October 24, 2025 •
News You Can Use Digest – October 24, 2025
National/Federal
Former Trump Aide John Bolton Indicted Over Handling of Classified Material
MSN – Perry Stein, Jeremy Roebuck, and Katie Mettler (Washington Post) | Published: 10/16/2025
John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Trump who has become one of his fiercest critics, was indicted on charges of mishandling classified and sensitive material. The indictment charged Bolton with 18 counts of transmitting or retaining national defense information. The charges each carry a maximum 10-year prison sentence should he be convicted. The case makes Bolton the third target of the president to face criminal prosecution in less than a month.
‘No Kings’ Protests Against Trump Bring a Street Party Vibe to Cities Nationwide
MSN – Mike Pesoli and Gary Fields (Associated Press) | Published: 10/18/2025
Protesting the direction of the country under President Trump, people gathered in the nation’s capital and communities big and small across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations. With signs such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting,” in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People” preamble that people could sign, and demonstrators wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland.
Pentagon Press Confronts New Reality of Trump Era: Being banned from the Pentagon
MSN – Scott Nover (Washington Post) | Published: 10/19/2025
When a throng of military journalists relinquished their credentials after refusing to sign the Defense Department’s new restrictive press policy, it ended more than 80 years of in-building coverage by major news organizations. With only 14 individuals agreeing to the rules, dozens of outlets are confronting a new reality: the challenges of covering the Defense Department from purely outside of its five-sided nerve center on the Potomac.
George Santos, Freed by Trump, Says He Wants to Reform American Prisons
MSN – Kadia Goba (Washington Post) | Published: 10/19/2025
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who served 84 days in federal prison before receiving a presidential commutation, says he knows what he wants to do with his life now that he is no longer incarcerated. “There is nothing more that I want to do than to focus and dedicate my entire life to prison reform,” Santos said. President Trump, whom Santos has staunchly supported, issued a presidential commutation exempting him from the remainder of his sentence, all financial penalties, and any need for probation.
How Trump 2.0 Blew Up Lobbying
MSN – Brendan Bordelon, Amanda Chu, and Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 10/19/2025
After decades of “revolving door” culture, K Street is grappling with a new normal for how influence works in the nation’s capital. In Donald Trump’s second administration, American policy influence has shifted from its previous channels – agency officials, top lawmakers, and staffers on key congressional committees – to a new reality where change comes suddenly from the top.
Appeals Court Panel Appears Skeptical of Trump Admin’s Maneuvers to Keep Alina Habba in Place
MSN – Ry Rivard and Erica Orden (Politico) | Published: 10/20/2025
A panel of federal appeals court judges appeared skeptical of President Trump’s use of unconventional methods to install loyalists as top prosecutors without Senate confirmation. A trio of judges from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals questioned the multistep process the Trump administration used to designate his former personal attorney Alina Habba the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey and keep her there even after District Court judges sought to replace her. In August, a lower-court judge ruled that Habba is serving unlawfully, and the Trump administration is appealing that determination.
Trump’s Special Counsel Nominee Withdraws
MSN – Meryl Kornfield, Theodoric Meyer, and Cleve Wootson Jr. (Washington Post) | Published: 10/21/2025
Paul Ingrassia, President Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, withdrew his nomination after it became clear he does not have the votes to be confirmed, following reports he texted other Republicans racist slurs and said he had “a Nazi streak.” At least five Senate Republicans said they opposed Ingrassia’s nomination, enough to block his confirmation if all senators are voting, and no Democrats support him.
Trump Has Claimed Millions from the Government. He Could Order Payment.
MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 10/21/2025
Ever since his inauguration in January, President Trump has sat uncharacteristically silent in the face of a potential windfall of more than $100 million from U.S. taxpayers. As a private citizen, he claimed he was entitled to money to compensate him for what he calls political investigations he underwent. As president, he could now, in effect, order that government to pay him. If the payment came in the form of a settlement, the White House might be under no immediate legal obligation to disclose it to the public.
Trump Refugee Plan Seeks 7,000 Afrikaners – and Virtually No One Else
MSN – Adam Taylor and Teo Armus (Washington Post) | Published: 10/21/2025
The Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the U.S. refugee resettlement process, including a drastic reduction in overall annual admissions, coincides with a concerted effort to prepare thousands of White South Africans to relocate to the United States through the system. If the administration succeeds, almost all people admitted to the U.S. as refugees, as many as 7,000 from a maximum potential pool of 7,500, could be Afrikaners, a group not traditionally eligible for the program but one that President Trump says has been tyrannized by South Africa’s Black majority.
Study Reveals Corporate Directors on Charity Boards Drive Pro-Corporate Lobbying
MSN – Science X staff | Published: 10/16/2025
A study in Management Science finds that public charities with corporate directors on their boards are significantly more likely to lobby on behalf of the connected firms’ political interests. The research found nonprofit governance structures can quietly serve as extensions of corporate influence into the political process, raising questions about transparency and accountability in the nonprofit sector.
From Industry to EPA: Lobbyist now oversees pesticide rules
Seattle Times – Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) | Published: 10/21/2025
Until recently, Kyle Kunkler was the top lobbyist for America’s soybean industry. In that job, he once boasted of helping to keep a controversial weedkiller called dicamba in use, likening his back-and-forth with regulators to a tennis match full of “rocketing volleys.” Now he is that regulator. In June, Kunkler was named the Trump administration’s top official in charge of pesticide policy at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Less than a month later, the EPA proposed allowing the use of herbicides containing dicamba, a chemical whose use has twice been restricted by a federal court.
K Street Rakes in Hundreds of Millions Off of Trump Upheaval
Yahoo Finance – Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 10/22/2025
Some of K Street’s biggest lobbying firms raked in unprecedented amounts of cash last quarter. But it is the upstart firms with ties to President Trump or his administration that have been drowning in lobbying fees, lapping their more established rivals as Trump’s second term continues to scramble the hierarchy of the influence industry.
From the States and Municipalities
Arizona – Fontes Says Candidates Can Use Campaign Cash for Personal Security
Arizona Capitol Times – Reagan Priest | Published: 10/5/2025
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says he will not open campaign finance complaints against candidates who use campaign funds for personal security in the wake of increased political violence. Fontes noted that spending campaign funds on security is not expressly prohibited by state law, but it is not explicitly addressed either. The move highlights the growing need for caution among candidates and a gray area in Arizona’s campaign finance laws.
Arizona – Arizona AG Sues Over Speaker Mike Johnson Refusing to Seat New House Member
MSN – Patrick Marley and Paul Kane (Washington Post) | Published: 10/21/2025
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the U.S. House because Speaker Mike Johnson has declined to swear in the state’s newest member of Congress. Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a September special election to replace her father. In the month since she won, Johnson has refused to swear her in and give her the powers of her office. Grijalva has promised to provide the final signature needed for a discharge petition that would force a vote on releasing federal investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Arizona – Judge Dismisses Case Alleging Hobbs Administration Played Favorites in Marijuana Dispute
USA Today – Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 10/17/2025
A Maricopa County judge rejected a lawsuit brought by a marijuana entrepreneur that, on top of its legal claims, alleged Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration favored a donor to Hobbs’ political operation in a licensing dispute. Mason Cave and his company, Arizona Wellness Center Springerville, argued in lawsuit the Department of Health Services violated the state constitution’s gift clause when it awarded the Trulieve subsidiary a special type of marijuana license.
California – San Jose Scratches Head Over Official’s Ethical Dilemma
MSN – Brandon Pho (San Jose Spotlight) | Published: 10/17/2025
The San Jose Police Department pays $55,000 a month to rent an evidence warehouse on Monterey Road. The owner is a San Jose official who votes on police spending. Councilperson Michael Mulcahy is the managing partner of his private, family-owned real estate firm SDS NexGen Partners, which has leased the warehouse to the city since 2003. The situation is raising questions about the fine lines of San Jose’s and California’s conflict-of-interest laws.
California – Newsom Signs Law Forcing Lawmakers to Disclose New Jobs
MSN – Ryan Sabalow (CalMatters) | Published: 10/16/2025
California’s elected and appointed officials will now have to tell the public when they have accepted a job offer from a new employer that might seek favors from them while they are still in a position of power. Assemblyperson Tasha Boerner introduced the bill in response to a CalMatters story last year that highlighted how lawmakers were not required to tell the public if they were negotiating or had accepted a job with an organization trying to get something from the Legislature.
California – Ethics Panel Rejects $17,500 Fine for L.A. City Council Candidate; 2 Members Say It’s Not Enough
MSN – Noah Goldberg (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 10/22/2025
As a Los Angeles City Council aide, Jose Ugarte failed to disclose years’ worth of outside income he made from lobbying and consulting and, as a result, was prepared to pay a fine. But the city’s Ethics Commission rejected a $17,500 settlement agreement with the council candidate. Two commissioners said the fine was not quite large enough.
Colorado Sun – Taylor Dolven and Jesse Paul | Published: 10/17/2025
A dark money group that has spent big in Democratic legislative primaries in Colorado to help more moderate candidates agreed to pay $25,000 to fund a hotel room block for a recent retreat in Vail where more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers mingled with lobbyists. Andrew Short, executive director of the nonprofit, One Main Street Colorado, asked the organization’s board in to approve the funds for the Opportunity Caucus event, according to an email.
Connecticut – Kosta Diamantis Guilty on All Charges in Corruption Trial
Connecticut Public – Andrew Brown and Dave Altimari (CT Mirror) | Published: 10/22/2025
Konstantinos Diamantis, Connecticut’s former deputy budget director, was found guilty of using his position overseeing the state’s school construction office to enrich himself and his family. Federal prosecutors presented a mountain of evidence that showed Diamantis negotiated payments from Acranom Masonry and a $45-per-hour job for his daughter with Construction Advocacy Professionals. Several witnesses said Diamantis used his influence at the state’s school building office to help those companies win lucrative construction contracts.
Georgia – Georgia Voter Turnout Groups Are Closing, Raising Questions About Democratic Strength
MSN – Charlotte Kramon and Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 10/16/2025
Two Georgia voter turnout groups credited with chipping away at Republicans’ edge in the state announced they are closing down, raising questions about whether Democratic organizing can be sustained in Georgia, where breakthroughs have yet to overturn overall Republican control of the state. Founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2013 to register and turn out more nonwhite and young voters, the nonpartisan New Georgia Project, along with its affiliated New Georgia Project Action Fund, had been a political force.
Hawaii – New Maui Ethics Board Rules Silence Citizens with Pending Complaints
Honolulu Civil Beat – Nathan Eagle | Published: 10/23/2025
The Maui Board of Ethics unanimously approved sweeping new rule changes, including what several members of the public described as a gag order against anyone who files an ethics complaint against a county employee or elected official. Most of the 44 changes were in response to a county charter amendment voters approved last year to give the board greater independence and improve its operational efficiency.
Yahoo News – Rick Pearson (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 10/21/2025
The Illinois State Board of Elections split evenly along party lines on Senate President Don Harmon’s appeal of a recommendation that he violated campaign finance laws, making it unlikely it has the legal authority to impose a nearly $10 million fine against him for accepting political contributions in excess of legal limits. Deadlocked board members agreed to hold the issue over until the board’s scheduled November meeting at the latest, as its legal staff explored what, if any, past precedents provide guidance on the situation.
Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 10/16/2025
Saying “political opposition is not rebellion,” a federal appeals court in Chicago denied the Trump administration’s request for an emergency stay of a lower court judge’s order barring the president from deploying National Guard troops in the city and state. In its ruling, the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said the findings by U.S. District Court Judge April Perry were not “clearly erroneous” and “the facts do not justify” President Trump’s actions.
Indiana – Indiana Republicans Don’t Have Votes for New Congressional Map Trump Wants
MSN – Brianna Tucker and Kadia Goba (Washington Post) | Published: 10/22/2025
The Indiana Legislature lacks the votes to pass a congressional redistricting plan ahead of the 2026 midterms. The resistance marks President Trump’s first major setback amid his nationwide redistricting push. It also comes despite Indiana’s Republican supermajority – the party holds 40 of the state Senate’s 50 seats.
Kansas – Kansas Secretary of State Seeks to Improve Efficiency of Filing Campaign, Lobbying Reports
Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 10/21/2025
The Kansas secretary of state’s office recommended streamlining the processing of campaign finance records, lobbying reports, and statements of economic interest by filing those documents directly with the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission. State law mandates the secretary of state operate the government’s intake center for these documents, but his office does almost nothing with the records before transferring each to the ethics commission.
Kansas – Wichita Has New Rules for Reporting Contributions. So Far, Candidates Haven’t Followed Them
Yahoo News – Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 10/19/2025
Wichita City Council races have failed to follow the city’s campaign finance ordinance. The candidates filed their typical, state-required reports showing campaign fundraising and expenses with the Sedgwick County Election Office. But they have not followed new city rules that were supposed to add transparency to elections, specifically about donations from business owners who “stack” contributions by giving the maximum amount to candidates multiple times using different limited liability companies. That was not the only problem.
Kentucky – Power Tug of War Between Beshear, GOP Legislature Takes Center Stage at KY Supreme Court
Yahoo News – McKenna Horsley (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 10/16/2025
The Kentucky Supreme Court must once again balance power between the state’s executive and legislative branches. The court heard oral arguments in two cases involving the separation of powers between Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican office holders. One case centered on a law that shifts control of the State Fair Board from the governor to the agriculture commissioner. The second restructures the Executive Branch Ethics Commission, allowing each of the constitutional officers (except the lieutenant governor) to appoint a member.
Maine – Sheriff Directed Investigation into Maine Lawmaker Over Dropped Electioneering Charges
Yahoo News – Callie Ferguson (Bangor Daily News) | Published: 10/18/2025
Hancock County Sheriff Scott Kane ordered the criminal investigation that led to a recently dismissed charge against Maine Rep. Nina Milliken, who was accused of illegally campaigning at a polling place. The documents shed light on the origins of a criminal investigation into a misdemeanor crime that is rarely, if ever, prosecuted. It provided a clearer look at initial evidence in the case, which primarily consisted of interviews with witnesses who gave conflicting accounts. A prosecutor dismissed the case after getting new evidence.
Maine – Latest Filings in Campaign Finance Court Battle Argue Maine Has Legal Right to Regulate Super PACs
Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 10/22/2025
An appeal was filed in the First Circuit Court of Appeals after a U.S. District Court ruled a 2024 Maine law passed by voters was unconstitutional. The law placed limits on contributions to super PACs. Those behind the referendum make the case in their brief that Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission actually allows for super PACs to be regulated and a later decision that interpreted otherwise, and permitted unlimited spending by corporations, misinterpreted the landmark ruling.
Michigan – Oakland County IT Contract Awarded to Employee’s Company Violated Law, Investigation Finds
MSN – Dave Boucher (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 10/21/2025
Someone in Oakland County violated state law when a private company owned by a county employee received a six-figure contract, according to a private law firm’s investigation. But county officials do not believe criminal charges are needed. Instead, they hope policy changes, including making many employees acknowledge the county’s standards of conduct policy before they can apply for benefits, will prevent similar misconduct in the future.
New Jersey – Judge Weighs Arguments to Dismiss McIver’s Charges in Detention Center Case
Yahoo News – Steve Strunsky (Newark Star-Ledger) | Published: 10/22/2025
Lawyers for U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver argued in federal court that charges stemming from a scuffle at an immigrant detention center in Newark should be dismissed because she was fulfilling her congressional oversight duties and because the government was engaged in selective enforcement. McIver was indicted on three counts of assaulting, resisting, and obstructing federal officers. She and others were trying to prevent the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on a trespassing charge that was dropped 13 days later.
New York – New York GOP Suspends Young Republicans Chapter After Racist Chat Messages
MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 10/17/2025
New York Republican Party officials suspended its Young Republicans chapter after racist and antisemitic chat messages shared among its members were made public, offering an unfiltered look at how some of the GOP’s up-and-coming leaders communicate in private. The vote came in response to a report on a tranche of leaked messages among leaders of Young Republican groups around the country. They reportedly sent messages that used racist and homophobic slurs, as well as praise for Adolf Hitler.
New York – Orange County IDA Seeks to Scrap Oversight Role as Lawmakers Object
Yahoo News – Nora Mishanec (Albany Times Union) | Published: 10/16/2025
The future of a state-appointed monitor for the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is once again the subject of a fight between the powerful economic development body and the state senator who has long criticized how it operates. More than two years after New York lawmakers approved hiring a forensic accountant to scrutinize the IDA’s decisions and operations, the agency’s leaders voted to hire an Albany lobbying firm to persuade those same lawmakers to get rid of the monitor at the end of his three-year term in May.
North Carolina – Developer Agreed to $15 Million Road for NC Town, but Lawmakers Paid the Bill
MSN – Dan Kane (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 10/22/2025
At a Mooresville town board meeting three years ago, a developer pitched a plan for building 560 single-family homes and apartments. The developers promised a $15 million road through the middle of its development that would help alleviate traffic congestion in the town. But a year later, the state budget bill included a $15 million appropriation of state funds for the road. A media investigation into how lawmakers passed off a developer’s $15 million commitment onto the public shows how an interconnected group of lawmakers, lobbyists, and insiders worked behind closed doors with little public notice.
North Carolina – Republicans Advance Trump’s Redistricting Fight into Swing-State North Carolina
NPR – Adam Wagner | Published: 10/22/2025
North Carolina is the first swing state to draw new congressional districts amid a nationwide arms race between Republicans and Democrats to secure additional seats ahead of next year’s midterm election. Republican legislative leaders announced they wanted to redraw the map with the aim of winning 11 of the state’s 14 congressional districts. The GOP currently controls 10 of the seats. To accomplish that, Republicans focused on the First Congressional District, which is the state’s only swing district and has been represented by Black lawmakers for decades.
Oklahoma – Oklahoma Ethics Commission Sues Rep. Ajay Pittman as AG Agents Search Capitol Office
MSN – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 10/17/2025
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission accused state Rep. Ajay Pittman in a civil case of fraud on the same day state agents ramped up a criminal investigation of her by searching her office at the Capitol. Pittman is accused in the lawsuit of committing fraud during settlement negotiations in a campaign finance case and on documents submitted as proof she was reimbursing her campaigns. The Oklahoman has reported the attorney general’s office is looking into her campaign spending.
Oregon – The Clock Is Ticking for Oregon Officials to Deliver on Campaign Finance Reform. Will They Do It?
MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 10/18/2025
When Oregon legislators approved limits on political contributions, they promised they would soon move beyond the basics of the law and deliver needed clarifications and improvements on how it would work. But more than a year into that process, efforts by the secretary of state’s office to limit the role of money in politics have stalled, despite Oregonians’ strong support for such restrictions. Progress has been impeded by vague guidance from lawmakers and insufficient funding, raising the odds of a bungled rollout that could leave loopholes in the campaign finance system.
Oregon – Appeals Court Sides with Trump on Troop Deployment to Portland ICE Building
MSN – Maxine Bernstein (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 10/20/2025
A federal appellate court allowed President Trump to maintain federal control over the Oregon National Guard and deploy troops until the case is fully litigated in court. But the ruling does not mean troops will be on the ground immediately in Portland. Lawyers for the state and city of Portland pledged to file a motion asking for swift reconsideration by a larger contingent of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Oregon – Officials at the Heart of Oregon’s Data Center Scandal Had a Tangle of Conflicting Roles
MSN – Mike Rogoway (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 10/22/2025
The directors of a small Oregon nonprofit called Inland Development Corporation voted in 2017 to cut a $145,000 check to another nonprofit, Morrow Development, where state Rep. Greg Smith moonlighted as a contract employee. Immediately afterward, Inland named Smith and two others to its board of directors. They replaced three board members who resigned at that meeting. Smith and Inland’s other two new directors approved the sale of its most valuable asset, a fiber-optic provider called Windwave Communications, to a cadre of Inland insiders, including the three men who had just resigned from the nonprofit’s board.
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