March 9, 2012 •
Ethics.gov Arrives
The much anticipated government ethics clearing house is here as the White House promised.
The Obama administration has unveiled Ethics.gov, the site that provides sets of data for those interested in White House visitors, data from Lobbying Disclosure Act reports, campaign finance data, travel records of elected officials, and much more.
As part of the larger Data.gov, the new site has a great deal of muscle: “Ethics.Data.gov brings records and data from across the federal government to one central location, making it easier for citizens to hold public officials accountable.”
According to the Ethics.gov site, this is what you’ll find:
“On www.Ethics.gov, the public will be able to find millions of White House Visitor records. You will be able to see agency reports of payments from non-Federal sources for travel to meetings and conferences.
You’ll find records for entities registered with the Federal Election Commission. This includes federal political action committees and party committees, campaign committees for presidential, House and Senate candidates, as well as groups or organizations who are spending money in connection with elections for federal office.
You’ll also find records for each candidate who has either registered with the Federal Election Commission or appeared on a ballot list prepared by a state elections office. This includes contributor information for each contribution of $200 or more from an individual to a federal committee.
Finally, you’ll be able to find lobbying registrations and reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.”
For a good summary, read “White House Launches Ethics.gov” by Samuel Rubenfeld in The Wall Street Journal.
March 8, 2012 •
Today’s Campaign Finance and Lobbying News Summary
Today we have stories about the FEC, the latest news on the investigation surrounding the D.C. mayor’s 2010 campaign, Super PACs, Super Tuesday, and more:
Campaign Finance
“FEC told to tread carefully with post-Citizens United rule” by Rachel Leven in The Hill.
“FEC moves on outdated rules” by Robin Bravender in Politico.
“DC mayor defends himself amid probe into campaign finance irregularities” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.
Super PACs
“Super PACs Outspent Candidates in Run-Up to Tuesday” by Brody Mullins and Alicia Mundy in The Wall Street Journal.
“Super PACs Could Drive Total 2012 Election Spending to $9.8B” by Cotton Delo in Ad Age.
Lobbying
“Son of legendary lobbyist starts own firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Redistricting
“Between the Lines: The Last Two Redistricting Holdouts” by Shira Toeplitz, Abby Livingston, and Joshua Miller in Roll Call.
March 8, 2012 •
Vermont Voters Call for Amendment Concerning Corporate Personhood
Measure the Result of Citizens United Decision
Citizens in 53 communities approved a measure on Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, coinciding with Super Tuesday, calling on the United States Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution in order to clarify that corporations do not share the same rights as natural persons possess.
The push for such a measure is a result of the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the Citizen’s United case.
Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator from Vermont, introduced such an amendment in December and appreciated support by his constituents for his efforts, noting “Unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, Town Meeting Day voters understood that corporations are not people.”
March 6, 2012 •
Campaign Finance Fines and a Raid
In the news: A $30,000 fine for former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the feds raided the home and office of a person who did communication work for the 2010 campaign of District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray:
California: “Former Gov. Schwarzenegger faces fines for campaign violations” by Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times.
District of Columbia: “Raids target home and office of Gray campaign figure” by Mike DeBonis and Nikita Stewart in The Washington Post.
Photo of the Vince Gray for Mayor group courtesy of Jrrhet on Wikipedia.
March 5, 2012 •
Disclosure of Political Contributions & Expenditures for Federal Vendors Remains an Issue
2013 Budget
The 2013 Federal Budget proposed by President Obama would remove provisions put in the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act which prohibit federal agencies from requiring the disclosure of political contributions and expenditures from vendors bidding on federal contracts.
The prohibition was inserted into the 2012 Act as a response to a draft executive order which was leaked in the spring of last year. The executive order would have required disclosure of campaign contributions and political expenditures by bidders of federal contracts.
“The White House, contrary to the intent of Congress, is apparently still trying to advance a policy that would inject politics into the federal contracting process instead of focusing on promoting competition and best value in contracting,” said U.S. Senator Susan Collins in a minority press release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs.
Even with the current prohibition of disclosure from bidders, some groups are urging the President to require federal contractors disclose their political contributions after the bidding process is completed and a federal contract is awarded.
A brief review of this issue can be found here.
March 5, 2012 •
Super PAC Spending News Roundup
Today’s campaign finance news about Super PACs and their spending in the presidential and congressional races.
“Campaigns, Super PACs spend $7.6 million on Michigan primary ads” by Kathleen Gray in the Detroit Free Press.
“FEC’s bad rap getting worse” by Robin Bravender in Politico.
“Super PACS Target Congressional Races” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.
“Super Tuesday ad spending nearly tops $10 million” by Beth Fouhy in The Associated Press.
“Super PACs Fuel a Race to the Bottom” by Albert R. Hunt in the New York Times.
“The Campaign Spendageddon That Already Happened” by Adam Sorensen in TIME.
March 5, 2012 •
Tennessee Legislators Introduce Bills to Remove Limitations on PAC Contributions
Bills Relax Reporting Requirements and Allow Contributions by Insurance Companies
Legislators have introduced bills to remove limitations on the amount of money they can accept from PACs. Senate Bill 3645 and companion House Bill 3281, remove the aggregate limitations on PAC donations to candidates. The bills also remove the reporting requirements for large contributions made within 10 days of an election and remove an existing prohibition on insurance companies making campaign contributions.
Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, who introduced the senate bill, has stated the bill is a logical follow through to Senate Bill 1915 enacted last year that authorized direct corporate contributions to state candidates and treats corporations as if they were PACs for reporting purposes.
March 5, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 5, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Wealthier People More Likely To Lie or Cheat, Study Says
Federal:
K Street Democrats Warn Clients
Romney and Obama Super-PAC Backers Also Spent Big Dollars on Lobbying
Two Ads Sired Five Years Apart Spark Fight over Election Rules
From the States and Municipalities:
District of Columbia
Elections Board Backs Initiative to Ban Corporate Campaign Giving
Florida
Ethics Commission Votes to Restrict Doling Out of Free Tickets to Politicians
Florida
State Rep. Richard Steinberg Resigns over Stalker-Like Text Messages
Illinois
Relatives of Lobbyists, Campaign Donors Got Lawmakers’ Help to Enter U of I
Maine
Justices Shun Appeal of Group that Fought Maine Gay Marriage
Maryland
Baltimore Co. Public Ethics Law Falls Short of State Standards
Maryland
Garagiola’s Lobbying Work Wasn’t Included on Maryland Ethics Forms from 2001 to 2003
Montana
Judge Blocks More Montana Campaign Finance Laws
New Mexico
Lap-Dance Extortion Details Revealed
Oklahoma
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
March 2, 2012 •
Nebraska Supreme Court to Hear Campaign Finance Suit
“Fair Fight” Rule Not Enforced Since August
The Nebraska Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments concerning the state’s “fair fight” campaign finance law on Wednesday, March 7, 2012.
The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission voted unanimously in August to stop enforcement of the 1992 law aimed at leveling the playing field in state political races following a United States Supreme Court decision concerning the state of Arizona where a similar law was deemed unconstitutional.
Under the law, candidates could qualify for “fair fight” money from the state if they adhered to voluntary spending limits and their opponent had exceeded such limits.
March 1, 2012 •
The Battle for Political Disclosures from Federal Vendors
Leaked draft executive order
In the spring of 2011, a draft presidential executive order was leaked to the public. The order would require every entity submitting offers for federal contracts to disclose certain political contributions and expenditures made within the two years prior to submission of their offer. The disclosure requirement included contributions made to federal candidates, parties, and committees by the bidding entity, its officers, and any affiliates or subsidiaries within its control. Contributions made to parties for independent expenditures and electioneering communications would also be reported. These disclosures would be required whenever the aggregate amount of the contributions and expenditures by the bidding entity exceed $5,000.
Reaction to the order was swift. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, writing on behalf of a coalition of more than 80 business groups and trade associations, strongly protested the proposed executive order. Meanwhile, a letter in support of the order, signed by more than 30 public interest groups, urged full disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures by federal government contractors. U.S. Representative Anna G. Eshoo sent a letter to President Obama, signed by more than 60 members of the House, in support of the proposed executive order.
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Small Business Committee held a joint hearing to examine the order, evaluate its impact and consequences on the federal acquisition system, and determine whether it introduced politics into the procurement process. Bills opposing the proposed order were introduced in both the House and the Senate. Finally, a compromise amendment, precluding an executive agency from requiring a vendor bidding on a contract to disclose political contributions, was added to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2012. The act passed and was signed by President Obama at the end of 2011.
Passage of the bill did not end calls for disclosures of political contributions from federal contractors, however. Petitions with more than 100,000 signatures were submitted by Public Citizen and MoveOn.org to the White House, urging the President to require federal contractors to disclose their political contributions after the bidding process is completed and a federal contract is awarded.
February 28, 2012 •
Utah Bill to Deal with Anonymous Contributions
Over $50
Utah Representative Kraig Powell has introduced a bill prohibiting anonymous cash contributions over $50 and requiring forfeiture of the contributions.
As written in HB 493, anonymous contributions over $50 to state and local candidates must be given to the governmental entity where the position the candidate is pursuing exists, such as to a school district’s general fund for a local school board candidate. Other beneficiaries of the anonymous political donations over $50 would be the state’s general fund, and county and municipality general funds.
Reporting by the candidates of the transferred anonymous contribution would not be required.
February 28, 2012 •
Up-to-the-Minute Campaign Finance Report Data from The NYTimes
The Times Developer Network is now updating FEC report data every 15 minutes.
The Times Developer Network is now offering data from reports received by the Federal Election Commission through its Campaign Finance API (application programming interface). What was once a set of reports updated weekly, or in some cases daily, is now updated every 15 minutes.
You can find campaign finance information for the presidential and congressional candidates, PACs and super PACs, electronic filings by date and type, independent expenditures, and electioneering communications.
For the full story, be sure to read “Campaign Finance Data in Real Time” by Derek Willis in The New York Times.
You’ll be interested to also see “Campaign finance updates in real time? There’s an API for that” by Meranda Watling in 10,000 Words.
February 28, 2012 •
Supreme Court Upholds Maine Campaign Finance Law
Laws Found Constitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to Maine election laws brought by the National Organization for Marriage claiming Maine’s reporting requirements for political action committees are vague and over-broad.
The Supreme Court let stand the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to uphold the constitutionality of the laws requiring the disclosure of contributions and expenditures in elections by PACs and by independent groups.
Maine defended its laws by arguing the laws were designed to inform voters about who is spending money to influence their votes.
February 27, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – February 27, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Foster Friess Aspirin Joke Shows Danger to Candidates of Outside Political Groups
Lobbyists Decertify after Obama Ban
From the States and Municipalities:
Arizona
Fiesta Bowl Case: Junker pleads guilty to felony charge
California
Ethics Commission Delays Vote on Raising Contribution Limits
Colorado
Colorado Supreme Court Upholds ‘Magic Words’ Test for Political Spending by 527s
Colorado
Secretary of State Scott Gessler Rewrites Colorado Campaign Finance Rules
Florida
Miami Beach House Rep. Steinberg under Investigation by Feds for Bizarre Texts
Illinois
William Beavers Indicted on Tax Fraud Charges
Indiana
Lawmaker Takes Jab at Girl Scouts
Iowa
Denied Jobs, Blacks in Iowa Test New Bias Theory
Montana
High Court Halts Montana Corporate Spending Ban
New York
Critics Wary of State Elections Panel Plan to Oversee Super PAC Operations
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.