
On July 14, legislation was introduced in the Council of the District of Columbia addressing campaign finance rules, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign finance advertising. Bill B26-0329, the Campaign Finance Modernization Amendment Act of 2025, would require […]
On July 14, legislation was introduced in the Council of the District of Columbia addressing campaign finance rules, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign finance advertising.
Bill B26-0329, the Campaign Finance Modernization Amendment Act of 2025, would require a disclaimer on an advertisement containing an image, audio, or video that has been manipulated or altered by AI, and would prohibit the distribution of a deepfake within 90 days of an election.
The bill also enacts legislation requiring additional reporting from committees not currently required to submit more than two reports a year and prohibits the Office of Campaign Finance from accepting a report that omits certain legally required information. Other changes in the legislation include amending the definition of “coordinate” or “coordination” to capture conduct from other political committees, political action committees, and independent expenditure committees that are not affiliated with a public official; providing the Office of Campaign Finance a specified timeline to conduct an investigation on a complaint; and establishing an advisory group consisting of current and former campaign treasurers, campaign finance experts, and donation platforms to meet at least four times a year to consult on potential process improvements for the campaign finance system and the Fair Elections Program.
It would also prohibit a candidate who was expelled from the council from being certified under the Fair Elections Program.
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July 18, 2025 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 18, 2025

National/Federal Texts, Emails Bolster Whistleblower Account of DOJ Defying Court Order MSN – Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2025 A fired Justice Department employee has given Congress a cache of internal communications supporting his claim that […]
National/Federal
Texts, Emails Bolster Whistleblower Account of DOJ Defying Court Order
MSN – Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2025
A fired Justice Department employee has given Congress a cache of internal communications supporting his claim that a top Trump appointee suggested prosecutors defy a judge’s order and that other officials directed attorneys to not be forthcoming in court. The messages provided by attorney Erez Reuveni show him seeking assurances from Justice Department and Homeland Security officials that they would abide by a judge’s order to halt the in-progress deportation of roughly 130 Venezuelans to El Salvador under an obscure wartime law.
Bondi Fires 20 Justice Dept. Employees Involved in Trump Prosecutions
MSN – Perry Stein and Amy Wang (Washington Post) | Published: 7/12/2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi fired multiple Justice Department employees who were involved in two federal prosecutions of President Trump during the Biden administration. In total, 20 people were fired from the department, including two prosecutors who worked under former special counsel Jack Smith. The rest of the dismissed employees were support staff and U.S. marshals who assisted those prosecutors.
Epstein Outcry Prompts Warning to Trump from MAGA Leaders: ‘A huge risk’
MSN – Natalie Allison (Washington Post) | Published: 7/13/2025
At a gathering of some of President Trump’s most devout supporters – young conservatives spending a weekend strategizing on how to further the MAGA movement – a cloud hung over the convention center. Attendees of Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit erupted in boos over the administration’s handling of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased child predator. The concerns raised at the conference followed days of conservative foment, fueling anxiety among Trump allies that conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein, promoted by Trump and administration officials before they took office, will continue to haunt them.
Vested Interests. Influence Muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s Not Pharma. It’s Wellness.
MSN – Stephanie Armour (KFF Health News) | Published: 7/15/2025
While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lambastes federal agencies he says are overly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, he and some other figures of the Make America Healthy Again movement have their own financial ties to a vast and largely unregulated $6.3 trillion global wellness industry they also support and promote. Kennedy and four advisers, three of whom have been tapped for official government roles, earned at least $3.2 million in fees and salaries from their work opposing the drug industry and promoting wellness in 2022 and 2023, according to a KFF Health News review.
DOJ Hits States with Broad Requests for Voter Rolls, Election Data
MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 7/16/2025
The Trump administration’s recent efforts to gather data on voters and inspect voting equipment have rattled state and local election officials from both parties who have spent years contending with threats, harassment, and litigation. Under the Constitution, states are responsible for running elections, and the federal government plays a limited role that must be spelled out by Congress. Election officials fear the administration could try to build a national file that includes personal information about voters or impose rules that would boot eligible voters from the rolls and make it harder to cast ballots.
NIH Official Fired Amid Probe of Contract Used to Potentially Hire Spouse, Officials Say
MSN – Carolyn Johnson, Hannah Natanson, and Dan Diamond (Washington Post) | Published: 7/15/2025
A senior National Institutes of Health (NIH) leader was fired amid an investigation into a contract on autism and other topics that could have benefited his spouse. A $3.3 million NIH contract to Argo Chasing named Trish Duffy Schnabel, the wife of NIH’s chief operating officer, on its list of staff. The award supports work on several matters including autism, a topic that is a priority of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. NIH’s chief operating officer, Eric Schnabel, was escorted out of the building just three months into his new job.
Critics of Trump’s Presidential Library Fundraising Say ‘There Are No Rules’
MSN – Madeleine May (CBS News) | Published: 7/16/2025
President Trump’s efforts to direct millions of dollars to his future presidential library has drawn fresh attention to a lack of visibility into the identities or potential interests of the donors who are funding it, a longstanding concern facing past presidents from both parties. Two Senate Democrats introduced a bill that would regulate fundraising for presidential libraries.
Supreme Court Justice Pauses Ruling Weakening Voting Rights Act
MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 7/16/2025
Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh paused a federal appeals court ruling that bars individuals in some states from filing lawsuits claiming discrimination based on the landmark Voting Rights Act. The administrative stay will allow the Supreme Court more time to consider whether to take up an appeal by Native American tribes in North Dakota who claim the ruling endangers a powerful tool to ensure equitable voting laws.
DOJ Fires Maurene Comey, Prosecutor Involved in Epstein, Diddy Cases
MSN – Perry Stein, Shayna Jacobs, and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 7/16/2025
Federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, who worked on the criminal cases of Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, was fired. Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, was also a prosecutor in the recent trial of Sean Combs, the entertainer known as Diddy. The notice informing the younger Comey of her termination did not provide a reason, citing the broad powers afforded to the president in the Constitution.
Trump Accuses Sen. Adam Schiff of Mortgage Fraud in New Attack on Critic
MSN – Rachel Siegel (Washington Post) | Published: 7/16/2025
President Trump accused U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff of mortgage fraud, and a senior administration official said a criminal case had been referred to the Justice Department, in a sharp escalation of the White House’s attacks on vocal Trump critics. Trump said Fannie Mae’s financial crimes division found Schiff had a “sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud,” which the president claimed, without providing specifics, had involved misstating which home Schiff used as a primary residence, helping him secure a cheaper mortgage.
Over 1 in 5 High-Level Trump Picks Held Crypto, Post Analysis Finds
MSN – Arfa Momin, Clara Ence Morse, and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 7/17/2025
The Washington Post identified nearly 70 nominees and officials of the Trump administration who held cryptocurrency or have invested in crypto or blockchain companies. The appointment of multiple officials with crypto holdings comes at a time when the administration has taken a hands-off approach to regulation of digital currencies. The administration has also backed policies supported by the crypto industry, including legislation in Congress.
IRS Weakens Johnson Amendment – Nonprofits Push Back
Nonprofit Quarterly – Isaiah Thompson | Published: 7/15/2025
The IRS stated in a court document recently that churches and other houses of worship can endorse political candidates without losing their tax-exempt status, an announcement that would seem to overturn decades of established law firmly prohibiting all nonprofit organizations, including churches, from directly engaging in partisan politics. Nonprofit sector leaders warn that the blurring of the longstanding line separating nonprofits from politics could erode decades of public trust in charitable organizations, allow even more “dark money” to flow into politics via nonprofits, and potentially reshape American politics.
Bondi Ousts Justice Department’s Top Ethics Official
Yahoo News – Scott MacFarlane (CBS News) | Published: 7/15/2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi ousted the senior ethics attorney at the Justice Department who advised her and other senior officials on employee ethics, the latest firing that has come amid an ongoing purge of department employees. Joseph Tirrell wrote on LinkedIn that in his role as the director of the Departmental Ethics Office, he was responsible for advising Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on employee ethics and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the department’s ethics program.
From the States and Municipalities
California – OpenAI Accuses Nonprofit of Musk Ties, Lobbying Violations, in California Complaint
MSN – Chase DiFeliciantonio and Christine Mui (Politico) | Published: 7/10/2025
OpenAI is asking the California Fair Political Practices Commission to investigate a nonprofit that challenged its multi-billion-dollar business plans, alleging violations of state lobbying laws and again raising questions about the group’s connections to its rival, Elon Musk. The complaint accuses the Coalition for AI Nonprofit Integrity of likely fronting a fake leader and failing to report lobbying payments related to a state bill that would have potentially prevented the ChatGPT maker from converting to a for-profit entity.
California – Federal Judge Orders LAPD to Stop Shooting Journalists with Rubber Bullets at Protests
MSN – Richard Winton (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 7/11/2025
A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order that blocks Los Angeles police officers from using rubber projectiles and other so-called less-lethal munitions against reporters covering protests against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. U.S. District Court Judge Hernán Vera said a coalition of press rights organizations successfully argued that a court injunction was necessary to protect journalists and others exercising their 1st Amendment rights.
California – Federal Judge Halts Indiscriminate Immigration Stops in Los Angeles and Beyond
MSN – Brittny Mejia and Rachel Uranga (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 7/11/2025
A federal judge found the Department of Homeland Security has been making stops and arrests in Los Angeles immigration raids without probable cause and ordered the department to stop detaining individuals based solely on race, spoken language, or occupation. Once someone was in custody, the complaint argues, their constitutional rights were further violated by being held in “deplorable” conditions without access to a lawyer, or regular food and water.
California – S.F. Planning Commissioner Who Voted on Former Employer’s Projects Vows to Recuse Herself
MSN – Tom Li (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 7/15/2025
The vice president of the San Francisco Planning Commission said she will recuse herself from future discussions of projects involving her former employer, an architecture firm that paid her at least $10,000 a year since 2012. Planning Commissioner Kathrin Moore said the time she cast votes on projects in which Skidmore, Owings & Merrill played a role, she believed she was allowed by city rules to do so.
Connecticut – Elections Commission Closes 21 ‘Campaign-in-a-Box’ Investigations
Connecticut Inside Investigator – Marc Fitch | Published: 7/15/2025
The State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) voted to dismiss complaints against twenty-one campaigns for state House and Senate candidates over “campaign-in-a-box” concerns raised by auditors, but SEEC officials indicate they will be updating regulations to address the issue in future elections. “Campaign-in-a-box” is a term used to describe when a campaign committee will turn over most or all their taxpayer-funded citizen election program grant money to a consultant who then takes care of most campaign spending.
District of Columbia – D.C. Ward 8 Voters Return Indicted Trayon White to Office After Expulsion
MSN – Meagan Flynn, Jenny Gathright, and Michael Brice-Saddler (Washington Post) | Published: 7/15/2025
Trayon White reclaimed his seat on the District of Columbia Council in a special election, five months after he was expelled over his pending federal bribery case. White stands accused of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for using his influence to steer contracts. He retained a decade’s worth of name recognition and close relationships with many in his ward, who have long been distrustful of police and government, believing White was unfairly arrested or deserved another chance. His trial is scheduled for January and could result in his removal from office if convicted.
Florida – Ron Book Victorious in Ethics Dispute Over Alleged Gift Violation
Florida Today – Peter Schorsch | Published: 7/16/2025
Ron Book, one of the most influential lobbyists in Florida, won a lawsuit filed against Palm Beach County’s Ethics Commission after it claimed he violated a local gift ban. A panel of judges found the Ethics Commission acted without legal authority in citing Book for providing a gift in excess of the allowable limit of $100 to Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter.
Florida – Leon Commission Forgoes Bid Process, Breaks Up with Longtime Lobbyists for Southern Group
Yahoo News – Arianna Otero (Tallahassee Democrat) | Published: 7/11/2025
Leon County commissioners voted to abruptly break up with their longtime state and federal lobbying partners, Squire Patton Boggs and Capitol Alliance Group, in exchange for one of Florida’s top lobbying firms, The Southern Group. At their 2025 State and Federal Legislative Priorities Workshop, county staff provided commissioners with options for additional lobbying services focusing primarily on appropriations, working to secure money for county projects and initiatives. In January, the county entered into a contract with the Southern Group for $40,000.
Illinois – Former ComEd Lobbyist John Hooker Gets 18 Months in Prison for Role in Madigan Bribery Scheme
WTTW – Matt Masterson | Published: 7/14/2025
John Hooker, one of the four former Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) officials convicted of conspiring to bribe ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was sentenced to 18 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $500,000. Hooker spent decades at ComEd, including serving as the company’s executive vice president of legislative and external affairs. He then worked as an external lobbyist for the utility, a role through which prosecutors said he remained “directly involved in ComEd’s efforts to advance its legislative agenda in Springfield.”
Illinois – Mayor Brandon Johnson, Inspector General Reach Compromise on Ethics Reform
Yahoo News – Jake Sheridan (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 7/14/2025
A long fight by ethics advocates to restrict the powers of City Hall’s mayor-controlled top attorney has ended with a compromise both sides said they support. The city council’s Ethics Committee advanced an ordinance that restricts when Chicago’s Law Department can attend investigative interviews and lays out when city attorneys can claim attorney-client privilege to avoid sharing records sought by the inspector general.
Illinois – Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan Asks to Remain Free on Bond Pending Appeal
Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 7/15/2025
Attorneys for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan formally asked that he remain free on bond pending appeal of his conviction on corruption charges, arguing he is not a flight risk and there are complex legal issues which, if resolved in his favor, will require a new trial. Much of the uncertainty stems from a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year that substantially reined in prosecutions under a federal bribery law known as 666, its number in the federal code.
Maine – Another Voter-Backed Maine Law Regulating Campaign Finance Halted, but the Case Is Far from Over
Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 7/16/2025
A federal judge blocked the implementation of a law Maine voters approved in 2024 limiting the amount of money that can be donated to super PACs. The law set a $5,000 limit on contributions to PACs that independently spend money to try to support or defeat candidates. It also requires the disclosure of all donors who contribute toward independent expenditures, regardless of amount. Plaintiffs in the case placed the issue on the ballot with the goal of eventually bringing the question of the legality of such limits to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Maine – Maine Legislature Opts for Status Quo on Campaign Finance Regulations
Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 7/14/2025
The Maine Legislature largely opted to maintain the status quo regarding campaign finance regulations this year, rejecting attempts to expand clean elections, require more transparency into who is spending in elections, and ban direct corporate contributions to candidates. The most common reasons cited by lawmakers, who voted down many of these bills in committee before the proposals even reached the chambers, were the tight budget year, and the plans did not get to the root causes of money in politics.
Maine – First Circuit Rules Maine Ban on Foreign Government Election Spending Likely Unconstitutional
Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 7/14/2025
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled a law passed by Maine voters in 2023 prohibiting foreign government spending in elections is likely unconstitutional. The decision, which affirmed a District Court’s temporary stay on the state from enforcing the law, is not the final word, as it will next return to the lower court. The law prevents foreign government-influenced entities, defined as companies with five percent or more foreign government ownership, from donating to state and local ballot measures.
Michigan – After Benson Violation, GOP Eyes Change to Michigan Campaign Finance Law
Bridge Michigan – Jordyn Hermani | Published: 7/15/2025
Months after an investigation found Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson accidentally violated a state campaign finance law but could not be punished for it, Michigan Republicans are pushing to expand the attorney general’s powers of prosecution. Benson, who is running as a 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, unknowingly violated state law when she held a campaign press conference in a state building. Attorney General Dana Nessel issued Benson a warning but said because of “legislative oversight,” state law would not have allowed the attorney general to enforce additional penalties against the secretary of state.
Missouri – After Scathing Report, Missouri Governor Fills Vacancies on Ethics Watchdog
MSN – Kacen Bayless (Kansas City Star) | Published: 7/11/2025
The Missouri Ethics Commission will now have enough members to investigate complaints of ethical misconduct after Gov. Mike Kehoe filled two vacancies. The appointments from Kehoe came just days after a scathing report became public criticizing the fact that the commission did not have enough members to conduct investigations, issue fines, or hold meetings.
New York – Leader of Pro-Eric Adams Super PAC Banking on Crypto Cash
MSN – Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 7/14/2025
A leader of the super PAC supporting New York City Mayor Eric Adams hopes to raise upwards of $10 million from the cryptocurrency community and alarmed government ethics groups in the process. In May, Eric Lerner, president of the Empower NYC super PAC, attended the same Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas where Adams spoke. The decision by Lerner to speak about the PAC’s work at the same conference that the mayor, in his official capacity, delivered a crypto-focused address on city policy has stoked discomfort inside ethics organizations.
New York – Cuomo Digs in to Take on Mamdani Again in NYC Mayoral Race
MSN – Laura Nahmias (Bloomberg) | Published: 7/14/2025
Andrew Cuomo said he plans to remain in the race for New York City mayor, brushing off calls to step aside after his shocking loss to Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary. In the immediate aftermath of the June primary, in which Cuomo lost to the 33-year-old democratic socialist by 12 points, speculation swirled that Cuomo would ultimately stop campaigning for the general election. But people familiar with Cuomo’s thinking said he believes he is a more viable candidate to challenge Mamdani in November than incumbent Mayor Eric Adams.
New York – Mayor Adams Again Denied Matching Funds as Campaign Finance Board Shifts Tactics
Yahoo News – Chris Sommerfeldt and Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News) | Published: 7/15/2025
New York City’s Campaign Finance Board again denied Mayor Eric Adams public matching funds for his reelection effort, but the panel switched up the reason for depriving him of the cash after a key judicial ruling. Since December 2024, the board has withheld more than $3 million in matching funds for Adams’ campaign, in large part due to his federal indictment, which accused him of taking bribes and illegal campaign contributions from Turkish government operatives in exchange for political favors.
North Dakota – Governor Questions Scope of Ethics Commission Authority
Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 7/14/2025
Gov. Kelly Armstrong expressed concerns that a recent North Dakota Ethics Commission advisory opinion effectively created a new law without input from the Legislature. The opinion addressed whether it is unethical for a public official or someone running for office to use campaign money to pay for childcare or security services. Armstrong’s remarks came after his public testimony on the Ethics Commission’s proposed travel disclosure rules.
Oklahoma – Ethics Commission Votes on Cases Involving Gamefowl Commission, Rep. Ajay Pittman, Shelley Zumwalt
NonDoc – Bennett Brinkman | Published: 7/10/2025
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission voted to open another formal investigation into state Rep. Ajay Pittman. The commission also voted to make more information public on the first case against her, which was approved for litigation in Oklahoma County District Court. In addition, commissioners revealed the agency is investigating the Oklahoma Gamefowl Commission, a nonprofit organization that advocates for easing laws related to cockfighting. They also voted to execute a settlement agreement with former Employment Security Commission Chief Executive Officer Shelley Zumwalt.
Oregon – An Oregon Lawmaker Pushed to Fix His Road with Wildfire Recovery Money. He Says It’s His Job
MSN – Hillary Borrud (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 7/13/2025
A powerful Oregon lawmaker will see the roads in his subdivision resurfaced using federal wildfire recovery money after he wielded his position and access as a legislator to press state housing leaders to clear hurdles raised by lower-level employees who repeatedly questioned whether the project qualified for funding. Rep. David Gomberg regularly contacted state housing leaders from his legislative email account about a $760,000 grant application and spoke directly with them in his capacity as a lawmaker about that project and others, records show.
MSN – Mike Rogoway (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 7/15/2025
The Oregon Department of Justice says officials in Morrow County bought a fiber-optic business from a local nonprofit at a lowball price, improperly capitalizing on Amazon’s booming data center business in the small community and generating a windfall for themselves. A civil complaint accuses eight people, including four former officials in Morrow County and state Rep. Greg Smith, of exploiting a nonprofit called Inland Development Corp., which was founded at the beginning of the century to provide internet access to rural schools, hospitals, and government offices.
Oregon – Former Information Officer Implicated in Latest Ethics Ruling for Oregon Bourbon Scandal
Oregon Capital Chronicle – Shaanth Nanguneri | Published: 7/16/2025
A former high-ranking official in the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission used his status and inside knowledge to improperly acquire bottles of highly sought-after liquor, the Government Ethics Commission concluded. In recent weeks, the commission has been finalizing investigations into six former top officials for using their positions to obtain rare, expensive bottles of liquor that normal Oregonians can usually only access through a lottery. The latest case involves Boba Subasic, the commission’s former chief information officer.
Tennessee – Tennessee Campaign Finance Watchdog Rejects Settlement Offer on Lawmaker Complaint
Yahoo News – Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 7/16/2025
Tennessee’s campaign finance watchdog is balking at a PAC’s offer to pay a $2,500 settlement in connection with illicit attack ads against a 2024 Republican House candidate. Tom Lawless, chairperson of the Registry of Election Finance, questioned the proposal at a recent board meeting and said the offer is not high enough. He added that political professionals know the state’s rules for running campaigns yet try to skirt them and then get away with paying a small penalty.
Texas – How Republicans’ Texas Gerrymandering Plan Could Backfire and Help Dems
MSN – Nicholas Wu, Andrew Howard, and Jessica Piper (Politico) | Published: 7/10/2025
Gov. Greg Abbott instructed the Texas Legislature to consider congressional redistricting during a special session set to begin July 21, citing the Trump administration’s concerns. If the Legislature, where Republicans hold majorities in both chambers, redraws map lines ahead of next year’s midterm elections, it could bolster the narrow GOP majority in the U.S. House. But some Texas Republicans have voiced concerns that the plan could backfire and endanger incumbent conservatives.
Texas – Here’s the Donor Behind the Mysterious Trust That Gave Greg Abbott $1M
MSN – Benjamin Wermund (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 7/16/2025
Joe Gebbia, an Austin billionaire, Airbnb co-founder, and close friend of Elon Musk, is behind a mysterious $1 million donation to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor’s campaign reported the gift from Peachtree Trust, one of four million-dollar donations Abbott received in June, in a new filing. But the campaign did not include any information on who is involved in the trust, which experts said could be a violation of campaign finance rules.
July 17, 2025 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Critics of Trump’s Presidential Library Fundraising Say ‘There Are No Rules’” by Madeleine May (CBS News) for MSN Maine: “Another Voter-Backed Maine Law Regulating Campaign Finance Halted, but the Case Is Far from Over” by Emma Davis […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Critics of Trump’s Presidential Library Fundraising Say ‘There Are No Rules'” by Madeleine May (CBS News) for MSN
Maine: “Another Voter-Backed Maine Law Regulating Campaign Finance Halted, but the Case Is Far from Over” by Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) for Yahoo News
New York: “Mayor Adams Again Denied Matching Funds as Campaign Finance Board Shifts Tactics” by Chris Sommerfeldt and Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News) for Yahoo News
Tennessee: “Tennessee Campaign Finance Watchdog Rejects Settlement Offer on Lawmaker Complaint” by Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) for Yahoo News
Elections
National: “DOJ Hits States with Broad Requests for Voter Rolls, Election Data” by Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
National: “NIH Official Fired Amid Probe of Contract Used to Potentially Hire Spouse, Officials Say” by Carolyn Johnson, Hannah Natanson, and Dan Diamond (Washington Post) for MSN
Florida: “Ron Book Victorious in Ethics Dispute Over Alleged Gift Violation” by Peter Schorsch for Florida Today
Oregon: “Oregon DOJ Says Public Officials Exploited Nonprofit to Cash in on Amazon Data Centers, Reap Millions for Themselves” by Mike Rogoway (Portland Oregonian) for MSN
July 16, 2025 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Connecticut: “Elections Commission Closes 21 ‘Campaign-in-a-Box’ Investigations” by Marc Fitch for Connecticut Inside Investigator Michigan: “After Benson Violation, GOP Eyes Change to Michigan Campaign Finance Law” by Jordyn Hermani for Bridge Michigan Elections Washington DC: “D.C. Ward 8 […]
Campaign Finance
Connecticut: “Elections Commission Closes 21 ‘Campaign-in-a-Box’ Investigations” by Marc Fitch for Connecticut Inside Investigator
Michigan: “After Benson Violation, GOP Eyes Change to Michigan Campaign Finance Law” by Jordyn Hermani for Bridge Michigan
Elections
Washington DC: “D.C. Ward 8 Voters Return Indicted Trayon White to Office After Expulsion” by Meagan Flynn, Jenny Gathright, and Michael Brice-Saddler (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “IRS Weakens Johnson Amendment – Nonprofits Push Back” by Isaiah Thompson for Nonprofit Quarterly
Ethics
National: “Vested Interests. Influence Muscle. At RFK Jr.’s HHS, It’s Not Pharma. It’s Wellness.” by Stephanie Armour (KFF Health News) for MSN
National: “Bondi Ousts Justice Department’s Top Ethics Official” by Scott MacFarlane (CBS News) for Yahoo News
Illinois: “Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan Asks to Remain Free on Bond Pending Appeal” by Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) for Yahoo News
North Dakota: “Governor Questions Scope of Ethics Commission Authority” by Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) for Yahoo News
July 15, 2025 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Maine: “Maine Legislature Opts for Status Quo on Campaign Finance Regulations” by Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) for Yahoo News Maine: “First Circuit Rules Maine Ban on Foreign Government Election Spending Likely Unconstitutional” by Emma Davis (Maine Morning […]
Campaign Finance
Maine: “Maine Legislature Opts for Status Quo on Campaign Finance Regulations” by Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) for Yahoo News
Maine: “First Circuit Rules Maine Ban on Foreign Government Election Spending Likely Unconstitutional” by Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) for Yahoo News
New York: “Leader of Pro-Eric Adams Super PAC Banking on Crypto Cash” by Joe Anuta (Politico) for MSN
Elections
New York: “Cuomo Digs in to Take on Mamdani Again in NYC Mayoral Race” by Laura Nahmias (Bloomberg) for MSN
Ethics
California: “Federal Judge Orders LAPD to Stop Shooting Journalists with Rubber Bullets at Protests” by Richard Winton (Los Angeles Times) for MSN
California: “Federal Judge Halts Indiscriminate Immigration Stops in Los Angeles and Beyond” by Brittny Mejia and Rachel Uranga (Los Angeles Times) for MSN
National: “Epstein Outcry Prompts Warning to Trump from MAGA Leaders: ‘A huge risk'” by Natalie Allison (Washington Post) for MSN
Illinois: “Former ComEd Lobbyist John Hooker Gets 18 Months in Prison for Role in Madigan Bribery Scheme” by Matt Masterson for WTTW
July 14, 2025 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance New York: “Mayor Adams’ Lawsuit Over $3.4M Campaign Funds Withheld Tossed — but Here’s Why It Could Help His Re-Election Bid” by Craig McCarthy (New York Post) for Yahoo News Ethics National: “Texts, Emails Bolster Whistleblower Account of […]
Campaign Finance
New York: “Mayor Adams’ Lawsuit Over $3.4M Campaign Funds Withheld Tossed — but Here’s Why It Could Help His Re-Election Bid” by Craig McCarthy (New York Post) for Yahoo News
Ethics
National: “Texts, Emails Bolster Whistleblower Account of DOJ Defying Court Order” by Perry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “Bondi Fires 20 Justice Dept. Employees Involved in Trump Prosecutions” by Perry Stein and Amy Wang (Washington Post) for MSN
Missouri: “After Scathing Report, Missouri Governor Fills Vacancies on Ethics Watchdog” by Kacen Bayless (Kansas City Star) for MSN
Oklahoma: “Ethics Commission Votes on Cases Involving Gamefowl Commission, Rep. Ajay Pittman, Shelley Zumwalt” by Bennett Brinkman for NonDoc
Oregon: “An Oregon Lawmaker Pushed to Fix His Road with Wildfire Recovery Money. He Says It’s His Job” by Hillary Borrud (Portland Oregonian) for MSN
Lobbying
California: “OpenAI Accuses Nonprofit of Musk Ties, Lobbying Violations, in California Complaint” by Chase DiFeliciantonio and Christine Mui (Politico) for MSN
Redistricting
Texas: “How Republicans’ Texas Gerrymandering Plan Could Backfire and Help Dems” by Nicholas Wu, Andrew Howard, and Jessica Piper (Politico) for MSN
July 11, 2025 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 11, 2025

National/Federal Trump Appointees Have Ties to Companies That Stand to Benefit from Privatizing Weather Forecasts MSN – Michael Biesecker and Brian Slodysko (Associated Press) | Published: 7/9/2025 Deadly flooding in Texas has drawn a spotlight to budget cuts and staff […]
National/Federal
Trump Appointees Have Ties to Companies That Stand to Benefit from Privatizing Weather Forecasts
MSN – Michael Biesecker and Brian Slodysko (Associated Press) | Published: 7/9/2025
Deadly flooding in Texas has drawn a spotlight to budget cuts and staff reductions at the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, two agencies that provide the public with free climate and weather data that can be crucial during natural disasters. What has drawn less attention is how the downsizing appears to be part of an effort to privatize the work of such agencies. In several instances, the companies poised to step into the void have ties to people tapped by President Trump to run weather-related agencies.
Gabbard’s Team Has Sought Spy Agency Data to Enforce Trump’s Agenda
MSN – Ellen Nakashima, Warren Strobel, and Aaron Schaffer (Washington Post) | Published: 7/8/2025
A special team created by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has expressed a desire to gain access to emails and chat logs of the largest U.S. spy agencies with the aim of using artificial intelligence tools to ferret out what the administration deems as efforts to undermine its agenda, according to several people familiar with the matter. The mission of the Director’s Initiative Group is to enforce President Trump’s executive orders to end “weaponization” of the federal government, declassify documents, and halt diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, according to Gabbard’s office.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns After Two Years at the Helm of Elon Musk’s Social Media Platform
MSN – Matt O’Brien (Associated Press) | Published: 7/9/2025
X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino said she is stepping down after two bumpy years running Elon Musk’s social media platform. Since Musk’s takeover, a number of companies had pulled back on ad spending over concerns that his thinning of content restrictions was enabling hateful and toxic speech to flourish. Most recently, an update to Grok, the chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI, led to a flood of antisemitic commentary from the chatbot that included praise of Adolf Hitler.
Supreme Court Allows Trump to Launch Mass Layoff and Restructuring Plans
MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 7/8/2025
The Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to launch plans for mass firings and reorganizations at 19 federal agencies and departments while litigation continues. The justices lifted a lower-court order that temporarily blocked plans to lay off thousands of federal workers, including at the State Department and the Social Security Administration, because the administration did not first consult with Congress.
California Awaits Disaster Relief as GOP Offers Full Support of Texas
MSN – Maeve Reston and Marianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 7/9/2025
For months, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pressed the GOP-led Congress to free up $40 billion in federal relief for swaths of Los Angeles consumed by devastating wildfires. President Trump and other Republicans have so far withheld the funds, with many arguing Newsom and other Democrats in the blue state have mishandled the fires and should be forced to rescind liberal policies in exchange for aid. But now deadly floods have struck ruby-red Texas and Trump and others promising unfettered and prompt federal support. The contrast underscores the extent to which the Trump administration treats blue and red states differently.
Former FBI, CIA Directors Under Investigation, DOJ Indicates in Statement
MSN – Perry Stein and Ellen Nakashima (Washington Post) | Published: 7/9/2025
The Justice Department acknowledged it had opened criminal probes into former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, two frequent targets of President Trump who played roles in the investigation into his 2016 campaign’s ties to Russia. CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred Brennan to the FBI to be criminally investigated for allegedly lying to Congress, according to a person familiar with the matter. The scope and nature of the investigation into Comey is unclear.
Lobbyists Revel in Trump Bonanza but Ask How Long It Can Last
MSN – Josh Dawsey, Rebecca Ballhaus, and Maggie Severns (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 7/9/2025
It is boom time on K Street for the influence industry, according to interviews with more than a dozen Republican lobbyists. The top 10 lobbying firms in Washington took in about $123 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared with about $80 million in the same time frame of both Joe Biden’s presidency and Trump’s first term. Lobbyists with close ties to Trump are having a particularly lucrative year and expanding their offices, with some firms even turning down clients because they already have too many.
Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Unloaded Trump Media Stock the Day Before Tariff Announcement
MSN – Suhail Bhat (USA Today) | Published: 7/10/2025
Dan Scavino had months to sell off up to $5 million worth of Trump Media stock after he joined President Trump’s administration as a deputy chief of staff. But Scavino picked April 1, the day before the president announced sweeping tariffs, to make the sale. Trump Media stock fell 11 percent after the announcement. There is no evidence that Savino had knowledge of the tariffs beforehand. But experts say when trades are placed in proximity to a major news event from the White House, they raise ethical questions as well as concerns of wrongdoing.
Federal Judge Places New Block on Trump’s Ban on Birthright Citizenship
MSN – David Nakamura (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2025
A federal judge in New Hampshire placed a new nationwide block on President Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, a decision that came two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court opened a path for the administration to begin enforcing the order. During a court hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante said he would issue the temporary injunction after agreeing to a request from civil rights groups to certify a class-action lawsuit against the administration on behalf of U.S.-born children or future children whose automatic citizenship could be jeopardized by the president’s executive order, lawyers for the plaintiffs said.
The Supreme Court and Congress Cede Powers to Trump and the Presidency
MSN – Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) | Published: 7/4/2025
In a striking dynamic of the Trump era, analysts say, the judicial and legislative branches have been steadily transferring many of their powers to the executive – or at least acquiescing in the transfers. That has shaken up a system that depends on the three branches of government jostling sharply as each jealously guards its own prerogatives, many critics contend. But the country has become so divided, some scholars say, that leaders of the three branches are often more loyal to their parties than to their institutions.
Trump Administration’s Push to Deport Student Activists Goes on Trial
MSN – Joanna Slater and Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 7/7/2025
The Trump administration’s attempts to deport international students and scholars involved in pro-Palestinian advocacy are unconstitutional, lawyers argued during the opening of one of the first federal trials challenging the president’s broad immigration policies. Instead of challenging individual detentions, the plaintiffs in the trial have taken a broader approach. Their case focuses on stopping what they have termed the “ideological deportation policy” of the administration, which they say includes revoking visas and extends to arrests and deportations.
Trump Administration Asserted Sweeping Power in Seeking to Bypass TikTok Ban
MSN – Charlie Savage (New York Times) | Published: 7/4/2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi told tech companies that they could lawfully violate a statute barring American companies from supporting TikTok based on a sweeping claim that President Trump has the constitutional power to set aside laws, documents show. The letters portrayed Trump as having nullified the legal effects of a statute that Congress passed by large bipartisan majorities in 2024 and the Supreme Court unanimously upheld.
MSN – Fredreka Schouten (CNN) | Published: 7/7/2025
President Trump’s demand for an investigation into ActBlue worried some Democrats who argue his order was not about allegations of campaign finance violations but an attempt to stifle liberal campaigns. So far, ActBlue remains a Democratic juggernaut. The platform brought in more than $393 million during the second quarter of this year, nearly on par with the $400 million it processed in the first quarter. The platform remains integral to Democratic campaigns trying to capitalize on progressive anger at Trump’s second-term agenda, even as some Democrats adopt ActBlue alternatives.
Roughly 140 EPA Staffers Who Signed ‘Dissent’ Letter Are Put on Leave
MSN – Hannah Natanson and Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) | Published: 7/3/2025
The Trump administration has placed on leave roughly 140 staffers at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who signed a letter of dissent protesting the agency’s current direction and policies. Nearly 300 EPA workers had signed the letter sent to Administrator Lee Zeldin, which said President Trump’s changes to the agency “undermine the EPA mission of protecting human health and the environment.” More than 170 of the signatories chose to be named, and some began receiving notifications they had been placed on leave.
IRS Says Churches Can Endorse Candidates from the Pulpit
Salt Lake Tribune – David Fahrenthold (New York Times) | Published: 7/7/2025
The Internal Revenue Service said churches and other houses of worship should be allowed to endorse political candidates to their congregations, carving out an exemption in a decades-old ban on political activity by tax-exempt nonprofits. The agency made that statement in a court filing intended to settle a lawsuit filed by two Texas churches and an association of Christian broadcasters.
Military Veteran Gets a Life Sentence for Plotting an FBI Attack After His Jan. 6 Arrest
Yahoo News – Michael Kunzelman (Associated Press) | Published: 7/2/2025
A military veteran was sentenced to life in prison for plotting to attack an FBI office and assassinate law enforcement officers in retaliation for his arrest on charges he was part of the mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Edward Kelley was one of the first rioters to breach the Capitol. Nearly two years later, Kelley made plans with another man to attack the FBI office in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kelley argued that his pardon was broad enough to cover his conduct in the Tennessee case, but the judge disagreed.
From the States and Municipalities
MSN – Kristen Taketa (San Diego Union-Tribune) | Published: 7/5/2025
Grossmont Union High School District teachers, parents, and community members are raising concerns about records they say suggest some board trustees and their allies manipulated last year’s board election, including a pay-to-play transaction and an effort to run fake spoiler candidates to pull votes away from their political rivals. Trustees’ text messages and emails revealed the plotting by an inner circle of select board trustees and their allies who were often instructed by Jerry Hobbs, an ousted former teacher who briefly became the district’s chief of staff before leaving with a six-figure settlement amid a dispute with trustees.
California – City Official Got Paid by Architecture Firm While Approving Its Projects
San Francisco Standard – Gabe Greschler | Published: 7/3/2025
A San Francisco planning commissioner supported the development of at least two projects in the city by an architecture firm from which she also receives income. Kathrin Moore, who was appointed to the commission in 2006 and currently serves as the body’s vice president, has reported earning between $10,000 and $100,000 each year since 2012 from the global firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. San Francisco prohibits city officials from making decisions that involve entities from which an individual has received more than $500 in the past year. The state has similar regulations.
Georgia – Georgia Appeals Court Upholds Ruling Saying Election Officials Must Certify Results
MSN – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 7/7/2025
A Georgia appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that said county election officials in the state must vote to certify results according to deadlines set in law. Certification became a political flashpoint when Donald Trump tried to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 general election. Republicans in several swing states refused to certify results during primary elections last year, and some sued to try to keep from being forced to sign off on election results.
Idaho – Idaho Lawmaker Worked to Legalize This Drug. He Was Among the First to Sell It
MSN – Sarah Cutler (Idaho Statesman) | Published: 7/7/2025
In the final days of this year’s legislative session, Idaho lawmakers passed a bill to allow pharmacies to sell ivermectin over the counter. Soon after, a pharmacy owned by the bill’s sponsor began selling the drug. Rep. Jordan Redman, who owns Medicine Man Prairie Pharmacy, disclosed – as required – that as a pharmacy owner, he had a conflict-of-interest in sponsoring and voting on the legislation. But after lawmakers make these declarations, they are still free to vote on the bills in question unless they volunteer to abstain.
Illinois – Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin Too Sick to Stand Trial on Corruption Charges, Federal Judge Rules
WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 7/9/2025
Former Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin is too sick to stand trial on charges she took bribes in the form of home improvements including new kitchen cabinets and granite countertops from a developer and lied to federal agents, a federal judge ruled. Prosecutors argued Austin was healthy enough to stand trial and agreed to ensure she had access to additional supplies of oxygen, access to medication during the day, and breaks when needed during a trial. Austin’s attorneys argued a trial could prove fatal for the former city council member.
Yahoo News – Dan Petrella (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 7/7/2025
A lawyer for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s political operation says state election authorities reached an “absurd” conclusion earlier this year in issuing nearly $10 million in penalties against Harmon’s campaign fund after determining he violated fundraising limits. Attorney Michael Kasper also laid out what amounted to a legal justification for Harmon’s unsuccessful attempt in the closing hours of this spring’s legislative session to pass a measure that could have negated the case and the $9.8 million potential penalty.
Kentucky – Probable Cause Rep. Daniel Grossberg Violated KY Ethics Code, Commission Finds
MSN – Alex Acquisto (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 7/9/2025
The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission found probable cause that Rep. Daniel Grossberg violated the state ethics code on three different counts, including when he invited a young woman to his legislative office, asked her sexually intimate questions, and offered her alcohol. There also exists probable cause that Grossberg violated the Code of Ethics when he made “intimidating statements (and) actions toward a private business.”
Louisiana – Longest Serving Louisiana Ethics Board Member Says Lawmakers Want the Board Dismantled
Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 7/3/2025
La Koshia Roberts, the immediate past chairperson of the Louisiana Board of Ethics, said Gov. Jef Landry and state lawmakers are tearing down government ethics enforcement with the massive overhaul of ethics and campaign finance laws they enacted in June. At the urging of Landry, lawmakers passed sweeping changes to ethics and campaign finance laws that loosen dozens of existing restrictions on public servants and create new ways for people accused of government misconduct to push back on charges they face for allegedly breaking the law.
Maryland – Lobbyists Increase Donations to Maryland Politicians by 75% Since Last Election
MSN – Sam Janesch (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 7/7/2025
Lobbyists seeking to influence Maryland officials donated about $2.6 million to the campaigns of those officials since the last statewide election in 2022, a nearly 75 percent increase compared to the same period during the previous four-year term, according to an analysis by The Baltimore Sun. Companies with a stake in decisions made by state lawmakers have spent millions of dollars every year on lobbying. Critics say the spending reflects the complex, and generally spreading, web of money involved in Maryland policymaking.
Missouri – How Missouri’s Ethical Watchdog Was ‘Quietly Dismantled,’ According to New Report
MSN – Kacen Bayless (Kansas City Star) | Published: 7/8/2025
Dozens of complaints of misconduct have been effectively dismissed over the past two years as the Missouri Ethics Commission remains hobbled by vacancies. A new report from Progress MO, a progressive advocacy group, argues that failures by Gov. Mike Kehoe and his predecessor to fill those vacancies have “quietly dismantled” the commission, leaving it unable to investigate complaints, issue fines, or hold meetings. “The consequence is a system vulnerable to corruption, where big donors influence decisions and there is no oversight for those in power,” the report’s executive summary said.
Nevada – LVCVA Fires Executive, Alleging Conflict of Interest, Appoints New Chief Sports Officer
MSN – Mick Akers (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 7/9/2025
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority fired an executive in charge of sports deals over conflict-of-interest concerns related to the hiring of her ex-husband for a contracted position. The authority appointed Brian Yost to the new role of chief sports officer to replace Lisa Motley. She was fired after the hiring of sports marketing firm Position Sports for services tied to the 2027 College Football Playoff national championship game.
New York – NY Public Campaign Program Fuels Spending for Political Consultants
Albany Times Union – Emilie Munson | Published: 7/6/2025
New York’s new public campaign finance program has triggered big business for political strategists, fundraisers, accountants, and advertisers. Legislative candidates in New York spent more money last year than in any election in the past 25 years, except one when accounting for inflation, and much of that money flowed to the legion of professionals who orchestrate campaigns behind the scenes.
New York – Eric Adams’ Chances of Getting Public Campaign Matching Funds Just Got Worse
MSN – Greg Smith (The City) | Published: 7/9/2025
The New York City’s campaign finance watchdog has greatly expanded its investigation into Mayor Eric Adams’ fundraising, targeting alleged illegal straw donations arranged by an agent of the Uzbekistan government and demanding records related to several fundraisers Adams failed to disclose. The Campaign Finance Board has repeatedly denied Adams’ requests for public matching funds as he runs for re-election, charging that credible evidence of illegal donations render him ineligible for generous matching funds paid for by taxpayers. In response, Adams has sued the board.
Ohio – Ohio Lawmaker Proposes Ban on Free Sports Tickets for Legislators
MSN – Frances McGowan (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 7/8/2025
An Ohio lawmaker wants to ban state legislators from accepting free or discounted tickets to professional sporting events, pointing to ethical concerns raised by the state’s $600 million commitment to a new Cleveland Browns stadium. Rep. Sean Patrick Brennan said the legislation would close a loophole that allows lobbyists and team officials to offer lawmakers perks to high-profile games. The bill would require state lawmakers to pay fair market value for any tickets to professional sporting events, regardless of who offers them.
Oregon – Powerful Oregon Union May Have Skirted Lobbying Laws, Republican Lawmakers Allege
MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 7/9/2025
In a complaint filed with the Government Ethics Commission, some lawmakers contend the Oregon chapter of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) provided false information on letters they delivered to lawmakers supporting a bill they lobbied for this year. The union represents thousands of workers who could have benefited from provisions in the bill. The complaint said SEIU violated state lobbying rules by providing information to legislators that misrepresented individuals’ support.
Oregon – Portland’s Campaign Finance Program Met Expectations in Unusual 2024 Election, Report Finds
Oregon Public Broadcasting – Alex Zielinski | Published: 7/8/2025
Faced with a new election system, limited cash, and questionable politicking, Portland’s campaign finance program appeared to met expectations during the November 2024 election cycle, according to an analysis by the city’s independent elections commission. The commission found the Small Donor Election program, paired with massive changes to the city’s form of government, created a clear path for candidates to win races with small donor contributions.
Pennsylvania – CEO of Pa.’s Largest Cyber School Made $700K on the Side from Its Bank
MSN – Oliver Morrison (PennLive.com) | Published: 7/9/2025
The leader of Pennsylvania’s largest cyber charter school earned more than $700,000 from his side job as a bank director from 2016 through 2024. The bank, Orrstown, was the school’s primary financial institution during that time and now holds more than $230 million in deposits from Commonwealth Charter Academy. Acting as chief executive for the charter school while getting income from its bank raises conflict-of-interest questions for Tom Longenecker, ethics experts said.
Rhode Island – How an Amendment, a Lobbyist and a Phone Call Led to Big Drama Over a New Self-Storage Law
USA Today – Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) | Published: 7/7/2025
Nothing seems to slow the growth of self-storage units across Rhode Island, and at the state Legislature, the industry also appears unstoppable. In the most improbable sequence of this year’s General Assembly legislative session finale, industry critics passed a rare amendment to a self-storage bill against the wishes of General Assembly leadership, only to have that win snatched from them minutes later.
July 10, 2025 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Oregon: “Portland’s Campaign Finance Program Met Expectations in Unusual 2024 Election, Report Finds” by Alex Zielinski for Oregon Public Broadcasting Ethics National: “Trump Appointees Have Ties to Companies That Stand to Benefit from Privatizing Weather Forecasts” by Michael […]
Campaign Finance
Oregon: “Portland’s Campaign Finance Program Met Expectations in Unusual 2024 Election, Report Finds” by Alex Zielinski for Oregon Public Broadcasting
Ethics
National: “Trump Appointees Have Ties to Companies That Stand to Benefit from Privatizing Weather Forecasts” by Michael Biesecker and Brian Slodysko (Associated Press) for MSN
National: “Gabbard’s Team Has Sought Spy Agency Data to Enforce Trump’s Agenda” by Ellen Nakashima, Warren Strobel, and Aaron Schaffer (Washington Post) for MSN
Illinois: “Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin Too Sick to Stand Trial on Corruption Charges, Federal Judge Rules” by Heather Cherone for WTTW
National: “X CEO Linda Yaccarino Resigns After Two Years at the Helm of Elon Musk’s Social Media Platform” by Matt O’Brien (Associated Press) for MSN
Nevada: “LVCVA Fires Executive, Alleging Conflict of Interest, Appoints New Chief Sports Officer” by Mick Akers (Las Vegas Review-Journal) for MSN
Legislative Issues
Rhode Island: “How an Amendment, a Lobbyist and a Phone Call Led to Big Drama Over a New Self-Storage Law” by Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) for USA Today
Lobbying
Oregon: “Powerful Oregon Union May Have Skirted Lobbying Laws, Republican Lawmakers Allege” by Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) for MSN
July 8, 2025 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Maryland: “Lobbyists Increase Donations to Maryland Politicians by 75% Since Last Election” by Sam Janesch (Baltimore Sun) for MSN National: “ActBlue Brings in Nearly $400 Million More for Democrats Amid Trump’s Pressure on the Fundraising Platform” by Fredreka […]
Campaign Finance
Maryland: “Lobbyists Increase Donations to Maryland Politicians by 75% Since Last Election” by Sam Janesch (Baltimore Sun) for MSN
National: “ActBlue Brings in Nearly $400 Million More for Democrats Amid Trump’s Pressure on the Fundraising Platform” by Fredreka Schouten (CNN) for MSN
New York: “NY Public Campaign Program Fuels Spending for Political Consultants” by Emilie Munson for Albany Times Union
Ethics
National: “The Supreme Court and Congress Cede Powers to Trump and the Presidency” by Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “Trump Administration’s Push to Deport Student Activists Goes on Trial” by Joanna Slater and Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “Trump Administration Asserted Sweeping Power in Seeking to Bypass TikTok Ban” by Charlie Savage (New York Times) for MSN
Idaho: “Idaho Lawmaker Worked to Legalize This Drug. He Was Among the First to Sell It” by Sarah Cutler (Idaho Statesman) for MSN
Louisiana: “Longest Serving Louisiana Ethics Board Member Says Lawmakers Want the Board Dismantled” by Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) for Yahoo News
July 4, 2025 •
News You Can Use Digest – July 4, 2025

National/Federal The First Rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down MSN – Hannah Natanson (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2025 Across the Trump administration, a culture of secrecy is overtaking personnel and budget decisions, casual social interactions, and everything in […]
National/Federal
The First Rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down
MSN – Hannah Natanson (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2025
Across the Trump administration, a culture of secrecy is overtaking personnel and budget decisions, casual social interactions, and everything in between, according to interviews with more than 40 employees across two dozen agencies. No one wants to put anything in writing anymore, federal workers said, and communication among colleagues has increasingly shifted to the encrypted messaging app Signal. This shift is affecting every aspect of external and internal communications. The overall effect has been to impede honest discussion, slow work, stir confusion, and depress morale.
GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Won’t Seek Reelection After Opposing Trump Tax Bill
MSN – Theodoric Meyer, Liz Goodwin, Mariana Alfaro, and Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2025
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he will not seek reelection next year, less than 24 hours after President Trump threatened him with a primary challenge for opposing the massive tax and immigration bill. Tillis’s decision not to run for a third term scrambles the Senate race in North Carolina. It injects fresh uncertainty into the GOP’s push to pass the proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s top legislative priority, by their July 4 deadline. It underscores the perils for Republicans of defying Trump when his grip on the party is stronger than ever.
US Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Campaign Spending Curbs in JD Vance Case
MSN – John Kruzel (Reuters) | Published: 6/30/2025
The Supreme Court announced it will consider a challenge to the limits on how much national political parties can spend in coordination with federal candidates. The justices took up an appeal by two Republican committees and Vice President JD Vance, who was running for the U.S. Senate in Ohio when the litigation began, of a lower court’s ruling that upheld restrictions on the amount of money parties can spend on campaigns with input from candidates they support. The justices are due to hear the case in their next term.
Appeals Court Seems Likely to Back Trump’s Deportations Under Wartime Law
MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2025
A federal appellate panel appeared poised to back President Trump’s use of a centuries-old wartime law to fast-track deportations of Venezuelan migrants in a case widely expected to put that debate back before the Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit grilled an attorney for targeted detainees during oral arguments, asking what authority judges had to “second-guess” the president’s decisions in defending the country amid armed conflicts.
DOGE Has the Keys to Sensitive Data That Could Help Elon Musk
MSN – Desmond Butler, Jonathan O’Connell, Hannah Natanson, and Aaron Gregg (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2025
For months, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency plumbed the federal government’s information systems, scouring arcane internal records that the billionaire said were guiding his hunt for waste. Now that Musk has stepped away from his government role, some of that data could be valuable in another way – by giving the world’s richest man a competitive advantage over his rivals in the private sector.
Judge Finds Trump Executive Order Punishing Susman Godfrey Unconstitutional
MSN – Melissa Quinn (CBS News) | Published: 6/27/2025
A federal judge struck down President Trump’s executive order that sought to punish the law firm Susman Godfrey, ruling it is unconstitutional and blocking the administration from enforcing it. The decision from U.S. District Court Judge Loren AliKhan caps an unbroken streak of victories for the four major law firms that were targeted by Trump as part of his efforts to go after his perceived enemies and chose to challenge his directives in court, rather than commit millions of dollars in free legal services, as nine other firms have done.
MSN – Eric Bradner, Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, and Annie Grayer (CNN) | Published: 7/1/2025
The fate of President Trump’s domestic agenda was in U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s hands, and she used that leverage to force a series of changes that will deliver more federal dollars to Alaska. The Senate passed the bill after a marathon of negotiations and amendments during which Murkowski, as she put it later, “struggled mightily” with the impacts of cutting Medicaid and food stamp benefits in Alaska before voting for the legislation.
How Trump’s Media War Brought Paramount to Its Knees
MSN – Sarah Ellison and Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 7/2/2025
CBS’s parent company agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit over the network’s editing of a campaign interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The deal makes Paramount, which is attempting to complete an $8 billion sale to Skydance Media, the latest company to pay millions of dollars to Donald Trump-aligned entities to avoid punitive government action. The money, minus plaintiffs’ fees and costs, will go to Trump’s presidential library.
MSN – Ross O’Keefe (Washington Examiner) | Published: 7/2/2025
The Department of Justice is considering whether it can charge local or state election officials who do not adhere to Trump administration standards on voting security. The administration is reportedly driving the effort forward based on its skepticism about the security of the nation’s elections. President Trump previously said the 2020 election was “rigged” and called for an investigation into widespread voter fraud.
Trump Says He Will Move Aggressively to Undo Nationwide Blocks on His Agenda
MSN – Justin Jouvenal, Cat Zakrzewski, and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 6/28/2025
An emboldened Trump administration plans to aggressively challenge blocks on the president’s top priorities, from immigration to education, following a major Supreme Court ruling that limits the power of federal judges to issue nationwide injunctions. Scholars and plaintiffs in the lawsuits over Trump’s executive orders agreed the ruling could profoundly reshape legal battles over executive power even as other legal experts said the effects would be more muted. Some predicted it would embolden Trump to push his expansive view of presidential power.
Bondi Made Changes to DOJ Policy. Her Former Client Pfizer Might Have Benefited
MSN – Ben Wieder (Miami Herald) | Published: 7/3/2025
For the past several years, Pfizer has been under investigation by the Department of Justice for potential foreign corruption violations related to its activities in China and Mexico, according to the company’s financial filings. But that appears to have changed after the Trump administration tapped Pam Bondi, previously an outside legal counsel for Pfizer, to be attorney general.
Dead Members of Congress Can’t Stop Posting
MSN – Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing (Politico) | Published: 6/28/2025
After Zohran Mamdani’s apparent victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary on, former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee liked an Instagram post congratulating him on his win. But Jackson Lee died last July. From new profile pictures to a posthumous endorsement, accounts for dead lawmakers have seemingly resurrected on social media in an unsettling trend of beyond-the-grave engagement. How to handle the social media presence of politicians when they die is a fairly new phenomenon.
Trump Tried to Fire Them. But These Democratic Appointees Are Still on the Job.
MSN – Hassan Ali Kanu (Politico) | Published: 6/30/2025
President Trump fired a host of Democratic appointees at independent boards and commissions across the government. But some of them are still working. More than a dozen leaders of independent federal agencies received emails from the White House purporting to fire or demote them, even though their roles are governed by laws that bar termination without cause. Those officials’ resistance could end up shaping how courts view pending questions about the hiring-and-firing powers of the presidency, and whether Congress can create federal agencies with some degree of independence from the chief executive.
From the States and Municipalities
California – Irvine City Council Re-Adopts Lobbying Rules to Settle Lawsuit
Voice of OC – Angela Hicks | Published: 6/30/2025
Irvine city leaders are settling a lawsuit with a group of residents who alleged the city council violated the state’s open meeting law when it passed new lobbying regulations last year. In a series of meetings, the council discussed and approved new regulations that require lobbyists to register with the city earlier and disclose their activities more often. Orange County Advocates for Transparency alleged the city violated the Brown Act by improperly agendizing the item and failing to fully alert the public.
California – Ex-Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet Gets Probation, No Jail Time for Taking Bribes
Yahoo News – Christopher Damien (Palm Springs Desert Sun) | Published: 7/2/2025
Former Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet was sentenced to two years’ probation, avoiding jail time despite admitting he took bribes from developers for years. Pougnet pleaded guilty to a scheme in which he conspired with real estate developer Richard Meaney to be paid money in exchange for facilitating the developer’s projects in the city council.
Connecticut – CT Veterans Affairs Director Ousted Over Questionable Ethics Violation
Inside Investigator – Mark Fitch | Published: 7/2/2025
The former director of safety and security for the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs says he was forced to retire from his position under threat of termination and the loss of his medical benefits after the department claimed he violated state ethics laws by asking maintenance personnel to do small contracting jobs at his home, contrary to a determination of the Office of State Ethics (OSE). Stephen Scatena said officials threatened if he did not voluntarily sign a stipulated agreement by April 9, 2025, roughly two months before the OSE issued their finding.
Connecticut – Ted Kennedy Jr., Former CT State Senator, Cleared After 11-Year Election Investigation
Stamford Advocate – Ken Dixon | Published: 7/2/2025
Connecticut election regulators closed the books on one of its longest-lingering investigations, finally dismissing a 2014 case involving former state Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. and nearly $300,000 in campaign support he received from the Democratic State Central Committee. The State Elections Enforcement Commission agreed there was not enough evidence to link the party’s contribution to a direct exchange with Kennedy family members and friends who raised more than $308,000 from 188 people for the state party.
District of Columbia – As Indicted Ex-D.C. Lawmaker Seeks Election, Opponents Urge Voters to Move On
MSN – Meagan Flynn and Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) | Published: 6/27/2025
At a rare appearance at a Ward 8 candidates forum, ex-District of Columbia Council member Trayon White Sr. answered one last question. Why, a voter wanted to know, had White never explained himself to residents after his bribery indictment? It was the unignorable question at the center of the July 15 special election, in which White, who stands accused of pocketing tens of thousands of dollars in bribes, is asking voters to reelect him even with the risk he could be disqualified from office if convicted.
Florida – DeSantis Vetoes Bill Aimed at Limiting Corruption in Office
Yahoo News – Lawrence Mower (Tampa Bay Times) | Published: 7/1/2025
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would, in part, have prohibited state officials from using their position to solicit campaign contributions. The legislation was in part a reaction to NBC News reports since 2023 that officials in his administration were asking lobbyists for political donations, raising ethical concerns.
Hawaii – State Watchdogs Are Keeping the Pressure on for Government Reform
Honolulu Civil Beat – Chad Blair | Published: 6/29/2025
Fired up by the fate of a major “pay-to-play” bill that died in April at the Legislature, the heads of the Campaign Spending Commission and Hawaii State Ethics Commission are stepping up their efforts to lobby for reform in the 2026 session that beings in January. The cooperation between Kristin Izumi-Nitao, executive director of campaign spending, and Robert Harris, executive director of ethics, entered a new phase when Izumi-Nitao appeared by invitation at the ethics commission’s public meeting. The purpose was to hear insights and explore collaboration between the agencies.
Illinois – Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘Pending’ Springfield Lobbyist Team Draws Ethics Questions
Yahoo News – Alice Yin, Jeremy Gorner, and A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 6/30/2025
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inner circle worked with outside lobbyists who were not registered to lobby on behalf of the city in the Illinois General Assembly. Email records and sources indicate three lobbyists coordinated with top Johnson officials during the most recent session. But they did not update their state registration to show the city among their lobbying clients before the Legislature adjourned June 1. If state officials were to find the three did not properly disclose their representation, they could be in violation of the law.
Illinois – Cook County Tax Board Commissioner, Staff Face Multiple Fines from Ethics Board
Yahoo News – A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 6/27/2025
Cook County’s Board of Ethics fined Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele and her aides for a series of breaches, finding she provided confidential information to the press about the Chicago Bears’ Arlington Heights property and wrongly allowed a staffer to attend a conference on county time. Steele is one of three commissioners on the county’s Board of Review, which hears property tax appeals. She must pay the $3,000 fine in 30 days.
Iowa – Trump Drops Federal Lawsuit Against Iowa Pollster, Refiles in State Court
MSN – Brianna Tucker and Frances Vinall (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2025
Lawyers for President Trump filed a motion to drop his federal lawsuit against J. Ann Selzer – a longtime Iowa pollster, and the Des Moines Register – and refiled the suit in a state court in Iowa. Attorneys for Trump sued Selzer and the newspaper in December over a poll that showed him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the state just days before the 2024 presidential election. The suit alleged Selzer’s poll amounted to “election interference” and accused the newspaper of violating the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
Kansas – Judge Allows Kansas Law Barring Foreign Contributions to Constitutional Amendment Campaigns
Yahoo News – Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 7/1/2025
A federal judge sided with state officials and allowed a Kansas law to go into effect that bans “foreign nationals” from contributing financially to campaigns for or against state constitutional amendments. Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, which has accepted such funds directly and indirectly in the past, said the law was broad, vague, and infringed upon constitutionally protected political speech.
Louisiana – Supreme Court to Rehear Case Over Louisiana’s Second Majority-Black District
MSN – Justin Jouvenal and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 6/27/2025
The Supreme Court put off deciding whether to uphold a Louisiana map that added a second majority-Black congressional district in the state, saying it would rehear the case in its next term. The justices said they would consider whether race was the predominant factor in the drawing of the new Louisiana district.
Maine – Why Maine Lawmakers Pulled Back on Ranked Choice Voting Expansion
Portland Press Herald – Randy Billings | Published: 6/27/2025
Lawmakers recalled a bill from Gov. Janet Mills’ desk that would have allowed ranked choice voting to be used in the 2026 gubernatorial race after Mills signaled she would veto the bill. Advocates say they plan to ask the Maine Law Court to revisit its 2017 advisory opinion, which would not be possible if Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill as they expected.
Massachusetts – MCAS Ballot Question Supporters Pay $4K Penalty to Resolve Late Reporting Accusations
MSN – Chris Van Buskirk (Boston Herald) | Published: 7/1/2025
The group that backed a successful ballot question to end the use of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System as a high school graduation requirement paid a $4,000 penalty to resolve accusations that officials did not report $2.3 million in contributions in a timely manner ahead of the November 2024 election. The fight between the Massachusetts Teachers Association and business groups was the most expensive ballot question battle in the state in 2024, with tens of millions flowing between the two sides.
Michigan – New Ballot Committee Aims to Get More Corporate, Utility Money Out of Michigan Politics
Detroit Free Press – Arpan Lobo | Published: 6/30/2025
A new ballot committee hopes to ask Michigan voters next year whether the state should ban large corporations that hold government contracts and utility monopolies from making political donations through affiliated PACs. Backers of the committee say companies like DTE and Consumers have outsized political influence due to their contributions to candidates and campaigns. The companies defended their political spending practices, saying the money does not come from ratepayers and they have an obligation to advocate for their best interests.
New Mexico – Joseph Shepard Sued by the New Mexico State Ethics Commission
Yahoo News – Joshua Bowling (Searchlight New Mexico) | Published: 6/28/2025
In addition to staying at five-star resorts, buying luxury furniture, and traveling the world at taxpayers’ expense, former Western New Mexico University President Joseph Shepard also took money intended for building an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant walkway and ramp and used it to build a patio near his house where he could host a welcome event and dancing for his daughter’s wedding, a new lawsuit by the New Mexico State Ethics Commission alleges.
New York – Ex-Trump Lawyer Chesebro Disbarred Over Fake Elector Scheme
Reuters – Dave Thomas | Published: 6/26/2025
A New York appeals court disbarred Kenneth Chesebro, a former lawyer for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, following his 2023 guilty plea to a charge stemming from efforts to overturn Trump’s defeat in Georgia. Chesebro had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit filing of false documents in Fulton County after prosecutors accused him of crafting the legal strategy behind a scheme to use alternate electors to circumvent Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state.
North Carolina – NC Republicans Unveil Sweeping Elections Bill. Could It ‘Purge’ Nonpartisan Staff?
Yahoo News – Kyle Ingram (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 6/26/2025
North Carolina House Republicans unveiled a broad elections bill that could convert about a third of the State Board of Elections’ nonpartisan civil service staff into political appointees, alongside a host of other changes to ballot counting, voter ID, and more. It comes a month after Republicans gained a majority on the elections board and ousted Executive Director Karen Brinson Bell, replacing her with a lawyer who has worked for the state’s top GOP legislators.
North Dakota – North Dakota Ethics Commission Makes First Finding of Violations by Public Official
Yahoo News – Mary Steurer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 6/30/2025
The North Dakota Ethics Commission found Rep. Jason Dockter committed three ethics violations related to his ownership of a Bismarck building, but the agency did not hand down any penalties for the lawmaker. The Ethics Commission noted Dockter likely leveraged his position and his relationships with state employees to arrange a lease with the attorney general’s office.
Oregon – Lawmakers Nix Proposal to Delay Campaign Finance Limits for Years After Backlash
MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 6/27/2025
State lawmakers did not advance a bill this year that would have delayed the imposition of campaign contribution limits in Oregon for four years. The effort died after good government advocates said the proposed delay was an attempt by lawmakers to avoid restricting the massive flow of money into politics. Oregon is one of just five states without such limits. Secretary of State Tobias Read said he was “deeply disappointed” that lawmakers finished this year’s session without making any substantial refinements to last year’s law.
Oregon – Longtime Oregon Legislator Faces Ethics Investigation Over Pay Raise
Portland Oregonian – Les Zaitz (Salem Reporter) | Published: 6/28/2025
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission ordered an investigation into whether state Rep. Greg Smith illegally used his position as a public agency executive to raise his own pay. Investigators also were directed to examine whether Smith failed to disclose a conflict-of-interest in the process, a violation of state ethics laws.
South Dakota – Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations
MSN – Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 6/30/2025
While Kristi Noem was governor of South Dakota, she accepted a portion of the money she raised for a nonprofit that promotes her political career. In what experts described as a highly unusual arrangement, the nonprofit routed funds to a personal company of Noem’s that had been established in Delaware. Since the group is not required to disclose the names of its donors, the original source of the money remains unknown. She did not include the income on her financial disclosure form, which experts called a likely violation of federal ethics requirements.
Tennessee – Tennessee Campaign Finance Agency Seeks Probe of Secret PAC
Yahoo News – Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 6/23/2025
The Registry of Election Finance requested an investigation into a former state staffer’s secret PAC to determine whether it involved criminal activity. The registry formally asked the Williamson County district attorney’s office to reactivate a 2020 request for a probe of Cade Cothren, a former aide to one-time House Speaker Glen Casada, and the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC. Registry Chairperson Tom Lawless has said the investigation should commence now that a trial of Casada and Cothren is complete.
MSN – Lauren McGaughy (Texas Newsroom) | Published: 7/3/2025
Elon Musk’s team of Texas lobbyists during the 2025 legislative session did not rival those of huge energy and telecommunications companies, which typically employ dozens of people to represent them. But Musk and his companies still hired more lobbyists this year than any other since 2021. His lobbyists spent money on things like gifts and meals for elected officials and others during the session. In most cases, the state’s transparency laws do not require lobbyists to disclose which politicians they entertained or on behalf of which clients. Ethics experts said the responsibility to improve transparency lies with Texas lawmakers.
Vermont – Gov. Phil Scott Signs New Campaign Finance Rules, Other Election Changes into Law
VTDigger.com – Shaun Robinson | Published: 6/27/2025
Gov. Phil Scott signed a package of changes to Vermont’s election procedures into law, among them an expansion of who must file campaign finance disclosure forms and a restriction on candidates running in a general election who have lost a preceding primary election. A provision in the new law is meant to clarify that certain campaign finance rules apply to individuals who raise and spend money on behalf of a candidate, but who are not directly affiliated with that candidate.
Virginia – State’s First-Ever Audit of Campaign Finance Report Leaves Many Questions Unanswered
Cardinal News – David Poole | Published: 7/2/2025
Virginia’s inaugural audit of campaign finance reports raises almost as many questions about state oversight than it does in answering how accurately a group of seven randomly selected candidates listed their contributions and expenses. In a report to the General Assembly, the Department of Elections suggested changes to the audit law, providing more time to complete future reviewing and updating the agency’s computer systems.
Washington – Foes of WA Initiative to Repeal Climate Law Fined $20K for Campaign Finance Violations
Yahoo News – Jerry Cornfield (Washington Standard) | Published: 6/26/2025
A political committee that helped defeat last year’s ballot measure to repeal a Washington climate law was fined $20,000 for not disclosing how it spent $1 million until after the election. The Public Disclosure Commission levied the civil penalty on Green Jobs PAC, which admitted to the violation and two other breaches of state campaign finance laws as part of an agreed upon settlement.
July 3, 2025 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Florida: “DeSantis Vetoes Bill Aimed at Limiting Corruption in Office” by Lawrence Mower (Tampa Bay Times) for Yahoo News Michigan: “New Ballot Committee Aims to Get More Corporate, Utility Money Out of Michigan Politics” by Arpan Lobo for […]
Campaign Finance
Florida: “DeSantis Vetoes Bill Aimed at Limiting Corruption in Office” by Lawrence Mower (Tampa Bay Times) for Yahoo News
Michigan: “New Ballot Committee Aims to Get More Corporate, Utility Money Out of Michigan Politics” by Arpan Lobo for Detroit Free Press
Virginia: “State’s First-Ever Audit of Campaign Finance Report Leaves Many Questions Unanswered” by David Poole for Cardinal News
Elections
North Carolina: “NC Republicans Unveil Sweeping Elections Bill. Could It ‘Purge’ Nonpartisan Staff?” by Kyle Ingram (Raleigh News and Observer) for Yahoo News
Ethics
California: “Ex-Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet Gets Probation, No Jail Time for Taking Bribes” by Christopher Damien (Palm Springs Desert Sun) for Yahoo News
National: “How Trump’s Media War Brought Paramount to Its Knees” by Sarah Ellison and Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) for MSN
North Dakota: “North Dakota Ethics Commission Makes First Finding of Violations by Public Official” by Mary Steurer (North Dakota Monitor) for Yahoo News
Legislative Issues
National: “Carveouts for Alaska and Tax Breaks for Whalers: How Lisa Murkowski got to yes on Trump’s agenda bill” by Eric Bradner, Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, and Annie Grayer (CNN) for MSN
July 2, 2025 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Kansas: “Judge Allows Kansas Law Barring Foreign Contributions to Constitutional Amendment Campaigns” by Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) for Yahoo News Massachusetts: “MCAS Ballot Question Supporters Pay $4K Penalty to Resolve Late Reporting Accusations” by Chris Van Buskirk (Boston […]
Campaign Finance
Kansas: “Judge Allows Kansas Law Barring Foreign Contributions to Constitutional Amendment Campaigns” by Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) for Yahoo News
Massachusetts: “MCAS Ballot Question Supporters Pay $4K Penalty to Resolve Late Reporting Accusations” by Chris Van Buskirk (Boston Herald) for MSN
Elections
Iowa: “Trump Drops Federal Lawsuit Against Iowa Pollster, Refiles in State Court” by Brianna Tucker and Frances Vinall (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
National: “Appeals Court Seems Likely to Back Trump’s Deportations Under Wartime Law” by Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “DOGE Has the Keys to Sensitive Data That Could Help Elon Musk” by Desmond Butler, Jonathan O’Connell, Hannah Natanson, and Aaron Gregg (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “Judge Finds Trump Executive Order Punishing Susman Godfrey Unconstitutional” by Melissa Quinn (CBS News) for MSN
Illinois: “Cook County Tax Board Commissioner, Staff Face Multiple Fines from Ethics Board” by A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) for Yahoo News
Lobbying
California: “Irvine City Council Re-Adopts Lobbying Rules to Settle Lawsuit” by Angela Hicks for Voice of OC
July 1, 2025 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “US Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Campaign Spending Curbs in JD Vance Case” by John Kruzel (Reuters) for MSN Vermont: “Gov. Phil Scott Signs New Campaign Finance Rules, Other Election Changes into Law” by Shaun Robinson […]
Campaign Finance
National: “US Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Campaign Spending Curbs in JD Vance Case” by John Kruzel (Reuters) for MSN
Vermont: “Gov. Phil Scott Signs New Campaign Finance Rules, Other Election Changes into Law” by Shaun Robinson for VTDigger.com
Elections
National: “GOP Sen. Thom Tillis Won’t Seek Reelection After Opposing Trump Tax Bill” by Theodoric Meyer, Liz Goodwin, Mariana Alfaro, and Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
National: “The First Rule in Trump’s Washington: Don’t write anything down” by Hannah Natanson (Washington Post) for MSN
New Mexico: “Joseph Shepard Sued by the New Mexico State Ethics Commission” by Joshua Bowling (Searchlight New Mexico) for Yahoo News
Oregon: “Longtime Oregon Legislator Faces Ethics Investigation Over Pay Raise” by Les Zaitz (Salem Reporter) for Portland Oregonian
South Dakota: “Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations” by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) for MSN
Lobbying
Illinois: “Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ‘Pending’ Springfield Lobbyist Team Draws Ethics Questions” by Alice Yin, Jeremy Gorner, and A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) for Yahoo News
June 30, 2025 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Oregon: “Lawmakers Nix Proposal to Delay Campaign Finance Limits for Years After Backlash” by Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) for MSN Washington: “Foes of WA Initiative to Repeal Climate Law Fined $20K for Campaign Finance Violations” by Jerry Cornfield […]
Campaign Finance
Oregon: “Lawmakers Nix Proposal to Delay Campaign Finance Limits for Years After Backlash” by Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) for MSN
Washington: “Foes of WA Initiative to Repeal Climate Law Fined $20K for Campaign Finance Violations” by Jerry Cornfield (Washington Standard) for Yahoo News
Elections
Washington DC: “As Indicted Ex-D.C. Lawmaker Seeks Election, Opponents Urge Voters to Move On” by Meagan Flynn and Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) for MSN
Maine: “Why Maine Lawmakers Pulled Back on Ranked Choice Voting Expansion” by Randy Billings for Portland Press Herald
Ethics
National: “Pardon Applications Are Being Carefully Crafted with One Man in Mind: Donald Trump” by Jim Mustain (Associated Press) for MSN
National: “Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions, but Fate of Trump Birthright Citizenship Order Unclear” by Mark Sherman (Associated Press) for MSN
New York: “Ex-Trump Lawyer Chesebro Disbarred Over Fake Elector Scheme” by Dave Thomas for Reuters
Redistricting
Louisiana: “Supreme Court to Rehear Case Over Louisiana’s Second Majority-Black District” by Justin Jouvenal and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) for MSN
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