Ethics Commission will also do an online training seminar, which will be recorded and posted on its website.