News You Can Use Digest – February 27, 2026

National/Federal

Texts Show Rep. Tony Gonzales Asked for Explicit Photos from Aide Who Later Died by Suicide

MSN – Eleanor Klibanoff (Texas Tribune) | Published: 2/23/2026

A newly revealed 2024 text exchange appears to show that U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales encouraged one of his aides to send him an explicit photo, leading the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, to push back. Just over a year later, the staffer died after setting herself on fire. Her husband, Adrian Aviles, released these text messages to The San Antonio Express-News as evidence of an affair between Gonzalez and his staffer. Aviles said the relationship and the professional ostracization his wife faced after it was discovered led her to become despondent before her death.

Judge Says Government May Not Search Devices Seized from Post Reporter

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2026

A federal judge in Virginia rejected the Justice Department’s request to search through a Washington Post reporter’s electronic devices as part of a national security leak investigation, ruling the court would instead be responsible for conducting the search. Magistrate Judge William Porter admonished the Justice Department, saying the government could not be trusted to conduct the search on its own and prosecutors’ actions in obtaining a search warrant for reporter Hannah Natanson’s home had shaken the deference and latitude that judges typically afford to government attorneys.

Why More Lawmakers Are Quitting Congress, and What It Means for the Midterms

MSN – Eric Lau and Anna Liss-Roy (Washington Post) | Published: 2/22/2026

Like no time in recent memory, lawmakers are setting their sights anywhere but Capitol Hill, setting the stage for crucial midterm elections that will feature fewer incumbents than usual and ensure more fresh faces in Congress next year. As of late February, 68 Senate and House members have said they will not seek reelection. While looming midterms often prompt a swell of retirements, the number of announced departures at this point in the election cycle is notably higher than in other recent cycles.

Judge Cannon Orders Secrecy for Report on Trump Classified-Documents Case

MSN – Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 2/23/2026

A federal judge in Florida blocked public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s extensive report on the classified-documents case against President Trump, a victory for Trump’s efforts to block public viewing of what probably would be damaging details about his retention of classified materials after he left the White House in 2021. U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that releasing the special counsel report could violate grand jury secrecy rules and could result in impugning the presumption of innocence for Trump and his co-defendants in a case that did not result in guilty verdicts.

Justice Department Withheld and Removed Some Epstein Files Related to Trump

NPR – Stephen Fowler | Published: 2/24/2026

The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation found. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump. Some files have not been made public despite a law mandating their release. These include what appear to be more than 50 pages of FBI interviews, as well as notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor.

How AI Money Is Flooding into the Midterm Elections

Seattle Times – Theodore Schleifer and Matt Zdun (New York Times) | Published: 2/22/2026

The artificial intelligence (AI) industry is well on the way to spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the midterm elections in an extraordinary demonstration of political power from Silicon Valley. The spending is broadly expected to benefit Republicans more than Democrats and, so far, it has. Republicans are seen as friendlier to the industry and more opposed to stringent AI regulations. But the analysis shows some Democratic politicians who represent the San Francisco Bay Area or have longtime ties to the tech industry were significant recipients of AI cash.

Kyrsten Sinema Accused of Illegally Spending $700,000 in Campaign Funds on Personal Expenses

Yahoo News – Jim Small (Arizona Mirror) | Published: 2/19/2026

A watchdog group accused former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of illegally spending more than $700,000 in campaign cash on personal expenses, including on luxury hotel rooms, concert tickets, and fancy meals. In its complaint with the FEC, the Campaign Legal Center says Sinema spent the money in 2025, after she left the U.S. Senate, in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act’s prohibition on personal use of campaign funds.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Political Feud Over Government Accountability in Arizona Gets Personal

Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) | Published: 2/22/2026

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs is launching a political attack on state Sen. T.J. Shope after his refusal to accept her plan for accountability in government contracts over his own. Gubernatorial staffers prepared a list showing Shope was the beneficiary of more than $4,900 in meals and other entertainment last year from lobbyists. Press aide Liliana Soto noted none of that showed up in the annual financial disclosure statement all elected officials file. That statement specifically requires the disclosure of all gifts with a cumulative value of more than $500.

California – Charter Reform Commission Recommends Sweeping Changes to City Government to Rebuild Public Trust

MSN – Frank Stoltze (LAist) | Published: 2/26/2026

The Los Angeles City Charter Commission approved a set of recommendations aimed at improving how the city operates, including streamlining the city attorney’s office and creating an anti-corruption office. The commission also recommended spelling out more clearly how to suspend any council member who is accused of a crime.

California – Oakland’s Most Influential Lobbyists

Oaklandside – Eli Wolfe | Published: 2/23/2026

Look behind most major city decisions in Oakland and you will probably find a lobbyist. There are dozens of lobbyists in the city who spend their days chatting up politicians, meeting with public employees, and doing their best to help their clients. Last year, there were 57 lobbyists registered in Oakland, the lowest of any year since the start of the pandemic. But some of these lobbyists were very busy, reporting 801 contacts with city officials in 2025. Seventy percent of all contacts with public officials were made by just 10 lobbyists.

Georgia – Ga. Gubernatorial Hopeful Burt Jones Suffers Setback in Funding Battle

MSN – Tim Darnell (WRDW) | Published: 2/20/2026

A federal court issued a temporary restraining order against Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ leadership committee, an organization which has been the target of every other Republican gubernatorial hopeful this election. Judge Thomas Thrash issued the order in response to a lawsuit filed by GOP candidate Rick Jackson. The lawsuit aimed to prevent Jones from using funds in his leadership committee for his gubernatorial campaign.

Hawaii – ‘I Want You to Hear the Facts’: Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke releases video clarifying campaign funding scandal

MSN – Cameron Macedonio (KHON) | Published: 2/23/2026

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke released a campaign video in which she addressed campaign funding questions in an ongoing corruption investigation. The questions come from a mystery $35,000 cash payment in a paper bag to an unknown lawmaker in 2022. Earlier this year, the state Legislature became aware of the possible bribery and adopted House Resolution 8 to call for an investigation into the payment.

Illinois – Ex-ComEd Executive Who Went Undercover for FBI in Madigan Bribery Probe Gets Probation

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/19/2026

Fidel Marquez, Commonwealth Edison’s (ComEd) then-legislative affairs leader, learned his bosses had been running a secret scheme to influence then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in a bid to win hundreds of millions of dollars in rate hikes. After being confronted by the FBI, he agreed to go undercover, helping to build a case that would rock the Illinois political landscape and land Madigan, ComEd’s former chief executive, and others in federal prison. Marquez was sentenced to probation for his role in a massive conspiracy to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to do-nothing subcontractors favored by the speaker.

Indiana – Exclusive: Indiana township leaders and their families profit from contracts

USA Today – Hayleigh Colombo (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 2/24/2026

Across Indiana’s nearly 1,000 township governments, elected officials and public servants are earning thousands of dollars not just from their taxpayer-funded salaries, but also from business relationships their private businesses are inking with the government, according to an analysis of township documents. At least 100 conflict-of-interest disclosures were filed in 2024 and 2025 by township employees who reported everything from earning thousands of dollars from lawn care and training contracts, to collecting rent as a landlord from the township’s poor relief clients. The family members of township employees also benefit from such contracts.

Kansas – Kansas House Passes Election Bills Targeting Noncitizens, Advanced Voting

Yahoo News – Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 2/23/2026

Kansas lawmakers could transform elections with a series of bills that squeeze advanced voting timelines, stamp out rare instances of noncitizen voting, and tinker with some candidate filing and advocacy rules. One bill sought to eradicate elections exclusively conducted by mail.

Maine – Ethics Commission Staff Say Maine Dems Failed to File Reports on Fall Campaign Spending

Maine Public – Kevin Miller | Published: 2/25/2026

The Maine ethics commission voted to continue investigating whether the state Democratic Party failed to file campaign finance reports as part of its efforts to defeat a Voter ID referendum last fall. But the commission disagreed with a complaint that the state party should have created a separate ballot question committee because of its heavy involvement in the campaign.

Maryland – Gov. Wes Moore’s Redistricting Plan Is Poised to Die. He’s Still Fighting.

MSN – Erin Cox (Washington Post) | Published: 2/23/2026

Gov. Wes Moore’s months-long fight to redraw Maryland’s congressional maps and oust its lone Republican member of Congress produced zero movement among Democrats in the state Senate. Despite a public pressure campaign, the unofficial deadline to act on mid-cycle redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterms passed without fellow Democrats heeding Moore’s demands for a vote.

Michigan – Michigan Lawmakers Use Political Funds for Rent, Car Expenses, Netflix

Blue Water Healthy Living – Craig Mauger (Detroit News) | Published: 2/19/2026

Michigan lawmakers have used money from political donors to rent housing near the Capitol, fund electricity bills, make car payments, and bankroll repairs to their vehicles, according to a review of how state leaders wield their campaign cash. State policies bar lawmakers’ campaigns from using their funds for personal benefit. Multiple lawyers said some of the expenditures uncovered by The Detroit News might violate that standard. But, according to others, the transactions raised different concerns about whether state law does enough to prevent interest groups’ money from flowing into the pockets of officials who are supposed to regulate them.

Minnesota – Trump Administration to Withhold $259M in Minnesota Medicaid Funds, Citing Fraud

MSN – Matt Viser and Dan Diamond (Washington Post) | Published: 2/26/2026

Vice President JD Vance announced Trump administration would withhold $259 million in Medicaid payments for Minnesota, escalating its fight with the state as the White House seeks to elevate health care fraud as an election-year issue. Vance said the decision could presage similar crackdowns in other states, including California, as part of a “war on fraud” that President Trump announced in his State of the Union address. Trump’s administration has been at odds on a wide range of fronts with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Missouri – Proposal Targeting Missouri Initiatives Lowers Penalties for Fraud, Foreign Donations

Yahoo News – Rudi Keller (Missouri Independent) | Published: 2/25/2026

While a judge is rewriting the ballot summary for a proposal to put new barriers in front of Missouri initiative campaigns, opponents are focusing on a new line of attack as the ballot the measure cuts financial penalties for accepting foreign contributions or committing petition fraud. Opponents argue the problems go beyond the ballot summary. They point out the amendment would lower the maximum financial penalty for initiative petition fraud from $10,000 to $1,000 and would reduce the penalty for illegal foreign contributions from up to five times the contribution amount to three times the amount, while adding the possibility of up to a year in jail.

North Carolina – SBI Probing Kentucky Distillery Tours Taken by NC Lawmakers and Lobbyists

MSN – Dan Kane (Raleigh News & Observer) | Published: 2/20/2026

The State Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into trips sponsored by a nonprofit with ties to a former powerful lawmaker that took North Carolina legislators and lobbyists on distillery tours in Kentucky in 2022 and 2024. The investigation follows a complaint by Carolina Forward that claimed lobbying, ethics, and charitable solicitation laws were violated by the nonprofit Greater Carolina, lawmakers who attended, and lobbyists who promoted and attended the 2024 tour.

North Carolina – State Auditor Says He Wants New Campaign Finance System Running by Next Summer

WUNC – Adam Wagner | Published: 2/24/2026

North Carolina Auditor Dave Boliek wants a new commission he appointed to suggest an overhauled campaign finance reporting system by next summer, if possible. Boliek announced the new Modernization of Elections Data Systems Commission in early February, saying its 22 members would be tasked with developing an election data management system. It is also set to overhaul how campaign finances are reported in North Carolina.

Ohio – Ohio Supreme Court Strikes Down Media Restrictions in FirstEnergy Bribery Trial

MSN – Adam Ferrise (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/17/2026

Media outlets fighting a judge’s press restrictions in the high-profile FirstEnergy bribery case marked a victory recently. The Ohio Supreme Court struck down part of an order blocking news outlets from hearings that would reveal why certain witnesses can testify without being photographed or recorded.

Ohio – DeWine, Husted Messages to Execs Come into Focus at FirstEnergy Trial

MSN – Bryce Buyakie (Akron Beacon Journal) | Published: 2/19/2026

Jurors viewed text messages and emails showing that high-ranking elected Ohio officials worked behind the scenes to pass a $1.3 billion nuclear bailout and appoint Sam Randazzo as chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Former FirstEnergy Chief Executive Officer Chuck Jones and former lobbyist Michael Dowling are accused of paying Randazzo a $4.3 million bribe before his appointment to lead PUCO. Messages exchanged between Jones and Dowling showed an open line of communication with Gov. Mike DeWine, former House Speaker Larry Householder, and former Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator.

Ohio – FirstEnergy CEO Visited Ohio Regulator’s Florida Mansion After $4.3M Payment, Executive Testifies

Signal Ohio – Jake Zuckerman | Published: 2/24/2026

Former FirstEnergy Chief Executive Officer Chuck Jones stopped in at the Florida mansion owned by Ohio’s most senior utility regulator – the recipient of Jones’ alleged $4.3 million bribe four months prior – for a private conversation, an executive who was present at the meeting testified at a corruption trial. Dennis Chack, a FirstEnergy senior vice president, walked jurors through different intersections between the Jones and Sam Randazzo, the regulator accused of taking money under the table.

Ohio – FirstEnergy Trial Witness Says Randazzo Dodged Payment Disclosures

Yahoo News – Patrick Williams (Akron Beacon Journal) | Published: 2/25/2026

Ohio Ethics Commission Executive Director Paul Nick testified in the criminal trial of two former FirstEnergy leaders about a former top state utility regulator neglecting to report income from FirstEnergy in financial disclosures. Defendants Charles Jones and Michael Dowling are accused of bribing former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo with more than $4.3 million in exchange for favorable energy policy. Randazzo did not list the payment to the Ethics Commission when reporting his 2019 income.

Oklahoma – Committee Rejects Proposal to Stop Legislators from Quickly Becoming Lobbyists

Oklahoma Watch – Keaton Ross | Published: 2/23/2026

A bill aimed at stopping a “revolving door” of legislators becoming lobbyists was rejected in committee. House Bill 3727 would have required former lawmakers to wait at least four years after exiting office to register as lobbyists in Oklahoma. Several committee members questioned the bill, raising concerns that it would place undue restrictions on private citizens.

Oregon – Shut Out of Campaign Finance Bill, Good Governance Groups Tell Lawmakers to Vote Against It

MSN – Alex Baumhardt (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 2/23/2026

Good governance groups behind a historic 2024 campaign finance reform law are calling on lawmakers to vote against a proposal meant to provide technical fixes to the law. They say business and lobbying groups wrote it to render political spending limits moot, and fights over language in the bill have come to an apex in the Capitol. Supporters say it is needed to ensure contribution limits are enacted as scheduled in January 2027, and to give the secretary of state’s office enough time to roll out infrastructure needed to enhance reporting requirements.

Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Holds Tons of Special Elections. That Costs Taxpayers Millions.

Votebeat – Carter Walker | Published: 2/24/2026

According to data from Ballotpedia, Pennsylvania has held 47 special elections for vacant state legislative and congressional seats since 2017. That is more than in any other state over that period. It is not clear why Pennsylvania has had so many special elections, though observers have pointed to the state’s large full-time legislature as a possible factor. But what’s more clear is the cost.

Utah – Redistricting: Federal panel denies bid to overturn Utah’s court-ordered congressional map

Yahoo News – Katie McKellar (Utah News Dispatch) | Published: 2/23/2026

Anti-gerrymandering groups in Utah’s yearslong redistricting battle celebrated another victory when a three-judge federal panel denied a bid to overturn the state’s new court-ordered congressional map. The ruling affirmed that District Court Judge Dianna Gibson had the power to set new congressional boundaries after she determined the Utah Legislature failed to adopt a lawful map.

Vermont – Corporate Requests for Public Records Are Weighing Down Already Burdened Town Officials in Vermont

VTDigger – Shaun Robinson | Published: 2/26/2026

In one of Vermont’s largest towns, most of the requests that officials get for public records are not coming from local residents. Instead, said Renae Marshall, Colchester’s deputy town manager, they are coming from people and companies around the country. She said the town is spending more time fielding requests from companies that are not based in Vermont but that collect and sell its public information for a profit. The volume of corporate requests, combined with a limited window of time officials have to respond under state law, has been making it hard to keep up, Marshall said.

West Virginia – Dems: WV ‘going backwards’ as House passes bill to shield political donors’ employer info

Yahoo News – Caity Coyne (West Virginia Watch) | Published: 2/20/2026

A bill to keep the public from accessing certain information about political donors could soon become law after the West Virginia House passed it recently. Senate Bill 640 would stop the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office or any other government agency from publicly posting information that some lawmakers say could be used by advocates to target donors. Under the legislation, a campaign treasurer’s and political donors’ house numbers and street names will be publicly redacted.