September 4, 2012 •
Iowa Revises Rules on Campaign Donations from Trusts
Anonymous donations no longer allowed
The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board 
issued an advisory opinion clarifying the disclosure rules a trust must follow when making a political contribution.
If a trust raises or spends more than $750 for campaign activities, it will have to register with the ethics board as a political committee.
As a political committee, the trust will have to file periodic reports with the board and will also have to identify the name of the trust, the trustee, and the trustor.
The committee that receives the contribution will also to have to disclose the trust, trustee, and trustor on its disclosure report.
The opinion also restricts prohibited contributors, such as corporations, insurance companies, or banks, from giving money or anything of value to a trust that makes campaign contributions.
The advisory opinion was in response to a 2002 advisory opinion which incorrectly allowed trusts to anonymously give money to political committees for the past 10 years.
August 31, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 31, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Voters Still Tuned in to Traditional News Media, Poll Finds
Federal:
Four-Day Political Conventions Could Be a Thing of the Past
GOP Plank in 2012 Platform Wants to Leave Campaign Spending Alone
From the States and Municipalities:
California
California Lawmakers Say ‘No Gifts, Please’ But Accept Them Anyway
Colorado
Court Rules against Gessler in Campaign Change
District of Columbia
New D.C. Campaign Finance Reform Would Ban Lobbyist Bundling
Iowa
Trust Donation Rules Spelled Out
New York
Lawmaker-Lobby Guidelines Emerge
South Carolina
Former South Carolina Governor Confirms Engagement to Argentine Ex-Mistress
Texas
Court Blocks Texas Voter ID Law, Citing Racial Impact
Washington
Campaign Finance Watchdog: Churches can’t be intermediary for gay marriage referendum money
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 30, 2012 •
Campaign Finance and Ethics in the News
Keep up with the latest news with these campaign finance, ethics, and social media articles:
Campaign Finance
“Obama calls for constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United” by Byron Tau in Politico.
New York: “Candidates who didn’t file financial disclosure listed here” by Rick Karlin in Capitol Confidential.
Ethics
South Carolina: “‘Unusual alliance’ calls for tougher state ethics laws” by Andrew Shain in The State.
Social Media
“Answers from Barack Obama’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit” by Micah L. Sifry on TechPresident.
“Obama vows to fight for Internet freedom on Reddit” by Joseph Marks in NextGov.
“Welcome to Excellence in Government Online” by Bryan Klopack in Government Executive.
August 29, 2012 •
Wednesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Also government ethics, redistricting, and social media
Lobbying
“The Art of Going Corporate at Political Conventions” by Diane Brady in Bloomberg Business Week.
“K Street preps for Hurricane Isaac” by Dave Levinthal in Politico.
“Lobbyists, businesses pamper New Jersey delegates with food, parties” by Melissa Hayes in The Record.
District of Columbia: “New D.C. Campaign Finance Reform Would Ban Lobbyist Bundling” in the Blog of the Legal Times.
New York: “Lawmaker-lobby guidelines emerge” by Rick Karlin in the Albany Times Union.
Ottawa, Canada: “New lobby registry looks easy as pie” by Joanne Chianello in the Ottawa Citizen.
Campaign Finance
California: “Unleashing the Campaign Contributions of Corporations” by Eduardo Porter in The New York Times.
Pennsylvania: “With money to burn, Fitzpatrick won’t limit spending” by Gary Weckselblatt in The Intelligencer.
Washington: “Churches can’t be intermediary for gay-marriage law donations, watchdog says” by Rachel La Corte (Associated Press) in The Olympian.
Ethics
Illinois: “Emanuel appointees propose more oversight on ethics” by Hal Dardick in the Chicago Tribune.
New York: “NY ethics board hires another Cuomo aide” by The Associated Press in the Utica Observer Dispatch.
New York: “Silver’s Sexual-Harassment Payout May Get New York Ethics Review” by Freeman Klopott in Bloomberg Business Week.
New York: “New York Can’t Escape Corruption as Senator Huntley Indicted” by Freeman Klopott and David McLaughlin (Bloomberg) in the San Francisco Chronicle.
North Carolina: “Dalton rolls out ethics package, term limits” by Travis Fain in the Greensboro News and Record.
Utah: “Utah cities, counties, guv preparing for new ethics commission law” by Cathy McKitrick in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Redistricting
Arizona: “Ariz. GOP: Redistricting commission’s existence illegal” by Howard Fischer in East Valley Tribune.
Texas: “Texas redistricting plan ruled illegal” by Gary Martin and Gary Scharrer in the San Antonio Express-News.
Social Media
“Ann Romney Was Most-Searched, Most-Tweeted Tuesday Night Speaker” by Alex Fitzpatrick in Mashable.
August 27, 2012 •
Monday News Roundup
Here are the latest campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics articles to start your week:
Campaign Finance
Tennessee: “TN nears record for political donations” by Paul C. Barton in The Tennessean.
“Obama Outpaces Romney in Small-Dollar Donations” by Jonathan D. Salant in Bloomberg Business Week.
“Super PACs see GOP convention in Tampa as a fundraising opportunity” by Chris Moody in Yahoo News.
“Convention Contributions Down and More Discreet” by Janie Lorber in Roll Call.
“Romney ‘absolutely’ would return to public funding in ’16” by Darren Samuelsohn in Politico.
Lobbying
California: “20 California lawmakers accepted gifts despite ‘no-gift’ signs” by The Associated Press in the Mercury News.
New York: “Opponent hints McDonald is lobbyist” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.
“The 10 Lobbying Firms That Rake In The Most Money” by Abby Rogers in Business Insider.
“Convention is not siren call for K Street firms” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Ethics
“N.Y Can’t Escape Corruption as Senator Says She’ll Be Arrested” by Freeman Klopott and David McLaughlin in Bloomberg News.
August 24, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 24, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Skinny-Dipping in Israel Casts Unwanted Spotlight on Congressional Travel
Text ‘GIVE’ to Obama: President’s campaign launches cell phone donation drive
Twitter’s Role in the Upcoming Conventions
From the States and Municipalities:
California
Higher Lobbyist Fees Approved to Fix Campaign Finance Database
California
San Bernardino County: Contribution limits approved
Florida
Campaign Vendors Say Republican Congressman David Rivera Funded Democrat’s Failed Primary Bid
Illinois
Illinois House Expels Rep. Derrick Smith over Bribery Charge
Minnesota
Donor against Marriage Amendment Will Remain Unnamed
Missouri
Akin Says He’ll Stay in Senate Race, Heightening Tension within GOP
New Hampshire
Most Campaign Money Remains Hidden in New Hampshire
New York
Gifts End in $1.7 Million Deal
North Carolina
Despite Laws, NC Legislators Still Ask Lobbyists for Money
Oregon
Oregon Political Social Scene a Thing of the Past
Pennsylvania
Report Faults Ethics Board: Small staff and lack of authority cited
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 22, 2012 •
New Vendor Rules Possible for HISD
Ethics Rules
Trustees of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) hope to change ethics rules involving vendor contracting.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the new rules would require trustees to disclose relationships with vendors, prohibit trustees from voting on contracts where a vendor contributed $500 or more to a trustee’s political campaign, and prohibit vendors’ contributions while bidding for HISD contracts.
Last October, similar ethics changes were discussed but not implemented by HISD. The trustees are expected to vote on new policies in September.
August 22, 2012 •
Wednesday News Roundup
Today, we have lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and redistricting news from around the country:
Lobbying
California: “Bill raises fees on lobbyists to fund disclosure” by The Associated Press in the Mercury News.
North Carolina: “Despite laws, NC legislators still ask lobbyists for money” by Laura Leslie in WRAL.com.
South Carolina: “SC: Top-paid State House lobbyist earns $673K” by Eric K. Ward in Watchdog.org.
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “State Sen. Gould: No improper campaign spending” by Rebekah L. Sanders in the Arizona Republic.
Ethics
Kansas: “Kansas lawmakers unwittingly broke open meetings law” by Brad Cooper in the Kansas City Star.
North Dakota: “Legislators to create code of conduct after North Dakota named ‘most corrupt state’” by Wendy Reuer in InForum.
South Carolina: “Haley, Wilson unveiling ethics reform package” by The Associated Press in the Greenville News.
Redistricting
“2012 Pre-election Turnover is Typical for a Redistricting Year” by Karl Kurtz in NCSL’s The Thicket blog.
Montana: “Commission wraps up proposal for new Montana House districts” by Mike Dennison in the Missoulian.
August 20, 2012 •
Monday News Roundup
Here are the latest lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics articles to start your week:
Lobbying
“Lawmakers Rack Up Hefty Bills Wining and Dining Donors” by Emily Cahn in Roll Call.
“Here’s How Wall Street Finds Out Exactly What’s Going On In Congress All The Time” by Linette Lopez in Business Insider.
Campaign Finance
“Can the super-rich buy American elections?” by Mark Colvin on ABC News.
“From Citizens United to Super PACs: A Campaign Finance Reading Guide” by Amanda Zamora in ProPublica.
“Non-profits outspending Super PACs” by Alicia Budich, Robert Hendin in CBS News’ Face the Nation.
Ethics
Pennsylvania: “Report faults ethics board: Small staff and lack of authority cited” by Melissa Daniels in the Tribune-Democrat.
August 17, 2012 •
Text Message Campaign Donations and Other Government Relations News
Let’s wrap up the week with the very latest campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics news!
Campaign Finance
“Text Message Donations Good for Democracy, Risky for Privacy” by Rachel Levinson-Waldman in Wired.
“In Win for Wireless Industry, FEC Clarifies Rules for Texting Campaign Contributions” by Jenna Greene in The Blog of Legal Times.
Louisiana: “Ethics board reviewing campaign finance rules” by The Associated Press in the Daily Comet.
Tennessee: “TN election finance board investigates donor, PAC contributions” by The Associated Press in the Tennessean.
Lobbying
“Wall Street Lobbying Efforts Reach $4.2 Billion Since 2006, Or $1,331 A Minute, Report States” by Nick Wing in the Huffington Post.
Florida: “In session or out, lobbying remains a big business” by Bill Cotterrell in the Florida Current.
New York: “Lobby ban snags offer of free work” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.
Pennsylvania: “State spends less on federal lobbying but still leads the nation” by Melissa Daniels in the Daily Local News.
Ethics
California: “Bill to limit gifts to California lawmakers dies a quiet death” by Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee.
Georgia: “Sen. Balfour to pay $5,000 to settle ethics case” by Ray Henry (Associated Press) in the San Francisco Chronicle.
August 17, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 17, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Nonpartisan Groups Defend Neutrality in Harsh Climate
Tea Party Evolves, Achieves State Policy Victories
Federal:
Ethics Watchdogs Planning to Crash Convention Parties
Rentals Mean Quick Cash during Conventions
U.S. Regulators Clear Hurdle for Political Text Message Donations
From the States and Municipalities:
California
Bill to Limit Gifts to California Lawmakers Dies a Quiet Death
Colorado
Judge Rejects Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s Changes
Delaware
Delaware Governor Signs Campaign Finance Reform, Transparency Bills
Georgia
Ralston to Propose Total Lobbyist Gift Ban
Georgia
Sen. Balfour Agrees to Fine, Will Make Restitution
Minnesota
Top State Court Rules Campaign Finance Laws Apply to Schools
Ohio
Statehouse Office Served Conservative Group in Linking Ohio Legislators, Corporate Lobbyists
Pennsylvania
Pa. Voter ID Law Gets Approval of State Judge
Texas
Capitol Visitors Have New Speedy Option
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 15, 2012 •
Wednesday News Roundup
Keep up with the latest lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics news with these articles:
Lobbying
“Ethics Watchdogs Planning to Crash Convention Parties” by Elizabeth Flock in U.S. News and World Report.
“Conservative lobby group’s guard shot in D.C.” by The Associated Press on CBS News.
Alabama: “Former lobbyist Jimmie Clements convicted in two-year college corruption case” by Jeremy Gray in the Birmingham News.
Maryland: “Last-minute lobbying intense for gambling expansion” by Earl Kelly in the Capital Gazette.
Campaign Finance
“Romney campaign bars press from Adelson, Ryan ‘finance meeting’” by Justin Sink in The Hill.
New Mexico: “State Senate Dems launch PACs” by The Associated Press in the Santa Fe New Mexican.
West Virginia: “Lawsuit Filed Against Campaign Finance Pilot Program” on WDTV.com.
Ethics
New York: “State pols can’t accept US Open freebies, ethics panel rules” by Sally Goldenberg in the New York Post.
August 13, 2012 •
Mayor of Concord Wants Ethics Ordinance Reviewed
Board of Ethics
Concord, New Hampshire Mayor Jim Bouley is calling for a review of the city’s ethics ordinance enacted just last year.
According to the Concorde Monitor, the mayor has requested the city council ask the Board of Ethics to assess the ordinance to “ensure a fair and efficient review of ethics complaints.” Two complaints filed against the mayor were recently dismissed by the board.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for tonight.
August 10, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 10, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Jack Abramoff Urges Ethics Reform in NCSL Speech
Policing the Politicians; State Ethics Commissions Lack Muscle
Federal:
Is Your Neighbor a Democrat? A New App Can Tell You
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Judge Sentences Siegelman to 78 Months in Prison in Corruption Case
Arkansas
Arkansas State Police Set Policy for Troopers Working College Sports Events
District of Columbia
Petition to Vote on Banning Corporate Political Donations Fails
Florida
Judge Voids Florida Limit on Minors’ Campaign Giving
Missouri
Missouri Lawmakers Keep Reeling in Gifts from Lobbyists
Nebraska
Supreme Court Overturns Campaign Finance Law
New York
Board Accused of Shielding Donors
Ohio
Ohioans to Vote on Drawing Political Maps
South Carolina
Ethics Reform Effort Faces Uphill Fight in S.C.
Virginia
A Facebook Court Battle: Is ‘liking’ something protected free speech?
Washington
Public Disclosure Commission Keeps Working to Inform Voters
West Virginia
Federal Judge Blocks W.Va. Cap on PAC Contributions Pending Legal Challenge
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.
