Denver City Council approved a bill this week amending the city’s lobbying ordinance. Council Bill No. CB16-0920 narrows the definition of lobbying and changes registration and reporting requirements.

Lobbying no longer includes appearances to give public testimony at council hearings or at the request of public officials or employees. Additionally, instead of renewing a registration each year on the registrant’s anniversary date, every lobbyist will be required to renew his or her registration annually by January 15.

Lobbyists are also now required to file bi-monthly reports. Such reports must include an itemized list and the estimated value of all gifts, entertainment, and direct or indirect expenditures to, on behalf of, or benefiting a covered official for lobbying purposes. The changes are effective immediately.

Lobbying

Florida: “Ron Book Is Big Winner in Local Government Lobbying Contracts” by Steve Bousquet for Miami Herald

Indiana: “State Senator Introduces Ethics Bill to Ban All Gifts from Lobbyists” by Bob Segall for WTHR

Campaign Finance

“Rep. Duncan Hunter’s Team Responds to Uproar Over Rabbit Expenses” by Michael Walsh for Yahoo News

Ethics

“Trump’s Agenda Would Boost His Bottom Line” by Darren Samuelsohn for Politico

Montana: “Montana Fails to Retain Decades of Emails Despite Open Government Law” by Jayme Fraser for The Missoulian

Oregon: “Two of Kate Brown’s Staffers Resign Following Conflict of Interest Questions” by Hillary Borrud for The Oregonian

South Carolina: “South Carolina’s Pending Ethics Commission Isn’t All That Independent, Experts Say” by Maya Prabhu for The Post and Courier

Elections

“It Started with a Retiree. Now the Women’s March Could Be the Biggest Inauguration Demonstration.” by Ben Stein and Sandhya Somashekhar for The Washington Post

Virginia: “The GOP Race for Lieutenant Governor Is Getting Ugly in Virginia” by Laura Vozzella for The Washington Post

Wisconsin: “One Person, One Algorithm, One Vote: Campaigns are doing more with data, for better or worse” by Katelyn Farrell for The Capital Times

Legislative Issues

Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania House Revises Rules for Expelling Members” by Karen Langley for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lobbying

Maryland: “Interim City Solicitor Pays Rent to Powerful Lobbyist’s Firm” by Doug Donovan for Baltimore Sun

Nevada: “Nevada High School Students Learn the Legislative Ropes and Pass Real Laws” by Sandra Chereb for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Campaign Finance

California: “Political Donations Flow as Rick Caruso Seeks Approval for a 20-Story Tower Near the Beverly Center” by David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times

Ethics

“House GOP Reverses Course on Gutting Ethics Panel” by Rachel Bade for Politico

Indiana: “Critics Want Tighter Restrictions on Post-Legislative Work” by Hayleigh Colombo for Indianapolis Business Journal

Montana: “Political Practices Commissioner to Remain in Office for Now” by Matt Volz (Associated Press) for The Missoulian

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma House Has Sketchy Recent History with Policing Its Own” by Barbara Hoberock for Tulsa World

Texas: “Senator Goes for Low-Hanging Fruit in Ethics Reform” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune

Elections

Minnesota: “In Minneapolis City Council Races, So Far There’s Left, and Further Left” by Adam Betz for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Legislative Issues

Maine: “1-Sentence Draft Bills Criticized for Lack of Transparency” by Marina Villeneuve (Associated Press) for Fairfield Citizen

Following a rebuke in a series of tweets from President-elect Donald J. Trump and negative public reaction, the vote yesterday by the House Republican Conference to weaken the Office of Congressional Ethics has been reversed.

This morning Trump tweeted, “With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS.” The hashtag #DTS is recognized to stand for the term “drain the swamp.”

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy offered a motion to restore the current OCE rules, which was accepted by the conference, according to Politico. Republicans planned to replace the Office of Congressional Ethics with a standing committee called the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, which would report to the House Ethics Committee. The resolution put forward by Republicans would have limited the power of investigation and the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics.

On January 1, the Rhode Island Lobbying Reform Act took effect. The Act repeals the lobbying laws in Title 22 and Title 42 in the state’s statutes and enacts a new consolidated code section covering both the legislative and executive branches of government.

Among the changes in the new law are the simplification of lobbyists’ reporting requirements, an increase in penalties for failing to comply with lobbying requirements, and the allowance for more investigative and administrative authority for enforcing the lobbying laws, including administrative subpoena power.

On January 1, new changes to regulations concerning gifts for federal employees took effect.

Among the changes the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) made to the federal regulations include a non-binding recommendation employees “consider declining otherwise permissible gifts if they believe that a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts would question the employee’s integrity or impartiality as a result of accepting the gift.”

Additionally, federal officials who are required to be granted permission to attend “widely attended events” must now seek the permission in writing.

The $20 threshold for accepting a gift remains the same.

Today, the United States House of Representatives may vote to replace the Office of Congressional Ethics with a standing committee called the Office of Congressional Complaint Review, which would report to the House Ethics Committee. On January 2, the House Republican Conference voted to submit the change, over the objections of Speaker Paul Ryan, according to the New York Times.

The resolution put forward by Republicans specifically limits the power of investigation and the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics. The resolution will be considered today when the representatives vote on their House Rules. The Office of Congressional Ethics was created in 2008 in response to various corruption scandals, including those involving Jack Abramoff, a former lobbyist convicted of conspiracy and wire fraud.

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “Missouri Campaign Contribution Limits Remain in Place After Latest Hearing” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

New York: “Why Developers of Manhattan Luxury Towers Give Millions to Upstate Candidates” by Cezary Podkul and Derek Kravitz (ProPublica), and Will Parker (The Real Deal) for ProPublica.org

Ethics

“With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Gut Independent Ethics Office” by Eric Lipton for The New York Times

“Advertising’s Moral Struggle: Is online reach worth the hurt?” by Sapna Maheshwari for The New York Times

“The Enemy Within: Bribes bore a hole in the U.S. border” by Ron Nixon for The New York Times

Alabama: “After Release from Prison, Former Alabama Rep. Terry Spicer Lands Another State Job” by Jim Cook for Dothan Eagle

Connecticut: “Ethics Opinion: Aresimowicz can be House speaker, union staffer” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

New York: “How Cuomo’s Signature Economic Growth Project Fell Apart in Utica” by Vivian Yee for The New York Times

Elections

“David Fahrenthold Tells the Behind-the-Scenes Story of His Year Covering Trump” by David Fahrenthold for The Washington Post

North Carolina: “Judge Puts NC GOP Elections Board Makeover on Hold after Roy Cooper Sues” by Anne Blythe and Colin Campbell for Raleigh News & Observer

Today, Governor-elect Roy Cooper filed a legal challenge against Senate Bill 4. Wake County Superior Court Judge Donald Stephens agreed to block the law from taking effect while the lawsuit is pending.

Senate Bill 4 would have taken effect January 1, 2017, to merge the State Board of Elections with the State Ethics Commission and create a new eight-member board split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. The bill was passed by a Republican dominated legislature in an attempt to limit the power of the executive branch before newly elected Democrats take power.

This month, the Texas Ethics Commission adopted a new rule adjusting the compensation and reimbursement threshold for lobbyists.

The new rule eliminates an exception not requiring a person to register as a lobbyist if he or she lobbied no more than five percent of his or her compensated time during a calendar quarter. Under the new rule exception, a person is not required to register as a lobbyist if the person spends not more than 40 hours during a calendar quarter engaging in lobbying activity for which the person is compensated or reimbursed.Time spent on preparatory activity is included in determining whether the 40-hour threshold has been met.

This rule goes into effect January 1, 2017.

National:

When One Party Has the Governor’s Mansion and the Other Has the Statehouse
New York Times – Trip Gabriel | Published: 12/26/2016

Governors outgunned by veto-proof majorities in their Legislatures have successfully used the bully pulpit of their office, going over the heads of part-time lawmakers to directly appeal to citizens. Other times, governors have profited from a basic law of politics: they are usually more popular than legislative bodies, whose job favorability is little higher than that of perpetrators of Ponzi schemes. And governors in control of the bureaucracy of the executive branch have found that, like President Obama in the face of congressional obstruction, they can pull the levers of executive action to advance an agenda.

Wielding Claims of ‘Fake News,’ Conservatives Take Aim at Mainstream Media
New York Times – Jeremy Peters | Published: 12/25/2016

Until now, the term “fake news” had been understood to refer to fabricated news accounts that are meant to spread virally online. But conservative cable and radio personalities, top Republicans, and President-elect Donald Trump, incredulous about suggestions that fake stories may have helped swing the election, have appropriated the term and turned it against any news they see as hostile to their agenda. In defining “fake news” so broadly and seeking to dilute its meaning, they are capitalizing on the declining credibility of all purveyors of information. And conservatives, seeing an opening to undermine the mainstream media, a longtime foe, are more than happy to dig the hole deeper.

Federal:

Donald Trump Plans to Shut Down His Charitable Foundation, Which Has Been Under Scrutiny for Months
Washington Post – Mark Berman and David Fahrenthold | Published: 12/24/2016

President-elect Donald Trump announced he intends to dissolve his charitable foundation, his latest move aimed at settling ethical conflicts that have already dogged the incoming administration. The Donald J. Trump Foundation has come under scrutiny this year after a series of news reports detailing its practices, including cases in which Trump apparently used the charity’s money to settle lawsuits involving his for-profit businesses. New York’s attorney general has been investigating the charity after some of these reports, and a spokesperson for that office said the foundation could not officially shut down until that probe is over.

Inside the Trump Organization, the Company That Has Run Trump’s Big World
New York Times – Megan Twohey, Russ Buettner, and Steve Eder | Published: 12/25/2016

With entanglements around the world, many packaged in a network of licensing agreements and limited liability companies, the Trump Organization poses a raft of potential conflicts for a president-elect who has long exerted tight control over his business. Donald Trump, owner of all but the smallest sliver of the privately held company, has said while the law does not require it, he is formulating plans to remove himself from the company’s operations. But amid rising pressure, Trump and his advisers have been debating further steps. Yet an examination of the company underscores the challenges of taking Donald Trump out of the picture. His company is a distinctly family business fortified with longtime loyalists that operates less on standardized procedures and more on a culture of its leader.

Navy Repeatedly Dismissed Evidence That ‘Fat Leonard’ Was Cheating the 7th Fleet
Washington Post – Craig Whitlock | Published: 12/27/2016

The Navy allowed the worst corruption scandal in its history to fester for several years by dismissing evidence that a Singapore-based contractor, Leonard Francis, was cheating the service out of millions of dollars and bribing officers with alcohol, prostitutes, and lavish dinners. Staffers at U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters were so worried about the potential for trouble that they drafted a new ethics policy to discourage Navy personnel from accepting favors from Francis. But their effort was blocked for more than two years by admirals who were friendly with the contractor. It took officials years to gather enough evidence to charge Francis and arrest him. He has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Navy of $35 million.

U.S. Punishes Russia for Election Hacking, Ejecting Operatives
New York Times – David Sanger | Published: 12/29/2016

The Obama administration announced new measures in retaliation for what officials have characterized as Russian interference in American elections, ordering the removal of 35 Russian government officials from the U.S. and sanctioning agencies and individuals tied to the hacks. The announcement culminates a debate over whether and how to respond to Russia’s unprecedented election-year provocations, ranging from the hacks of the Democratic National Committee to the targeting of state electoral systems. President-elect Donald Trump suggested the U.S. should drop its effort to retaliate against Russia, and cast doubt on intelligence agencies’ conclusion that Russia was behind the hacks.

From the States and Municipalities:

California
How to Influence the California Legislature? New Spending Details Revealed
Sacramento Bee – Taryn Luna and Jim Miller | Published: 12/28/2016

The third quarter of 2016, which included the end of the legislative session, was so important that companies, unions, trade associations, and other groups paid $84.4 million to lobby California officials on bills and regulations during the three-month period. Much as campaigns for candidates seek to win over voters, the disclosure filings underline the extent to which special-interest groups employ some of the same resources to make their cases to lawmakers and state officials. They also for the first time provide details about which political consultants, public-relations experts, advertising firms, and other non-lobbyist advocates are being paid to influence policy.

California
Santa Clara County Bosses Let Workers Take Toys Meant for Needy Kids
San Jose Mercury News – Ramona Girwagis | Published: 12/23/2016

Expensive toys intended as Christmas presents for poor children were handed out instead to dozens of Santa Clara County employees, and the county executive’s office says they do not need to return them. County employees walking to their cars from work saw the items being unloaded from trucks at the Santa Clara County building as part of a toy drive. County Executive Jeff Smith insisted that county employees who took the toys understood they needed to donate them to a nonprofit or church. But he could provide no documentation that workers were told to donate them. Smith acknowledged the county has no way of knowing whether the employees donated the gifts or kept them for themselves. “Had we realized that this was going on we probably would have organized it differently,” said Steve Preminger, a special assistant to Smith.

Florida
Shining a Light on Lobbyists, New Efforts to Curb Their Influence
Tallahassee Democrat – James Call | Published: 12/18/2016

It is a new era in Washington, D.C. and Tallahassee, and the winners of the November election are imposing new realities on how lobbyists can operate. New lobbyist-disclosure requirements approved by the Florida House aim to reveal how paid advocates and lawmakers interact behind the scenes. The rules place the lobbying corps in a delicate situation. They clearly target their product – influence – yet opposition would alienate House Speaker Richard Corcoran, the official with the ability to see that their bill, amendment, or request never gets heard. Lobbyists said they are figuring out how to navigate the new working conditions.

Missouri
With Greitens’ Blessing, Lawmakers Aim for Lobbyist-Gift Ban
Springfield News-Leader – Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) | Published: 12/25/2016

Maybe this year, with support from Gov.-elect Eric Greitens, Missouri lawmakers will be able to keep lobbyists from giving officeholders expensive dinners or concert tickets. If lawmakers fail to deliver in the 2017 session, it would break a campaign promise from Greitens, who largely focused on how he would tackle corruption in the Capitol, which in recent years has been marred by ethics scandals, and said such a ban is his first goal. It is also among the top priorities for House Speaker Todd Richardson, who said he was personally disappointed when an ethics bills did not pass last session.

New York
De Blasio Signs Measures Limiting Political Contributions
Newsday – Matthew Chayes | Published: 12/22/2016

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed campaign finance reform legislation recently. Included in the bills are limits on contributions by donors with business before the city to elected officials’ political nonprofits, ostensibly aimed at a group like the mayor’s now-defunct Campaign for One New York. Other legislation eliminates public matching funds for contributions bundled by people doing business with the city, limits amounts donated for transition and inauguration activities, and changes eligibility requirements for certain activities like debates.

New York
JCOPE Settles with Firms Caught Up in Skelos, Silver Cases
Albany Times Union – Casey Seiler | Published: 12/28/2016

The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics reached settlements over lobbying violations with companies involved in the corruption cases of former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Glenwood Management will pay a $200,000 fine and Administrators for the Professions will pay $70,000. Glenwood failed to disclose meetings and other lobbying activities before Skelos, and recommended to a company that it hire his son as a consultant. Glenwood also retained a law firm knowing a portion of the fees it paid would be shared with Silver. Administrators for the Professions admitted in the course of lobbying Skelos, it employed his son in an arrangement designed to curry favor with the senator.

New York
NYCLU, ACLU Sue New York Over Ethics Law
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 12/22/2016

A civil liberties group has joined in the call for a federal judge to strike down new donor-disclosure provisions in New York that allegedly stray from their anticorruption goals, hurting the protected speech rights of both nonprofits and donors. The new law mandates the public disclosure of all donors and contributions to a 501(c)(3) in excess of $2,500 whenever that organization makes an “in-kind donation” of over $2,500 to certain 501(c)(4)s engaged in lobbying activity. For 501(c)4 disclosure, the law lowers the threshold from $50,000 to $15,000 in annual lobbying spending. Unless the lawsuits succeed in getting an injunction, the first lobbying reports with the new disclosure requirements are due at the end of January.

Oklahoma
An Oklahoma Newspaper Endorsed Clinton. It Hasn’t Been Forgiven.
New York Times – Manny Fernandez | Published: 12/26/2016

The Enid News & Eagle, a red newspaper in a red county in what is arguably the reddest of states went blue this campaign season and endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. The editorial board wrote that Donald Trump lacked “the skills, experience or temperament to hold office.” It was the first Democratic endorsement for president in the modern history of the newspaper, which was founded in 1893. Enid was stunned, and this slow-paced agricultural town of 52,000 near the Kansas state line has not been the same since. Around the country, as newspapers big and small are struggling to keep subscribers, a handful of papers with conservative editorial boards made news by either endorsing Clinton or urging readers to back anybody but Trump.

South Carolina
Possibility of More S.C. Lawmakers Charged with Corruption Looms
Aiken Standard – Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) | Published: 12/24/2016

Following the 30-count indictment of a former state House majority leader, questions over who else may face corruption charges will loom over South Carolina’s 2017 legislative session. The misconduct and ethics charges against Rep. Jim Merrill, the first since former Speaker Bobby Harrell pleaded guilty and resigned more than two years ago, ended all speculation that lawmakers could breathe easy. And prosecutor David Pascoe made clear he is not done. “This is still an ongoing investigation,” Pascoe said in a recent statement.

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

“Lobbying Is Not Enough to Build Influence Among U.S. Lawmakers” by Michael Gottlieb and Elise Gurney for Harvard Business Review

New York: “JCOPE Settles with Glenwood, Malpractice Insurer Over Lobbying Violations” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

Campaign Finance

Illinois: “Illinois Governor Donates $50M to His 2018 Campaign Fund” by the Associated Press for The New York Times

New Mexico: “Campaign Finance Reform on Agenda Again in NM” by the Associated Press for Las Cruces Sun News

Ethics

“Wielding Claims of ‘Fake News,’ Conservatives Take Aim at Mainstream Media” by Jeremy Peters for The New York Times

“Inside the Trump Organization, the Company That Has Run Trump’s Big World” by Megan Twohey, Russ Buettner, and Steve Eder for The New York Times

“Navy Repeatedly Dismissed Evidence That ‘Fat Leonard’ Was Cheating the 7th Fleet” by Craig Whitlock for The Washington Post

Montana: “Montana Governor, Legislators Condemn Plans for White-Nationalist March” by David Weigel for The Washington Post

New York: “A Song for Bill de Blasio Sounds a Sour Note for Watchdogs” by William Neuman for The New York Times

Ohio: “Company Must Pay $100,000 to Columbus in Red-Light Bribery Scheme” by Earl Rinehart and Rick Rouan for The Columbus Dispatch

Elections

“Trump Inauguration Security Planners Brace for Wave of Protesters” by Nicholas Fandos for The New York Times

Lobbying

Missouri: “With Greitens’ Blessing, Lawmakers Aim for Lobbyist-Gift Ban” by Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) for Springfield News-Leader

New York: “Ex-Prisoners Get an Advocate from Their Own Ranks” by Benjamin Weiser for New York Times

Campaign Finance

“Trump Rewards Big Donors with Jobs and Access” by Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Vermont: “Donovan Taking Hard Look at AG’s Campaign Finance Case” by Morgan True for VTDigger.org

Ethics

“Donald Trump Plans to Shut Down His Charitable Foundation, Which Has Been Under Scrutiny for Months” by Mark Berman and David Fahrenthold for Washington Post

California: “Santa Clara County Bosses Let Workers Take Toys Meant for Needy Kids” by Ramona Girwagis for San Jose Mercury News

Maryland: “Botsaris Appointed Executive Director of Anne Arundel County Ethics Commission” by Amanda Yeager for Capital Gazette

South Carolina: “Possibility of More S.C. Lawmakers Charged with Corruption Looms” by Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) for Aiken Standard

Elections

Oklahoma: “An Oklahoma Newspaper Endorsed Clinton. It Hasn’t Been Forgiven.” by Manny Fernandez for New York Times

Legislative Issues

“Ryan Proposes Fines, Ethics Moves on Grandstanding House Members” by Billy House for Bloomberg.com

North Carolina: “When One Party Has the Governor’s Mansion and the Other Has the Statehouse” by Trip Gabriel for New York Times

Procurement

California: “Bid-Rigging Indictment Alleges California Government Contracting Scheme” by Adam Ashton for Sacramento Bee

Michael Botsaris is the new executive director of the Anne Arundel County Ethics Commission. Botsaris replaces Betsy Dawson, who passed away in August.

County Executive Steve Schuh stated he appointed Botsaris to establish a Republican majority on the commission and match the will of voters who elected mostly Republicans to local public offices.