December 14, 2011 •
Georgia Inspector General Finds No Evidence against Gov. Deal
A state investigation by the inspector general found no evidence to back up a claim that Governor Nathan Deal sought to fire the former head of the state ethics commission and her chief deputy because the agency was investigating Deal.
In June, Stacey Kalberman had raised questions about the timing of the commission’s plan to cut her salary and eliminate her chief deputy’s position. In the weeks before her resignation, Kalberman said the two prepared draft subpoenas for Deal and his aides to further their investigation.
The subpoenas were never executed because commissioners would not sign off. The commission did ask Deal’s campaign to voluntarily turn over records, but commissioners have refused to say whether that’s happened.
Some are concerned about how an inspector general appointed by the governor can fairly investigate the governor.
December 13, 2011 •
Appointees Named to New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics
DiFiore Named Chair of New Commission
NEW YORK: Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders announced the appointment of 14 members to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Governor Cuomo chose Janet DiFiore, the District Attorney of Westchester County, to chair the commission.
The new agency replaces the Commission on Public Integrity, which was created in 2007 by the merger of the ethics and lobbying commissions. Under a law signed on August 15, the new commission came into existence yesterday.
The creation of the joint commission put operations of the prior agency on hold, except for collecting lobbying expenditure reports, financial disclosure reports by state employees, and conducting on-line ethical training courses. Any allegations of unethical conduct it has received will be transferred to the new commission.
Approximately 30 employees remain with the commission, about half the work force when the Commission on Public Integrity was formed in 2007.
December 13, 2011 •
Lobbyists and Members of Congress Ranked Low in Gallup Poll
They receive “low” and “very low” ratings alongside car salespeople.
Thanks to Eric Brown’s Political Activity Law Blog for bringing this news item to our attention.
Gallup.com just published a poll placing lobbyists and lawmakers at the bottom of their list in the areas of honesty and ethics. For the full story read “Record 64% Rate Honesty, Ethics of Members of Congress Low” by Jeffrey M. Jones.
According to the article: “Gallup has asked Americans to rate the honesty and ethics of numerous professions since 1976, including annually since 1990. Lobbyists also received a 64% low honesty and ethics rating in 2008.”
Photo of the Gallup Organization window by Kate Mereand on Wikipedia.
December 12, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – December 12, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Gingrich, Romney Campaigns Count on Lobbyists to Pay the Bills
Occupy D.C. Protesters Shut Down K Street
Stephen Colbert Gets Love at FEC
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Alabama Ethics Law Limits What Students Can Give Teachers; Homemade Cookies OK, Hams Not Allowed
California
California Ethics Agency Relaxes Rules on Gifts to Politicians
California
Watchdog Agency Fines Former Pinole Councilman $111,500 for Ethics Violations
District of Columbia
D.C. Council Tentatively Approves Ethics Reform Bill
Georgia
Fines Levied on Georgia Politicians Reported Reduced Because of Notification Costs
Illinois
Blagojevich Hit with 14-Year Prison Sentence
Maryland
Jack Johnson, Former Prince George’s Executive, Sentenced to Seven Years in Corruption
Maryland
Rule Would Allow Campaign Donations by Text Message
Minnesota
Minnesota Ads Discussing Gay Marriage Approved For Less Financing Disclosure
Missouri
Missouri Politicians Enjoyed World Series Thanks to Lobbyists
Vermont
Vermont Court Imposes $10,000 Penalty in Campaign Finance Suit
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.
December 9, 2011 •
Georgia Ethics Commission Member Resigning
Chan Caudell is accepting an appointment as a judge.
A member of Georgia’s Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission said he is stepping down from the panel after just three months to accept an appointment as a judge. Chan Caudell said he would submit his letter of resignation to Governor Nathan Deal. The Georgia constitution bans individuals from serving simultaneously in two branches of government.
Caudell’s sudden departure is the latest challenge for the five-member panel overseeing campaign finance and lobbying in the state.
The ethics panel has been hit hard with funding cuts that some say have undermined its ability to perform its duties. Earlier this week an open records request revealed that fines for late campaign finance reporting were reduced by millions of dollars because the panel could not afford to send out the required late notices.
December 8, 2011 •
Rahm Emanuel Creates Ethics Reform Task Force
City Ethics Ordinance to be Redrafted
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has announced the creation of an ethics reform task force charged with overhauling and strengthening the city’s ethics ordinance.
The task force will be given four months to rewrite the city’s ethics ordinance.
December 5, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – December 5, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
FEC Leaves Unclear Path for Super PACs
Gingrich’s Work Shows Limits of U.S. Lobbying Law
From the States and Municipalities:
Arizona
Clean Elections Foes Say Public Funds Are Used to Influence Election Outcomes
Colorado
Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler Proposes Rewriting of State Campaign Finance Rules
Georgia
Ethics Commission Deals with Challenges of Change
Indiana
Marion County Judge Scolded for Fundraising Language
Kansas
Kansas Governor Says Staff Overreacted to Teen’s Tweet
Massachusetts
Columbus Center Developer Fined $1.6 Million
Nevada
Ethics Commission Party May Not Have Been So Ethical
New York
Second Bribe Case for Lawmaker Just Acquitted
North Carolina
Three Perdue Associates Indicted
South Carolina
S.C. Governor’s Chef Told to Reimburse State after Using Its Resources for Catering
Washington
Washington Rep. Hinkle Seeks Change to Fundraising 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.
December 2, 2011 •
State and Federal Communications Heading to COGEL 2011
The event will be held in Nashville, Tennessee.
State and Federal Communications President and CEO Elizabeth Bartz and seven of the company’s staff will be attending the Council on Government Ethics Laws (COGEL) 2011 Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
We are looking forward to COGEL 2011, which will run from December 4 – 7.
If you are planning to attend, be sure to say hello!
November 28, 2011 •
News You Can Use – November 28, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Democratic Groups Stalled on Launch Pad
FEC Permits Small Donor Channeling
Religious Lobbying Groups Multiply on Capitol Hill
South Jersey Congressman Spent $9,000 from Campaign Funds on Donor’s Wedding
From the States and Municipalities:
California
New Chair of Campaign Finance Watchdog Draws Strong Reactions
Connecticut
WFP Director Fined For Lobbying Without Badge
District of Columbia
D.C. Council to Consider Ethics Reform Bill
Illinois
Tony Rezko Sentenced to 10½ Years: Former Blagojevich fundraiser convicted of corruption
Massachusetts
Bump Knocked for Fundraising Letter
Mississippi
Campaigns Downplay Race, but Voters Don’t Follow Suit
Nevada
Trip to Brazil Raises Concerns about Lobbyists’ Access
Pennsylvania
City’s Lobbyist-Disclosure Program to Start in ’12
Washington
Right-Wing PAC Fights Campaign Disclosure
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.
November 22, 2011 •
Rezko to Remain in Jail Seven More Years
The sentence for Blagojevich’s former fundraiser arrives.
The U.S. District Court for Northern District of Illinois sentenced Tony Rezko to 10 1/2 years in prison, of which he has served three-and-a-half years.
For the full story:
“Judge sentences Blagojevich fundraiser Rezko to 10½ years, he will get credit for time served” from the Washington Post.
“Top Blagojevich adviser Tony Rezko gets 10½ years” from the Chicago Tribune.
November 22, 2011 •
Tuesday News Roundup
In today’s news: Religious lobbying, law firms donating to Obama, campaign finance rules in New York, and Ann Ravel at the FPPC.
Two articles track the increase in religious group lobbying: Politico’s “Study: Religious lobbying soars in D.C.” by MJ Lee, and the Washington Post’s “Religious lobbying groups multiply on Capitol Hill” by Michelle Boorstein.
Catherine Ho reports about law firms contributing to Obama’s campaign in “Law firms dominating campaign contributions to Obama” in the Washington Post.
An editorial in the Post-Standard discusses the state of campaign finance rules in New York: “Campaign Cash: In NY, even lax contribution rules are easy to evade.”
The San Diego Union-Tribune discusses Ann Ravel’s actions at California’s FPPC in “New chair of campaign finance watchdog draws strong reactions” by Will Evans.
November 22, 2011 •
Tony Rezko to Be Sentenced Today
Three years after Blagojevich’s former fundraiser was convicted.
Tony Rezko, the fundraiser for former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, will be sentenced today in federal court.
The Chicago Tribune covers the news in “Top Blagojevich adviser Rezko to be sentenced today” by Annie Sweeney.
The Washington Post posted “Ex-Blagojevich fundraiser Rezko to be sentenced, after 2008 trial exposed pay-to-play culture” by the Associated Press.
November 21, 2011 •
Ethics Bill Passes in Frederick County, MD
FREDERICK COUNTY, MARYLAND: Commissioners reluctantly passed an ethics bill they expect to be challenged in court. The bill forbids county employees from ever working for a company that does business with the county.
Previously, the state rejected a less stringent bill exempting county employees and requiring commissioners to wait just one year before accepting employment with a company they did business with while in office.
Commissioners indicated the only reason for the controversial change was the state’s mandate to pass the ethics ordinance. Changes to the county gift law prohibit commissioners from accepting tickets or free admission to sporting events and require free meals to be consumed in the presence of the donor.
The law now goes back to the State Ethics Commission for its approval.
November 21, 2011 •
D.C. Council to Consider Ethics Proposal
Draft Seeks to Consolidate and Streamline Other Pending Proposals
The Council of the District of Columbia will soon consider legislation that would establish an independent ethics panel and reduce the amount of money council members can raise to help constituents. Council member Muriel Bowser has crafted draft legislation that seeks to streamline 10 separate reform proposals that have been introduced by council members in the aftermath of several ethics controversies.
The proposal sets up a three-member Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, prohibits lobbyists from offering discounted legal advice to council members, sets limits on how much the mayor and council chairman can accept from donors for transition and inaugural committees, and cuts by half the amount that council members can raise for constituent service funds. The proposal does not impose term limits or prohibit lobbyists from making political contributions as sought by other reform proposals.
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