Campaign Finance

National: “Mueller Wants to Know About 2016 Trump Campaign’s Ties to NRA” by Sara Murray for CNN

Colorado: “Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold Takes Aim at ‘Massive Secret Political Spending’” by Alex Burness for Colorado Independent

New York: “With De Blasio in Debt, City Council Considers Bill to Allow ‘Legal Defense Trusts’” by Andrew Millman for Gotham Gazette

Elections

National: “Lawmakers Eye Changes to Ballot Measures – Passed and Future” by Alan Greenblatt for Governing

National: “Giuliani Now Says His Moscow Plan Remarks Were ‘Hypothetical’” by Seung Min Kim (Washington Post) for San Jose Mercury News

North Carolina: “North Carolina Judge Declines to Certify 9th District Congressional Race as Fraud Investigation Continues” by Amy Gardner for Washington Post

Legislative Issues

New Mexico: “New Session, New Faces in Roundhouse” by Dan McKay for Albuquerque Journal

Lobbying

Illinois: “Former Ald. Will Burns Fined $5,000 in Ethics Settlement” by Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times

Gov. Greg Abbott has set a special election for House District 125 to occur on February 12.

State Rep. Justin Rodriguez resigned after being appointed as a Bexar County commissioner.

Early voting begins on January 28.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special election to fill the vacancy in the 1st Senate District.

The seat was vacated by Ted Gaines, who was sworn in as a member of the California State Board of Equalization.

The special primary election will be held on March 26, and, if necessary, a special runoff election will be on June 4.

Federal:

At Trump’s Inauguration, $10,000 for Makeup and Lots of Room Service
MSN – Maggie Haberman, Sharon LaFraniere, and Benn Protess (New York Times) | Published: 1/14/2019

President Trump’s inaugural committee spent roughly $100 million for an abundance of expenses, including more than $1.5 million at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. The expansive spending reflected Trump’s desire to make a grand entrance, with roughly 20 events around Washington. Disclosure of the spending details comes at a time when the inaugural committee is facing legal scrutiny over the donations that funded it. There is no indication of any investigation into the inaugural committee’s spending. For the most part, inaugural committees are free to spend the money they raise from private donations as they wish. But millions of dollars for Trump’s inauguration were written off in lost revenue.

New Members, Meet the ‘Slush Fund’
Roll Call – Stephanie Aikin | Published: 1/14/2019

More than two dozen new members of the U.S. House and Senate, many of whom campaigned against corruption and corporate money in politics, have established so-called leadership PACs. They are fundraising committees that allow lawmakers to collect money for their colleagues and candidates. The vast majority of members have one, and many say they can be helpful tools to support other politicians and the issues they care about. But the PACs are not subject to the same restrictions on personal spending as individual campaign committees, leading to numerous examples of alleged misuse. Critics say they also allow politicians to evade campaign contribution limits and obscure donations from corporations and other powerful groups.

T-Mobile Execs Seeking Trump Approval for Deal Stayed Repeatedly at His D.C. Hotel
Chicago Tribune – Jonathan O’Connell and David Fahrenthold (Washington Post) | Published: 1/16/2019

Top executives from T-Mobile booked reservations at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. one day after it was announced that T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint would require the administration’s approval. T-Mobile executives stayed at the hotel for at least 38 nights during 2018. The Washington Post obtained about a dozen 2018 VIP Arrivals lists which are provided to hotel staff when foreign officials, executives, and Trump family friends are customers at the hotel. Countries, interest groups, and companies like T-Mobile – whose future will be shaped by the administration’s choices – are free to stop at both and pay the president’s company while also meeting with officials in his government. Such visits raise questions about whether patronizing Trump’s private business is viewed as a way to influence public policy.

From the States and Municipalities:

California: Downtown L.A. Development Is a Focus of FBI Corruption Probe
Los Angeles Times – Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser | Published: 1/14/2019

The rapid transformation of downtown Los Angeles’ skyline is being fueled in good measure by huge investments from Chinese companies eager to burnish their global brands and capitalize on the city’s real estate boom. Now, some of those projects have become a focus of federal agents seeking evidence of possible bribery, extortion, money laundering, and other crimes as part of a corruption investigation at City Hall. Federal investigators have cast a wide net for information about foreign investment in Los Angeles real estate development, according to a search warrant that names an array of political and business figures. The investigation became public in November, when FBI agents raided the home and offices and offices of city Councilperson Jose Huizar.

Colorado: Judge: State ethics panel has no jurisdiction over many Colorado cities
Colorado Politics – Marianne Goodland | Published: 1/10/2019

A judge said the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission (IEC) no longer has jurisdiction over the ethics rules of home-rule cities such as Denver and Colorado Springs. Part of Amendment 41, the voter-approved ethics law, deals with ethics codes set up by home-rule cities and counties. It says Amendment 41 does not apply to “home rule cities or counties that have adopted charters, ordinance or resolutions that address the matters covered” under the amendment. Shortly after the passage of Amendment 41, the city of Glendale adopted its own code of ethics. But the IEC, in deciding it had jurisdiction over Glendale, decided the city’s code did not contain every provision laid out in Amendment 41.

Kentucky: How Much Is Spent Lobbying Kentucky’s Executive Branch? This Bill Demands an Answer.
Lexington Herald-Leader – Jack Brammer | Published: 1/15/2019

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers introduced legislation to give the public more information about those lobbying the state’s executive branch. Businesses often spend more than $20 million-a-year lobbying Kentucky lawmakers, but no similar number is counted for executive branch lobbyists, who are far more numerous. Under Senate Bill 6, executive branch lobbyists would have to file with the Executive Branch Ethics Commission their payment and could not work for any type of contingency fee.

Montana: U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Take Up Montana Campaign Finance Case
Montana Standard; Associated Press –   | Published: 1/14/2019

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging Montana’s campaign contribution limits, likely ending a legal challenge that has lasted more than seven years. Opponents of the caps, which are among the lowest in the country, said they are unconstitutional under the First Amendment and prevent candidates from waging effective campaigns. In declining to take up the case, the high court upheld the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling that the limits are a reasonable way to prevent corruption and still allow candidates to raise enough money. Since the lawsuit was filed, a federal judge has ruled twice that those limits are unconstitutional, only to be reversed upon appeal.

New York: Legislature Passes Sweeping Electoral Reforms
Albany Times Union – Rachel Silberstein | Published: 1/14/2019

New York lawmakers passed several bills that would allow early voting, preregistration of minors, voting by mail, and limits on the influence of money in elections. The reforms make state primary elections the same day as federal primary elections. One bill amends the law to hold limited liability companies (LLCs) to the same aggregate contribution limit of $5,000 that applies to corporations. The legislation includes a constitutional amendment that requires the disclosure of the identity and proportion of ownership of all direct and indirect owners of the membership interests in the LLC and may go into effect as soon as 2021.

Ohio: Columbus Council Appoints Shayla Favor, Approves Campaign Finance Reforms
WOSU – Gabe Rosenberg | Published: 1/15/2019

The Columbus City Council approved the city’s first ever campaign finance reforms. The measures set requirements for disclosing the sources of campaign advertisements and include a tax credit for small donations. But the most-discussed part of the reforms are the campaign contribution limits: $12,707.79 per year. The limit is higher than any other city in Ohio. Because the provision applies annually rather than by campaign period, city officials could raise more money than state officeholders serving for the same amount of time. It applies to all municipal candidates including mayor, council member, auditor, and city attorney. The contribution limits will take effect in time for this year’s elections.

Oklahoma: Stitt Inauguration Donors May Not Be Revealed Until Summer
Oklahoma Watch – Trevor Brown | Published: 1/10/2019

Hundreds of donors and supporters will welcome Kevin Stitt as Oklahoma’s new governor during four days of events. The pre-inaugural events are a lavish and at times controversial tradition shared by newly elected presidents and governors across the country. The events will be entirely funded by private money from Stitt’s backers or those looking to gain good will with the administration. If past inaugurations are a guide, Stitt will likely raise more than $1 million from wealthy individuals, companies, and special-interest groups that are allowed to contribute without limits. But those donors can be kept secret for up to six months, until well after this year’s legislative session is over.

South Carolina: SC Ethics Advocate Creates Ethics Dilemma by Gifting Corruption Book to Lawmakers
The State – Avery Wilkes | Published: 1/10/2019

Lobbyist John Crangle, a longtime ethics reform advocate, gave the South Carolina House and Senate more than 180 copies of his book on a corruption scandal to remind legislators of “Operation Lost Trust,” the 1990 investigation that found widespread vote-selling in the General Assembly and led to criminal charges against 18 lawmakers. The books were delivered to individual lawmakers as they returned to Columbia to begin the legislative session. House Ethics Committee Chairperson Murrell Smith said staffers contacted Crangle and the publisher to verify the book was worth less than the $25 and, thus, would not need to be reported as a gift. State Rep. Kirkman Finlay said Crangle’s gift highlights the awkward spot that legislators regularly find themselves in when a gift reaches their door.

Texas: Texas Republicans Rally Behind Muslim Official as Some Try to Oust Him Over Religion
MSN – Adeel Hassan (New York Times) | Published: 1/10/2019

Shahid Shafi will retain his role as vice-chairperson of the Tarrant County Republican Party despite a push to remove him from his post because he is Muslim. Those who were in favor of Shafi’s removal said he is unequipped to be vice-chair because he does not represent all Tarrant County Republicans due to his religion. They have also said Islamic ideologies run counter to the U.S. Constitution, an assertion many Texas GOP officials have called bigoted.

Vermont: A White Nationalist’s Harassment Helped Force a Black Female Lawmaker to Resign. He Won’t Face Charges.
MSN – Meagan Flynn (Washington Post) | Published: 1/15/2019

Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan said he will not file charges in the reported racial harassment of former state Rep. Kiah Morris, though he believes Morris and her family were victims. Donovan said he would not pursue a criminal case because the First Amendment protects free speech. Morris was the only black female lawmaker in the Legislature and she won the Democratic nomination this summer but withdrew, citing racially motivated threats and online harassment. The messages Max Misch, a self-described white nationalist, sent to Morris over a two-year period disrupted her life to the point that she sought, and was granted, a protective order against him. To Misch, the incidents were little more than a joke. “I like trolling people – it’s fun,” Misch said.

Washington: Split Court: Local initiatives subject to disclosure rule
KOMO – Gene Johnson (Associated Press) | Published: 1/10/2019

The Washington Supreme Court ruled the state attorney general’s office can pursue a campaign finance disclosure case against the conservative Evergreen Freedom Foundation. The majority rejected the group’s assertion that the disclosure requirements did not apply to local initiatives before they are placed on the ballot. State law explicitly says that after a measure has been submitted to an elections official, donations to that campaign must be reported. That applies to statewide initiative measures, which must be reviewed by the secretary of state’s office before proponents can gather signatures. But for some local initiatives, supporters do not turn them in until after they have collected signatures.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a special election to replace Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in Senate District 33.

The special primary election will be held on March 26, and, if necessary, a special runoff election will be held on June 4.

Candidates that have announced their campaigns are Long Beach Councilmembers Lena Gonzalez and Al Austin, former Lynwood Mayor Leticia Vasquez-Wilson, and South Gate Councilwoman Denise Diaz.

Campaign Finance

South Carolina: “Former Myrtle Beach Chamber Chairman Admits to Ethics Violations, Fined Thousands” by David Weissman for Myrtle Beach Sun News

Elections

National: “New Court Filing Indicates Prosecutors Have Extensive Details on Manafort Actions Not Yet Made Public” by Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Judge Orders Trump Administration to Remove 2020 Census Citizenship Question” by Hansi Lo Wang for National Public Radio

National: “T-Mobile Executives Stayed at Trump Hotel Often While Seeking Approval on Megadeal” by Jonathan O’Connell and David Fahrenthold (Washington Post) for Seattle Times

National: “House Conflict-of-Interest Rules Still Not Up to Snuff, Ethics Experts Lament” by Griffin Connolly for Roll Call

Georgia: “Ga. Senate Makes It Harder, Riskier to File Ethics, Harassment Complaints” by Johnny Kauffman for WABE

Vermont: “A White Nationalist’s Harassment Helped Force a Black Female Lawmaker to Resign. He Won’t Face Charges.” by Meagan Flynn (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Kentucky: “How Much Is Spent Lobbying Kentucky’s Executive Branch? This Bill Demands an Answer.” by Jack Brammer for Lexington Herald-Leader

Mayor Ethan Strimling announced he will propose changes to city elections, seeking public funding for local campaigns and new lobbyist disclosure rules.

Strimling’s new initiatives will demand elected officials disclose meetings with lobbyists and other influencers.

The initiatives will also reiterate calls to allow noncitizens living in the city legally the right to vote in local elections, as well as urge the city to implement ranked-choice voting in City Council and school board races.

Strimling said he plans to work with the City Council and other stakeholders to develop the details of his proposals over the year.

There will be a special election on March 12 to fill the vacancy in the Third Supervisorial District.

The vacancy was created when Todd Spitzer won last November’s general election to become Orange County District Attorney.

The district includes Orange, Yorba Linda, Villa Park, Tustin, and parts of Irvine and Anaheim.

The Georgia Secretary of State announced a special election on February 12 for House District 176.

The seat is vacant after Rep. Jason Shaw accepted an appointment to the Georgia Public Service Commission by Gov. Nathan Deal.

A special runoff election will be held March 12, if necessary.

A special primary election will take place on March 7 to fill a vacancy in Senate District 22.

Rep. Mark Green vacated the office to serve as U.S. Rep. for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.

Senate District 22 represents Montgomery, Houston and Stewart counties.

On February 25, three by-elections will be held to fill vacancies in the Canadian House of Commons. The by-elections will take place for the electoral districts of Burnaby South (British Columbia), Outremont (Quebec) and York–Simcoe (Ontario).

The seat for Burnaby South (British Coumbia) became vacant following the resignation of Kennedy Stewart, who resigned on September 14 in order to run for mayor of Vancouver.

The seat for Outremont (Quebec) became vacant following the resignation of Tom Mulcair, who left office to teach at the at Universite de Montreal and to become a regularly scheduled political commentator at CJAD radio and CTV news.

The seat for York–Simcoe (Ontario) became vacant following the resignation of Peter Van Loan, who resigned on September 30 to return to the practice of law.

Gov. Ned Lamont issued writs on Friday to set February 26 as the date for special elections to fill five vacancies.

The 3rd, 5th, and 6th Senate Districts as well as the 39th and 99th House Districts became vacant earlier this week when five members of the General Assembly resigned in order to accept jobs in Lamont’s administration.

There will be no primary elections to choose the nominees.

Federal:

Feds’ GoFundMe Campaigns Open a ‘Minefield’ of Ethical Questions During Shutdown
Federal News Network – Nicole Ogrysko | Published: 1/8/2019

The Office of Government Ethics said employees on unpaid furlough due to the government shutdown remain covered by federal ethics policies. Many of those on furlough are exploring taking outside jobs or applying for unemployment benefits. Some are soliciting donations on “GoFundMe” pages to ease the financial uncertainty of likely missed paychecks. But existing rules open a “minefield” of questions about how the employees can ask for contributions during shutdown furloughs, if at all, said Virginia Canter, an attorney for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Typically, federal employees cannot accept gifts from “prohibited sources,” or organizations that do business with the employee’s agency. With that in mind, federal employees soliciting shutdown donations would need to ensure the source of every contribution.

How a Little-Known Democratic Firm Cashed in On the Wave of Midterm Money
Washington Post – Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Anu Narayanswamy | Published: 1/8/2019

Mothership Strategies, a little-known and relatively new digital consulting firm, collected tens of millions of dollars from a tide of small donations that flowed to Democrats during the 2018 midterm elections. The firm’s rapid ascendancy as one of the highest-paid vendors of the election since its launch speaks to how lucrative the explosion of small-dollar contributions has been for a group of political consultants who saw the wave of cash coming and built a business model to capitalize. But Mothership Strategies’ rise also has sparked consternation in Democratic circles because of its aggressive and sometimes misleading tactics. Some call its approach unethical, saying the company profits off stoking fear of Donald Trump and making the sort of exaggerated claims they associate with the president.

Manafort Intended for Polling Data to Go to 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs, a Source Says
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Katelyn Polantz and Evan Perez (CNN) | Published: 1/9/2019

Serhiy Lyovochkin and Rinat Akhmetov, two Ukrainian oligarchs who had paid Paul Manafort for years for his political work in their country, were the intended recipients of American polling data that Manafort shared with Konstantin Kilimnik during the 2016 presidential campaign, a person familiar with the matter said. Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team has been circling Lyovochkin and Akhmetov’s dealings with Manafort, as they were both generous backers of Manafort’s Ukrainian lobbying work. Manafort spokesperson Jason Maloni confirmed Manafort expected to receive the $2.4 million in income from his Ukrainian political backers, including Lyovochkin and Akhmetov. But the money was meant to reimburse old debts that predated the Trump campaign, spokesman Maloni added, and it was not a quid pro quo for the polling data.

Supreme Court to Hear Cases on Partisan Gerrymandering in Maryland, N. Carolina
Salt Lake Tribune – Robert Barnes (Washington Post) | Published: 1/4/2019

The U.S. Supreme Court once again will take up unresolved constitutional questions about partisan gerrymandering, agreeing to consider rulings from two lower courts that found congressional maps in North Carolina and Maryland so extreme they violated the rights of voters. The North Carolina map was drawn by Republicans, the Maryland districts by the state’s dominant Democrats. The Supreme Court has never found a state’s redistricting map so infected with politics that it violates the Constitution. It passed up the chance last term to settle the issue of whether courts have a role in policing partisan gerrymandering, sending back on technical rulings challenges to a Republican-drawn plan in Wisconsin, and the challenged Maryland map. But there will be a new set of justices considering the issue.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alabama: Secret Campaign to Use Russian-Inspired Tactics in 2017 Ala. Election Stirs Anxiety for Democrats
Denver Post – Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Aaron Davis, and Elizabeth Dwoskin (Washington Post) | Published: 1/6/2019

A secret effort to influence the 2017 U.S. Senate election in Alabama used tactics inspired by Russian disinformation teams, including the creation of fake accounts to deliver misleading messages on Facebook to help elect Democrat Doug Jones in the deeply red state. But unlike the 2016 presidential campaign when Russians worked to help elect Donald Trump, the people behind the Alabama effort, dubbed Project Birmingham, were Americans. Now Democratic operatives and a research firm known to have had roles in Project Birmingham are distancing themselves from its most controversial tactics. Jones’s upset victory over Roy Moore in all likelihood resulted from other factors, political analysts say. But news of the effort has underscored the warnings of disinformation experts who have said threats to transparent political discourse in the age of social media are as likely to be domestic as foreign.

California: As Fires Ravaged California, Utilities Lobbied Lawmakers for Protection
MSN – Ivan Penn (New York Times) | Published: 1/5/2019

As more wildfires are traced to equipment owned by California’s investor-owned utilities, the largest, Pacific Gas and Electric, could ultimately have to pay homeowners and others an estimated $30 billion for causing fires over the last two years. Realizing their potential fire liability is large enough to bankrupt them, the utility companies are spending tens of millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions. Their goal is a law that would allow them to pass on the cost of wildfires to their customers in the form of higher electricity rates. After an earlier lobbying push, legislators have already voted to protect the companies from having to bear the cost of fires in 2017, and utilities are seeking the same for 2018.

California: Irvine City Council Strengthens Lobbyist Policy
Voice of OC – Spencer Custodio | Published: 1/10/2019

The Irvine City Council strengthened its conflict-of-interest policy by adding a provision to its contracts which says if a council member or employee lobbied on behalf of a city contractor, the contract can be voided with cause and the city will get reimbursed. While there was a similar contract provision preventing employment of a city official by a city contractor, it did not address lobbying services – paid or unpaid.

Connecticut: Under the Influence: Marijuana industry seeks ruling on legality of political contributions in Connecticut
Hartford Courant – Neil Vigdor | Published: 1/8/2019

The pioneers of Connecticut’s growing medical marijuana industry say they should be allowed to donate to lawmakers who could make the state the next lucrative frontier for recreational cannabis. State election regulators came to the opposite conclusion on an informal basis early last year, finding medical marijuana growers and dispensaries are subject to the same ban on campaign contributions by state contractors under state law. But those business owners are disputing that “licensing arrangements” between the state and 18 dispensaries are contracts. They petitioned the State Elections Enforcement Commission for a formal ruling on their status.

Georgia: State Ethics Director Put on Paid Leave Over Porn, Misconduct Allegations
WSB – Richard Belcher | Published: 1/8/2019

The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission voted to put Executive Director Stefan Ritter on paid leave and conduct an investigation after allegations he had pornography on his work computer. There also were complaints about his job performance, including irregular work hours. Ritter, who worked for over a decade as an assistant attorney general before taking over the commission, has been credited with cleaning up the troubled agency, reducing backlogs, and helping get raises for staff.

Maryland: Federal Judge Stops Enforcement of Maryland Election Law
Courthouse News Service – Edward Ericson Jr. | Published: 1/4/2019

A federal judge enjoined Maryland from enforcing a law aimed at preventing foreign interference in state elections while a challenge by a group of newspapers plays out in court. The Online Electioneering Transparency and Accountability Act requires platforms with more than 100,000 monthly visitors to publish the names and contact information for any purchaser of a “qualifying paid digital communication,” along with the price paid, among other provisions. Some of the information the law demands is proprietary, such as how many people the ads reached. Much of the rest, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Grimm found, is duplicative.

Michigan: Whitmer Choice Raises Questions About State’s Conflicts of Interest Laws
Detroit Free Press – Paul Egan | Published: 1/7/2019

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer named Orlene Hawks as director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), an agency with responsibilities that include oversight of Michigan’s new marijuana industry, liquor licensing, the regulation of utilities, and licensing of doctors and hospitals. Hawks is married to Michael Hawks, an owner and principal of Government Consultant Services Inc., which represents many clients affected by the policies and rulings of LARA and its sub-agencies. An ethics expert said the potential issues raised by the situation underline a need for stronger financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest laws in Michigan.

Montana: Montana’s Dark Money Detective
Pacific Standard – Jimmy Tobias | Published: 1/9/2019

With a history of ant-corporate populism and intimate electoral campaigns, Montana is the sort of place where someone can run for office without a lot of money and still stand a chance. It is a state with just a million people and little tolerance for big money meddling in elections. As the former commissioner of political practices, Jonathan Motl set an example for other states that are also contending with the influence of unaccountable election spending. A ruling by the state Supreme Court upholding a conviction against former Sen. Art Wittich for corruption and violating campaign finance laws was a vindication and a climactic moment in Montana’s anti-corruption efforts.

Oklahoma: Stitt Unveils Plan to Address Potential Business Conflicts
Oklahoma Watch – Paul Monies | Published: 1/7/2019

Incoming Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is asking the state attorney general to review his plan to step away from his mortgage company as it becomes a bank and to approve a conflict-of-interest policy for his family investments. Stitt is facing potential conflicts-of-interest related to Gateway Mortgage Group, which he founded, and possibly some real estate and other personal investments. The first step in this shift from private businessperson to public official has to do with the state banking commission. Stitt pledged to have no contact with the state banking commissioner on Gateway-related matters, as it is converting to a bank. The governor appoints the banking commissioner and members of the state banking board.

Oregon: BOLI Finds ‘Substantial Evidence’ of Sexual Harassment at Oregon Capitol
Portland Oregonian – Ted Sickinger and Hillary Borrud | Published: 1/3/2019

Oregon labor regulators found “substantial evidence” of sexual harassment at the Capitol, concluding that lawmakers and administrators have known about it for years and did little to stop it. The Bureau of Labor and Industries released its findings after a five-month investigation, as well as a laundry list of allegations gleaned from witness interviews conducted by agency investigators, legislative analysts, and an attorney hired by the Legislature to investigate the harassment claims. The report concludes the most powerful lawmakers and administrators in the Capitol mishandled, downplayed and ignored allegations of sexual harassment, including inappropriate touching, sexually suggestive language, and the lopsided power dynamics that enabled the behavior.

Washington: From Campaign Consultant to Lobbyist and Adviser: The firm that has Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s ear
Seattle Times – Daniel Beekman and Lewis Kamb | Published: 1/6/2019

Political operatives Sandeep Kaushik and Kelly Evans helped Jenny Durkan win Seattle’s mayoral race in 2017. As Durkin embarks on her second year, they and their company, Sound View Strategies, have emerged as key players at City Hall. They successfully ran the mayor’s campaign for a $600 million education levy. Durkan’s major-initiatives director, office administrator, and chief of staff all are former Sound View employees. Kaushik describes himself and Evans as members of Durkan’s informal “kitchen cabinet,” even as they lobby her administration and advocate for corporate clients such as Comcast and Airnub. The mayor downplayed Sound View’s clout. Her ties to the company are known, and the city’s requirements are adequate to protect against real and perceived conflicts, Durkin said.

Campaign Finance

National: “How a Little-Known Democratic Firm Cashed in On the Wave of Midterm Money” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Anu Narayanswamy for Washington Post

Connecticut: “Under the Influence: Marijuana industry seeks ruling on legality of political contributions in Connecticut” by Neil Vigdor for Hartford Courant

Montana: “Montana’s Dark Money Detective” by Jimmy Tobias for Pacific Standard

Elections

California: “Supreme Court Rules Against Mystery Corporation from ‘Country A’ Fighting Subpoena in Mueller Investigation” by Robert Barnes, Devlin Barrett, and Carol Leonnig (Washington Post) for San Jose Mercury News

Ethics

National: “Feds’ GoFundMe Campaigns Open a ‘Minefield’ of Ethical Questions During Shutdown” by Nicole Ogrysko for Federal News Network

National: “Pro-Pruitt Group Took Big Checks in Secret” by Alex Guillen for Politico

Georgia: “State Ethics Director Under Ethics Investigation” by Dale Russell for WAGA

Hawaii: “Why Critics Say New House Sexual Harassment Policy Doesn’t Go Far Enough” by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “As Session Starts, Legislators and Advocates Push Overhaul of State Ethics Enforcement” by Samar Khurshid for Gotham Gazette

Legislative Issues

National: “Young People Power into Statehouses and City Halls” by Graham Vyse for Governing