National:

Sean Hannity Done Talking About Seth Rich and WikiLeaks ‘for Now’ as Fox News Retracts Story
Washinton Post – Kristine Phillips and Peter Holley | Published: 5/24/2017

Fox News retracted a story linking the murder of a Democratic National Committee staff member with the email hacks that aided Donald Trump’s campaign, effectively quashing a conspiracy theory that had taken hold across the right-wing news media. The story of the murdered aide, Seth Rich, who was 27 when he was shot near his Washington, D.C. home in July, has been seized on by conservative pundits as an alternative narrative to the cascade of damaging revelations about the Trump administration’s ties to Russian officials who meddled in the presidential election. No evidence to support that theory has emerged, and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department is still investigating the case.

Work and Politics: What rights do employees have?
USA Today – Charisse Jones and Michael Izzo | Published: 5/16/2017

A U.S. House member’s letter that helped push a New Jersey attorney to resign after her boss was told she was a grassroots “ringleader,” sparked questions about how much an employer can clamp down on an employee’s activism. In an era of heightened political tensions, when many Americans are marching and boycotting for perhaps the first time, the case is showing how politics and the workplace can collide.

Federal:

‘Soft Money’ Rules Upheld by Supreme Court
Bloomberg BNA – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 5/23/2017

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away a Republican challenge to a federal campaign finance restriction that prevents political parties from raising unlimited amounts of cash to spend on supporting candidates. The Republican Party of Louisiana had argued a provision of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) violates its free speech rights. But the justices let stand a lower court’s ruling that rejected the challenge. BCRA barred state and local parties from taking unlimited donations for any activities concerning federal elections. Such contributions are often called soft money because they are unregulated.

Trump Asked Intelligence Chiefs to Push Back against FBI Collusion Probe after Comey Revealed Its Existence
Washington Post – Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima | Published: 5/22/2017

President Trump called two of the nation’s top intelligence officials – Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence, and Admiral Michael Rogers, director of the National Security Agency – and urged them to publicly deny there is any evidence of collusion between his campaign and the Russians. The requests came in the days after then-FBI Director James Comey publicly confirmed the FBI was probing the Trump-Russia connection in his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on March 20. Coats and Rogers refused to comply with the requests, which they both deemed to be inappropriate.

White House Moves to Block Ethics Inquiry into Ex-Lobbyists on Payroll
New York Times – Eric Lipton | Published: 5/22/2017

The Trump administration is trying to block an effort from the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to find out the names of lobbyists who have been granted waivers to work in the federal government. The White House sent a letter to OGE Director Walter Shaub, challenging the agency’s authority to see the waivers. President Trump in January signed an executive order that banned lobbyists hired in his administration from working with former clients or on issues they had been involved with for two years unless they received a waiver. Dozens of former lobbyists and industry lawyers are now working in the administration. Keeping the waivers confidential would make it impossible to know whether those officials are violating ethics rules or have been given a pass to ignore them.

From the States and Municipalities:

Arizona – Phoenix Moves to Implement New Rules for Lobbyists Following Republic Report
Arizona Republic – Rob O’Dell and Dustin Gardiner | Published: 5/23/2017

The city council gave preliminary approval to amending Phoenix’s lobbying ordinance so those who do not comply with its registration or expense disclosure rules can face sanctions, including fines of up to $2,500, suspension from lobbying, and possible jail time for repeated offenses. The new law also would apply rules to lobbyists’ communication with far more officials at the city. The council also approved a news definition of “lobbyist.” The council will hold one more vote to finalize the changes.

Arkansas – Panel: Dallas Cowboys owner violated Arkansas ethics law
Arkansas Online – John Lyon (Arkansas News Bureau) | Published: 5/20/2017

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who grew up in North Little Rock, paid for the city’s police officers and their families to attend a Cowboys home game of their choice late last season, with travel and lodging accommodations included. The gifts were in recognition of police service and volunteer work in the community. The Arkansas Ethics Commission ruled Jones had committed “an unintentional violation” by making the gift. Jones will receive a warning letter. No sanction was imposed because of his reliance on “the erroneous conclusion” in a North Little Rock City Council resolution. Through that resolution, the council accepted the gifts and subsequently passed them along to the officers as an employee benefit.

Iowa – Ethics Complaint Against Iowa Gun Owners Leader Dismissed
Des Moines Register – Brianne Pfannenstiel | Published: 5/22/2017

A man who has sometimes registered as a statehouse lobbyist was called a “liar” and “immoral,” but the House Ethics Committee dismissed a complaint against Iowa Gun Owners Executive Director Aaron Dorr. The complaint alleged Dorr was telling members of his group that he was lobbying lawmakers, but while Dorr has registered as a lobbyist in the past, he did not this year. Dorr gave documents to the committee saying he had not been designated as a lobbyist for Iowa Gun Owners and was not being paid to be its executive director. Committee Chairperson Rob Taylor said unless the panel decided to issue a subpeona for Dorr’s tax returns and bank records, they would have to accept that explanation.

Missouri – New Campaign Finance Rules Ignore Missouri Voters’ Decision
Governing – Kurt Erickson (Tribune News Service) | Published: 5/23/2017

The Missouri Ethics Commission issued an opinion saying campaign committees formed by party leaders in the House and Senate are no longer limited to contributions totaling $25,000 annually. Commission Executive Director James Klahr said those committees can once again receive unlimited donations. Under a November change to the state constitution, Missouri voters overwhelmingly capped contributions to individual candidates for office at $2,600 per election. Donations to a political party were capped at $25,000.

Montana – Bullock Vetoes Bill to Raise Allowable Campaign Contributions
Billings Gazette – Holly Michels | Published: 5/19/2017

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed a bill that would have revised campaign finance laws in the state and made changes to the commissioner of political practices office. Bullock said Senate Bill 368 would undermine the agency’s effectiveness and raise contribution limits far above what residents think is acceptable. The legislation would have increased the filing fees for legislative candidates, changed laws related to investigation of campaign practices, created an appeal procedure for certain complaints, and prohibit the commissioner from filing criminal action against a candidate for some violations.

New Mexico – Loophole and Vague Laws Create Ambiguity in Lobbyist Reporting
New Mexico In Depth – Sandra Fish | Published: 5/19/2017

New Mexico’s lobbyist reporting law has been criticized as lacking transparency. A loophole in a 2016 reform effort changed the reporting requirements for organizations and people they hire who spend money to influence public officials in New Mexico. Critics also say the law’s vagueness results in a situation in which lobbyists are now free to report some expenses, or not. And how they report them depends on a lobbyist’s interpretation of the rules.

New York – JCOPE Settlement Expected to Reveal Glenwood Behind $690K
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 5/23/2017

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics reached a settlement with nonprofit lobbying group Pledge 2 Protect that is expected to require the group to disclose that real estate giant Glenwood was intended to force groups like Pledge 2 Protect, issue-oriented nonprofits with lobbying operations, to disclose their donors. But in a series of six transactions in 2013, nearly $700,000 was funneled from previously unknown donors to a newly founded boutique law firm, Marquart & Small, which then passed the funds on to Pledge 2 Protect. Only the name of Marquart & Small showed up on subsequent lobbying disclosure filings, not the names of the original donors.

North Carolina – Supreme Court Ruling Wipes Out Republican-Drawn House Districts in N.C.
USA Today – Richard Wolff | Published: 5/22/2017

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled North Carolina’s Republican-controlled Legislature unlawfully relied on race when drawing two of the state’s congressional districts. The decision continued a trend at the court, where justices have found racial considerations improperly predominated in redistricting decisions by GOP Legislatures in Virginia, Alabama, and North Carolina. Some involved congressional districts, others state legislative districts. The states had contended their efforts were partisan attempts to protect their majorities, which the Supreme Court in the past has allowed, rather than attempts to diminish the impact of minority voters, which is forbidden. But the justices declared North Carolina had relied too heavily on race in their efforts to “reshuffle,” voters from one district to another.

South Carolina – How South Carolina Lawmakers Are Re-examining Their Rule Book after Statehouse Probe Indictments
Charleston Post and Courier – Andy Shain | Published: 5/21/2017

The House and Senate ethics committees are reviewing their advisory opinions to determine if alterations or updates are needed to ensure state lawmakers get the proper guidance to stay within the boundaries of South Carolina’s ethics law. The law does not cover every potential personal conflict in a legislator’s campaign or legislative duties. So, lawmakers receive opinions from their ethics panels to fill the gaps and create a more complete rulebook for them to follow. Since 2014, four legislators have been indicted in an ongoing probe of statehouse corruption.

Virginia – A ‘Personal Friend’ Exemption on Gifts to Virginia’s Elected Officials Leaves Open an Unlimited Loophole
The Virginian-Pilot – Bill Bartel | Published: 5/23/2017

Changes to Virginia’s ethics laws that went into effect last year place a $100 annual limit on gifts from a lobbyist, his or her clients, or someone seeking business with the state. The reform ended a common practice of lobbyists providing lawmakers with unlimited gifts, such as expensive sports tickets or pricey dinners. A new ethics council was set up advise officials and to approve acceptance of specific gifts or travel costing more than $100. But there remained a large exception: there is no limit on gifts to an officeholder or immediate family members from a “personal friend” who is not a lobbyist, a lobbyist’s client, or someone seeking state business.

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.

The Phoenix City Council voted this week to amend the city’s lobbying ordinance to create sanctions for those who don’t comply with the lobbyist registration or expense disclosure rules.

Current city code includes no punishment for those who ignore the rules. The amendments will also include a clarification and expansion of the term lobbying to include city executives, department directors, the city manager and his top staffers, and board and commission members.

The strengthened rules raise fines and increase the amount of time lobbyists could be suspended from contacting city officials. Phoenix’s lobbying rules are currently unenforceable.

City Council will vote in the coming weeks to finalize the changes.

The Missouri Ethics Commission recently issued a campaign finance advisory opinion differentiating between political parties and political party committees for the application and enforcement of voter approved contribution limits.

The $25,000 aggregate limit on contributions to a political party does not apply to contributions to a political party committee unless the committee is, by definition, organized to influence voters on behalf of the affiliated political party.

The aggregate limit will, therefore, not apply to the state House and state Senate committees for each political party because, while they have historically served such a purpose, they do not actually indicate they are acting on behalf of a political party; rather, it is possible they could choose to support or oppose non-party candidates or even ballot issues.

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “New Campaign Finance Rules Ignore Missouri Voters’ Decision” by Kurt Erickson (Tribune News Service) for Governing

Texas: “Dozens of Abbott Appointees Surpass Donor Threshold Targeted by Stalled ‘Pay for Play’ Bill” by Jolie McCullough for Texas Tribune

Virginia: “Dark Money Comes with a Twist in Virginia’s Statewide Races” by Alan Suderman (Associated Press) for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Ethics

“Justice Department Ethics Experts Clear Mueller to Lead Russia Probe” by Matt Zapotosky and Matea Gold for Washington Post

“Fox News Retracts Story Linking Murder of D.N.C. Aide to 2016 Presidential Campaign” by Michael Grynbaum and Daniel Victor for New York Times

Connecticut: “Voting in Your Employer’s Interest? No Conflict in Connecticut” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

Florida: “New DEP Secretary Says There’s No Conflict in Political Side Businesses” by Mary Ellen Klas for Miami Herald

Lobbying

Colorado: “Shuttering the Revolving Door, Bennet Bill Would Institute Lifetime Lobbying Ban for Lawmakers” by Adam McCoy for Colorado Statesman

Arizona: “Phoenix Moves to Implement New Rules for Lobbyists Following Republic Report” by Rob O’Dell and Dustin Gardiner for Arizona Republic

New York: “JCOPE Settlement Expected to Reveal Glenwood Behind $690K” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union

Lobbying

Iowa: “Ethics Complaint Against Iowa Gun Owners Leader Dismissed” by Brianne Pfannenstiel for Des Moines Register

Rhode Island: “Ethics Board: Former Senate President Paiva Weed must wait to lobby General Assembly” by Christine Dunn for Providence Journal

Virginia: “A ‘Personal Friend’ Exemption on Gifts to Virginia’s Elected Officials Leaves Open an Unlimited Loophole” by Bill Bartel for The Virginian-Pilot

Campaign Finance

Maine: “Maine Developer Will Face Jail Time, Fines for Illegal Political Donations” by Edward Murphy for Portland Press Herald

North Carolina: “Former NC Legislator, Fletcher Hartsell, Gets Probation in State’s Campaign Finance Case” by Anne Blythe for Raleigh News & Observer

Ethics

“Kushner Keeps Most of His Real Estate but Offers Few Clues About Potential White House Conflicts” by Amy Brittain and Jonathan O’Connell for Washington Post

Michigan: “Feds: Bag man delivered bribes to Macomb officials” by Robert Snell for Detroit News

New York: “Whose Job Is It to Investigate Legislature’s ‘Lulu’ System?” by Rachel Silberstein for Gotham Gazette

Elections

“Former C.I.A. Chief Reveals Mounting Concern Over Trump Campaign and Russia” by Matt Apuzzo for New York Times

“Trump Asked Intelligence Chiefs to Push Back against FBI Collusion Probe after Comey Revealed Its Existence” by Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima for Washington Post

Lobbying

“White House Moves to Block Ethics Inquiry into Ex-Lobbyists on Payroll” by Eric Lipton for New York Times

California: “California Is About to Go Nuts Thanks to Some Fourth-Graders from Merced” by Robert Rodriguez for Fresno Bee

Campaign Finance

“Michael Flynn Invokes 5th Amendment, Citing ‘Public Frenzy’” by The Associated Press for Portland Oregonian

“Supreme Court Affirms Ban on ‘Soft Money’ in Campaigns” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

“Bullock Vetoes Bill to Raise Allowable Campaign Contributions” by Holly Michels for Billings Gazette

Ethics

Arkansas: “Panel: Dallas Cowboys owner violated Arkansas ethics law” by John Lyon (Arkansas News Bureau) for Arkansas Online

New Jersey: “Frelinghuysen Hit with Ethics Complaint Over Outing of Activist to Her Employer” by Justin Zaremba (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger

South Carolina: “How South Carolina Lawmakers Are Re-examining Their Rule Book after Statehouse Probe Indictments” by Andy Shain for Charleston Post and Courier

Redistricting

North Carolina: “Supreme Court Ruling Wipes Out Republican-Drawn House Districts in N.C.” by Richard Wolff for USA Today

Lobbying

Maine: “Democrats Block Bill to Punish Lying at Maine State House” by Christopher Cousins for Bangor Daily News

New Mexico: “Loophole and Vague Laws Create Ambiguity in Lobbyist Reporting” by Sandra Fish for New Mexico In Depth

Ethics

“Work and Politics: What Rights Do Employees Have?” by Charisse Jones and Michael Izzo for USA Today

“F.B.I. Once Warned G.O.P. Congressman That Russian Spies Were Recruiting Him” by Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, and Mark Mazzetti for New York Times

“Russia Probe Reaches Current White House Official, People Familiar with the Case Say” by Devlin Barrett and Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post

“Trump Told Russians That Firing ‘Nut Job’ Comey Eased Pressure from Investigation” by Matt Apuzzo, Maggie Haberman, and Matthew Rosenberg for New York Times

California: “Former Admiral Sentenced to 18 Months in ‘Fat Leonard’ Case” by Craig Whitlock for Washington Post

Pennsylvania: “Township Supervisor Ordered to Pay $107,120 for Illegally Purchasing Surplus Items” by John Beauge for PennLive.com

Nevada: “Laxalt Defends Actions in Taped Conversation; Dems Not Convinced” by Seth Richardson for Reno Gazette-Journal

Elections

“For Voting Rights Advocates, Court Decision Is ‘Temporary Victory’” by Michael Wines for New York Times

Campaign Finance

Connecticut: “Preliminary Ruling: Ganim Ineligible for Public Financing” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

Illinois: “Ken Griffin Gives Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Campaign Record $20 Million” by Rick Pearson for Chicago Tribune

The Vermont Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session today, May 19, 2017. Lawmakers delayed adjournment by more than a week as they continued negotiations on the state budget.

The budget includes a health insurance savings program for teachers, as demanded by Gov. Phil Scott in the eleventh hour of the session. With little time to create the proposal, the final version passed by both houses is expected to meet the governor’s veto stamp and the specter of a special session looms.

Also passed by both houses, and awaiting the governor’s action, is a bill to establish a state ethics commission and a state code of ethics.

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

Federal:

Deputy Attorney General Appoints Special Counsel to Oversee Probe of Russian Interference in Election
Washington Post – Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, and Matt Zapotosky | Published: 5/18/2017

The Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as special counsel to oversee the investigation into ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, dramatically raising the legal and political stakes in an affair that has threatened to engulf Trump’s presidency. The decision by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein came after a cascade of damaging developments for Trump in recent days, including his abrupt dismissal of James Comey as FBI director, and the subsequent disclosure that the president asked Comey to drop the investigation of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

DOJ Deflects Calls for More Foreign Agents Act Transparency
Bloomberg BNA – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 5/11/2017

Watchdogs are calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to make public all of its advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a law aimed at letting the public know about foreign influence on U.S. politics. The Justice Department recently posted online brief summaries of three past advisory opinions issued under FARA. It has indicated no plans for further action. Meanwhile, other, more complex questions about who must register under the law have increased. High-profile advocates, including Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, recently filed disclosures under FARA revealing past work for foreign governments or political parties.

Reckless Stock Trading Leaves Congress Rife with Conflicts
Politico – Maggie Severns | Published: 5/14/2017

A Politico investigation found 28 House members and six senators each traded more than 100 stocks in the past two years, placing them in the potential cross hairs of a conflict-of-interest on a regular basis. A handful of lawmakers, some of them frequent traders and some not, disproportionately trade in companies that also have an interest in their work on Capitol Hill. House and Senate members who are active traders insist their buying and selling is a normal part of managing their finances, as with any American who wants to save for retirement. But the clear majority of lawmakers avoid potential conflicts by buying mutual funds, putting their portfolios in blind trusts, or simply staying out of the stock market.

The Right Builds an Alternative Narrative About the Crises Around Trump
New York Times – Jeremy Peters | Published: 5/17/2017

As Americans process a dizzying week of damning revelations about President Trump, he has found shelter on the right, where the collective judgment of the conservative media and the Republican Party so far seems to be to shift the blame and change the subject. His most fervent supporters are building alternative narratives to run alongside the “mainstream media” account, from relatively benign diversions to more bizarre conspiracies. For many Trump loyalists, the issue is not whether his presidency is messy and chaotic and dysfunctional; the more relevant question is whether they see anyone else who is equipped to change Washington in the way Trump promised he would.

What Is Obstruction of Justice? An Often-Murky Crime, Explained
New York Times – Charlie Savage | Published: 5/16/2017

The report that President Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has sparked charges that Trump is obstructing justice. Several federal statutes criminalize actions that impede official investigations. While some examples of illegal ways to thwart the justice system are specific, like destroying evidence, the law also includes broad, catchall prohibitions. Could that cover asking the FBI director to drop part of an investigation, and later firing him?

From the States and Municipalities:

California – Mayor’s Top Aide Got Married at Bayfront Estate of Developer and SoccerCity Supporter
San Diego Union-Tribune – Jeff McDonald | Published: 5/12/2017

Stephen Puetz, chief of staff to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, took his wedding vows at a private home owned by developer Morgan Dene Oliver, who advocating for the SoccerCity plan for the city-owned Qualcomm Stadium property. Puetz said he received no special treatment from Oliver. As soon as he was offered use of the estate, he said, he contacted the city Ethics Commission to see how he could best meet the conflict-of-interest rules. Puetz said he and his wife, former council aide and registered lobbyist Diana Palacios, paid for the wedding themselves, including a reasonable fee to Oliver for use of the property.

Massachusetts – City Council Debates Level of Transparency in Lobbying Act
Spare Change News – Beth Treffeisen | Published: 5/15/2017

The Boston City Council held a hearing to discuss Mayor Martin Walsh’s re-filing of the proposed home rule petition on lobbying. At the hearing, questions soon arose on whether this draft is what would work best for the city. In its current form, the petition is modeled after existing lobbying regulations at the state-level, but also goes beyond the state’s framework by covering communications not only with elected officials but also with all city employees at all levels of municipal government.

Missouri – Greitens Fails to Meet Promises on Ethics Laws
Southeast Missourian – Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) | Published: 5/15/2017

Bills to strengthen state ethics laws, a campaign pledge of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, languished and failed to make it to his desk before lawmakers adjourned the 2017 legislative session. While Greitens said he “set the example on ethics” by enacting lobbyist-gift and revolving-door bans in the executive branch, lawmakers said a not-for-profit with secret donors that promotes his agenda helped undermine his policy proposals in the Legislature.

Montana – New Commissioner Takes Over at Political Practices Office
U.S. News & World Report – Matt Volz (Associated Press) | Published: 5/15/2017

Jeff Mangan has taken over as Montana’s commissioner of political practices, succeeding Jonathan Motl. The office is a political hot seat by nature of its role as the independent overseer of the campaign activities of the state’s elected officials. Allegations of partisan bias tend to dog the commissioner, who is appointed by the governor and must be confirmed by the Senate. As a result, the commissioner’s office has seen frequent turnover – Mangan will be the fifth person to hold the office since Dennis Unsworth in 2010, and he is the first in that time to be confirmed to a full six-year term.

New Hampshire – N.H. Ethics Committee Has Fielded Dozens of Complaints, But Issued No Violations
New Hampshire Public Radio – Casey McDermott | Published: 5/15/2017

The Executive Branch Ethics Committee has spent much of the last decade maintaining a remarkably low profile – it has never held a public hearing on a complaint or recommended any penalties against public officials accused of ethics breaches. From the beginning, this seven-member panel was designed to serve as a resource and a kind of conscience-check for state officials. On that end, it has published dozens of advisory opinions, but the committee was also supposed to be a place where the public could turn when they thought executive branch officials were breaking the rules.

New Jersey – ‘P.S.: One of the ring leaders works in your bank!’: Is this congressman’s fundraising letter a threat?
Washington Post – Amber Phillips | Published: 5/15/2017

In a hand-written note, U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen outed a member of an activist group opposing the incumbent Republican to her employer. Saily Avelenda was still a senior vice president and assistant general counsel at Lakeland Bank in March when Frelinghuysen sent a fundraising letter to a member of the bank’s board of directors informing him that Avelenda was one of the “ringleaders” of NJ 11th for Change. The group formed in response to the election of President Trump and has been pressuring Frelinghuysen to meet with constituents in his district and to oppose Trump’s agenda. Avelenda subsequently resigned from her position at the bank.

North Carolina – Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case
New York Times – Adam Liptak and Michael Wines | Published: 5/15/2017

The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a decision that found North Carolina’s 2013 voting law discriminated against African American voters. A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit had found in 2016 that North Carolina legislators had acted “with almost surgical precision” to blunt the influence of African American voters. Last summer, the Supreme Court had divided evenly on whether the law could be used in last fall’s election while the appeals continued. As is the court’s custom, the justices gave no reason for declining to hear the case. But Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement noting there was a dispute about who represented the state in the case and nothing should be read into the court’s decision to decline to hear it.

South Carolina – State Rep. Rick Quinn Indicted by State Grand Jury
Charleston Post & Courier – Glenn Smith | Published: 5/16/2017

State Rep. Rick Quinn is the fourth South Carolina legislator charged as part of a corruption probe. A grand jury indicted Quinn on two counts of misconduct in office. He is accused of using campaign donations for personal profit. Quinn is the son of veteran strategist Richard Quinn, who owns marketing and political consulting firms. Rick Quinn, also a campaign consultant, owns a direct-mail business. The Quinns have said they keep their firms separate, but the indictments allege Rep. Quinn has an economic interest in all of them. Quinn’s father has not been charged. But the millions of dollars the Quinn firms have collected and spent on clients’ behalf have been a central part of the inquiry.

Vermont – Vt. Political Ethics Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk
Burlington Free Press – April McCullum | Published: 5/11/2017

A bill passed by Vermont lawmakers sets up a state ethics commission in 2018 with a part-time executive director that would review complaints, but would have no investigative or enforcement authority. The commission would also create a state ethics code. The bill also limits lawmakers and government officials from lobbying immediately after they leave office. Individuals who give campaign contributions to a candidate would have to wait one year before that politician’s office could consider them for a no-bid state contract over $50,000.

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

“Trump’s Pick for a Top Interior Post Has Sued the Agency on Behalf of Powerful California Water Interests” by Bettina Boxall for Los Angeles Times

Campaign Finance

Colorado: “Another Colorado ‘Social Welfare’ Nonprofit Just Got Fined for Improperly Playing in Elections” by Corey Hutchins for Colorado Independent

North Carolina: “Former Lawmaker Who Misspent Campaign Funds Gets 8 Months in Prison” by Anne Blythe for Raleigh News & Observer

Texas: “Pool Proposes Campaign Finance Rule Changes” by Jo Clifton for Austin Monitor

Ethics

“Deputy Attorney General Appoints Special Counsel to Oversee Probe of Russian Interference in Election” by Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, and Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post

“The Right Builds an Alternative Narrative About the Crises Around Trump” by Jeremy Peters for New York Times

“What Is Obstruction of Justice? An Often-Murky Crime, Explained” by Charlie Savage for New York Times

Canada: “Trudeau Recuses Himself from Appointing New Federal Ethics Watchdog” by The Canadian Press for Toronto Star

Washington: “Seattle Ethics Panel Says No to Legal Fund for Ed Murray” by Daniel Beekman for Seattle Times

Elections

New York: “Winner of Vote for ‘I Voted’ Stickers Is Underground Art” by Andy Newman for New York Times

Lobbying

Massachusetts: “City Council Debates Level of Transparency in Lobbying Act” by Beth Treffeisen for Spare Change News

Campaign Finance

California: “California Ethics Watchdog Nabs Its Former Leader” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

Ethics

“Comey Memo Says Trump Asked Him to End Flynn Investigation” by Michael Schmidt for New York Times

“At Mar-a-Lago, the Star Power of the Presidency Helps Charities – and Trump – Make More Money” by Drew Harwell and David Fahrenthold for Washington Post

Montana: “New Commissioner Takes Over at Political Practices Office” by Matt Volz (Associated Press) for U.S. News & World Report

New Hampshire: “N.H. Ethics Committee Has Fielded Dozens of Complaints, But Issued No Violations” by Casey McDermott for New Hampshire Public Radio

New Jersey: “‘P.S.: One of the ring leaders works in your bank!’: Is this congressman’s fundraising letter a threat?” by Amber Phillips for Washington Post

West Virginia: “State Rep. Rick Quinn Indicted by State Grand Jury” by Glenn Smith for Charleston Post & Courier

Vermont: “Vt. Political Ethics Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk” by April McCullum for Burlington Free Press

Elections

North Carolina: “Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case” by Adam Liptak and Michael Wines for New York Times

Jeff Mangan, a former Democratic State Legislator, took over Monday as Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices. Mangan, the fifth to hold the title in 7 years, was sworn into a six-year term taking over for former Commissioner Jonathon Motl.

Commissioner Mangan commenced work immediately, stating he would begin writing decisions on pending campaign complaints as soon as he was sworn in.

Unlike many Republican lawmakers who characterize Motl’s tenure in the Office as unfairly partisan, Mangan believes the framework established over the last four years left the office in good shape.

Elections

“Young Black Democrats, Eager to Lead from the Left, Eye Runs in 2018” by Alexander Burns for New York Times

Ethics

“Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information to Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador” by Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe for Washington Post

“How Trump Gets His Fake News” by Shane Goldmacher for Politico

“Under Trump, Inconvenient Data Is Being Sidelined” by Juliet Eilperin for Washington Post

“Reckless Stock Trading Leaves Congress Rife with Conflicts” by Maggie Severns for Politico

Missouri: “Greitens Fails to Meet Promises on Ethics Laws” by Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) for Southeast Missourian

New York: “Joseph Ponte to Resign as New York City Jails Chief” by Michael Schwirtz and William Rashbaum for New York Times

South Carolina: “South Carolina Consulting Firm’s ‘Tentacles’ Have Created an ‘Unprecedented’ Political Power Structure” by Andy Shain, Glenn Smith, and Andrew Brown for Charleston Post and Courier

Lobbying

California: “Mayor’s Top Aide Got Married at Bayfront Estate of Developer and SoccerCity Supporter” by Kevin McDonald for San Diego Union-Tribune

Texas: “State Fraud Investigator Forced to Resign Over Ties to Iraqi Government Lobbying” by Edgar Walters for Texas Tribune