Comment Period for FEC Rulemaking Proposal Concerning Multistate Independent Expenditures and Electioneering Communications Ends March 30

On March 30, the public comment period will end for proposed Federal Election Commission (FEC) rulemaking concerning independent expenditures by candidates and reporting of independent expenditures and electioneering communications relating to presidential primary elections.

The covered independent expenditures and electioneering communications are specific to those publicly distributed in multiple states and not referring to any particular state’s primary election.

On January 29, the announcement of these proposed rulemakings was published in the Federal Register. Comments may be submitted directly to the FEC’s website.

Campaign Finance

Virginia: “Dozens of Virginia Churches Have Been Donating Cash to Campaigns for Years, Despite Law” by Bill Bartell for The Virginian-Pilot

Elections

Florida: “Judge Strikes Down Florida’s System for Denying Felons’ Voting Rights” by Steve Bousquet for Tampa Bay Times

Ethics

Florida: “Tallahassee Commission Adopts Broad New Ethics Rules” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

Massachusetts: “Hefner Had Access to Rosenberg’s E-mails” by Yvonne Abraham for Boston Globe

South Carolina: “SC Special Prosecutor Wants to Toss Out Quinn’s Guilty Plea If He Won’t Admit Crime” by John Monk for The State

Tennessee: “Mayor Megan Barry Potentially Violated Her Own Ethics Rules During Affair with Officer, Experts Say” by Adam Tamburin (USA Today) for The Tennessean

Lobbying

California: “Oakland Asks District Attorney to Investigate Alleged Bribes by Cannabis Lobbyist” by Darwin BondGraham for East Bay Times

Redistricting

National: “Opponents of Gerrymandering Keep Winning, But It Might Not Affect 2018” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

National: “In Blow to GOP, U.S. Supreme Court to Allow Pennsylvania Redistricting” by Jonathan Lai and Liz Navratil for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Campaign Finance

Alabama: “Attorney General’s Office Appears to Be Investigating Campaign Finance Documents” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Elections

Pennsylvania: “Bob Brady Is Not Running for Reelection” by Holly Otterbein, Chris Brennan, and Claudia Vargas for Philadelphia Inquirer

Ethics

Federal: “Revolving Door Between Trump Pentagon, Contractors Spins Faster” by Sam Skolnik for Bloomberg Government

Arizona: “Arizona House Expels Yuma Rep. Don Shooter After Sexual-Harassment Findings” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

District of Columbia: “D.C. Will Not Reappoint Open Government Watchdog Who Ruled Against City” by Peter Jamison for Washington Post

West Virginia: “Ethics Commission OKs Tourism Contract with Justice’s Greenbrier Resort” by Phil Kabler for Charleston Gazette-Mail

Lobbying

Florida: “Lobbyist Accuses Legislator of Retaliation Over His Role in Sexual Harassment Case” by Mary Ellen Klas for Miami Herald

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Sen. Scarnati Refuses Pa. Supreme Court Order to Turn Over Map Data in Gerrymander Case” by Jonathan Lai for Philadelphia Inquirer

With the amount of news this week, you can’t afford to miss this week’s news you can use video digest!

A bill was introduced in Utah restricting funds from a campaign account owned by a lobbyist.

House Bill 213 prohibits a lobbyist from using his or her own campaign account money for political purposes, unless the expenditure is in support of the candidacy of that lobbyist.

The bill passed the first reading and is currently in the House Business and Labor Committee.

National:

Just How Bad is Partisan Gerrymandering? Ask the Mapmakers.
New York Times – Michael Wines | Published: 1/29/2018

Eric Hawkins, an analyst for the political consulting firm NCEC Services, is part of a cottage industry of statisticians, computer jockeys, and political sages whose business is to turn demographic data into electoral maps. His firm works exclusively with Democrats; others – like Geographic Strategies, run by the former Republican Party redistricting expert Thomas Hofeller – are loyal to Republicans. If most mapmakers are partisan, their work goes well beyond back-room politics. A good map meets constitutional requirements, such as allotting an equal number of people to every district, and respecting racial and ethnic populations. For their part, mapmakers point out their job is to implement political will, not to determine it.

Federal:

CDC Director Resigns Because of Conflicts Over Financial Interests
Washington Post – Lena Sun | Published: 1/31/2018

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Brenda Fitzgerald resigned, one day after reports that she traded tobacco stocks while heading the agency. Fitzgerald has said she divested from many stock holdings. But she and her husband were legally obligated to maintain other investments in cancer detection and health information technology, according to her ethics agreement, requiring Fitzgerald to pledge to avoid government business that might affect those interests. In Congress, some lawmakers had become increasingly concerned over Fitzgerald’s ability to do her job effectively.

Trump Groups Raised Millions, Then Paid It Out to Loyalists and a Trump Hotel
Las Vegas Sun – Kenneth Vogel and Rachel Shorey (New York Times) | Published: 1/25/2018

President Trump’s close political advisers are making millions of dollars working for several different entities gearing up for Trump’s re-election campaign, raising questions about whether they are following campaign finance laws designed to keep campaigns from coordinating with big-money outside groups. Campaign finance reports shed light on a network of groups that were formed to support Trump, but have spent less than other groups bolstering his agenda, while steering money to the president’s businesses and his most ardent surrogates.

Why the Russia Probe Demolished One Lobbying Firm but Spared Another
Politico – Theodoric Meyer | Published: 2/1/2018

Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chief, once arranged the hiring of the lobbying firms Podesta Group and Mercury to work on behalf of a nonprofit that was ostensibly independent but which prosecutors say was “under the ultimate direction” of the president of Ukraine. Manfaort has been indicted on charges that include violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The Podesta Group collapsed within weeks of Manafort’s indictment, but Mercury just had its best year ever. There is no single explanation for why one firm imploded while the other appears to be relatively unscathed, but it is evident the Podesta Group was under pressures that Mercury did not face.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alabama – Patricia Todd Says Campaign Subpoena Was ‘Last Straw’ in Decision to Not Seek Re-election
AL.com – Roy Johnson | Published: 1/30/2018

Alabama Rep. Patricia Todd says the state’s ethics laws regarding interactions between lawmakers and non-profits made it difficult, if not impossible, for her to get a job in her profession as an advocate in the non-profit sector. But after Todd announced she will not run for re-election, she received an offer from the Consumer Financial Education Foundation of America which she accepted. Todd said potential employers were skittish about regulations that consider anyone whose job entails speaking with a legislator as a lobbyist, and rules around interactions between lawmakers and lobbyists are strict.

Florida – Proposed Change to Sexual Harassment Bill Adds Sex to Lobbying Gift Ban
Florida Politics – Ana Ceballos | Published: 1/29/2018

Sexual favors between Florida legislators and lobbyists could be illegal under a proposed amendment to a bill. Sen. Lauren Book wants to incorporate any type of sexual conduct, whether engaging in it or directing others to do it, into the state’s gift ban. The change would apply to any public official, including an “employee of an agency or local government attorney.” It would also require anyone who files a public disclosure of their financial interests to certify they have reviewed the new gift ban policy.

Illinois – IG Office: Sex harassment legislation needs teeth for lobbyists
State Journal-Register – Maximilian Kwiatkowski | Published: 1/30/2018

Sexual harassment legislation passed last year is weak when it comes to requiring lobbyists to cooperate with investigations, according to two representatives of the Illinois secretary of state’s inspector general’s office. Deputy Inspector General Randy Blue said the laws do not contain strong enough penalties or ways to enforce the rules on lobbyists working in the Capitol. Prior to the legislation, the secretary of state’s jurisdiction involving lobbyists was solely with their registration and expenditure reports. Now, it oversees sexual harassment allegations, too.

Kansas – Kansas Intern Confidentiality Rule: What happens in a lawmaker’s office stays there
Kansas City Star – Lindsay Wise (McClatchy) and Hunter Woodall | Published: 1/29/2018

The Kansas Legislature requires interns to sign agreements to keep anything that takes place or is said in a lawmaker’s office confidential, or the interns could be fired. Employment law experts who reviewed the agreement say it is written so broadly it could deter interns from reporting harassment or illegal activity, and might violate the First Amendment. Legislative leaders say the agreement is intended to remind interns that private political discussions should stay private, although they acknowledge the intention is not clear.

New York – 2 Donors Plead Guilty, but the Mayor Is Not Charged. Why?
New York Times – William Rashbaum and William Neuman | Published: 1/26/2018

A major donor to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio testified he made donations to an elected official that sources identify as the mayor to win favorable treatment from City Hall. Harendra Singh made the “pay-to-play” assertion during a plea proceeding in October 2016, but his statement remained hidden from public view until now. The mayor’s ties to Singh and several other campaign donors for whom he did favors were investigated by federal prosecutors. They decided not to bring charges against de Blasio or his aides, but in doing so, they issued a cutting statement raising questions about the mayor’s ethics and making it clear he had done favors for donors.

North Carolina – In Power Struggle with GOP Lawmakers, Cooper Wins Election Board Revamp Lawsuit
Raleigh News and Observer – Anne Blythe | Published: 1/26/2018

The North Carolina Supreme Court limited the Republican-dominated Legislature’s efforts to minimize Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s ability to pursue his goals, declaring unconstitutional a law devising a state elections board that hinted at deadlock. The justices ruled Cooper could not be forced to pick a politically divided, eight-member elections board from names the two major political parties selected. The law prevented the governor from removing members with whom he disagreed unless there was wrongdoing. The law makes Cooper unable to fulfill his duties to ensure election laws are followed because half of the board will be people who will probably oppose the governor’s policy preferences, the majority opinion said.

South Dakota – Ex-SD Lawmaker Returns Lobbyist Credentials Amid Concerns
Rapid City Journal – Bob Mercer | Published: 1/29/2018

Former South Dakota Sen. Corey Brown said he has given back the lobbyist badge he received to represent Sanford Health at the 2018 legislative session amid a concern he might be breaking a state law. The Legislature decided last year that many former state government officials must wait two years before starting work as private lobbyists in South Dakota. Brown retired from the Legislature at the end of 2016. He began work January 8 for Sanford Health as senior legislative specialist for South Dakota. “The confusion comes because there are different interpretations of the law,” Brown said.

Tennessee – Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Admits to Extramarital Relationship with Top Police Security Officer
The Tennessean – Joey Garrison, Nate Rau, and Dave Boucher | Published: 1/31/2018

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry apologized for having an affair with the head of her security detail, Sgt. Robert Forrest Jr. of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. The affair has drawn scrutiny to the overtime that Forrest accrued while managing her detail. Forrest accompanied Barry on trips to Paris, Athens, Washington, New York, and other cities in the past year. He racked up around $33,000 in expenses for the trips and more than $50,000 in overtime in 2017 on top of an $84,500 salary. Nine of the trips were only Barry and Forrest, including a trip to Greece in September.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Ethics Commission Hits Pause Button after Senate Rejects Director
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Patrick Marley | Published: 1/25/2018

Wisconsin Ethics Commission Administrator Brian Bell returned to his old job at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services as a policy analyst, two days after Senate Republicans refused to confirm his appointment to the commission. Ethics Commission Chairperson David Halbrooks said he hoped to eventually bring back Bell as its director but wanted to wait to see what happens on the legal and legislative front in the coming weeks.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

Campaign Finance

National: “Republican Governors Association to Cut All Ties with Steve Wynn Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegation” by Amber Phillips for Washington Post

Ohio: “Tool Will Allow the Public to Follow the Money in Ohio Politics” by Laura Bischoff and Kyle Nagle (Dayton Daily News) for WHIO

Ethics

New York: “2 Donors Plead Guilty, but the Mayor Is Not Charged. Why?” by William Rashbaum and William Neuman for New York Times

South Dakota: “Government Ethics Measure Approved to Appear on 2018 Ballot” by Associated Press for Rapid City Journal

Lobbying

Alabama: “Patricia Todd Says Campaign Subpoena Was ‘Last Straw’ in Decision to Not Seek Re-election” by Roy Johnson for AL.com

Florida: “Proposed Change to Sexual Harassment Bill Adds Sex to Lobbying Gift Ban” by Ana Ceballos for Florida Politics

Hawaii: “Hawaii Lieutenant Governor to Resign, Join Lobbying Firm” by Audrey McAvoy (Associated Press) for Hawaii Tribune

Kansas: “Kansas Officials’ Path to Lobbying Would Be Slowed Under Transparency Bill” by Hunter Woodall for Kansas City Star

South Dakota: “Ex-SD Lawmaker Returns Lobbyist Credentials Amid Concerns” by Bob Mercer for Rapid City Journal

Campaign Finance

National: “How the Koch Network Learned to Thrive in the Trump Era” by James Hohmann and Michelle Ye Hee Lee for Washington Post

Illinois: “Cook County Cook County Assessor Berrios Sues Over Ordinance Limiting Campaign Contributions” by Ray Long for Chicago Tribune

Maine: “Maine GOP Director’s Links to Anonymous Website Add Fuel to Ethics Complaint” by Michael Shepherd for Bangor Daily News

Texas: “Does Business Group’s Use of ‘Dark Money’ for Its Political Action Committee Follow State Ethics Rules?” by Jay Root and Ryan Murphy for Texas Tribune

Ethics

National: “Andrew McCabe, FBI Deputy Director, Steps Down Amid Trump and Republican Criticism” by Kevin Johnson and David Jackson for USA Today

Kansas: “Kansas Intern Confidentiality Rule: What happens in a lawmaker’s office stays there” by Lindsay Wise (McClatchy) and Hunter Woodall for Kansas City Star

Legislative Issues

Maryland: “Ethics Panel Finds Baltimore Del. McCray Breached Legislature’s Conduct Standards” by Staff for Baltimore Sun

North Carolina: “In Power Struggle with GOP Lawmakers, Cooper Wins Election Board Revamp Lawsuit” by Annew Blythe for Raleigh News and Observer

Lobbying

United Kingdom: “New Lobbying Rules for Business to Come into Force” by Staff for Insider.co.uk

The Virginia House Committee on Rules unanimously reported House Bill 263 without recommendation to the House floor on Friday.

The bill establishes the Virginia Democracy Voucher Program, which sends every registered voter in Virginia $100 in Democracy Vouchers that may be accepted by candidates for state offices in lieu of campaign contributions every year.

Virginia has more than 5.5 million registered voters, meaning the program as designed would cost more than half a billion dollars per year.

National:

Inside Facebook’s Year of Reckoning
Washington Post – Elizabeth Dwoskin | Published: 1/22/2018

Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook would step back from its role in choosing the news that 2 billion users see on its site every month. The move was one result of an 18-month struggle by Facebook to come to grips with its dark side. As outsiders criticized the social network’s harmful side effects, such as the spread of disinformation and violent imagery, internal debates played out over how forthcoming to be about Russian meddling on its platform during the 2016 election and how to fight the perception that Facebook is politically biased. Right now, the company is not confident it can prevent the problems that roiled Facebook during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Federal:

Big Pharma Greets Hundreds of Ex-Federal Workers at the ‘Revolving Door’
CaliforniaHealthline.org – Sydney Lupkin (Kaiser Health News) | Published: 1/25/2018

A Kaiser Health News analysis shows hundreds of people have moved through the “revolving door” that connects the drug industry to Capitol Hill and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 340 former congressional staffers now work for pharmaceutical companies or their lobbying firms. The analysis also showed more than a dozen former drug industry employees now have jobs on Capitol Hill, often on committees that handle health care policy. In many cases, former congressional staffers who now work for drug companies return to the Hill to lobby former co-workers or employees. It raises concerns that pharmaceutical companies could wield undue influence over drug-related legislation or government policy.

FBI Investigating Whether Russian Money Went to NRA to Help Trump
McClatchy DC – Peter Stone and Greg Gordon | Published: 1/18/2018

The FBI is investigating Russian banker Alexander Torshin for allegedly funneling money to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign through contributions made to the National Rifle Association (NRA). As special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe continues, investigators are now looking into Torshin, the deputy governor of Russia’s central bank who is known for his close relationships with both Vladimir Putin and the NRA, two sources familiar with the inquiry said. It is illegal to use foreign money to influence federal elections.

Fewer Than 16,000 Donors Accounted for Half the Federal Campaign Contributions in 2016
Washington Post – Michelle Ye Hee Lee | Published: 1/19/2018

More than 3.2 million Americans contributed to federal candidates in the 2016 elections, but fewer than 16,000 of them provided half the donations, a sign of the increasing concentration of donor activity in the U.S., according to a new report. The Bipartisan Policy Center’s analysis mapped the growing influence of wealthy political contributors and independent political groups in the seven years since federal court decisions unleashed a new era of big-money spending. Super PACs spent $1.1 billion in the 2016 elections, nearly 17 times more than such independent political committees put into federal races in 2010, the first year they came into existence, the report found.

The Mueller Effect: FARA filings soar in shadow of Manafort, Flynn probes
NBC News – Julia Ainsley, Andrew Lehren, and Anna Schecter | Published: 1/18/2018

Hundreds of new and supplemental Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings by U.S. lobbyists and public relations firms since Special Counsel Robert Mueller charged two of President Trump’s aides with failing to disclose their lobbying work on behalf of foreign countries. The flood of new filings provides a window into the opaque industry of foreign lobbying in Washington, D.C. The uptick, legal experts say, comes from a new awareness that a failure to disclose overseas political work could lead to federal charges.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – San Francisco Ousts a Mayor in a Clash of Tech, Politics and Race
New York Times – Thomas Fuller and Conor Dougherty | Published: 1/24/2018

The appointment of venture capitalist Mark Farrell as San Francisco’s interim mayor, and the ouster of London Breed from that position, in some ways exemplified a larger battle for the soul of the city. In seven years, the median price of a home has nearly doubled to $1.3 million – a transformation, driven by the riches of the technology industry, that continues to push out longtime residents, many of them nonwhites. Amid the debate over the tech industry’s influence, there was the powerful imagery of a black woman being thrown out of office, albeit an interim one, in a city that has a long history of discrimination against blacks.

Colorado – Puffy Jackets and Poinsettias: Gifts to Denver council members from DIA and other city offices draw ethics scrutiny
Denver Post – Jon Murray | Published: 1/22/2018

A recent advisory opinion by the Denver Board of Ethics argued the prohibition on elected officials accepting or soliciting most items worth more than $25 – from givers with a city interest – could apply to gifts from city offices the same way it does to those from outside contractors. The opinion has drawn formal pushback from the city attorney’s office and has sparked debate among council members, who may have the last word by passing an explicit exclusion for city-provided gifts to the ethics code.

Georgia – Former Atlanta City Official Gets 2 Years in Bribery Probe
Los Angeles Times – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 1/18/2018

Atlanta’s former chief procurement officer was sentenced to serve more than two years in prison for accepting bribes in exchange for lucrative city contracts. U.S. District Court Judge Steve Jones also ordered Adam Smith to pay $44,000 restitution and a $25,000 fine. He was charged as part of an ongoing federal investigation into corruption at City Hall. Prosecutors have not publicly identified the vendor they say gave Smith envelopes of cash at meetings at restaurants every other week for nearly two years, a total of more than 40 payments.

Maine – A ‘Pro-White’ Town Manager Who Wants Races to Separate Refused to Quit. So Town Officials Fired Him.
Washington Post – Marwa Eltagouri and Kristine Phillips | Published: 1/24/2018

Tom Kawczynski put Jackman, Maine on the map when media outlets across the country began publishing stories about the town manager’s seemingly unequivocal views that Islam has no place in the Western world, and Americans would be better off if people of different races “voluntarily separate.” Officials in Jackman – a town of fewer than 1,000 people, where nearly all residents are white – remained mostly quiet about the incident until selectmen decided to fire Kawczynski. His termination could raise questions about whether towns and corporations can dismiss employees for offensive speech, which is protected by the Constitution.

New Jersey – Phil Murphy Executive Order Tightens Gift Rules for Governor
Bergen Record – Dustin Racioppi | Published: 1/18/2018

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order tightening rules on gift disclosures. The order requires the governor to disclose gifts from anyone he has met since January 16, 2015, three years before his inauguration. Anyone he met before then, Murphy said, would be considered a “pre-existing relationship.” Murphy’s predecessor, Chris Christie, came under criticism during his tenure for his use of an exemption that allowed him not to disclose gifts from people he claimed as friends.

New York – Vance Bans Donations from Lawyers with Pending Cases
New York Times – James McKinley Jr. | Published: 1/22/2018

Manhattan’s district attorney said he will no longer accept campaign contributions from lawyers with business before his office, including those representing people being investigated or prosecuted. The announcement by Cyrus Vance Jr. came after he faced heavy criticism for taking money from attorneys who represented movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and a lawyer who represented the Trump Organization in a fraud investigation. In response, Vance had asked the Center for the Advancement of Public Integrity at Columbia Law School to make recommendations for how to vet donors to eliminate potential bias.

North Carolina – Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks North Carolina Gerrymandering Ruling
New York Times – Adam Liptak and Alan Blinder | Published: 1/18/2018

The U.S. Supreme Court said North Carolina does not immediately have to redraw its congressional district maps, meaning the 2018 elections will likely be held in districts that a lower court found unconstitutional. The decision was not unexpected, because the Supreme Court generally is reluctant to require the drawing of new districts before it has had a chance to review a lower court’s ruling that such an action is warranted, especially in an election year.

Pennsylvania – Pa. Supreme Court Strikes Down Congressional Map as Unconstitutional, Orders Change Before May Primary
Philadelphia Inquirer – Jonathan Lai, Liz Navratil, and Angela Couloumbis | Published: 1/22/2018

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out the state’s congressional map as unconstitutionally gerrymandered and gave lawmakers until February 9 to redraw the boundaries. Under a new map, Democrats, who hold only five of the state’s 18 congressional districts despite its status as a closely divided swing state, would likely have a much better opportunity to pick up several seats in their quest to retake control of the U.S. House. Experts have long held up Pennsylvania as one of the most extreme examples of partisan gerrymandering, in which district lines are precisely drawn to favor one political party over another.

Texas – Austin Lobbyists Agree to Disclose How Much They’re Paid
Austin American-Statesman – Elizabeth Findell | Published: 1/24/2018

Seventeen Austin lobbyist-lawyers who initially declined to cooperate with city rules requiring them to tell how much their clients pay them have changed their minds. A day before the Ethics Review Commission was set to hear ethics complaints, the city said all the lawyers had agreed to provide the information. Austin began requiring registered lobbyists last year to give a ballpark figure for what clients pay them to influence city officials, as they must disclose on the state and federal level. But at least 17 lobbyists who are also lawyers refused to do so, saying the disclosure would violate attorney-client privilege.

Wisconsin – Senate Votes to Force Out State Ethics and Elections Leaders
Wisconsin State Journal – Mark Sommerhauser | Published: 1/23/2018

The Wisconsin Senate refused to confirm the leaders of the state elections and ethics commissions, despite unanimous bipartisan support from the boards that hired them. The Senate voted against confirming elections Administrator Michael Haas and ethics Administrator Brian Bell. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says he has lost confidence in both men’s ability to be nonpartisan. Both previously worked for the Government Accountability Board, which Republicans disbanded in 2015 after it investigated Gov. Scott Walker and other conservative groups. Watchdog groups have threatened to sue to keep Bell and Haas in their jobs.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

Campaign Finance

Canada: “Coalition of Unions Challenging Ontario’s Campaign Finance Law as Unconstitutional” by Robert Benzie for Toronto Star

Utah: “Special Interests Gave Utah Lawmakers $9 of Every $10 in Campaign Funds They Raised” by Lee Davidson for Salt Lake Tribune

Elections

National: “Inside Facebook’s Year of Reckoning” by Elizabeth Dwoskin for Washington Post

Ethics

Idaho: “High School Page Says 2 Idaho Lawmakers, Lobbyist Harassed Her Last Year” by Ruth Brown for Idaho Statesman

Maine: “A ‘Pro-White’ Town Manager Who Wants Races to Separate Refused to Quit. So Town Officials Fired Him.” by Marwa Eltagouri and Kristine Phillips for Washington Post

Maryland: “Former Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance Indicted on 4 Counts of Perjury” by Liz Bowie and Doug Donovan for Baltimore Sun

Nevada: “Barlow to Plead Guilty to Fraud, Resigns from Las Vegas City Council” by Jamie Munks for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Legislative Issues

Kansas: “No More Secret Votes, ‘Gut-and-Go’ Maneuvers in Kansas Legislature, Democrats Propose” by Judy Thomas, Hunter Woodall, and Laura Bauer for Kansas City Star

Lobbying

National: “Tax Law Showers Cash on Lobby Firms” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Texas: “Austin Lobbyists Agree to Disclose How Much They’re Paid” by Elizabeth Findell for Austin American-Statesman

Campaign Finance

National: “Alleged Payment to Porn Star Was Illegal Donation to Trump Campaign, Watchdog Says” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

New York: “Vance Bans Donations from Lawyers with Pending Cases” by James McKinley Jr. for New York Times

Ethics

National: “Trump Business Ethics Pledges Left Plenty of Room for Profiting” by The Associated Press for Tampa Bay Times

Federal: “Justice Department Says It Will Retry Sen. Robert Menendez Following Mistrial on Bribery Charges” by Devlin Barrett and Ed O’Keefe for Washington Post

California: “Group That First Raised Sexual Harassment Issues in Sacramento Now Has an App to Report Misconduct” by Jazmine Ulloa for Los Angeles Times

Wyoming: “As Reports of Sexual Harassment Spike, Wyoming’s Legislature Looks to Rewrite Policy” by Arno Rosenfeld for Casper Star-Tribune

Legislative Issues

Wisconsin: “Senate Votes to Force Out State Ethics and Elections Leaders” by Mark Sommerhauser for Wisconsin State Journal

Lobbying

Canada: “Six-Fold Increase in Senate Lobbying Under Trudeau, with Independents Taking Most Meetings” by Marie-Danielle Smith for National Post

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Pa. Supreme Court Strikes Down Congressional Map as Unconstitutional, Orders Change Before May Primary” by Jonathan Lai, Liz Navratil, and Angela Couloumbis for Philadelphia Inquirer

Campaign Finance

Federal: “Fewer Than 16,000 Donors Accounted for Half the Federal Campaign Contributions in 2016” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee for Washington Post

Missouri: “Greitens Campaign Operation Is Sharing Space with Dark Money Group” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Elections

National: “Government Says It Is Dropping Most Remaining Inaugural Day Rioting Cases” by Keith Alexander for Washington Post

Ethics

National: “In the Crowd at Trump’s Inauguration, Members of Russia’s Elite Anticipated a Thaw Between Moscow and Washington” by Craig Timberg, Rosalind Helderman, Andrew Roth, and Carol Leonnig for Washington Post

Federal: “Congressman Combating Harassment Settled His Own Misconduct Case” by Katie Rogers and Kenneth Vogel for New York Times

Federal: “Supreme Court Opens Door to Sheldon Silver Corruption Retrial” by John Reilly for Newsday

Federal: “Watchdog Petitions Federal Court to Kill New Appointments for Lobbying, Ethics Commissioners” by Marco Vigliotti for Hill Times

Lobbying

Kansas: “Kansas Bill Aims at Anyone Trying to Sway Executive Branch Register ‘Like a Lobbyist’” by Hunter Woodall and Jonathan Shorman for Kansas City Star

Procurement

Georgia: “Former Atlanta City Official Gets 2 Years in Bribery Probe” by Kate Brumback (Associated Press) for Los Angeles Times

Campaign Finance

National: “FBI Investigating Whether Russian Money Went to NRA to Help Trump” by Peter Stone and Greg Gordon for McClatchy DC

Ethics

Colorado: “Denver Is Challenging Its Own Ethics Board Over ‘All in The Family’ Gift Disclosures” by Ben Markus for Colorado Public Radio

New Jersey: “Phil Murphy Executive Order Tightens Gift Rules for Governor” by Dustin Racioppi for Bergen Record

Lobbying

Federal: “The Mueller Effect: FARA filings soar in shadow of Manafort, Flynn probes” by Julia Ainsley, Andrew Lehren, and Anna Schecter for NBC News

Florida: “Andrew Gillum Opens Up About Cutting Ties with Lobbyist Friend Adam Corey and Mike Miller” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahasse Democrat

Georgia: “Lobbyists Beware: Georgia campaign finance commission levies largest ever fine for lobbying noncompliance in advance of 2018 legislative session” by Staff for Dentons

Wisconsin: “Should a former dairy lobbyist oversee dairy farms for Wisconsin Department of Justice’s environmental protection unit?” by Lee Bergquist for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Redistricting

Federal: “Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks North Carolina Gerrymandering Ruling” by Adam Liptak and Alan Blinder for New York Times