News You Can Use Digest – September 26, 2025

National/Federal

Here’s What Happens When Big-Time Lobbyists Become Big-Name Trump Officials

MSN – Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 9/21/2025

Before Pam Bondi was sworn in as President Trump’s attorney general, she spent six years as a lobbyist at Ballard, where she was a partner in its Washington office and chaired the firm’s corporate regulatory compliance practice focusing on Fortune 500 companies. Among the clients for whom Ballard reported lobbying DOJ this year, all but one signed with the firm since Trump’s election and his nomination of Bondi for attorney general. A similar phenomenon is occurring across K Street at lobbying firms that have former employees in top roles with the Trump administration.

Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire Democratic Member of Trade Commission

MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 9/22/2025

The Supreme Court cleared the way for President Trump to fire Rebecca Slaughter, the sole remaining Democrat on the Federal Trade Commission. The ruling, while provisional, is significant because the high court also said it will hear arguments in December on overturning a 90-year-old precedent that allowed Congress to set up independent, nonpartisan agencies insulated from political interference by the president if they do not wield executive power.

Even Without Formal Charges, Trump’s DOJ Can Punish Critics

MSN – Perry Stein and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 9/23/2025

Prosecutors have struggled to build viable cases against Sen. Adam Schiff and other opponents of President Trump for mortgage fraud. Erik Siebert, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned under pressure from the White House after prosecutors in his office said evidence did not support bringing such charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert’s resignation, and increasing pressure on prosecutors in other jurisdictions, underscores the administration’s apparent willingness to ignore long-standing rules around criminal investigations to target people perceived to be political opponents.

Supreme Court Poised to Shake Up Midterm Elections

MSN – Jack Birle (Washington Examiner) | Published: 9/22/2025

The Supreme Court will hear three cases in the coming months that could have ramifications for campaigns, elections, and who controls the U.S. House. While the court has yet to schedule its arguments for NRSC v. FEC, the justices’ ruling is slated to have the most immediate effect on campaigns. The FEC’s coordinated spending limits between political parties and candidates have remained in place despite the Supreme Court lifting different limits as unconstitutional in recent years, but the case could open the floodgates to more coordinated spending.

Pentagon Demands Journalists Pledge to Not Obtain Unauthorized Material

MSN – Scott Nover (Washington Post) | Published: 9/19/2025

The Trump administration unveiled a new crackdown on journalists at the Pentagon, saying it will require them to pledge they would not gather any information, even unclassified, that has not been expressly authorized for release. Under the policy, the Pentagon may revoke press passes for anyone it deems a security threat. Possessing confidential or unauthorized information, under the new rules, would be grounds for a journalist’s press pass to be revoked.

Judge Tosses Trump’s $15B Defamation Suit Against New York Times, Penguin Random Hous

MSN – Peter Charalambous (ABC News) | Published: 9/19/2025

A federal judge tossed President Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, calling the complaint “decidedly improper and impermissible.” U.S. District Court Judge Steven Merryday struck the complaint and gave the president’s lawyers 28 days to refile their lawsuit. Merryday said the complaint contains eighty pages of repetitive claims and praise for Trump, but fails to establish the two counts of defamation alleged.

Trump Designates ‘Antifa’ a Terrorist Group, but Experts Say Legality Is Unclear

MSN – Niha Masih, Vivian Ho, and Mariana Alfaro (Washington Post) | Published: 9/22/2025

President Trump signed an executive order designating “antifa,” a decentralized, leftist ideology adhered to by various individuals and groups, as a “domestic terrorist organization,” days after raising the prospect in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting. The U.S. has no legal mechanism for labeling domestic organizations as terrorist groups. Experts also said it remains unclear how such a designation would work for a broad movement rather than a distinct group and expressed concern it could be used to justify a crackdown on the political left more generally.

FBI Says It Found Classified Documents in John Bolton’s DC Office

MSN – Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 9/24/2025

FBI agents executing a search warrant at former national security adviser John Bolton’s Washington office turned up documents marked as classified, according to a court filing. Search warrant applications indicated FBI agents were seeking evidence related to three felony offenses, including gathering, transmitting, or losing national defense information in violation of the Espionage Act, and retaining classified information without permission.

Federal Judge Declines to Reinstate Inspectors General Fired by Trump

MSN – Kelly Kasulis Cho (Washington Post) | Published: 9/25/2025

A federal judge declined to reinstate eight inspectors general fired by President Trump as part of a purge of government watchdogs in the early days of his second term, though she agreed the terminations were unlawful. The inspectors general sued Trump in February, claiming they were dismissed illegally. The lawsuit underscored widespread concern that Trump sought to purge federal watchdogs and install loyalists in the crucial role of investigating government agencies for fraud, waste and abuse.

Va. Federal Prosecutors Preparing to Seek Comey Indictment, People Familiar with Matter Say

MSN – Salvador Rizzo, Jeremy Roebuck, and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2025

The Justice Department is preparing to seek an indictment against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly giving false testimony to Congress. The effort comes days after President Trump demanded prosecutors use the criminal justice system to punish his political opponents. The investigation centers on testimony Comey gave before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the FBI’s missteps in the “Crossfire Hurricane” probe, which had delved into possible but ultimately unproven collaboration between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Hobbled Federal Campaign Finance Enforcer Loses Another Member

MSN – Faith Wardwell (Politico) | Published: 9/25/2025

The vice chair of the FEC will resign from his post after five years with the agency, leaving just two commissioners behind as the agency has gone months without quorum. James Trainor said he would step down in October and is “seriously evaluating” a bid to replace the U.S. House seat left vacant by Rep. Chip Roy. Trainor’s departure lands yet another blow to the FEC after another three commissioners departed their roles earlier this year.

New York City May Move Its Mayoral Elections to Even Years. It’d Be Part of a Trend

NPR – Ashley Lopez | Published: 9/24/2025

One of the most closely watched elections this fall is New York City’s mayoral race. But New York voters will also weigh in on a lesser-known proposal that could move future city elections to even-numbered years. It is part of a growing trend to consolidate election dates – adding local races to the ballot during presidential and midterm elections. Proponents of the effort say it counters persistently low turnout for local elections, despite concerns about local issues and candidates getting overshadowed.

Judge Rules Feds Can’t Require States to Cooperate on Immigration to Get Disaster Money

Yahoo News – Michael Casey (Associated Press) | Published: 9/24/2025

A federal judge ruled it is unconstitutional for the Trump administration to require states to cooperate on immigration enforcement actions to get funding for disasters, which is overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. U.S. District Court Judge William Smith found the “contested conditions are arbitrary and capricious” and the actions are unconstitutional because they are “coercive, ambiguous, unrelated to the purpose of the federal grants.”

Jimmy Kimmel Advocates for Free Speech, Slams FCC Chair in Late-Night Return

Yahoo News – Emily Yahr (Washington Post) | Published: 9/24/2025

Jimmy Kimmel returned to late-night television to a standing ovation from his studio audience as he talked about the controversy that saw his show temporarily removed from ABC’s airwaves after comments he made about the killing of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Kimmel thanked many people for their support and delivered a passionate call for free speech. He said he was moved to see people on both sides of the aisle criticize what appeared to be the head of a government agency suggesting that he would attempt to shut down or censor the show of a comedian he did not like.

Tom Homan Was Investigated for Accepting $50,000 from Undercover FBI Agents. Trump’s DOJ Shut It Down.

Yahoo News – Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian (MSNBC) | Published: 9/20/2025

In an undercover operation last year, the FBI recorded Tom Homan, now the White House border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help the agents, who were posing as business executives, win government contracts in a second Trump administration. The FBI and the Justice Department planned to wait to see whether Homan would deliver on his alleged promise once he became the nation’s top immigration official. But in recent weeks, Trump appointees officially closed the investigation, after FBI Director Kash Patel requested a status update on the case.

Ryan Routh Found Guilty of Trying to Assassinate Donald Trump at Florida Golf Course

Yahoo News – Christopher Cann, Julius Whigham II, and Hannah Phillips (USA Today) | Published: 9/23/2025

A jury found Ryan Routh guilty of trying to kill Donald Trump at one of his Florida golf courses last year. Routh was convicted of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, a charge carrying a possible sentence of life in prison. Authorities said Routh armed himself with a rifle outside the fence of Trump International Golf Club and waited over 11 hours for Trump to walk into his line of sight. Prosecutors say the plot was thwarted by a Secret Service agent who spotted Routh and opened fire, leading him to drop his rifle.

From the States and Municipalities

Canada – Edmonton Event Held for Liberal Ministers, MPs Raised Concern Over Lobbying Rules

iAsk.ca – Stephanie Levitz and Robert Fife (Globe and Mail) | Published: 9/18/2025

A real estate executive, a lobbyist, and a banker held a reception for cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament on the margins of the government’s recent caucus meeting in Edmonton, raising concerns within the Liberal Party that the event could be in breach of federal lobbying rules. The event was called The Western Exchange, and was held at the bar of the JW Marriott on September 10.

Arizona – Appeals Court Rejects New Voter-Behavior Rules for Arizona Polling Sites

Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) | Published: 9/16/2025

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes cannot enforce his ban on offensive or insulting speech at and around polling places, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The provisions Fontes included in the Elections Procedures manual are so broad they could criminalize unintentional conduct, the court concluded. Judge Kim Wardlaw, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, said threat of prosecution could “chill” individuals from engaging in otherwise legal political activity.

Arizona – Adelita Grijalva Wins US House Special Election in Arizona, Delivering Decisive Signature for Epstein Files Push

MSN – Molly English (CNN) | Published: 9/24/2025

Democrat Adelita Grijalva won a special election in Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District, which will deliver the decisive signature to the push for a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Discharge petitions historically have a bad track record of forcing a vote on the floor, mostly because lawmakers in the majority are wary of taking a stand against leadership. The Epstein issue, however, has animated some Republican members.

Arkansas – Bloggers File Ethics Complaint Against Arkansas Attorney General, Two Lawmakers and Related PACs

Yahoo News – Sonny Albarado (Arkansas Advocate) | Published: 9/22/2025

Complaints filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission claim three Republican state officials and PACs tied to them “appear to have repeatedly and willfully violated” state campaign finance law. The co-founders of an online legislation tracking and analysis firm alleges Attorney General Tim Griffin, state Rep. David Ray, and state Sen. Ben Gilmore and PACs associated with them violated campaign contribution limits and prohibitions on illegal coordination of contributions, the use of public property for campaign purposes, and public servants receiving outside payment for carrying out official duties.

California – They Fought for Independent California Redistricting. Now They’re Sitting Out a Gerrymander

MSN – Jeremy White (Politico) | Published: 9/22/2025

Republicans fighting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting campaign in California have reassembled much of the coalition that brought independent lines to the state more than a decade ago. There is one big exception: good government groups that once helped to strip line-drawing power from state lawmakers. It reflects the intensified partisanship of the Trump era, as Common Cause and groups like it work to square their longstanding opposition to gerrymandering with a sense that American democracy is in peril.

California – Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission Has a New Leader

MSN – Darwin BondGraham (Oaklandside) | Published: 9/18/2025

The Oakland Public Ethics Commission appointed Suzanne Doran as executive director. Doran will lead the commission’s staff of eight professionals who are charged with enforcing the city’s campaign and ethics laws, investigating ethics complaints, and ensuring greater trust and accountability in city government. Commission Chairperson Francis Upton IV said commissioners ultimately chose Doran because of her experience and qualifications.

California – Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore More Than $500 Million in Research Funds to UCLA

MSN – Eric He (Politico) | Published: 9/22/2025

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restart the flow of about $500 million in funding for scientific research it withheld from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), sparing the university for now from a devastating fiscal blow. While only temporary, the ruling was a significant victory for UCLA and the rest of the University of California system, which has been caught up in a campaign by federal officials to punish high profile universities for what conservatives allege was their overly permissive response to student protests over Israel’s war in Gaza and failure to address antisemitism on their campuses.

District of Columbia – A Statue of Trump and Epstein Holding Hands in D.C. Is removed as Fast as It Appeared

NPR – Rachel Treisman | Published: 9/24/2025

A statue of President Trump holding hands with Jeffrey Epstein appeared briefly on the District of Columbia’s National Mall, only to be removed after less than a day. Trump has repeatedly downplayed his relationship with Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in jail. while a National Park Service permit issued for the statue allowed it to remain there until September 28, eyewitness video showed U.S. Park Police hauling it onto a truck before sunrise on September 24.

Georgia – Macon Mayor Fined for Campaign Finance Violations. What We Know.

Yahoo News – Myracle Lewis (Macon Telegraph) | Published: 9/18/2025

The Georgia State Ethics Commission fined Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller $5,000 for violating the state’s campaign finance laws. Miller reached a consent agreement with the commission to resolve findings that he improperly transferred $220,000 in excess campaign contributions to a nonprofit organization he helped establish two years ago.

Hawaii – Judge To Decide Fate of CEO Accused of Illegal Campaign Donations

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 9/24/2025

A state judge says she will decide within 30 days whether the case of a Hawaii businessperson accused of funneling campaign contributions through subordinates should proceed. Prosecutors allege JL Capital Chief Executive Officer Tim Lee reimbursed employees for donations they made to the Honolulu mayoral campaigns of Keith Amemiya and Kym Pine in 2020. State law prohibits political donations in the name of anyone other than the source of the money.

Indiana – Governor Expands Cabinet Roles – But How Far Can Dual Office Holding Go in Indiana?

Yahoo News – Casey Smith (Indiana Capital Chronicle) | Published: 9/22/2025

Gov. Mike Braun’s decision to give two of his top officials additional leadership posts has revived a longstanding constitutional question in Indiana: when can one person legally hold two government offices at once? In August, Secretary of Education Katie Jenner was confirmed as the state’s next higher education commissioner, while also keeping her K-12 role. Following the abrupt resignation of Jennifer-Ruth Green, Indiana State Police Superintendent Anthony Scott was tapped by Braun to take on a second job serving as the secretary of public safety.

Maine – Democratic Fundraiser ActBlue Fined $100K by Maine Campaign Finance Watchdog

Portland Press Herald – Rachel Ohm | Published: 9/24/2025

ActBlue, a national online fundraising platform for Democrats, was fined $100,000 by Maine’s campaign finance watchdog for filing a report two weeks late. The fine is among the largest penalties the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices has ever assessed and the largest for a registered political group that missed a published deadline. Jeff Hunter, an attorney for ActBlue, acknowledged fault at a commission meeting, attributing the late filing to a “kind of a perfect storm.”

Massachusetts – Former UMass Amherst Provost Pays $10,000 for Violating Conflict of Interest Law

MSN – Namu Sampath (MassLive) | Published: 9/24/2025

A former University of Massachusetts Amherst provost paid a $10,000 civil penalty for hiring her brother to positions in her department, the State Ethics Commission said. Heather Sharpes-Smith, former associate provost for instructional design and technology, violated the conflict-of-interest law when she asked whether an “unnamed guy” could be hired to a temporary position until a more permanent position was available. That person was her brother, the commission said.

Nebraska – Feds Say Former Nebraska Liquor Official Helped Strip Club in Exchange for Free Lap Dances, Sexual Favors

Courthouse News Service – Hillel Aron | Published: 9/24/2025

The former head of Nebraska’s liquor commission has been charged with fraud and is accused of providing favors to a strip club in exchange for money, free lap dances, and sexual favors. Employees of The Office Gentleman’s Club would, according to the indictment, “note on sticky notes the amount of money taken out of the business safe in order to provide to Hobert Rupe.” The sticky notes would read COB: the cost of doing business.

Nevada – Clark County Commissioners Violated Ethics Law by Failing to Disclose Free F1 Tickets

MSN – Mary Hynes (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 9/23/2025

The failure of five Clark County commissioners to fully disclose accepting free tickets to the Las Vegas Grand Prix constitutes a non-willful violation of Nevada’s ethics law, according to an agreement approved by the state Ethics Commission. Each county commissioner accepted a ticket or pass worth $10,900 to all four days of events at the inaugural Formula One race in November 2023.

Nevada – Lombardo, Ethics Commission Settle Long-Running Dispute Over Use of Sheriff’s Badge, Office

Nevada Independent – Tabitha Mueller | Published: 9/23/2025

The long-running saga surrounding Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo’s use of his Clark County sheriff’s badge and uniform during his first campaign for office finally ended with a settlement agreement finding the governor had not purposefully violated the ethics law and would be assessed a $5,000 payment. The Ethics Commission’ss attorney, Elizabeth Bassett, added that though the panel often includes a requirement for ethics training, that part was left out because Lombardo voluntarily underwent the training after he became governor.

New York – Democratic Elected Officials Arrested at ICE Facility in New York City

MSN – María Luisa Paúl and Grace Moon (Washington Post) | Published: 9/18/2025

More than a dozen New York elected officials, all members of the Democratic Party, were arrested at a federal building in Manhattan while seeking access to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility and protesting the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the agency to limit capacity, improve cleanliness, and expand access to legal phone calls at the facility. Immigration detention facilities fall under federal oversight, giving members of Congress the right to visit and inspect them. State and local lawmakers do not have that authority.

Ohio – Ohio Can Ban Foreign Donations to Ballot Campaigns, Appeals Court Rules

MSN – Jessie Balmert (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 9/16/2025

Ohio can ban green card holders and foreign nationals from donating to statewide ballot campaigns without violating the First Amendment, a federal appeals court ruled. A divided Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals panel said the state can enforce the ban while a lawsuit challenging it is pending.

Ohio – Cleveland Heights Mayor Awarded Lucrative Graphic Design Contracts to Longtime Friend, Then Gave Her Full-Time Job

MSN – Cory Shaffer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 9/24/2025

Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren, who voters recently recalled, awarded multiple lucrative graphic design contracts to a longtime friend before hiring her to a full-time city position last year. Frances Collazo, who at the time lived in central Ohio, received more than $65,000 in city contracts from January to October 2024. One of the projects she worked on was never put out to bid. Another saw Collazo win the contract, even though her bid was twice as high as any other. The city paid her $12,000 to redesign the Planning Department’s website, a project the city did not ultimately implement.

Ohio – Ohio Lawmakers’ Texts, Emails Blocked from Public Scrutiny Under New Secrecy Law

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 9/24/2025

Beginning on September 29, Ohio lawmakers’ text messages and emails between each other and their staff will be exempted from public-records disclosure for up to two years. The changes are the most significant restrictions to state public-records law regarding the Legislature in more than a quarter century. Critics say the new restrictions will allow lawmakers to keep the inner workings of the lawmaking process secret from the public.

Rhode Island – McKee Advisor Involved in ‘Fixed’ ILO Deal Cleared of Lobbying Complaint

MSN – Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) | Published: 9/19/2025

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore’s office cleared Michael Magee, a confidant of Gov. Dan McKee, of violating state lobbying laws for helping steer a pandemic-era education contract to the ILO Group. Common Cause Rhode Island filed a complaint against Magee last year. It argued he was legally required to register as a lobbyist in 2021 when he worked with McKee’s office to hire a firm founded by a former subordinate.

Tennessee – Glen Casada, Former TN House Speaker, Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison in Mailer Scheme

MSN – Evan Mealins (Nashville Tennessean) | Published: 9/23/2025

Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada was sentenced to three years and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine after his conviction on public corruption charges. Casada was found guilty for his role in what prosecutors describe as an unlawful scheme to take advantage of a state allowance for lawmakers to send informational mailers.He pressured state bureaucrats to approve payments for mailers to a shadowy political consulting company called Phoenix Solutions.

Texas – Ethics Agency Fines Former Texas Lawmaker $105K for Violating Revolving Door Law

MSN – Taylor Goldenstein (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 9/18/2025

A former Texas lawmaker who went on to work as a lobbyist was fined $105,500 by the state Ethics Commission skirting a “revolving door” law he helped write. The fine against Chris Paddie is the highest imposed by the commission in 15 years. Paddie retired in 2022 after chairing a powerful House committee that was tasked with holding energy firms accountable for failures during the state’s deadly 2021 winter storm. He later registered as a lobbyist and took on several of those same companies as clients.

Texas – Republican Redistricting Is Sowing Chaos in Houston

San Francisco Examiner – J. David Goodman (New York Times) | Published: 9/22/2025

First came the Republican gerrymander in Texas. Now comes the Democratic chaos in Houston. A certain amount of confusion is likely to play out in districts from the Rio Grande Valley to suburban Dallas, as voters and candidates adjust to new lines that are usually redrawn only once a decade. But Texas’ 18th House district is feeling it now, thanks to the unexpected death of Rep. Sylvester Turner, just weeks into this session of Congress; a special election that was delayed by Gov. Greg Abbott to help Republican leaders in Washington navigate their narrow House majority; and new district lines that will take effect soon after the special election.