National:

Left Turns to Ballot Measures to Enact Political Change
The Hill – Reid Wilson | Published: 8/2/2016

Liberals are turning to ballot measures to pursue other progressive goals that would be impossible to advance in Republican-controlled state Legislatures. Even in states where Democrats have political power, such as in California, activists have turned to ballot measures to speed their agenda. The rush of liberal ballot issues is something of a reversal from the last several decades, when conservatives used the initiative process to pass limits on taxes, implement term limits for state legislators, roll back regulations, and push contentious social issues.

The States Where Third-Party Candidates Perform Best
The Atlantic – Russell Berman and Andrew McGill | Published: 8/2/2016

It seems that voters might be more likely to support third-party candidates when they feel their vote would not actually impact the election. Researchers collected state vote totals for every presidential election since 1980, comparing how the closeness of a state’s vote correlated to the relative popularity of outside candidates. The correlation between support for the long shots and a state’s ideological one-sidedness was stronger in elections after 2000, when many Democrats blamed Floridians who voted for Ralph Nader for throwing the presidency from Al Gore to George W. Bush. This correlation disappears when the third-party candidate is a recognizable or compelling figure.

Women Are Finally Breaking into the Top Tier of Political Donors
Washington Post – Matea Gold | Published: 8/2/2016

Slowly, more female donors are breaking into the top echelon of political donors, a domain traditionally dominated by male millionaires and billionaires. The biggest female donors of 2016 gave nearly $63 million to super PACs through the end of June. That puts them on track to surpass major female contributors in the 2012 elections. The boost reflects what donors and fundraisers in both parties say they see happening behind the scenes: while still outstripped by men, more wealthy women are seizing on the opportunities to finance super PACs and other big-money groups that opened up in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizen United decision. Their stepped-up participation is driven by an improved economic status and an increasing recognition that they need to play in the political arena to have an effect.

Federal:

Court: Super PACs can be named after candidates
Politico – Josh Gerstein | Published: 8/2/2016

A federal appeals court effectively loosened the already lax regulations governing the relationship between campaigns and outside groups. A panel of judges of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled the FEC had violated the First Amendment in restricting super PACs from naming themselves, or their fundraising initiatives, after the candidates they support. “The title is a critical way for committees to attract support and spread their message because it tells users that the website or Facebook page is about the candidate,” wrote Judge Thomas Griffith. The court said the FEC could address its concerns by forcing Super PACs to publish “a large disclaimer at the top of [its] websites and social media pages.”

GOP Reaches ‘New Level of Panic’ over Trump’s Candidacy
Washington Post – Philip Rucker, Dan Balz, and Matea Gold | Published: 8/3/2016

Donald Trump is facing a whirlwind of criticism from Republican leaders as he fends off reports of a staff shake up, an intervention, and even rumblings he could be urged to step aside as the party’s nominee. Trump allies publicly urged the candidate to reboot, furious that he has allowed his confrontation with the Muslim parents of slain soldier Humayun Khan to continue for nearly a week. They also are angry with Trump because of his refusal to endorse two of the GOP’s top elected officials, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain, ahead of their coming primary elections. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, one of Trump’s most loyal defenders, warned that his friend was in danger of throwing away the election and helping to make Clinton president.

Lobbyists Woo Potential Freshmen Long Before Election Day
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 8/2/2016

Lobbyists do not wait until after Election Day to begin courting next year’s freshman class in Congress. Influencers are already reaching out to prospective senators and House members, hosting fundraisers and meet-and-greets at which they can provide connections and help swell candidates’ campaign coffers. The relationships do not guarantee access once the lawmaker takes office. But they have provided outlets for lobbyists to offer advice on potential staff hires or help newly settled lawmakers and aides find their way around Washington, D.C.

From the States and Municipalities:

California – S.F. Ballot Measure Takes Aim at Lobbyists’ Fundraising
San Francisco Public Press – Noah Arroyo | Published: 8/1/2016

The San Francisco Ethics Commission has voted to put a measure on the November ballot that supporters say would restrict certain lobbyist behaviors that create – or appear to engender – a quid-pro-quo relationship between them, their clients, and the elected or appointed officials they seek to influence. If voters pass the measure this fall, beginning in 2018, lobbyists represent private interests would have to notify City Hall ahead of time when they planned to lobby specific agencies. And during elections, lobbyists could no longer give personal donations to candidates running for office in those agencies, or deliver bundle contributions on behalf of their clients or anyone else. The proposition would also ban all lobbyists from giving gifts to city and county officials or their family members.

Connecticut – Budget Director: Governor can cut watchdog agencies’ funding
Washington Times – Susan Haigh (Associated Press) | Published: 8/3/2016

Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes contends Connecticut Gov. Dannell Malloy has the legal authority to withhold funding from the state’s watchdog agencies, despite 2004 legislation prohibiting governors from reducing the annual budgets of the State Elections Enforcement Commission, the Office of State Ethics, and the Freedom of Information Commission. Carol Carson, executive director of the Office of State Ethics, said the leaders of the three groups plan to seek an advisory opinion from state Attorney General George Jepsen on whether Malloy has the ability to make the reductions. “You can only cut so much and then you start to say, ‘We can’t do our mission,'” Carson said. “Further cuts will really damage our ability to do our basic core functions.”

Florida – Petition Drive Could Change How Miami-Dade Political Campaigns Are Financed
Miami Herald – David Smiley | Published: 8/2/2016

Activists submitted more than 125,000 signed petitions to potentially force a vote in November on a referendum that would limit contributions to candidates for county commission, mayor, and school board to $250 per person or corporation. Major county vendors and their lobbyists and principals would be barred from donating to candidates. And a system that affords candidates matching public contributions for donations of up to $100 by county residents would potentially enable candidates to multiply those donations six-fold. If enough signatures are verified, county commissioners will have to decide in the coming weeks whether to adopt proposed campaign finance legislation themselves or put the issue before voters.

Kansas – Kansas Republicans Reject Gov. Sam Brownback’s Conservatives in Primary
New York Times – Mitch Smith | Published: 8/3/2016

Moderate Republican candidates ousted at least 11 conservative state lawmakers allied with Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback in primary elections across the state. The results were widely seen as a repudiation of a second-term governor whose popularity has plummeted amid sustained budget gaps and ensuing sharp cuts in state spending. And they likely mean the staunchly conservative state Legislature will move back toward the center in 2017. In addition, Republicans in one congressional district voted out U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a farmer who had become a tea party favorite in Washington but had annoyed party stalwarts.

Massachusetts – Mass. Insiders Turn to Lobbying Careers
Boston Globe – Mark Arsenault and Andrew Ryan | Published: 7/31/2016

Many times, consultants who help candidates win elections in Massachusetts then go on to represent corporate clients with interests before the new officeholder – even, in some cases, as they continue to advise the officials they helped elect. The relationships can be hard to scrutinize at the state level, where whole swaths of government are exempt from the public records law. Whether consultants are selling their access to officials or not, “there is almost always an appearance of conflict of interest in these situations,” said Pam Wilmot, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts.

North Carolina – 4th U.S. Circuit Judges Overturn North Carolina’s Voter ID Law
Charlotte Observer – Anne Blythe (Raleigh News & Observer) | Published: 7/29/2016

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit struck down North Carolina’s voter identification law. The panel agreed with allegations that the state’s law selectively chose voter-ID requirements, reduced the number of early-voting days, and changed registration procedures in ways meant to harm blacks, who overwhelmingly vote for the Democratic Party. The ruling tossed out the state’s requirement that voters present photo identification at the polls and restored voters’ ability to register on Election Day, to register before reaching the 18-year-old voting age, and to cast early ballots, provisions the law had fully or partly eliminated. The court also held that the ballots of people who had mistakenly voted at the wrong polling stations should be deemed valid.

Ohio – Ethics Commission Tells Columbus Leaders to Pay Up for Buckeye Junket
Columbus Dispatch – Lucas Sullivan | Published: 8/1/2016

The Ohio Ethics Commission ordered four current and former members of the Columbus City Council to pay the market value for a trip they took to an Ohio State football game. The council members took the trip with lobbyist John Raphael. Mayor Andrew Ginther, Councilperson Shannon Hardin, Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Eileey Paley, and former council member Michele Mills were told to pay nearly $700 for the trip, not just the $250 they each spent to attend the Big Ten Championship game in 2014. Raphael was sentenced to 15 months in prison in a separate case after he pleaded guilty to extorting money from Columbus’ red-light-camera vendor for campaign contributions to city officials.

Virginia – Lobbyists Spend Less on High-End Eats, Lawmakers Spend More
Albany Times Union – Alan Suderman (Associated Press) | Published: 8/2/2016

Revelations that former Gov. Robert McDonnell and his family accepted more than $175,000 worth of gifts and loans from a businessperson led Virginia lawmakers to put limits on the largess they could legally receive in 2014. Lobbyists remain big spenders, shelling out more than $543,000 on their efforts to convince state officials to favor their clients in the six months that ended April 30, which includes the entertaining that traditionally accompanies General Assembly sessions. But lobbyists seem to be taking legislators out to somewhat cheaper restaurants, while lawmakers are more frequently covering the cost of eating out with their campaign accounts. The reforms requiring more disclosure of gifts say lobbyists must identify officials attending their events if the average cost exceeds $50.

Wisconsin – Judge Strikes Down Wisconsin Voter ID, Early Voting Laws
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Patrick Marley and Jason Stein | Published: 7/30/2016

A federal judge threw out as unconstitutional a host of Wisconsin election laws passed in recent years, saying they unfairly benefited Republicans who had enacted them and made it more difficult for Democrats to vote. U.S. District Court Judge James Peterson’s ruling keeps in place the state’s voter identification law, unlike recent rulings in North Carolina and Texas, but he ordered broad changes. The sweeping ruling will not affect Wisconsin’s August 9 primary, but will take effect for the November presidential election unless overturned on appeal.

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.

Lobbying

“Is K Street Warming to Trump? Just Barely.” by Catherine Ho for Washington Post

Virginia: “Lobbyists Less Likely to Say Who They’re Treating” by Dave Ress for The Daily Press

Campaign Finance

“New Search Tool Traces Sources of ‘Dark Money’” by Staff  for Center for Public Integrity

Florida: “Petition Drive Could Change How Miami-Dade Political Campaigns Are Financed” by David Smiley for Miami Herald

New Jersey: “Using Pay-To-Play as a Political Weapon” by Donald Scarinci for PolitickerNJ.com

Ethics

Arizona: “Regulator Hires Attorney to Study Possible Outside Influence” by Russ Wiles for Arizona Republic

Tennessee: “New Legislative Policy Doesn’t Require Posting Founded Sexual Harassment Complaints” by Dave Boucher for The Tennessean

Elections

“Hillary Clinton and the Peace of the Pantsuit” by Megan Garber for The Atlantic

“GOP Reaches ‘New Level of Panic’ over Trump’s Candidacy” by Philip Rucker, Dan Balz, and Matea Gold for Washington Post

Texas: “Texas Agrees to Weaken Voter ID Law for November Election” by Aneri Pattani and Jim Malewitz for Texas Tribune

Lobbying

“Lobbyists Woo Potential Freshmen Long Before Election Day” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

California: “S.F. Ballot Measure Takes Aim at Lobbyists’ Fundraising” by Noah Arroyo for San Francisco Public Press

California: “Billion-Dollar Beverly Hills Development Challenged Because of Ex-Mayor’s Lobbying” by Kim Christensen for Los Angeles Times

California: “Bill to Ban Private Communications by California’s Coastal Commissioners Gets Sidetracked” by Dan Weikel for Los Angeles Times

Campaign Finance

“Women Are Finally Breaking into the Top Tier of Political Donors” by Matea Gold for Washington Post

“Court: Super PAC Can Use Candidates’ Names” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

Minnesota: “New Boss at Minnesota Campaign Board Is Old Hand” by Brian Bakst for Minnesota Public Radio

Elections

“Left Turns to Ballot Measures to Enact Political Change” by Reid Wilson for The Hill

“The States Where Third-Party Candidates Perform Best” by Russell Berman and Andrew McGill for The Atlantic

North Dakota: “Federal Judge Bars North Dakota from Enforcing Restrictive Voter ID Law” by Michael Wines for New York Times

Gov. Jay Nixon issued a writ of election to fill the vacancy for Missouri Senate District 4. Joseph Keaveny vacated the seat on July 7, 2016, to become an administrative law judge at the Department of Labor.

Interested candidates must file declarations of candidacy with the Office of the Secretary of State by September 7, 2016, for the special election on November 8, 2016.

Gov. Rick Snyder has called for a special primary election to take place August 30.

Candidates will be running to fill the vacancy created after the sudden death of state Rep. Julie Plawecki, who served the 11^th House District.

The general election for the completion of Plawecki’s term will be held November 8, with the winner serving through the end of 2016.

Lobbying

Massachusetts: “Mass. Insiders Turn to Lobbying Careers” by Mark Arsenault and Andrew Ryan for Boston Globe

Campaign Finance

“D.C. Circuit to Hear Challenge to Contribution Limits” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA

“Koch Network Seeks to Defuse Donor Frustration over Trump Rebuff” by Matea Gold for Washington Post

Ethics

“Court Rejects Sen. Robert Menendez’s Attempt to Get Corruption Case Thrown Out” by John Bresnahan and Josh Gerstein for Politico

District of Columbia: “After a Quiet Couple of Years, D.C. Council Roiled by Apparent Conflict of Interest” by Aaron Davis and Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

New Jersey: “Ex-Port Authority Chief’s Fall from Grace a Cautionary Tale About Privacy” by Paul Berger for Bergen Record

Ohio: “Ethics Commission Tells Columbus Leaders to Pay Up for Buckeye Junket” by Lucas Sullivan for Columbus Dispatch

Elections

“In Clash Between Trump and the Khans, New Signs of a Cultural and Political Divide” by Marc Fisher for Washington Post

North Carolina: “4th U.S. Circuit Judges Overturn North Carolina’s Voter ID Law” by Anne Blythe (Raleigh News & Observer) for Charlotte Observer

Wisconsin: “Judge Strikes Down Wisconsin Voter ID, Early Voting Laws” by Patrick Marley and Jason Stein for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Campaign Finance

“After Lying Low, Deep-Pocketed Clinton Donors Return to the Fore” by Nicholas Confessore and Amy Chozick for New York Times

California: “California Treasurer Cracks Down on Pay to Play” by Kyle Glazier for The Bond Buyer

California: “Feds Say Azano Wanted to ‘Buy a Mayor’” by Greg Moran for San Diego Union-Tribune

Washington: “Attorney General Seeks Contempt Order against Tim Eyman” by Rachel La Corte (Associated Press) for Tacoma News Tribune

Ethics

Hawaii: “Here’s The Deal Honolulu Made with Its Departing Ethics Director” by Nick Grube for Honolulu Civil Beat

Utah: “Judge Grants State’s Motion to Dismiss Corruption Charges against Mark Shurtleff” by Ben Lockhart and Dennis Romboy for Deseret News

Elections

“Clinton’s Convention Is Made for TV. Trump’s Was Made for Twitter.” by Jim Rutenberg for New York Times

“Wikileaks Posts Hacked DNC Voicemails” by Marshall Cohen and Tom LoBianco for CNN

“And Then There Was Trump” by Thomas Edsall for New York Times

Here is our latest edition of the News You Can Use Video Digest. Have a great weekend!

NYCU Video Digest was produced by 2016 interns Brittany Anderson and Clémence Besnard for State and Federal Communications.

Federal:

A Worry if Clinton Wins: An idle ex-president in the White House
New York Times – Patrick Healy | Published: 7/26/2016

It is not clear how Bill Clinton would function as America’s first gentleman. Advisers to Hillary Clinton said she has not yet decided if she will offer her husband a formal role if elected but noted he will cease working for the Clinton Foundation, would not be a regular at Cabinet meetings, and will do what is asked of him. Beyond that, however, details are scant. The steps that Clinton aides are planning to shape his new life do little to address a potentially thornier problem: historically, when Bill Clinton does not have a job to do, he gets into trouble.

Democrats Discreetly Turn Attention to Presidential Prospects of the Future
New York Times – Michael Shear | Published: 7/26/2016

On the main stage at the Wells Fargo Center and along the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, more than a dozen senators, mayors, governors, cabinet members, and state lawmakers are carefully peeking past this year’s presidential election to 2020 or 2024 as they work ballrooms full of delegates, donors, and activists who would be critical to the pursuit of a national campaign. Compared with Republicans, Democrats have seen fewer of their young members rise to top positions in Washington, D.C., which can be a springboard to the White House.

DNC Turmoil Confirms Warnings: Hackers are targeting campaigns
Politico – Eric Geller | Published: 7/24/2016

The downfall of Democratic National Committee Chairperson Debbie Wasserman Schultz marks a groundbreaking moment that cybersecurity experts have long seen coming: hackers are making a significant impact on a major U.S. political campaign. Cybersecurity experts have warned for years that campaigns and political parties are woefully weak in securing their data, despite the wealth of sensitive information they carry in their computer networks and email accounts. It is an ideal scenario for all kinds of cyber wrongdoers – foreign adversaries trying to swing elections, intelligence agencies seeking information on future officials, hacktivist groups looking to grab attention, and black market hackers trying to make a quick buck.

Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails
New York Times – Ashley Parker and David Sanger | Published: 7/27/2016

Donald Trump dared a foreign government to commit espionage on the U.S. to hurt his rival, smashing yet another taboo in American political discourse and behavior. “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’ll be able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,” Trump said, referring to deleted emails from the private account Hillary Clinton used as secretary of State. “I think you’ll probably be rewarded mightily by our press.” The comments immediately drew widespread attention because they lend the impression that Trump is actively encouraging another country to commit a cybercrime against the U.S. to directly affect the presidential election. If the emails are hacked and Trump wins, it also could make him appear beholden to foreign interests.

For Special Interests, the Real Party Is Outside the Convention
Center for Public Integrity – Carrie Levine and Dave Levinthal | Published: 7/22/2016

A Rick Springfield concert at the Republican National Convention was billed as “a tribute to the House Republican Whip Team” and was to benefit charity, even though there was no admission fee. During the convention, dozens of organizations sponsored such events, all with an interest in gaining access to lawmakers and power brokers. The gatherings are almost all crafted to fit into exemptions in gift and ethics rules that allow members of Congress to come to “widely attended events” or charitable fundraisers. “These exemptions very quickly become major loopholes to allow lobbyists and others to put on events for officeholders and allow officeholders to go to them for free,” said Lawrence Noble, general counsel for the Campaign Legal Center.

In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works
New York Times – Nicholas Confessore and Steve Eder | Published: 7/25/2016

The leaked documents from the Democratic National Committee included thousands of emails exchanged by party officials and fundraisers, revealing in rarely seen detail the elaborate, ingratiating, and often bluntly transactional exchanges necessary to collect hundreds of millions of dollars from the party’s wealthy donors. The emails capture a world where seating charts are arranged with dollar totals in mind, where a White House celebration of gay pride is a thinly disguised occasion for rewarding wealthy donors, and where physical proximity to the president is the most precious of currencies.

IRS Gives Opposite Rulings to Convention Committees
Bloomberg BNA – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 7/25/2016

When Cleveland’s host committee for the Republican National Convention applied for charitable tax-exempt status nearly two years ago, approval by the IRS came in just 12 days. Philadelphia’s host committee for the Democratic National Convention was not so lucky. While neither the committee nor the IRS will discuss details, it is clear that approval of the Philadelphia committee’s request for the same charitable tax-exempt status did not come quickly and ultimately was denied. The Philadelphia host committee reportedly is trying to work around fundraising problems caused by IRS disapproval of its exempt status. The full impact of the IRS ruling is not yet clear, partly because the host committee is asking a state court to keep information about its donors under wraps until a federal disclosure report must be filed with the FEC two months after the convention ends.

Lobbyists Celebrate Democratic Party’s New Embrace at Convention
Time – Jay Newton-Small | Published: 7/26/2016

Heather Podesta wore a scarlet letter “L” to the last two Democratic National Conventions, a not so subtle protest over Barack Obama’s ban on lobbyists like her donating money to his cause. Podesta’s scarlet letter is gone this week because Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee have lifted the ban. Podesta is just one of a legion of lobbyists coming out of the proverbial closet this convention, free to raise money, support candidates, and be proud of it for the first time in nearly a decade. Campaign finance reformers have watched the change happen with dismay.

Report: FEC leaders, managers share blame for horrid morale
Center for Public Integrity – Dave Levinthal | Published: 7/26/2016

The office of the FEC’s inspector general for months has conducted employee surveys and interviews in hopes of answering a nagging question: why, specifically, is agency morale so consistently poor? Investigators place the most blame on the six commissioners: three Democratic appointees and three Republican appointees who have regularly criticized one another and frequently deadlocked on high-profile political issues before them. The report came about in response to separate study that ranked FEC staff morale second to last among 41 small federal agencies studied.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alaska – Oil Lobbyist Treated Legislator to Meal after Oil Tax Vote
Alaska Dispatch News – Nathaniel Herz | Published: 7/25/2016

Alaska Rep. Mike Hawker accepted a $78 dinner from an oil company lobbyist the same day Hawker went to Juneau for his first vote in two months, casting the deciding vote on an oil tax bill criticized as being too industry friendly. The meal was purchased by ConocoPhillips lobbyist Michael Hurley on June 6, the same day House Bill 247 was approved 21-to-19. Hawker’s presence was essential because the Alaska Constitution requires 21 votes for passage of a bill. Hawker is suffering from terminal cancer and had not attended a floor session since early April.

California – California Treasurer Cracks Down on Pay to Play
The Bond Buyer – Kyle Glazier | Published: 7/27/2016

California Treasurer John Chiang announced that municipal finance firms seeking state business will be required to certify they will make no contributions to local bond election campaigns. State officials are concerned with “pay-to-play” tactics in which bond counsel, underwriters, and financial advisors are offering to fund or provide campaign services in exchange for contracts to issue the bonds once they are approved by voters. The new policy applies to firms and their employees, and includes both cash and-in kind contributions made either directly or through third parties. Firms that fail to make the pledge will be removed from the state’s official list of acceptable vendors and barred from participating in state-issued bonds.

California – California Wants People to Prove They Are Not Lobbyists
KPCC – Alison Noon (Associated Press) | Published: 7/21/2016

The California Fair Political Practices Commission approved a regulatory change aimed at encouraging so-called shadow lobbyists to disclose their efforts to influence legislation. Lobbyists are required to register with the state if the amount they make for communicating with government officials reaches $2,000 in any given month. The rule change permits investigators to demand evidence about lobbyists’ compensation and financial gain related to contact with government officials. It suggests that suspected unregistered lobbyists testify or provide bills, receipts, or other records to establish their compensation was not used to get access to lawmakers or dine and entertain them.

Texas – City Wins Lawsuit Despite Appearance of Loss
Austin Monitor – Jo Clifton | Published: 7/22/2016

A federal judge ruled a blackout period banning candidates in Austin from fundraising outside of the six months before Election Day is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel also overturned the dissolution requirements governing candidates’ left-over campaign money. The decision upheld the $350 individual cap on donations as well as the aggregate limit on contributions from persons who live outside the city.

Virginia – As Pick for No. 2, Tim Kaine Sees Gifts Come Under Scrutiny
New York Times – Eric Lipton and Steve Eder | Published: 7/24/2016

With U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s selection as Hillary Clinton’s vice-presidential running mate, the gifts he received in the four years he served as Virginia’s chief executive and his time as lieutenant governor before that are certain to be cited by his Republican critics as a sign that Kaine is not as squeaky clean as he portrays himself. An examination by The New York Times of archival email traffics from Kaine’s tenure as governor shows he received gifts, in some cases, around the same time he and his staff were considering official government requests from these donors.

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.

Lobbying

“Lobbyists Celebrate Democratic Party’s New Embrace at Convention” by Jay Newton-Small for Time

California: “Judge Questions Private Talks Between Coastal Commissioners and Developer’s Consultants” by Dan Weikel for Los Angeles Times

Campaign Finance

“George Soros Rises Again” by Kenneth Vogel for Politico

California: “‘Behested Payments’ Add Another Layer of Money in Politics” by Tracy Wood for Voice of OC

Indiana: “Eric Holcomb’s Access to Mike Pence’s Campaign Cash Might Be Restricted” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star

Ethics

Texas: “Texas AG Took Gift While Investigating Company” by Associated Press for Texarkana Gazette

Elections

“Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails” by Ashley Parker and David Sanger for New York Times

“Bill Clinton Praises His Wife’s Feminine Side” by Patrick Healy for New York Times

“Democrats Discreetly Turn Attention to Presidential Prospects of the Future” by Michael Shear for New York Times

Gov. Asa Hutchinson will call a special election to fill the House seat left vacant by the passing of state Rep. Sheilla Lampkin.

The special election will coincide with the November 8 general election.

Voters in Lampkin’s district will be able to vote in both the special election to fill Lampkin’s remaining term and in the general election for the seat.

Lobbying

Alaska: “Oil Lobbyist Treated Legislator to Meal after Oil Tax Vote” by Nathaniel Herz for Alaska Dispatch News

Campaign Finance

“In Hacked D.N.C. Emails, a Glimpse of How Big Money Works” by Nicholas Confessore and Steve Eder for New York Times

“Report: FEC leaders, managers share blame for horrid morale” by Dave Levinthal for Center for Public Integrity

“DNC Sought to Hide Details of Clinton Funding Deal” by Kenneth Vogel and Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Ethics

California: “Grand Jury Finds Cracks in Ethics Policies” by Joshua Stewart for San Diego Union-Tribune

Kentucky: “Bevin Questions Grant to Jane Beshear Charity” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal

Elections

“Clinton Highlights Lack of Women in Office” by Christina Cassidy (Associated Press) for ABC News

“A Worry if Clinton Wins: An idle ex-president in the White House” by Patrick Healy for New York Times

California: “Why a New Law Isn’t Shrinking the Overload of Ballot Initiatives Much – Yet” by Laurel Rosenhall (CALmatters) for Long Beach Press-Telegram

Campaign Finance

“IRS Gives Opposite Rulings to Convention Committees” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA

California: “Campaign Cash: A Journey Through the Cal-Access Labyrinth” by Cosmo Garvin for Capitol Weekly

Connecticut: “U.S. Attorney Opens Probe of Malloy’s 2014 Campaign Fundraising” by Keith Phaneuf and Mark Pazniokas for CT Mirror

Ethics

“As Pick for No. 2, Tim Kaine Sees Gifts Come Under Scrutiny” by Eric Lipton and Steve Eder for New York Times

Massachusetts: “Supreme Court’s Corruption Decision Could Affect Mass. Cases” by Shelley Murphy for Boston Globe

New York: “N.Y. Lawmakers Seek to Strengthen State Bribery Law” by Matthew Hamilton for Albany Times Union

Elections

“DNC Turmoil Confirms Warnings: Hackers Are Targeting Campaigns” by Eric Geller for Politico

Louisiana: “Former KKK Leader David Duke, Citing Trump, Announces Senate Bid” by Elise Viebeck for Washington Post

Lobbying

“For Special Interests, the Real Party Is Outside the Convention” by Carrie Levine and Dave Levinthal for Center for Public Integrity

California: “California Wants People to Prove They Are Not Lobbyists” by Alison Noon for KPCC

Connecticut: “CT GOP Delegates, This Meal Is Brought to You by …” by Mark Pazniokas for CT Mirror

Campaign Finance

Texas: “City Wins Lawsuit Despite Appearance of Loss” by Jo Clifton for Austin Monitor

Ethics

Connecticut: “Wade Fires Back at Critics” by Christine Stuart for CTNewsJunkie.com

Hawaii: “School Cleared in Ethics Case” by Nathan Eagle for Honolulu Civil Beat

Maryland: “Del. Dan Morhaim, Advocate of Medical Marijuana, Draws Scrutiny for Role in Firm” by Pamela Wood and Erin Cox for Baltimore Sun

Pennsylvania: “Feds Charge Ex-Pa. Treasurer Hafer with Lying and Millionaire Donor with Fraud in Pay-to-Play Probe” by Mark Fazlollah, Craig McCoy, and Dylan Purcell for Philadelphia Inquirer

South Carolina: “Ethics Commission Narrows Governor’s Allowed Use of USC Football Tickets” by Maya Prabhu for Charleston Post & Courier

South Carolina: “Ethics Board Tells Candidates When It’s OK to Pay Family with Donations” by Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) for Aiken Standard

Elections

“Hillary Clinton Selects Tim Kaine, a Popular Senator from a Swing State, as Running Mate” by Amy Chozick, Alan Rappeport, and Jonathan Martin for New York Times

“DNC Chairwoman Will Resign in Aftermath of Committee Email Controversy” by Anne Gearan, Philip Rucker, and Abby Phillip for Washington Post

Texas: “Appeals Court Says Texas Voter-ID Law Discriminates Against Minorities” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

Wisconsin: “Judge Issues Injunction, Allows Voters without IDs to Cast Ballots” by Patrick Marley and Jason Stein for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel