March 14, 2012 •
Lobbyist Compliance and Other Resources Online
State and Federal Communications, Inc. is your compliance information source for campaign finance, lobbying compliance, procurement, and ethics laws.
Take a tour of our site and click on the “Free Live Online Demo” on the middle of the left column of the home page. You will open a page with three blue links, located in the middle of the page:
•Executive Source Guide on Lobbying Laws
•Executive Source Guide on Political Contributions
•Executive Source Guide on Procurement Lobbying
Click on any one – or all three – to view the state of Alaska compliance information we provide to clients. This comprehensive and vital compliance information is updated continuously.
We have this same online information for all 50 states, the federal government, and 226 municipal and regional governments.
If you would like to view everything we have for online clients, contact us at info@stateandfed.com or 330-761-9960 and ask about our two-week trial. There is no cost for the trial, and you are under no obligation to purchase.
We can think of no better way for you to see the value in our online resources than for you and your team to actually use them for two weeks in your compliance efforts.
March 12, 2012 •
Today’s Campaign Finance and Lobbying News
Super PACs, the revolving door, and Facebook’s lobbying in the news:
Campaign Finance
“The Super PAC Paradox” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.
“The year’s busiest day of campaign fundraising shows how Springfield really works” by Ray Long and Alissa Groeninger in the Chicago Tribune.
“Group to appeal Iowa campaign finance ruling” by The Associated Press in the Globe Gazette.
Lobbying
“Retiring lawmakers openly eye K Street” by Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman in Politico.
“Lobbying pays off big for business” by Toluse Olorunnipa in the Miami Herald.
“Facebook ‘friends’ a new lobby firm” by Rachel Leven in The Hill.
March 12, 2012 •
News You Can Use – March 12, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
One Super PAC Takes Aim at Incumbents of Any Party
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Jury Acquits All Defendants, Including Means, in Gambling Corruption Case
California
Ethics Panel Raises Donation Limits in Municipal Campaigns
California
Trutanich Paid for YouTube Views of D.A. Campaign Videos
Georgia
Some Priorities Fade as Lawmakers Favor Social Issues Ahead of Election Season
Maryland
Bereano’s 1994 Conviction Upheld
Maryland
Leopold Indicted on Charges of Using Police Detail for Political Gain
Missouri
Honor for Rush Limbaugh is Fracas for Missouri
Nevada
Ethics Case Back before Nevada Supreme Court
New Mexico
Newly Elected Sunland Park Mayor to Seek Court Order to Do Job
Oklahoma
Ex-Senator Convicted of Bribery; Co-Defendant Free
Utah
Special Interests Busy Providing Perks to Legislators
West Virginia
W.Va. Ethics Panel Clarifies Cohabitation Law
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.
March 9, 2012 •
Ethics.gov Arrives
The much anticipated government ethics clearing house is here as the White House promised.
The Obama administration has unveiled Ethics.gov, the site that provides sets of data for those interested in White House visitors, data from Lobbying Disclosure Act reports, campaign finance data, travel records of elected officials, and much more.
As part of the larger Data.gov, the new site has a great deal of muscle: “Ethics.Data.gov brings records and data from across the federal government to one central location, making it easier for citizens to hold public officials accountable.”
According to the Ethics.gov site, this is what you’ll find:
“On www.Ethics.gov, the public will be able to find millions of White House Visitor records. You will be able to see agency reports of payments from non-Federal sources for travel to meetings and conferences.
You’ll find records for entities registered with the Federal Election Commission. This includes federal political action committees and party committees, campaign committees for presidential, House and Senate candidates, as well as groups or organizations who are spending money in connection with elections for federal office.
You’ll also find records for each candidate who has either registered with the Federal Election Commission or appeared on a ballot list prepared by a state elections office. This includes contributor information for each contribution of $200 or more from an individual to a federal committee.
Finally, you’ll be able to find lobbying registrations and reports filed under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.”
For a good summary, read “White House Launches Ethics.gov” by Samuel Rubenfeld in The Wall Street Journal.
March 8, 2012 •
Today’s Campaign Finance and Lobbying News Summary
Today we have stories about the FEC, the latest news on the investigation surrounding the D.C. mayor’s 2010 campaign, Super PACs, Super Tuesday, and more:
Campaign Finance
“FEC told to tread carefully with post-Citizens United rule” by Rachel Leven in The Hill.
“FEC moves on outdated rules” by Robin Bravender in Politico.
“DC mayor defends himself amid probe into campaign finance irregularities” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.
Super PACs
“Super PACs Outspent Candidates in Run-Up to Tuesday” by Brody Mullins and Alicia Mundy in The Wall Street Journal.
“Super PACs Could Drive Total 2012 Election Spending to $9.8B” by Cotton Delo in Ad Age.
Lobbying
“Son of legendary lobbyist starts own firm” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Redistricting
“Between the Lines: The Last Two Redistricting Holdouts” by Shira Toeplitz, Abby Livingston, and Joshua Miller in Roll Call.
March 5, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – March 5, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Wealthier People More Likely To Lie or Cheat, Study Says
Federal:
K Street Democrats Warn Clients
Romney and Obama Super-PAC Backers Also Spent Big Dollars on Lobbying
Two Ads Sired Five Years Apart Spark Fight over Election Rules
From the States and Municipalities:
District of Columbia
Elections Board Backs Initiative to Ban Corporate Campaign Giving
Florida
Ethics Commission Votes to Restrict Doling Out of Free Tickets to Politicians
Florida
State Rep. Richard Steinberg Resigns over Stalker-Like Text Messages
Illinois
Relatives of Lobbyists, Campaign Donors Got Lawmakers’ Help to Enter U of I
Maine
Justices Shun Appeal of Group that Fought Maine Gay Marriage
Maryland
Baltimore Co. Public Ethics Law Falls Short of State Standards
Maryland
Garagiola’s Lobbying Work Wasn’t Included on Maryland Ethics Forms from 2001 to 2003
Montana
Judge Blocks More Montana Campaign Finance Laws
New Mexico
Lap-Dance Extortion Details Revealed
Oklahoma
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.
February 27, 2012 •
Free Sporting Tickets Doom Baltimore County’s Ethics Law
Maryland State Ethics Commission finds county law out of compliance
The State Ethics Commission has found the county’s new public ethics law to be below state standards because it allows elected leaders to accept tickets to sporting events from people who do business with the county.
Although state lawmakers are prohibited from free sports tickets, both state and county laws allow lawmakers to accept free admission to charitable, cultural, and political affairs events if the tickets come from the events’ sponsors.
Michael Lord, Executive Director of the commission, notes that the county’s ethics law does not call for disclosure of those tickets, which is required under state rules.
The county has maintained that its ethics laws are among the toughest in the state, but the commission has warned the county that it is not in compliance with a 2010 law that requires local ethics laws to be at least as strong as those state lawmakers must follow.
February 27, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – February 27, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Foster Friess Aspirin Joke Shows Danger to Candidates of Outside Political Groups
Lobbyists Decertify after Obama Ban
From the States and Municipalities:
Arizona
Fiesta Bowl Case: Junker pleads guilty to felony charge
California
Ethics Commission Delays Vote on Raising Contribution Limits
Colorado
Colorado Supreme Court Upholds ‘Magic Words’ Test for Political Spending by 527s
Colorado
Secretary of State Scott Gessler Rewrites Colorado Campaign Finance Rules
Florida
Miami Beach House Rep. Steinberg under Investigation by Feds for Bizarre Texts
Illinois
William Beavers Indicted on Tax Fraud Charges
Indiana
Lawmaker Takes Jab at Girl Scouts
Iowa
Denied Jobs, Blacks in Iowa Test New Bias Theory
Montana
High Court Halts Montana Corporate Spending Ban
New York
Critics Wary of State Elections Panel Plan to Oversee Super PAC Operations
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.
February 23, 2012 •
Maryland’s State Ethics Commission Issues Memorandum
Addresses lobbying and campaign finance
The State Ethics Commission has issued a memorandum concerning provisions of the ethics law relating to regulated lobbyists and campaign finance activities.
State law prohibits a lobbyist or a person acting on behalf of a lobbyist to engage in certain campaign activities including soliciting contributions or forwarding tickets to fundraising events.
The memorandum does not constitute an advisory opinion but addresses common issues and provides approaches for compliance with the technical provisions of the law.
The memorandum is available online here.
February 22, 2012 •
Missouri Ethics Reform, Blagojevich, and More Ethics News
Former Illinois Governor Rod Bagojevich will serve out his sentence in a prison near Denver, Colorado. Ethics reform in Missouri is up in the air, and New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez signed legislation that “could require public officials convicted of corruption-related crimes to give back to the state their salaries and forfeit their accrued state pension benefits.”
Ethics
“Blagojevich to serve sentence at Denver-area prison” by Natasha Korecki in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Missouri: “Mo. lawmaker says waiting for elections could mean better ethics bill” by The Associated Press in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Missouri: “Ethics reform in Missouri appears to be a nonstarter in election year” by Jason Hancock in the Kansas City Star.
New Mexico: “Governor signs bill intended to crack down on corruption within government” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
Government Transparency
South Carolina: “House panel OKs bill setting cost limits on FOIAs” by The Associated Press in the Greenville News.
February 20, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – February 20, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Edwards Treasurer Never Saw 2011 Campaign Reports
Lobbyists Sue Obama Administration after Being Booted from Boards
Most of Romney’s Top Fundraisers Remain Anonymous
From the States and Municipalities:
California
California’s Political Watchdog Panel Eases its Approach to Ethics Issues
District of Columbia
D.C. Official Says Proposed Ballot Initiative Banning Corporate Donations Advances
Florida
Deerfield Beach ‘PAC Man’ Faces 2,052 Counts of Breaking Election Laws
Georgia
Lobbyist Handouts Not Fully Disclosed
Illinois
PAC Sues Over State’s Campaign Finance Law
Illinois
Report: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York most corrupt cities; Louisiana most corrupt per capita
Minnesota
Lobbying Violations Vex Understaffed Minnesota Regulator
Missouri
Missouri Supreme Court Strikes Down Most of Ethics Law
Montana
U.S. Supreme Court Asked to Undo Montana Campaign Money Ban
Vermont
State Sues Dubie and RGA, Alleging 2010 Campaign Collusion
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.
February 16, 2012 •
Campaign Finance and Ethics in Thursday’s News!
Super PACs, a new charge against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Chicago takes first prize in corruption, and a group in Montana takes on that state’s political contribution restrictions:
“Super-PAC craze sweeps the nation” by Rachel Leven in The Hill.
“Feds Add Charge to Former Detroit Mayor Corruption Case” by The Associated Press on Governing.
“Chicago most corrupt city, report shows” by MJ Lee on Politico.
“Group fighting campaign finance laws in 3 courts ask federal judge to undo contribution limits” by Matt Gouras (Associated Press) in The Republic.
February 15, 2012 •
Ethics Rules Enhancements for Louisiana
Governor’s Proposals
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has made legislative proposals to enhance the state’s ethic rules.
In advance of the start of the legislative session next month, the Governor has staked out the areas of Louisiana’s ethic system he believes need the most attention, including making the process of appealing late filing fees unambiguous.
Among his other proposals are making a clearer distinction between the duties and jurisdictions of the Ethics Adjudicatory Board and the Board of Ethics, granting the Board of Ethics some ability to appeal Ethics Adjudicatory Board decisions, and clearly articulating which board is being referenced when a statute merely refers to a ‘board’.
The proposals, included in a press release from the Governor, also include a call for the Ethics Board to suspend the one year dismissal rule in certain circumstances during an investigation of a possible ethics violation.
Photo of the Louisiana State Capitol by Bluepoint951 on Wikipedia.
February 15, 2012 •
Latest News in Ethics Oversight
Here is a look at what has appeared in the last few days from the state ethics commissions:
Arizona: “Ariz. lawmakers want elected officials to disclose use of public funds” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Georgia: “Advocates push for ethics funding” by Charles Edwards on WABE News.
“Watchdog groups demand more money for ethics board” by in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Maryland: “Maryland Ethics Panel Suggests Reducing Local Disclosure” by Brian Witte (Associated Press) on NBC Washington.
“Bill would require online disclosure” by Michael Dresser in the Baltimore Sun.
Minnesota: “Lobbying violations vex understaffed Minnesota regulator” by Brad Schrade in the Star Tribune.
North Carolina: “Dome: Few ethics complaints probed, report shows” by John Frank in The News & Observer.
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.
