National/Federal

G.O.P. Intensifies Scrutiny of Voting: ‘We’re keeping a close eye on you’

DNyuz – Nick Corasaniti, Alexandra Berzon, and Michael Gold (New York Times) | Published: 4/20/2024

Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee plan to dispatch more than 100,000 volunteers and lawyers to monitor and potentially challenge the electoral process in each battleground state. They will focus on every aspect of voting, including mail ballots, voting machines, and post-Election Day recounts. It is rooted in Trump’s false claims that Democrats cheated to win the 2020 election. His allies have helped turn that belief into Republican doctrine despite the overwhelming conclusion that no evidence of widespread fraud exists.

Cannon Denies Dismissal Motions by Trump Co-Defendants in Documents Case

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 4/18/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon rejected requests from Donald Trump’s two co-defendants to dismiss the charges against them in the classified document case, ruling federal prosecutors had met the legal threshold for the obstruction counts. Trump employees Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira had argued the charges should be dismissed, in part, because the indictment accused them of obstructing government efforts to retrieve classified materials from Trump’s property without providing clear evidence the two men were aware of an ongoing investigation or knew the boxes of documents contained classified materials.

As Meta Flees Politics, Campaigns Rely on New Tricks to Reach Voters

MSN – Naomi Nix, Michael Scherer, and Jeremy Merrill (Washington Post) | Published: 4/21/2024

After years of pitching its suite of social media apps as the lifeblood of campaigns, Meta is breaking up with politics. The company decreased the visibility of politics-focused posts and accounts on Facebook and Instagram as well as imposed new rules on political advertisers, undercutting the targeting system long used by politicians to reach potential voters. Meta’s shift away from current events is forcing campaigns to upend their digital outreach in a move that could transform the 2024 election.

Trump Campaign Asks for Cut of Candidates’ Fundraising When They Use His Name and Likeness

MSN – Alex Isenstadt (Politico) | Published: 4/18/2024

Donald Trump’s campaign has found a new way to press for badly needed cash. In a letter to Republican digital vendors, the Trump campaign is asking for down-ballot candidates who use his name, image, and likeness in fundraising appeals to give at least five percent of the proceeds to the campaign. The letter was sent the same week Trump’s hush-money trial began in New York. The trial is expected to last at least six weeks and will greatly hinder the former president’s ability to hit the campaign trail.

Unfinished Bills, Tax Law Preparation Push Lobbying Spending Up

MSN – Caitlin Reilly (Roll Call) | Published: 4/23/2024

Discarded deadlines on must-pass legislation drove lobbying activity and revenues, as expenditures by K Street’s biggest spenders ticked up in the first quarter of this year. Preparing for next year, including election outcomes and the expiring 2017 tax cuts, has also kept private sector interest in Congress high and K Street firms busy.

Ted Cruz Could Be Liable for Taxes on Payments from His iHeartMedia Podcast, Experts Say

MSN – Benjamin Wermund (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 4/23/2024

The peculiar payment scheme behind U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast has raised ethical questions and drawn complaints about election law violations. Now tax experts say the deal involving a radio network that picked up the “Verdict with Ted Cruz” podcast in 2022 and a super PAC supporting his reelection effort could also raise red flags for the IRS.

Corporate Political Donations Poised to Spark Shareholder Lawsuits

MSN – Bill Allison (Bloomberg) | Published: 4/24/2024

Major American companies could face lawsuits from their own shareholders for making political donations, according to a new legal strategy that progressives are advocating to reign in corporate influence on elections. Some of the money used for a corporation’s hefty super PAC donations come from shareholders. That gives those investors standing to sue if they do not approve of how the money is spent, according to the latest Center for American Progress report.

Supreme Court Seems Skeptical of Trump’s Claim of Absolute Immunity but Decision’s Timing Is Unclear

Yahoo News – Mark Sherman (Associated Press) | Published: 4/25/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared likely to reject Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution over election interference, but it seemed possible he could still benefit from a lengthy trial delay. Chief Justice John Roberts was among at least five members of the court who did not appear to embrace the claim of absolute immunity that would stop special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Trump on charges he conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss. Roberts also was among several justices who suggested the case might have to be sent back to lower courts before any trial could begin.

Appeals Court Upholds Conviction of GOP Operative Who Steered Russian Money to Trump Camp

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 4/19/2024

A federal appeals court upheld the conviction of campaign operative Jesse Benton for steering an illegal Russian contribution to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Benton, who was pardoned by Trump for other campaign finance crimes in the final weeks of Trump’s term, was convicted by a jury in 2022 of six felonies related to the contribution and falsified campaign finance records.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Juneteenth or Jefferson Davis? Ala. State Workers May Have to Choose.

MSN – Rachel Hatzipanagos (Washington Post) | Published: 4/22/2024

Black lawmakers in Alabama have lobbied for years to have the state recognize the Juneteenth holiday. This year, lawmakers may have reached a compromise. Under House Bill 4, Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, would become a state holiday. But state employees would be able to choose between recognizing Juneteenth or the birthday of the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, on June 3.

Arizona – Election-Denying Arizona Republican Ends Reelection Bid After Allegations of Forged Signatures

MSN – Mary Jo Pitzl (Arizona Republic) | Published: 4/20/2024

An Arizona lawmaker with a history of leveling unfounded allegations of fraud against election workers has dropped his reelection bid amid allegations he forged signatures on his nomination petitions and submitted dozens of ineligible signatures. The allegations against state Rep. Austin Smith also triggered a civil referral from the Arizona secretary of state to the attorney general.

Arizona – Meadows, Giuliani and Other Trump Allies Charged in Arizona 2020 Election Probe

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 4/24/2024

An Arizona grand jury indicted 18 allies of Donald Trump for their efforts to subvert the 2020 election, including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and Rudy Giuliani. The indictment describes Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes targeted not just local conservatives who carried out the plan in Phoenix, but also the out-of-state middlemen in Trump’s orbit who allegedly helped put it together.

California – Los Angeles City Council Committee Takes Steps on Ethics Reform at City Hall

Los Angeles Daily Breeze – City News Service | Published: 4/18/2024

A Los Angeles City Council committee advanced a series of proposed changes to the city charter intended to bolster the independence of the Ethics Commission and enhance its enforcement powers. The changes include doubling the penalties for violations of the Ethics Code; increasing the size of the five-member Ethics Commission to seven with the additional members appointed by the commission; and tightening conflict-of-interest rules.

California – California Bill Would Ban NDAs for Legislative Negotiations: ‘This should not happen again’

MSN – Nicole Nixon (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 4/22/2024

Nondisclosure agreements would be banned from future discussions or negotiations on legislation in California under a new bill. Nondisclosure agreements (NDA) are legally binding contracts that prevent information-sharing with unauthorized parties. They are typically used to protect proprietary information, financial data, or other sensitive information. The introduction of the bill was prompted by the use of NDAs during negotiations between fast food industry and labor groups over a landmark deal to raise California’s minimum wage for fast food workers.

California – San Diego Rejects Proposal to Limit Corporate, Labor Union Money in City Elections with Public Financing

MSN – David Garrick (San Diego Union Tribune) | Published: 4/25/2024

An effort to limit corporate and labor union money in San Diego elections had a setback when a key city council committee rejected a November ballot measure proposing a public financing program. The Rules Committee rejected the measure on concerns that it would not apply to the mayor or city attorney, and because advocates propose having the city Ethics Commission oversee the program.

California – San Jose Officials Not Reporting Lobbyists Meetings

San Jose Spotlight – Brandon Pho | Published: 4/22/2024

The San Jose Spotlight has reported on inadequate lobbyist disclosures for years, but a recent review shows the public is still in the dark due to incomplete and delayed documentation on elected officials’ calendars. Council members blame simple oversights, time constraints, and limited staff for outdated calendars. But that violates San Jose’s sunshine policies, giving the public an incomplete and untimely picture of what elected officials are discussing with people paid to influence policymaking.

California – California Rejects Bill to Crackdown on How Utilities Spend Customers’ Money

Yahoo Finance – Adam Beam (Associated Press) | Published: 4/22/2024

California lawmakers rejected a proposal aimed at cracking down on how some of the nation’s largest utilities spend customers’ money. California’s investor-owned utilities cannot use money from customers to pay for things like advertising their brand or lobbying for legislation. Instead, they are supposed to use money from private investors to pay for those things. Consumer groups accuse utilities of using money from customers to fund trade groups that lobby and for television ads disguised as public service announcements.

Georgia – Homeless Georgians Could Face Hurdles to Voting Under New Legislation

DNyuz – Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) | Published: 4/24/2024

A single-sentence provision in an election bill in Georgia could complicate voting for some of the state’s homeless population. The bill, which awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature, would require all election-related mail for those “homeless and without a permanent address” – such as registration cards, sample ballots, and absentee ballots – to be sent to the county registrar office. The full impact of the change is unclear.

Hawaii – The Maui Ethics Board Has So Few Members That It’s Struggling to Even Meet

Honolulu Civil Beat – Brittany Lyte | Published: 4/18/2024

The Maui County Board of Ethics is confronting a dire shortage of resources, hampering its ability to investigate potential wrongdoing by public officials, educate and advise government workers on ethics, and even hold meetings. The nine-person board has four vacancies. As such, the county ethics watchdog is unable to summon a quorum unless all five members are present.

Kentucky – Louisville Mayor’s Office to Change Intern Hiring Practices After Courier Journal Reports

MSN – Josh Wood (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 4/24/2024

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s administration is changing how it hires interns following reporting last year that Metro Hall interns from powerful families with close ties to Greenberg were hired through a program the mayor’s office said “prioritized” disadvantaged youth. A lawyer representing Greenberg against an ethics complaint has said three of the mayor’s office’s eight SummerWorks interns last summer were “pre-identified” for jobs.

Louisiana – 55 Louisiana Lawmakers Raise Campaign Cash During Special Sessions

Louisiana Illuminator – Julie O’Donoghue | Published: 4/19/2024

Almost 40 percent of state lawmakers this year took advantage of an exception in the ethics law that allows them to raise campaign funds during special sessions of the Louisiana Legislature. State law prohibits legislators from accepting political donations during the annual regular session, except in certain cases when they are running for another office. But they do not face that restriction during special sessions the governor calls.

Maryland – Elections Board Orders Nick Mosby to Return ‘Excessive Contributions’ from BGE and Correct Other Errors

Baltimore Brew – Mark Reutter | Published: 4/24/2024

The Maryland Board of Elections has ordered city council President Nick Mosby to return potential “excessive contributions” from Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) and correct the street addresses of more than two dozen contributors, some of them prominent names in Baltimore’s donor world. The rebuke by the elections board is the latest setback for Mosby, who is running for a second term in the Democratic primary. BG&E disputed the amount cited, saying the utility had contributed only $450 to Mosby in 2024.

Michigan – Trump Is a Co-Conspirator in Michigan’s 2020 False Electors Plot, State Investigator Says

Detroit News – Craig Mauger | Published: 4/24/2024

Former President Trump and some of his top aides were co-conspirators in the plot to submit a certificate falsely claiming he won Michigan’s 2020 election, an investigator for state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office testified, as new details of the effort to prosecute the alleged scheme took shape in two battleground states. Howard Shock, a special agent for Nessel, said Trump; Mark Meadows, who was Trump’s chief of staff; and Rudy Giuliani, who was his personal lawyer, are considered “unindicted co-conspirators” in Michigan’s false elector case.

Michigan – Michigan House Hears Testimony on Campaign Finance, Lobbying Laws after Chatfield Charges

Yahoo News – Clara Hendrickson (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 4/18/2024

Michigan lawmakers held a hearing on legislation to overhaul the state’s campaign finance and lobbying laws after a high-profile public corruption probe resulted in charges brought against former House Speaker Lee Chatfield for allegedly using political funds for personal expenses. House Democrats introduced a reform package recently. During a House Ethics Committee meeting on two of the bills, lawmakers heard from public officials and transparency advocates, who said the legislation is a first step that would restore public trust in government.

Minnesota – Attempt to Expedite Ethics Probe of Minnesota State Senator Charged with Burglary Fails on Tie Vote

Yahoo News – Steve Karnowski (Associated Press) | Published: 4/24/2024

A Republican attempt to expedite an ethics investigation of a Democratic state senator who is facing a felony ethics charge failed on a tie vote. Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell was absent as the Senate met for the first time since her arrest at her estranged stepmother’s home. Mitchell’s arrest has complicated the remainder of the 2024 legislative session because Senate Democrats hold just a one-seat majority.

Missouri – ‘Mishandled.’ Top Missouri Republican attempts to discredit ethics investigation

Yahoo News – Kacen Bayless (Kansas City Star) | Published: 4/23/2024

Attorneys for Speaker Dean Plocher sent a letter to the chairperson of the Missouri House Ethics Committee attempting to discredit the committee’s investigation into the speaker. The letter raises objections about the committee’s investigation as well as committee Chairperson Hannah Kelly’s decision for the panel to vote on a blistering report on Plocher.

New York – Judge Approves Safeguards for Donald Trump’s $175 Million Civil Business Fraud Appeal Bond

MSN – Bart Jansen (USA Today) | Published: 4/22/2024

Judge Artur Engoron approved a new agreement between Donald Trump’s lawyers and New York Attorney General Letitia James to reinforce the $175 million bond Trump posted to appeal a $454 million judgement in a civil trial for inflating the value of his real estate holdings in statements to lenders. James had asked the judge to void the bond by arguing Knight Specialty Insurance is not authorized to write bonds in New York.

New York – Adams Defense Trust Returns $22K in Improper Donations from Corporation, People with City Business

MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/22/2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched a legal defense trust in November to raise money for legal fees and other costs he incurs as part of a federal investigation into allegations that Turkey’s government infused illegal foreign cash into his 2021 campaign. The trust received $22,462 in prohibited donations from a corporate entity and 10 individuals with city government business interests. All 11 donations were returned in compliance with the law, said Vito Pitta, a lawyer for Adams’ trust.

Ohio – FirstEnergy Paid $300k to a Dark Money Org That a Lobbyist Tied to Senate President Matt Huffman

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/22/2024

At the height of its sweeping statehouse bribery scheme, FirstEnergy secretly paid $300,000 over five checks to a “dark money” nonprofit its lobbyist explicitly associated with now-Senate President Matt Huffman, new records show. In May 2019, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit FirstEnergy funded and controlled wrote the first of its checks to a fellow “dark money” group called Liberty Ohio, a group FirstEnergy lobbyist Ty Pine referred to in an email as “the Huffman C4.”

Ohio – Area County Among Highest in Open Ethics Probes as Ethics Commission Marks 50th Year

Yahoo News – Avery Kreemer (Dayton Daily News) | Published: 4/19/2024

The Ohio Ethics Commission is tasked with overseeing some 590,000 elected officials, contractors, and decision makers in the state. Over the past 50 years, the commission has been responsible for educating elected officials and government workers about Ohio’s ethics laws. It provides advice on ethically murky situations and investigates violations of the law. “I kind of see our mission as guiding public officials on what the law is, and then protecting the public from people who violate it,” said Paul Nick, executive director of the commission since 2011.

Oklahoma – State Audit Critical of Tourism Director Shelly Zumwalt. AG Calls for Director’s Resignation

MSN – M. Scott Carter and Jordan Gerard (Oklahoman) | Published: 4/23/2024

Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd raised numerous questions about how the state spent millions in federal COVID-19 funds and said new purchasing rules established by the Office of Management and Enterprise Solutions were not in the best interest of Oklahoma. The audit harshly criticized the management of Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and the agency’s then-Executive Director Shelly Zumwalt, questioning how Zumwalt approved $8.5 million in contract payments to a firm where her husband is employed.

Pennsylvania – The Philly Ethics Board Has Changed Its Rules on Super PACs in the Wake of the 2023 Mayor’s Race

MSN – Sean Collins Walsh (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 4/17/2024

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics revised its campaign finance guidelines to make clear that a prohibition on candidates coordinating with super PACs applies even before the candidates launch their campaigns. That was the key issue in the board’s unsuccessful suit against mayoral candidate Jeff Brown during the 2023 Democratic primary. Super PACs are allowed to raise and spend money in unlimited amounts but are prohibited from working in coordination with candidates’ campaigns, which are subject to limitations on donations.

Pennsylvania – Philly Sheriff Used Money Meant to Hire Deputies for Executive Raises, Tried to Double Her Salary to $285K

MSN – Ryan Briggs and William Bender (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 4/22/2024

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal appeared before the city council recently, seeking nearly $2 million in new support for an office she has described as “consistently underfunded,” and “severely short in deputies.” But finance records and an internal memo show Bilal diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to hire more uniformed staff, including deputies, to fund hefty raises for her executive staff and other office workers. Bilal also tried to more than double her salary as part of a plan to dole out even larger raises using money meant for new hires.

Pennsylvania – Pa. House Approves Bills on Campaign Finance Reform, Aimed at Adding Transparency

Yahoo News – Eric Scicchitano (CNHI) | Published: 4/17/2024

Separate bills intended to add transparency to campaign finance in Pennsylvania elections advanced out of the state House with bipartisan support. One bill would add an additional reporting period for campaign spending and contributions. The other looks to broaden reporting requirements for all tax-exempt organizations and require reports for any level of contribution. Both bills advance to the Senate.

Rhode Island – RI Lawmakers Move to Ban Political ‘Deepfakes’ Ahead of Elections. What That Means.

MSN – Katherine Gregg (Providence Journal) | Published: 4/22/2024

A bill in Rhode Island would ban what it calls “deceptive and fraudulent synthetic media” in the 90-day run-up to any election. The legislation would not only ban “deepfakes,” it would give a candidate who felt wronged the right to seek an injunction and damages in court. The exception to the ban: if the spot contains a clearly written or spoken disclosure that the image “has been manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence.”

Tennessee – Tennessee Rep. Gino Bulso Faces Ethics Complaint Over Sponsoring of Book Bill

MSN – Melissa Brown (Tennessean) | Published: 4/19/2024

An ethics complaint was filed against Tennessee Rep. Gino Bulso alleging the lawmaker and practicing attorney violated conflict-of-interest rules after he filed legislation that could affect the outcome of a legal case he is currently involved in. Bulso represents a group of parents and the Citizens for Renewing America in a lawsuit against the Williamson County Board of Education. The group sued the board over Tennessee’s library book law, arguing they should be allowed to challenge books on the shelves even if their children do not attend Williamson County schools.

Texas – Court Rejects Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Bid to Dismiss Ethics Complaint Over 2020 Election Challenge

MSN – Philip Jankowski (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 4/19/2024

Ruling against Attorney General Ken Paxton, an appeals court declined to dismiss a State Bar of Texas ethics complaint accusing him of dishonesty when he sought to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeats in four swing states. Paxton argue he could not be sued by the state bar’s Commission for Lawyer Discipline because he petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court as part of his official duties.

Texas – Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Vote-by-Mail Restrictions in Texas

MSN – Maureen Groppe (USA Today) | Published: 4/23/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to voting rules in Texas that automatically let senior citizens, but not younger people, vote by mail. Mail-in balloting has become a partisan debate as Democrats champion it as a way to increase turnout and Republicans argue it increases the risk of voter fraud. The challengers argued the unequal treatment of voters is age-based discrimination prohibited by the 26th amendment.

Texas – Texas School Districts Violated a Law Intended to Add Transparency to Local Elections

ProPublica – Lexi Churchill (ProPublica) and Jessica Priest (Texas Tribune) | Published: 4/25/2024

The Texas Legislature mandated that school districts, municipalities, and other jurisdictions post campaign finance reports online rather than stow them away in filing cabinets. But many agencies appear to be violating the law that took effect in September. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune examined 35 school districts that held trustee elections in November and found none had posted all the required disclosures online that show candidates’ fundraising and spending.

Wyoming – It’s Getting More Expensive to Run for Statewide Offices in Wyoming, According to Report

Yahoo Finance – Hannah Shields (Wyoming Tribune Eagle) | Published: 4/17/2024

A report by the Equality State Policy Center (ESPC) shows statewide office campaigns are getting more expensive, and stakeholders are calling on policymakers to tighten Wyoming’s campaign finance laws. ESPC policy director Marissa Carpio speculated that political polarization, coupled with inflation and competition, played a role in driving up campaign costs for statewide positions over the last few election cycles. The 2018 gubernatorial race had a record $3 million in both campaign contributions and expenses from two candidates.

Campaign Finance

National: “Trump Campaign Asks for Cut of Candidates’ Fundraising When They Use His Name and Likeness” by Alex Isenstadt (Politico) for MSN

Ohio: “FirstEnergy Paid $300k to a Dark Money Org That a Lobbyist Tied to Senate President Matt Huffman” by Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

Elections

Rhode Island: “RI Lawmakers Move to Ban Political ‘Deepfakes’ Ahead of Elections. What That Means.” by Katherine Gregg (Providence Journal) for MSN

Ethics

Michigan: “Michigan House Hears Testimony on Campaign Finance, Lobbying Laws after Chatfield Charges” by Clara Hendrickson (Detroit Free Press) for Yahoo News

Minnesota: “Minnesota State Senator Arrested on Burglary Charge” by Lauren Sforza (The Hill) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “Philly Sheriff Used Money Meant to Hire Deputies for Executive Raises, Tried to Double Her Salary to $285K” by Ryan Briggs and William Bender (Philadelphia Inquirer) for MSN

Legislative Issues

California: “California Bill Would Ban NDAs for Legislative Negotiations: ‘This should not happen again'” by Nicole Nixon (Sacramento Bee) for MSN

Lobbying

California: “San Jose Officials Not Reporting Lobbyists Meetings” by Brandon Pho for San Jose Spotlight

National/Federal

Ex-Congressman Asks 11th Circuit to Toss Six-Figure Campaign Finance Penalty

Courthouse News Service – Kayla Gogging | Published: 4/16/2024

Former U.S. Rep. David Rivera took his fight against a six-figure campaign finance penalty to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, asking the panel to let a jury decide whether he made campaign contributions in another person’s name to undermine a Democratic rival in a Florida election. Rivera’s attorney told a three-judge panel that a federal judge ignored conflicting evidence in siding with the FEC and ordering Rivera to pay a $456,000 fine for violating the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Elections Have Gotten More Accessible for Disabled Voters, but Gaps Remain

DNyuz – Maggie Astor (New York Times) | Published: 4/18/2024

A series of laws – including the Help America Vote Act in 2022, which created new standards for election administration and grant for states to maintain those standards – have sought to make it easier for those facing physical challenges to vote. They have, but major gaps remain. While the gap has shrunk, disabled Americans still vote at much lower rates than those who are not disabled.

Conservative Broadcaster OAN Settles Defamation Claims by Voting-Machine Company Smartmatic

MSN – Erin Mulvaney (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 4/16/2024

One America News Network reached a confidential settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit by voting-machine company Smartmatic over the conservative outlet’s broadcasting of false election-theft claims in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential contest. Smartmatic sued One America News in 2021, alleging the network provided a platform for false claims that voting machines helped tilt the election outcome for President Biden.

Senate Votes to Dismiss Impeachment Charges Against Mayorkas

MSN – Jaqueline Alemany and Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) | Published: 4/17/2024

The U.S. Senate voted to dismiss two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which allege he mismanaged an influx of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. Both votes were along party lines. The impeachment trial ended a little more than three hours after it started, following a Republican senator’s move to quickly quash an offer for limited debate and the creation of an impeachment committee, marking a rapid close to the first impeachment of a sitting Cabinet secretary.

Judge Cannon Skeptical of Trump Co-Defendants’ Arguments to Dismiss Charges

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 4/12/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon seemed skeptical about dropping charges against Donald Trump’s two co-defendants in the classified documents case and suggested their arguments for dismissal would be better suited as a defense at trial. Attorneys for Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira argued the charges against them should be dismissed, in part, because the indictment accused them of obstructing officials’ efforts to retrieve classified materials from Trump’s property without providing clear evidence the employees were aware of an ongoing investigation or knew the boxes of documents contained classified materials.

Leo Rejects Senate Subpoena from Panel Probing Gifts to Supreme Court Justices

MSN – Tobi Raji (Washington Post) | Published: 4/11/2024

The Senate Judiciary Committee sent a subpoena to conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo as part of a months-long inquiry into undisclosed gifts to Supreme Court justices and he promptly rejected it, calling the move “politically motivated.” The committee authorized subpoenas for Leo and billionaire Harlan Crow following reports that Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito accepted and did not disclose free travel and gifts from Crow, Leo, and conservative donor Robin Arkley II.

DNC Uses Political Donations to Pay Biden’s Legal Fees in Special Counsel Probe

MSN – Soo Rin Kim, Isabelle Murray, and Lucien Bruggeman (ABC News) | Published: 4/13/2024

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been paying President Biden’s legal fees incurred in connection with special counsel Robert Hur’s investigation into his handling of classified documents. The DNC said the money they have paid for Biden’s legal purposes is not coming from their grassroots donors. The Democratic Party providing financial support for Biden’s legal challenges comes amid their criticism of the Republican Party’s fundraising for and paying of Donald Trump’s mounting legal bills.

Supreme Court Snubs House Republicans Who Dodged Metal Detectors in Congress After Jan. 6

MSN – Dan Morrison (USA Today) | Published: 4/15/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away an appeal by three Republican members of Congress who were fined $5,000 each by the House for dodging security scanners installed after the attack on the Capitol. The court’s decision comes months after justices snubbed the case of three other GOP members of Congress who had their pay docked in 2021 for flouting a mask mandate on the House floor during the COVID pandemic.

Corruption or Just Politics? Supreme Court Weighs New Bribery Case as More Clashes Are Brewing

MSN – Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 4/15/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court for years has been making it more challenging for prosecutors to bring corruption cases against public officials, guided by the belief that some of the dealmaking and fundraising in the political realm is unseemly but not illegal. A new batch of cases making their way through the courts shows that where to draw the line remains in flux. The court jumped back into the fray in a case that examines the viability of prosecutions against officials who take gratuities after performing actions that helped their benefactors.

Supreme Court Divided Over Key Charge Against Jan. 6 Rioters and Trump

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court appeared divided over whether prosecutors improperly stretched federal law to charge hundreds of participants in the attack on the Capitol, a decision that will impact those rioters and, potentially, Donald Trump’s election interference trial in the District of Columbia. The court’s conservatives appeared most skeptical of the government’s decision to charge participants under a law that makes it a crime to obstruct or impede an official proceeding – in this case the joint session of Congress that convened to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.

Red States Threaten Librarians with Prison – As Blue States Work to Protect Them

MSN – Hannah Natanson and Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2024

Legislation advancing nationwide seeks to do things like prohibit book bans or forbid the harassment of school and public librarians, the first such wave in the country, said John Chrastka, director of library advocacy group EveryLibrary. Legislators in 22 mostly blue states have proposed 57 such bills so far this year, and two have become law. But the library-friendly measures are being outpaced by bills in mostly red states that aim to restrict which books libraries can offer and threaten librarians with prison or thousands in fines for handing out “obscene” or “harmful” titles.

Trump Is Funneling Campaign Money into Cash-Strapped Businesses. Experts Say It Looks Bad.

Yahoo Finance – Zac Anderson and Erin Mansfield (USA Today) | Published: 4/17/2024

Donald Trump’s main campaign fundraising operation sharply increased spending at the former president’s properties in recent months, funneling money into his businesses at a time when he is facing serious jeopardy and desperately needs cash. Federal law and FEC regulations allow donor funds to be spent at a candidate’s business so long as the campaign pays fair market value, experts say. While the practice is legal, some campaign finance experts believe it raises ethical concerns when a candidate is generating personal revenue off running for office.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – EU Auditors Say Lobbyists Can Easily Slip Under Bloc’s Radar

Yahoo Finance – Nette Noestlinger (Reuters) | Published: 4/16/2024

Lobbyists can easily bypass European Union (EU) transparency rules to influence policy, auditors said. The European Court of Auditors’ report comes as institutions discuss a new ethics entity to guide the conduct of officials and ahead of a planned review of the EU’s lobbyist register. That review follows a scandal at the heart of the European Parliament in which Qatar and Morocco have been accused of bribing decision-makers.

Canada – Federal Lobbying Commissioner Assessing Allegations Against Firm, Top Conservative Adviser

CBC – Benjamin Lopez Steven | Published: 4/16/2024

The federal lobbying commissioner confirmed that a “preliminary assessment” was opened into allegations against political strategist Jenni Byrne and a lobbying firm. It has been reported that a federal lobbying firm, Forecheck Strategies, is located at the same office as Jenni Byrne + Associates, a provincial lobbying firm. In addition to employing many of the same staff as Jenni Byrne + Associates, Forecheck Strategies is owned by Andrew Kimber and Simon Jefferies, who are also part-owners of Jenni Byrne + Associates. Although Byrne’s exact role with the Conservative Party is murky, she is viewed as one of the most powerful strategists in Canada.

Arkansas – Audit Says Arkansas Governor’s Office Potentially Violated Laws with $19,000 Lectern Purchase

Yahoo News – Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) | Published: 4/15/2024

Auditors found the purchase last year of a $19,000 lectern by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ office potentially violated state law. The auditors referred the findings to local prosecutors and the state attorney general, and lawmakers planned to hold a hearing on the report. It cited several potential violations, including paying for the lectern before it was delivered and the handling of records regarding the purchase.

California – L.A. Ethics Panel Approves Fine for Former CBS Exec Leslie Moonves Over Interference with LAPD Investigation

MSN – Richard Winston and Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 4/17/2024

Former CBS President Leslie Moonves will pay $15,000 to settle an ethics complaint over his role in an alleged cover-up of sexual assault accusations against him. The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission unanimously approved the settlement after previously rejecting a proposal for $11,250 in fines as too low. Under the settlement, Moonves also admitted he violated city law by interfering with a police investigation into the sexual assault allegations.

California – Questions Swirled About Millions of Tax Dollars in OC. After Months of Silence, a Key Figure Weighs In

MSN – Nick Gerda (LAist) | Published: 4/17/2024

An Orange County supervisor’s daughter at the center of a controversy over what happened to millions of taxpayer dollars she had a limited role in the nonprofit that handled the money, despite records stating otherwise. Rhiannon Do also said she no longer works for the organization, Viet America Society (VAS). At Supervisor Andrew Do’s direction, VAS has received more than $9 million from the county to feed needy residents, plus $1 million to build a Vietnam War memorial. He also joined votes to fund up to $3.1 million in mental health subcontracts for the group, all without disclosing his close family connection.

Florida – Florida GOP Operative Admits Role in ‘Ghost’ Candidate Scheme That Defeated Utility-Targeted Dem

Floodlight – Mario Alejandro Ariza | Published: 4/12/2024

For the first time, the lead consultant to Florida Senate Republicans admitted to hiring a disgraced ex-senator and approving a dirty trick to recruit a third-party candidate to siphon votes from a South Florida Democrat. The scheme succeeded. In 2020, Jose Javier Rodriguez, the Democrat targeted by the GOP and by Florida Power & Light, lost by 32 votes to Ileana Garcia, the founder of Latinas for Trump. A third-party candidate who did not campaign and who shared the same last name as Rodriguez drew over 6,000 votes.

Georgia – New Prosecutor to Decide Fate of Georgia Lieutenant Governor in Trump Case

MSN – Holly Bailey (Washington Post) | Published: 4/11/2024

A state official tasked with finding a special prosecutor to investigate whether Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones should face criminal charges for his alleged role in seeking to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in the state announced he had appointed himself to the case. Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, was assigned 21 months ago to find someone to oversee the investigation into Jones after a judge disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case over a fundraiser she hosted for Jones’s political rival.

Hawaii – Retired State Ag Official’s Return to The Agency Has Critics Concerned Over Conflicts of Interest

Honolulu Civil Beat – Thomas Heaton | Published: 4/9/2024

The Department of Agriculture (DOA) is seeking to renew the contract of Hawaii’s acting biosecurity chief, Carol Okada, a controversial figure who many in the conservation community fear is protecting the industry she is supposed to be regulating. Okada, whose title is Acting Plant Industry Division Administrator, is the primary state official overseeing the plant nursery industry, whose products have been found to spread destructive pests throughout Hawaii. Okada retired in 2019 but returned to DOA last year. Her relationship with the nursery industry has fueled concern among lawmakers as well.

Hawaii – Inside the Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked in Money

Honolulu Civil Beat – Eric Sagara and Irene Casado Sanchez (Big Local News), and Blaze Lovell | Published: 4/17/2024

In response to a series of scandals, Hawaii legislators in 2005 passed a law that barred government contractors from giving money to politicians. It was billed as one of the nation’s most ambitious efforts to end “pay-to-play” in contracting and designed to change the political culture of a state steeped in corruption. But the ban only applies to donations from the actual corporate entities that got contracts, but not to their owners, employees, or any related businesses.

Illinois – Giannoulias Calls for Disclosure of Lobbyist Contracts

NPR Illinois – Peter Hancock (Capitol News Illinois) | Published: 4/11/2024

Legislative lobbyists in Illinois are required to report how much they spend entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups, or other special interest organizations. That would change under a bill now pending in the Illinois House. It would, for the first time, require lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by each of their clients.

Illinois – Chicago Lobbyists Escape Serious Punishment for Improper Donations to Mayor Johnson’s Campaign

WBEZ – Tessa Weinberg | Published: 4/17/2024

The Chicago Board of Ethics dismissed an enforcement action against four City Hall lobbyists who donated to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign. The board said it lacks the authority to enforce a decade-old executive order meant to curb such contributions. An outside law firm found that enforcement language for former Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s order is not codified in the law. It was the first time the board has been confronted with trying to enforce the order since it was issued, said Executive Director Steve Berlin.

Illinois – Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Fined $60K for Violating Ethics Ordinance

WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 4/15/2024

The Chicago Board of Ethics fined City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin $60,000 for violating the government ethics ordinance by using city resources to host a prayer service. The board found Conyears-Ervin committed 12 total infractions for violating her fiduciary duty to the city, the unauthorized use of city property, and prohibited political activity. It levied the maximum fine of $5,000 for each individual violation of the ordinance.

Kentucky – Ethics Commission Urges Metro Council to Amend Laws Following Greenberg Complaint

Yahoo News – Eleanor McCrary (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 4/16/2024

In its opinion dismissing the complaint against Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, the Ethics Commission called on Metro Council to specify local guidelines concerning the mayor’s spouse and other volunteers. Media reports said Rachel Greenberg had a Metro Hall office, a government email account, and gave orders to staffers. Ethics experts said the arrangement might violate the city’s ethics rules, which the administration denied.

Maryland – Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Issues Refunds, Amends Donations After Reporting 9 Over $6K Max

MSN – Emily Opilo (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 4/14/2024

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott amended several of his state campaign finance reports to correct errors regarding five individual contributors and issued refunds to four other donors after it was reported the campaign accepted donations above the $6,000 maximum limit from nine entities. Scott’s campaign manager said the campaign’s mistakes were likely due to donations submitted via company credit cards.

Michigan – Nessel Accuses Ex-Speaker Chatfield of Stealing Political Funds in Criminal Charges

Detroit News – Craig Mauger | Published: 4/16/2024

State Attorney General Dana Nessel unveiled 13 criminal charges against former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield, saying he misused nonprofit dollars to pay off his personal credit card and fund purchases at wineries and luxury retail stores. Chatfield’s wife, Stephanie, was also charged for her role in the alleged scheme. Lee Chatfield got kickbacks from his associates and used $132,000 from his nonprofit organization to pay off his personal Chase credit card, Nessel said. Lee Chatfield’s actions were the product of a “dark money fueled culture” in Michigan’s capital, said Nessel.

Michigan – Democratic Majority in Michigan House Restored with Special Elections

MSN – Clara Hendrickson (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 4/17/2024

Democrats in the Michigan House saw their majority restored with a pair of victories in special elections. The Democratic victories could end the legislative gridlock that has defined the tied chamber for the past several months. The pair of seats have sat empty since late November last year after former state Reps. Kevin Coleman and Lori Stone were sworn in as mayors of their respective hometowns.

Mississippi – Lawmakers Update Public Service Commissioner Campaign Finance Law

Magnolia Tribune – Frank Corder | Published: 4/16/2024

Mississippi Public Service Commission members and candidates for the three offices have been required to adhere to strict guidelines regarding direct and indirect gifts and campaign contributions, specifically related to any person acting in any respect for utilities they regulate. But renewable energy lobbyists or company executives were not specifically covered by the campaign finance restrictions. The Legislature passed a bill changing the language to “covered person” to capture all entities or persons that may come before the commission.

Missouri – Speaker Dean Plocher Accused of ‘Absolute Obstruction’ in House Ethics Investigation

Missouri Independent – Jason Hancock | Published: 4/15/2024

Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher obstructed an investigation of his official acts through pressure on potential witnesses and refusing to issue subpoenas, leaders of the chamber’s Ethics Committee alleged. Details of the alleged obstruction were contained in a report laying out findings from the committee’s months-long investigation. The report concluded the committee lacked direct evidence of ethical misconduct in Plocher’s advocacy for a six-figure software contract, in his firing of a former staffer, or in years of filing false expense reimbursement reports.

New Jersey – Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and His Wife Are Accused of Assaulting Their Teenage Daughter

MSN – Jesse Bunch (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 4/15/2024

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and his wife, schools superintendent La’Quetta Small, were charged with assaulting their daughter, including an incident in which the mayor allegedly knocked the teenager unconscious with a broom, prosecutors announced. They are alleged to have physically and emotionally abused the 16-year-old “on multiple occasions” in December and January.

New York – How a Hush Money Scandal Tied to a Porn Star Led to Trump’s First Criminal Trial

Associated Press News – Michael Sisak and Eric Tucker | Published: 4/13/2024

It was the kind of tawdry tale that Donald Trump might have relished before politics: an adult film actress claiming they had sex. But on the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Trump feared the story, which he says is false, would cost him votes. So, prosecutors say, he arranged to pay Stormy Daniels to keep quiet. Now, after years of fits and starts before an indictment last year, Trump is on trial New York on state charges related to the scandal.

New York – Charged With Regulating Conflict of Interests, Ethics Commission Hides Its Own

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 4/17/2024

The chairperson of New York’s ethics watchdog agency praised its staff for their quick processing of Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests. The achievement, he said, showed the body’s commitment to “ultimate transparency in how we do our business.” But Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government staff fulfilled a FOIL request about the commissioners’ personal potential conflicts-of-interest and redacted all information about relationships that could force commissioners to recuse themselves from votes.

Ohio – Randazzo’s Death Clouds Path Forward on Criminal, Civil FirstEnergy Bribery Cases

MSN – Jake Zuckerman and Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/11/2024

The death of a former Ohio regulator has wrenched state and federal criminal cases accusing him of accepting a $4.3 million bribe from a power company before doing its bidding inside the government. Sam Randazzo was found dead in what officials said was a “suspected suicide.” The state also charged two top officials at FirstEnergy for allegedly orchestrating the bribes.

Oklahoma – Will You have to Vote on Your State Lawmaker in November? Most Races Will Already Be Decided

Oklahoma Watch – Keaton Ross | Published: 4/11/2024

For the third consecutive general election cycle, most Oklahoma voters will not elect their state lawmakers in November. Fifty of the 127 Senate and House seats up for re-election were decided on April 5, when just one candidate filed for office. Thirty-five races will be settled in the June 18 primary or August 27 runoff election. Uncompetitive races can cause voters to become apathetic and less interested in the democratic process, research has found.

Pennsylvania – Pa. House Amends Campaign Finance Bills to Cover All Nonprofits and Require More Detailed Reports

Pennsylvania Capital-Star – Peter Hall | Published: 4/15/2024

Lawmakers approved amendments to a pair of Pennsylvania House bills to make campaign finance reporting requirements for state lawmakers more robust and increase the transparency of independent expenditures in elections. House Bill 1472 would require campaign finance reports from civic leagues and 501(c)(4) tax-exempt social welfare organizations that independently advocate for or against candidates. The amendment would make the bill more broadly cover all tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c) of the federal tax code.

South Dakota – Four South Dakota Tribes Bar Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump V.P. Contender, From Lands

Spokane Spokesman-Review – Neil Vigdor (New York Times) | Published: 4/13/2024

Four of South Dakota’s federally recognized Native American tribes have barred the state’s governor, Kristi Noem, from their reservations. Three of the tribes barred Noem in April, joining another tribe that had sanctioned the governor after she told state lawmakers in February that Mexican drug cartels had a foothold on their reservations and were committing murders there. Noem further angered the tribes by appearing to suggest the tribes were complicit in the cartels’ presence on their reservations.

Virginia – Unleash America Was Supposed to Be About Supporting Va. Candidates. But the Money Didn’t Go There.

Yahoo News – Elizabeth Beyer (Staunton News Leader) | Published: 4/14/2024

Robert Landrum thought he was supporting Republicans in Virginia’s statehouse elections when he donated $500 to a federal super PAC in April 2023. Unleash America had one stated goal: to get Republicans elected during Virginia’s 2023 contests to support Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda. But according to the FEC and State Board of Election, not a single Republican candidate for state or local office received any direct financial support from Unleash America.

Washington – Lobbying the Legislature from Behind Bars

Oregon Capital Chronicle – Grace Deng (Washington State Standard) | Published: 4/16/2024

The Department of Corrections (DOC) recorded 32 requests from prisoners to testify on bills during this year’s legislative session in Washington, and at least 18 got to testify. Advocates say testimony from prisoners has grown in Olympia since virtual testimony became common during the pandemic. But some prisoners allege the DOC has made it difficult for them to engage with lawmakers. Activists in prison say they feel silenced by what they describe as the agency’s lack of support for – and sometimes even interference with – their political advocacy.

Wisconsin – Business Group Challenges Evers’ Creative Veto That Extended School Aid for 400 Years

Yahoo News – Jessie Opoien (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) | Published: 4/15/2024

Attorneys with Wisconsin’s largest business lobby asked the state Supreme Court to strike down Gov. Tony Evers’ use of his partial veto authority to increase funding for public schools for the next four centuries. Wisconsin gives its governors some of the most sweeping executive powers in the country, although partial veto authority has been scaled back over time.

Campaign Finance

Pennsylvania: “Pa. House Amends Campaign Finance Bills to Cover All Nonprofits and Require More Detailed Reports” by Peter Hall for Pennsylvania Capital-Star

Ethics

Arkansas: “Audit Says Arkansas Governor’s Office Potentially Violated Laws with $19,000 Lectern Purchase” by Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

National: “Supreme Court Divided Over Key Charge Against Jan. 6 Rioters and Trump” by Ann Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

Illinois: “Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Fined $60K for Violating Ethics Ordinance” by Heather Cherone for WTTW

Missouri: “Speaker Dean Plocher Accused of ‘Absolute Obstruction’ in House Ethics Investigation” by Jason Hancock for Missouri Independent

New Jersey: “Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. and His Wife Are Accused of Assaulting Their Teenage Daughter” by Jesse Bunch (Philadelphia Inquirer) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Wisconsin: “Business Group Challenges Evers’ Creative Veto That Extended School Aid for 400 Years” by Jessie Opoien (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) for Yahoo News

Lobbying

Washington: “Lobbying the Legislature from Behind Bars” by Grace Deng (Washington State Standard) for Oregon Capital Chronicle

Campaign Finance

Maryland: “Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Issues Refunds, Amends Donations After Reporting 9 Over $6K Max” by Emily Opilo (Baltimore Sun) for MSN

Virginia: “Unleash America Was Supposed to Be About Supporting Va. Candidates. But the Money Didn’t Go There.” by Elizabeth Beyer (Staunton News Leader) for Yahoo News

Elections

National: “Election Workers Face Flood of Threats, but Charges Are Few” by Eileen Sullivan (New York Times) for DNyuz

Ethics

National: “Corruption or Just Politics? Supreme Court Weighs New Bribery Case as More Clashes Are Brewing” by Jan Wolfe and C. Ryan Barber (Wall Street Journal) for MSN

Hawaii: “Retired State Ag Official’s Return to The Agency Has Critics Concerned Over Conflicts Of Interest” by Thomas Heaton for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “How a Hush Money Scandal Tied to a Porn Star Led to Trump’s First Criminal Trial” by Michael Sisak and Eric Tucker for Associated Press News

South Dakota: “Four South Dakota Tribes Bar Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump V.P. Contender, From Lands” by Neil Vigdor (New York Times) for Spokane Spokesman-Review

Legislative Issues

National: “Supreme Court Snubs House Republicans Who Dodged Metal Detectors in Congress After Jan. 6” by Dan Morrison (USA Today) for MSN

National/Federal

Woman Sentenced to Month in Prison Over Theft of Ashley Biden’s Diary

DNyuz – Adam Goldman (New York Times) | Published: 4/9/2024

A federal judge sentenced Aimee Harris to a month in prison for her role in a brazen scheme to steal the diary of President Biden’s daughter and sell it to a right-wing group in the hope of disrupting the 2020 election. In August 2022, Aimee Harris pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport the stolen diary to New York, where she met with employees of Project Veritas and sold it for $40,000 just weeks before the election.

How the No Labels 2024 Presidential Campaign Failed to Launch

MSN – Ken Thomas and Kristina Peterson (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 4/4/2024

No Labels, the centrist group which has sought to field a third-party presidential bid, is abandoning efforts to create a “unity ticket” aiming to win the White House. Even as the group cited polling showing public dissatisfaction with President Biden and Donald Trump and support for a generic third-party candidate, No Labels could not convince any prominent leaders to mount a challenge that aimed to become the first substantial third-party effort since independent Ross Perot’s showing in the 1992 election.

Judge Cannon Shoots Down Trump’s Presidential Records Act Claim

MSN – Devlin Barrett and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 4/4/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon rejected Donald Trump’s bid to have his charges of mishandling classified documents dismissed on the grounds that a federal records law protected him from prosecution. The judge also defended her handling of the issue from special counsel Jack Smith, which had surprised legal experts and rankled prosecutors. Cannon’s decision comes two days after Smith criticized the rationale behind the judge’s demand for prospective jury instructions that seemed to largely adopt Trump’s interpretation of the law.

Super PACs Keep Testing the Limits of Campaign Finance Law

MSN – Jessica Piper (Politico) | Published: 4/8/2024

Super PACs keep pushing the boundaries of campaign finance law this cycle. They are using novel financial arrangements, like taking “bridge funding” in the form of loans from major donors or receiving ad revenue from a candidate’s podcast. They are also continuing to take advantage of long-standing loopholes in anti-coordination guidelines. Outside spending continues to increase dramatically.

Special Counsel Urges Supreme Court to Reject Trump’s Immunity Claim

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 4/8/2024

Special counsel Jack Smith urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Donald Trump’s “novel and sweeping” claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The ruling will determine whether and how quickly Trump faces trial. The justices’ decision to take up Trump’s claim, rather than let stand an appeals court decision that he can be prosecuted, has drawn criticism for delaying the trial, which initially was scheduled to begin in early March.

House Subpoena Lawsuit Risks Change to Oversight Power

MSN – Ryan Tarinelli (Roll Call) | Published: 4/8/2024

The House Judiciary Committee teed up a high-stakes legal clash with the Justice Department in a lawsuit that could influence congressional oversight authority far beyond the GOP’s impeachment investigation into President Biden, legal experts say. The committee’s lawsuit against two Justice Department attorneys asks a federal court to compel the officials to testify about the criminal case against Hunter Biden.

Trump’s The Likely GOP Nominee. He Can Serve Even If Convicted of a Crime.

MSN – David Nakamura (Washington Post) | Published: 4/11/2024

Donald Trump is facing felony charges in four separate criminal indictments in three states and the District of Columbia, with a guilty verdict in any of the cases possibly meaning a prison sentence. The circumstances have raised an often-asked question: Could Trump, or anyone else, be convicted of a felony and serve as commander in chief, possibly from prison? The short answer, legal experts said, is yes – because the U.S. Constitution does not forbid it.

Content Creators Ask Meta to Reverse Politics Limits on Instagram, Threads

MSN – Taylor Lorenz (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2024

Hundreds of political and news content creators signed an open letter to Meta asking the company to reverse its decision to limit the reach of accounts posting “political content” on Threads and Instagram. Meta announced in February it no longer would recommend content about politics and social issues on the two social media platforms, which have tens of millions of users in the U.S. Independent journalists and content creators say they have struggled to reach their audiences since the change was rolled out. They say the limits have significantly affected creators who are Black, female, and LGBTQ.

US Judicial Panel Proposes Greater Amicus Brief Financial Disclosures

Reuters – Nate Raymond | Published: 4/10/2024

A federal judicial panel called for greater transparency requirements for outside groups that file amicus briefs in cases by mandating they disclose when much of their revenue comes from a party involved in the lawsuit or its attorneys. The U.S. Judicial Conference’s Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules endorsed the proposal following calls by Democratic lawmakers and others for changes to shed a light on the extent to which litigants secretly fund efforts to influence cases’ outcomes through amicus, or friend-of-the-court, briefs.

Watchdog Groups Say Texas Sen. Ted Cruz ‘Brazenly Violated’ Federal Election Campaign Act

Yahoo News – Hogan Gore (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 4/9/2024

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is facing a formal complaint over more than $630,000 sent from the company that syndicates his podcast to a super PAC supporting his reelection bid. The Campaign Legal Center and End Citizens United allege Cruz violated the Federal Election Campaign Act after iHeartMedia made deposits to The Truth and Courage PAC, which then reported the payments as “other federal receipts” rather than campaign contributions. The complaint says iHeartMedia’s donations qualify as “soft money” solicited or directed from Cruz.

Thousands of Alleged Lobbying Violations Languish at Justice Department

Yahoo News – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 4/4/2024

Federal lobbyists must file new registrations within 45 days, quarterly disclosures detailing specific lobbying activities and how much they were paid, and semiannual political contribution reports. When a lobbyist or firm fails to comply, the secretary of the Senate and the clerk of the House notify them and make referrals to the U.S. attorney’s office when they fail to provide a proper response. The Government Accountability Office found thousands of reports of lobbying and political donation violations remain unresolved years after they were referred.

As Kushner’s Investment Firm Steps Out, the Potential Conflicts Are Growing

Yahoo News – Eric Lipton, Jonathan Swain, and Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 4/9/2024

Jared Kushner’s investment fund is not especially large by global finance standards. But as he gets it fully up and running, each step is bringing with it ethical issues that would only grow if his father-in-law, Donald Trump, should win another term as president. Kushner’s $3 billion fund is financed almost entirely from overseas investors with whom he worked when he served as a senior adviser in the Trump White House.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Alabama Ethics Commissioner Resigns, Decision Comes as Senate Considers Ethics Law Change

MSN – Darryl Burke (WHNT) | Published: 4/10/2024

Stan McDonald resigned his seat on the Alabama Ethics Commission. The decision comes as the Senate considers a bill that would overhaul the existing state ethics code. According to campaign finance records, McDonald made contributions to at least one political campaign after being appointed to the commission in 2019. Members of the Ethics Commission are not allowed to make political donations.

Arizona – ‘Catastrophic,’ ‘a Shock’: Arizona’s Abortion Ruling Threatens to Upend 2024 Races

MSN – Maegan Vazquez and Mariana Alfaro (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2024

The Arizona Supreme Court revived a near-total ban on abortion, invoking an 1864 law that forbids the procedure except to save a mother’s life and punishes providers with prison time. The decision supersedes the state’s previous rule, which permitted abortions up to 15 weeks. While several states have enacted abortion restrictions, protecting access to reproductive care has been a winning issue for Democratic candidates. As a battleground state, there is a lot on the line in Arizona’s looming elections.

Arizona – Arizona Politicians’ Fundraising to Be Public Under Bill Inspired by Republic Reporting

Yahoo News – Stacey Barchinger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 4/8/2024

Arizonans will be able to see the political fundraising and spending of the state’s most powerful elected officials much sooner and more often under a measure signed into law recently. The law requires statewide officeholders, like the governor, attorney general, and others to report their finances to the public four times a year. They must do so during each of the three years between their elections.

California – How Long Before California’s Campaign Finance Website Is Replaced?

CalMatters – Sameea Kamal | Published: 4/3/2024

Cal-Access, the antiquated web portal to track California’s campaign money and lobbying, probably will not be replaced before December 2026. Secretary of State Shirley Weber’s office is currently evaluating bids and expects to have a primary vendor by this summer. An independent review estimates the project could take 27 months.

California – Every Vote Counts. Just Ask These Two Candidates Tied with Exactly 30,249 Votes Each

CalMatters – Yue Stalla Yu | Published: 4/4/2024

Whoever did not vote in a U.S. House primary in California may have helped make history. Tied for second in the March 5 election, with exactly 30,249 votes each, state Assemblyperson Evan Low and Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian are both advancing to the November general election, joining top vote-getter Sam Liccardo, a former mayor of San Jose. The stage is set for a competitive three-way November runoff, the first since California adopted its new primary system in 2012.

Colorado – Colorado GOP Ousts Reporter from Event, Claiming ‘Unfair’ Coverage

MSN – Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 4/9/2024

The Colorado Republican Party expelled journalist Sandra Fish from its recent event in Pueblo after she was told the party chairperson finds her reporting “very unfair.” A sheriff’s deputy escorted the longtime reporter out, drawing backlash from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and fellow journalists who criticized the move as an affront to democracy.

District of Columbia – Justice Official Clark Violated Ethics in Aiding Trump, D.C. Bar Panel Finds

MSN – Keith Alexander (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

A District of Columbia Bar committee ruled former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark violated at least one rule of ethics and should face professional sanctions for trying to use the department’s influence to help reverse Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat. The discipline could include revocation of his law license, blocking him from practicing law in the nation’s capital.

Florida – Miami City Attorney Helped Steer $10M Meant for Citywide Projects to Carollo’s District

MSN – Tess Riski, Joey Flechas, and Sarah Blaskey (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/11/2024

When a developer came to the Miami City Commission with a deal to build a luxury high-rise on city-owned land, commissioners approved the project. As part of the agreement, the developer promised to give the city $10 million for park improvements and other public benefits across Miami. But the city attorney’s office and other officials quietly reshaped the deal to shift those funds to a single district. Behind-the-scenes revisions to the contract meant the money would be given to Commissioner Joe Carollo’s district, where the high-rise site is located.

Florida – Sarasota City Attorney to Prepare a Potential Ordinance to Track Political Lobbying

Yahoo News – Christian Casale (Sarasota Herald Tribune) | Published: 4/4/2024

Sarasota leaders will explore an ordinance to regulate lobbying in City Hall after several ethics issues have come up. City Commissioner Erik Arroyo said he envisioned a registration requirement for anyone paid to lobby the city and a requirement they disclose their clients. The information would be kept in a digital, publicly accessible database.

Georgia – Judge Rejects Trump’s First Amendment Challenge to Indictment in Georgia Election Case

MSN – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 4/4/2024

The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others rejected arguments by the former president that the indictment seeks to criminalize speech protected by the First Amendment. Trump’s attorneys argued that all the charges against him involved political speech that is protected even if the speech ends up being false.

Georgia – Former City of Atlanta Executive, Jim Beard, Enters Plea Deal in Federal Court

WXIA – Meleah Lyden | Published: 4/9/2024

A former chief financial officer in Atlanta pleaded guilty in federal court to taking money from the city and using tax deductions he was not eligible for. Jim Beard admitted using city money for personal expenses, including two custom-built machine guns he had ordered using his professional email address. He also took tax deductions of $12,000, which were based on false submissions.

Kansas – Kansas Newspaper Publisher Sues Over Police Raid, Claiming Retaliation

MSN – Praveena Somasundaram (Washington Post) | Published: 4/4/2024

The publisher of a Kansas newspaper that was raided by police in August is now suing officials involved in the move, accusing them of retaliating against the paper and violating its First Amendment rights. The unprecedented raid on the Marion County Record’s newsroom and the home of its editor and publisher, Eric Meyer, alarmed press and free-speech advocates across the country. Meyer alleges in the lawsuit that the stress of the raid led to the sudden death of his mother, who lived with him and co-owned the paper.

Maryland – Maryland Town Apologizes, Offers Amends to Settle Voting Rights Lawsuit

MSN – Joe Heim (Washington Post) | Published: 4/4/2024

The small town of Federalsburg on Maryland’s Eastern Shore settled a federal voting rights lawsuit by agreeing to apologize for its history of racism, committing to actions that acknowledge Black contributions to the town, and promote reconciliation. The town also will pay $260,000 in legal fees by 2030 to the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, which brought the lawsuit. Last year, following changes to the voting system overseen by a judge, the 200-year-old town with a population that is 43 percent Black elected its first Black representative.

Maryland – Baltimore County Official Helped Investigate Former Employee Who Lodged Complaints About Her

MSN – Lia Russell (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 4/10/2024

An official being considered for Baltimore County’s highest appointed position helped police investigate a former employee who accused her and County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. of ethics violations. D’Andrea Walker, whom Olszewski nominated to become county administrative officer, was the acting director of the county Department of Public Works and Transportation when she provided security footage and information to a detective who was investigating Michael Beichler, her former Solid Waste Management bureau chief, at the request of Olszewski’s aide, according to a police report and emails.

Maryland – Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Received Money from 9 Donors Who Exceeded $6K Limit

MSN – Emily Opilo (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 4/11/2024

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has received campaign contributions above the maximum from at least nine donors this election cycle, violating state campaign finance law. Most of the problem donations, which amount to an extra $29,250, are the result of multiple contributions, some made in early 2023, before the mayoral campaign was underway, combined with others made more recently. Maryland operates on a four-year campaign cycle, and individual donors are allowed to give only $6,000 during that span.

Michigan – Judge Shows Mercy to Ex-Romulus Mayor Who Spent Campaign Money on Yacht Club, Wedding

Yahoo News – Tresa Baldas (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 4/4/2024

Former Romulus Mayor LeRoy Burcroff used campaign funds to help pay for his daughter’s wedding, his yacht club dues, and a Florida vacation with friends but he is not going to prison for any of it, despite his guilty plea. Instead, a federal judge gave Burcroff three years’ probation and four months’ home confinement, sparing him a prison sentence the government sought.

New Jersey – Top NJ Legislators Failed to Disclose Campaign Spending. They Still Haven’t Fixed Reports

MSN – Ashley Balcerzak (Bergen Record) | Published: 4/3/2024

New Jersey’s most powerful legislators, Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, have not filed amended reports nearly a month after media stories said they failed to properly disclose certain campaign spending. Critics of a controversial campaign finance overhaul said they wanted to examine provisions of the law, mainly a change that slashes the amount of time the Election Law Enforcement Commission has to investigate potential campaign finance violations from 10 years down to two years.

New York – Senate Democrats Renew Push for Changes to Matching Funds Program

Albany Times Union – Joshua Solomon | Published: 4/4/2024

State Senate Democrats are renewing their push to raise the threshold of campaign contributions a candidate needs to be eligible for New York’s new matching funds program. Sen. James Skoufis introduced an amended version of the legislation Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed in December. This time, lawmakers excluded what was widely viewed as the most controversial element of their proposal: allowing the first $250 of any contribution to be eligible for matching funds.

New York – Conservative Hoaxers to Pay Up to $1.25M Under Agreement with New York Over 2020 Robocall Scheme

MSN – Anthony Izaguirre (Associated Press) | Published: 4/9/2024

Two conservative political operatives who orchestrated a robocall campaign to dissuade Black people from voting in the 2020 election have agreed to pay up to $1.25 million under a settlement with New York Attorney General Letitia James. The operatives, Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, were accused of making robocalls to phone numbers in predominately Black neighborhoods in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois that told people they could be subjected to arrest, debt collection, and forced vaccination if they voted by mail.

New York – Ex-Trump Company Executive Weisselberg Sentenced to 5 Months in Jail

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2024

A longtime executive at Donald Trump’s company was sentenced to five months in jail after pleading guilty to lying under oath in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into business practices at the Trump Organization and at the trial that resulted from it. Allen Weisselberg, who worked for the Trump family for a half-century before retiring recently, is expected to serve his sentence at Rikers Island.

New York – NYC Council Bill Would Ban Political Consultants, Fundraisers from Lobbying Former Clients

MSN – Michael Gartland (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/11/2024

Legislation introduced in the New York City Council would ban campaign fundraisers and consultants from lobbying their former bosses for two years after those politicians take office. Two of the most notable people who could be impacted by the new bill are Mayor Eric Adams’ longtime compliance attorney, Vito Pitta, and the top fundraiser for his 2021 campaign, Brianna Suggs, whose home was raided as part of a federal probe into the campaign’s ties to Turkey.

New York – Trump Fails to Delay N.Y. Criminal Trial for a Third Time This Week

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2024

Donald Trump’s attorneys failed to persuade an appeals court judge to delay the former president’s New York criminal trial by saying the presiding judge was not qualified to oversee the proceedings. The appeals court judge, Ellen Gesmer, denied Trump’s request shortly after it was argued at an emergency session. It was Trump’s third attempt to delay his trial on charges of falsifying business documents to help cover up an affair that allegedly happened a decade before the 2016 election.

Ohio – FirstEnergy Made Secret $1 Million Payment for ‘Husted Campaign’ in 2017, Documents Show

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/10/2024

FirstEnergy, at the onset of what would become one of Ohio’s biggest public corruption schemes, gave a $1 million contribution to a nonprofit backing now-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who was running for governor at the time, new records show. The donation was made in 2017 to Freedom Frontier, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that can accept unlimited funds from corporations without disclosing the source. FirstEnergy’s internal records classify the payment as for the “Husted campaign.”

Ohio – Ex-PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo Accused in FirstEnergy Bribery Scheme Has Died

MSN – Laura Bischoff and Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 4/10/2024

Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo, who was facing criminal charges over a bribery scandal, has died by suspected suicide. Randazzo was recently accused of accepting $4.3 million from FirstEnergy to help the utility with a $1 billion bailout for two nuclear plants and regulation that would have cost the company money. He was also accused of embezzling from his clients.

Ohio – The Ohio Law That Could Keep Joe Biden Off the Ballot Has Been in Place for Years. Why Wasn’t It an Issue Until Now?

MSN – Andrew Tobias and Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/8/2024

Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden all have appeared on Ohio’s November ballots despite their parties nominating them after an obscure deadline in state law But that same deadline could prevent President Biden from qualifying for Ohio’s November ballot this year, a development that might have wide-reaching ramifications for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and other Ohio Democrats unless a court or Republican lawmakers agree to intervene, a top lawyer for GOP Secretary of State Frank LaRose warned.

Oklahoma – Campaign Finance Task Force Takes Aim at Outside Spending

Oklahoma Watch – Keaton Ross | Published: 4/4/2024

Politically active nonprofits allowed to spend unlimited amounts to sway Oklahoma voters should face greater scrutiny, a gubernatorial task force declared in its final report. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission could propose rules based on the report’s recommendations, which would take effect at the end of the legislative session in which they were considered unless the Legislature or governor objects.

Oregon – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek to Seek Guidance from Ethics Commission Around First Lady’s Role

MSN – Dianne Lugo (Salem Statesman Journal) | Published: 4/3/2024

Gov. Tina Kotek said she is sending questions seeking clarification on what is appropriate for the role of the first spouse to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, which is reviewing a complaint against the governor related to questions about her wife’s role in her administration. It has been reported that three of the governor’s top aides have resigned over First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson’s involvement in the administration.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Supreme Court Liberal Won’t Run Again, Shaking Up Race for Control

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 4/21/2024

The longest-serving member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s liberal majority announced she would not run for reelection next spring, shaking up a consequential race in a swing state and improving the odds that conservatives can retake the control they lost last year. Justice Ann Walsh Bradley’s unexpected retirement sets the stage for an intense race for control of the court two years after candidates, political parties, and interest groups spent more than $50 million in the most expensive judicial race in U.S. history.

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “Arizona Politicians’ Fundraising to Be Public Under Bill Inspired by Republic Reporting” by Stacey Barchinger (Arizona Republic) for Yahoo News

National: “Ted Cruz Faces Campaign Finance Complaint Over Podcast Deal” by Matthew Choi (Texas Tribune) for MSN

Ethics

Colorado: “Colorado GOP Ousts Reporter from Event, Claiming ‘Unfair’ Coverage” by Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Special Counsel Urges Supreme Court to Reject Trump’s Immunity Claim” by Ann Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

Georgia: “Former City of Atlanta Executive, Jim Beard, Enters Plea Deal in Federal Court” by Meleah Lyden for WXIA

New York: “Appeals Court Rejects Donald Trump’s Latest Attempt to Delay April 15 Hush Money Criminal Trial” by Jennifer Pelz and Michael Sisak (Associated Press) for Seattle Times

Ohio: “Sam Randazzo, Former Top Utility Regulator Accused of Taking $4.3 Million Bribe, Found Dead” by Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

Legislative Issues

National: “House Subpoena Lawsuit Risks Change to Oversight Power” by Ryan Tarinelli (Roll Call) for MSN

National/Federal

From Pizzagate to the 2020 Election: Forcing liars to pay or apologize

Las Vegas Sun – Elizabeth Williamson (New York Times) | Published: 4/2/2024

Michael Gottlieb, a partner at the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a former associate counsel in the Obama White House, is at the forefront of a small but growing cadre of lawyers deploying defamation, one of the oldest areas of the law, as a weapon against a tide of political disinformation. Gottlieb has worked with Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan group that pushes for laws and policies to counter what it sees as authoritarian threats. Before the Trump era and the explosion of social media, though, such cases were virtually nonexistent.

Appeals Court Sides with Judge Who Threatened Peter Navarro with Contempt

MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

A federal appeals court rejected arguments from former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, one of a series of legal losses that has the economist facing sanction for defying court orders even as he serves a four-month prison sentence for ignoring similar demands from Congress. A judge threatened him with contempt if he did not hand over more records from his years in the Trump administration. On appeal, Navarro argued the Justice Department had no authority to enforce the Presidential Records Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed that claim.

How Corporate PAC Money Could End Up in the Personal Coffers of Sens. JD Vance and Markwayne Mullin

MSN – Brian Metzger (Business Insider) | Published: 3/28/2024

U.S. Sens. JD Vance and Markwayne Mullin have spent the last year using campaign cash to pay themselves back for hefty loans they sunk into their 2022 races. At the same time, they have been taking tens of thousands of dollars in corporate PAC money, some of which may be ending up directly in the senators’ bank accounts. The murky reality of both Vance’s and Mullin’s finances can be attributed in part to the work of Sen. Ted Cruz.

FEC Fines Mike Braun Senate Committee $159k for Campaign Finance Violation

MSN – Kayla Dwyer (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 3/29/2024

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign owes $159,000 for violating campaign finance rules during the 2018 election, among the largest fines in the FEC’s history, ending a multi-year saga with the campaign and Braun’s former treasurer. Since 1980, only about 50 cases have warranted larger fines, but the penalty represents a small percentage of the approximately $11.5 million in campaign loans that were misreported.

Trump Special Counsel Fires Back at Cannon Order That Could Disrupt Case

MSN – Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

Special counsel Jack Smith warned the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case she is pursuing a legal premise that “is wrong” and said he would probably appeal to a higher court if she would rule a federal records law can protect the former president from prosecution. Smith’s office pushed back against an unusual instruction from U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, one that veteran national security lawyers and former judgers have said badly misinterprets the Presidential Records Act and laws related to classified documents.

Trump Media Stock Plunges as 2023 Truth Social Loss Put at $58 Million

MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

Donald Trump’s social media company lost more than $58 million last year, sending its stock plunging more than 21 percent only days after a highflying public debut set the company’s value at more than $8 billion. The new figures throw into stark relief the gap between Trump Media’s highly hyped investor-driven valuation on the public stock market and the reality of its business performance. They also raise questions about the possibility that Trump could use the company as a financial lifeline. Trump cannot sell his shares or use them as collateral for a loan for six months because of a provision in the company’s merger agreement.

To Comply with Court, Federal Agency Lets White People Claim Social Disadvantage

MSN – Julian Mark (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

A federal judge ordered the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to open its doors to entrepreneurs from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, ruling its presumption that minorities are inherently disadvantaged violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause. The MBDA directed its business centers to forgo racial considerations when vetting applicants. Instead, candidates must sign a form, attesting their disadvantage to certify they are “minority business enterprises.” It is the latest sign the government is untethering its definition of social disadvantage from broad racial and ethnic classifications.

Freedom Caucuses Push for Conservative State Laws, but Getting Attention Is Their Big Success

Yahoo News – Elaine Povich (Stateline) | Published: 4/2/2024

The State Freedom Caucus Network aims to push the Republican Party further to the right on issues such as immigration, voting access, and transgender restrictions. It is an outgrowth of the group in the U.S. House. The state chapters are proposing conservative legislation and slowing measures they do not like, even bills that were once considered routine and noncontroversial. Some Republicans say members of the Freedom Caucus gum up the legislative works and are more interested in publicity and grandstanding than conservative policymaking.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Alabama House Approves Legislation Overhauling State Ethics Code

Alabama Reflector – Alander Rocha | Published: 4/3/2024

The Alabama House approved a bill that would repeal the current ethics laws for public officials and employees, replace the code with tougher punishments for violations, and weaken the powers of the state Ethics Commission. House Bill 227 would raise the gift ban limit to public officials and employees to $100 per occasion and $500 per year. The legislation now goes to the Senate.

Arizona – UA President Robbins OK’d Effort to Erase Millions in Fines Against Fraudulent Online University

Yahoo News – Hannah Dreyfus and Helen Rummel (Arizona Republic) | Published: 3/27/2024

Lobbyist Richard Smotkin was ostensibly hired by the University of Arizona Foundation to help build the university’s relationship with Morocco. But behind the scenes, Smotkin worked to persuade the California attorney general to erase millions of dollars in fines against a fraudulent online school acquired by the university, documents show. While Smotkin has extensive connections in Morocco, he had another important relationship: a yearslong bond with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

California – Former L.A. Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan Found Guilty in Sprawling City Hall Corruption Case

MSN – David Zahniser and Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 3/27/2024

A jury found Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan secured bribes for himself and for former city Councilperson Jose Huizar as part of a sprawling “pay-to-play” scheme. Chan was f0und guilty on all 12 counts of corruption in a case focused on financial benefits provided by real estate developers with projects in Huizar’s district. During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Chan as a crucial intermediary between Huizar, who wielded huge power over downtown development projects, and Chinese real estate developers.

Colorado – Colorado Appeals Court Upholds Fine, Requirement for ‘Dark Money’ Group to Disclose Spending

Colorado Politics – Michael Karlik | Published: 3/28/2024

Colorado’s second-highest court agreed that a group that spent $4 million backing conservative causes on the ballot in 2020 is required to disclose its contributions and spending and pay a $40,000 fine for failing to register as an advocacy group. A trial judge previously believed Unite for Colorado, which spent roughly $17 million during 2020, was not subject to the registration and disclosure requirement because its $4 million spent across multiple ballot initiatives was not substantial enough when broken down issue-by-issue.

Florida – Federal Court Upholds DeSantis-Backed Congressional Map

Yahoo News – Gary Fineout (Associated Press) | Published: 3/27/2024

A panel of federal judges upheld Florida’s congressional map, turning away a challenge that alleged it was discriminatory against Black voters after the district held by former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, was dismantled. The decision is a victory for Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who muscled the map through Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature. The congressional map his administration crafted ultimately resulted in Republicans gaining four seats, helping the GOP flip the House during the 2022 midterm elections.

Florida – With Abortion Ballot Question, a ‘Path to Relevance’ for Democrats in Florida?

Yahoo News – Patricia Mazzei (New York Times) | Published: 4/2/2024

Florida, once the biggest battleground in presidential politics, has become less important as its election results have trended repeatedly toward the political right. Few consider it a true swing state anymore. But three rulings from the Florida Supreme Court on abortion and marijuana may inject new life into Democratic campaigns before the general election on November 6.

Florida – Can Elected Officials Do Business with Their City? Here’s What Ethics Commission Say

Yahoo News – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/3/2024

Elected officials in Miami-Dade County can run businesses that interact with their city’s government if the scope of work is clerical in nature and does not involve advocacy, according to a draft opinion from the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. The county ethics code prohibits public officials from receiving compensation from third parties, directly or indirectly, if the compensation is related to matters where the third parties are seeking a benefit from the city.

Georgia – Georgia Lawmakers Approve New Election Rules That Could Impact 2024 Presidential Contest

Yahoo News – Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 3/29/2024

Georgia lawmakers approved new rules for challenging voters and qualifying for the state’s presidential ballot that could impact the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state. The bill would grant access to Georgia’s ballot to any political party that has qualified for the presidential ballot in at least 20 states or territories. The change could be a boost to independent candidates. It also spells out what constitutes “probable cause” for upholding challenges to voter eligibility.

Iowa – Republican Candidate’s Wife Sentenced to Prison for Voter Fraud

MSN – Kim Bellware (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

An Iowa woman who sought to boost her husband’s unsuccessful congressional bid in 2020 through a voter fraud scheme was sentenced by a federal judge to four months in prison in a rare case of fraudulent voting. Kim Taylor was convicted on 52 counts including fraudulent voting and providing false information in registering and voting. During the 2020 primary and general elections, federal prosecutors said, Taylor filled out voter registrations and absentee ballots for members of the Vietnamese community under the guise of offering translation help.

Kansas – Does Wichita Mayor’s Trip Abroad Fall Under City’s Ethics Policy? Here’s What We Found Out

Yahoo News – Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 4/1/2024

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu’s trip to Switzerland – paid for by the Swiss government – falls in a gray area of a city council ethics policy that sought to limit gifts to elected and appointed city officials. The travel costs, which include flights, hotel stays, and dinners, are expected to far exceed the $150 gift limit council members can accept from a single source during a calendar year. But Wu says the all-expenses-paid trip is not a gift.

Kentucky – Louisville Mayor’s Wife Repeatedly Turned to City Worker for Social Media Help, Texts Show

Yahoo News – Eleanor McCrary and Josh Wood (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 4/2/2024

Text messages show a Communications Department staffer was frequently called upon by Rachel Greenberg, wife of Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, to assist her with her Instagram account by creating and providing content and offering advice. The texts also show Rachel Greenberg, described by the administration as a volunteer, instructed the staffer to edit posts on the mayor’s Instagram account. Two sources said the mayor’s wife had a Metro Hall office, a government email address, and gave orders to staffers. Experts said that arrangement might violate the city’s ethics rules.

Minnesota – ‘Book Senator Hoffman to speak’: DFL state senator’s consulting firm raises ethical questions

Yahoo News – Ryan Faircloth (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 4/3/2024

Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman prominently touted his political status on his personal consulting firm’s website as recently as a week ago, prompting government ethics experts to question whether he was promoting his official position for personal gain. The homepage of the website for Hoffman Strategic Advisors featured a posed photograph of the senator inside the state Capitol. Hoffman said he always considers himself a senator and had not thought about the optics of promoting his position on his personal website.

Missouri – Recall of Columbia First Ward Councilperson Nick Knoth Passes

KOMU – Hunter Walterman | Published: 4/2/2024

Columbia City Councilperson Nick Knoth was recalled over his lobbying work outside the council. Knoth was elected for a three-year term in April 2023 and took a job as a lobbyist for a trade association for real estate agents later that year. In October, a group of voters launched a campaign to recall Knoth, arguing his position amounted to a conflict-of-interest.

Nebraska – Nebraska Lawmakers Vote Against Trump-Fueled Push to Change Electoral Vote System

MSN – Patrick Svitek and Michael Scherer (Washington Post) | Published: 4/4/2024

Donald Trump’s push to get the Nebraska Legislature to change the way it awards electoral votes faced a major setback when lawmakers voted to prevent the change from being attached to an unrelated bill. Nebraska is one of only two states that divide electoral votes among statewide and congressional district winners. But Gov. Jim Pillen and Trump endorsed a proposal to return the state to a winner-take-all system.

New Jersey – New Jersey’s Unique Ballot Design Struck Down by Judge

MSN – Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 3/29/2024

New Jersey’s unique way of displaying county-endorsed candidates on the ballot was struck down by a federal judge after a lawsuit by U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for Senate, and two other Democrats running for Congress, who called the design unfair and unconstitutional. The state’s ballot design process is unlike any other in the nation, and it allows parties to place their endorsed candidates in a specific portion of the ballot known as “the line.”

New York – Meet NYC’s New Campaign Finance Watchdog, Arriving Amid Probe into Mayor Adams’ Campaign

Gothamist – Brigid Bergin | Published: 3/27/2024

The New York City Campaign Finance Board took a reputational hit last year when then-Executive Director Beth Rotman was asked to resign over allegations of mismanagement. As the agency’s new leader, Paul S. Ryan is now responsible for charting the board’s path forward amid concerns over its oversight of campaigns, especially that of Mayor Eric Adams. “I’ve long considered this to be a model agency administering model laws for the country at a time when democracy in many places is really in crisis …,” Ryan said.

New York – Trump Ramps Up Attacks on Judges, Sparking Concerns as Criminal Trial Nears

MSN – Marianne LeVine, Clara Ence Morse, and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to disparage judges overseeing his criminal and civil cases, reprising a long-standing strategy and prompting growing concerns from legal experts. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s approach, part of an election-year attempt to portray the judicial system as weaponized against him, was evident in a slew of attacks. Trump’s personal attacks against the daughter of the New York judge overseeing a hush money case prompted the judge to expand an existing gag order to include his family and the district attorney’s family.

New York – How a California Billionaire Known for Auto Loans Provided Trump’s Bond

MSN – Michael Kranish and Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 4/2/2024

Donald Trump struggled to post a bond for more than $450 million to keep authorities from seizing his properties, billionaire Don Hankey and his wife started discussing a solution: Hankey’s business could cover it. But when a court reduced the bond to $175 million and Trump said he had the cash to post it himself, the matter seemed moot. Then the Trump team revived the talks and asked Hankey if he would back the new amount. Hankey agreed.

New York – Lobbyist Dating Carl Heastie Cleared to Return to Assembly – and Ethics Attorney Quits

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 3/26/2024

The lobbyist dating New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has been cleared to return to work at the Assembly. A spokesperson for the Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust said after being barred on the advice of its former ethics lawyer, legislative and communications director Rebecca Lamorte can resume lobbying the Assembly, including Heastie’s staff, but not the speaker himself. After Lamorte was cleared to return, the former ethics attorney quit.

New York – Ex-NYPD Deputy Inspector Sentenced in Mayor Adams Campaign Straw Donor Scheme

Yahoo News – Molly Crane-Newman (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/2/2024

Dwayne Montgomery, a former New York Police Department deputy inspector who was friendly with Mayor Eric Adams, was sentenced to community service for his ringleader role in a straw donor scheme that gamed the system to boost Adams’ 2021 City Hall run and curry political favors. The cash funneled to Adams’ campaign in others’ names triggered a major injection of cash from the Campaign Finance Board that matches donations of up to $250 by eight-to-one, allowing the scheme’s architects to subvert caps on how much they could give.

North Carolina – Court Rejects Claim Challenging North Carolina Map for Diluting Black Vote

MSN – Rachel Weiner and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (Washington Post) | Published: 3/28/2024

A federal appellate court rejected an emergency challenge to North Carolina’s Republican-drawn legislative map, all but ensuring elections will go forward this year under contested lines drawn up in 2023 that Democrats and voting rights advocates say were created to weaken Black representation. That means 2024 elections will go forward with a map experts say will help Republicans retain a supermajority in the state Legislature. The new maps are also expected to give Republicans at least three more seats in Congress.

Ohio – The Randazzler: Court records detail chummy relationship between Sam Randazzo, FirstEnergy

Yahoo News – Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 4/1/2024

Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo had a close, chummy relationship with ex-executives of FirstEnergy and its allies. For example, Randazzo texted an image of himself dressed as a superhero and surrounded by terms like “Randazzler” to some of the executives. But Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost alleges Randazzo’s sophomoric communication with FirstEnergy leaders extended beyond memes to a “pay-to-play” scheme at ratepayers’ expense.

Oklahoma – Gov. Stitt Task Force Calls for Changing Campaign Donation Limits

Yahoo News – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 4/2/2024

A task force created by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is calling for no limits on how much money state politicians can accept from individuals in campaign donations. The Governor’s Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats said a change is needed to combat the impact of “dark money” groups. A candidate currently can accept $3,300 from an individual per election. Fewer than a dozen states have no limits on individual donations.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma Official with White Nationalist Ties Is Ousted in Recall Vote

Yahoo News – Brandy Zadrozny, Nnamdi Egwuonwu, and Micki Fahner (NBC News) | Published: 4/3/2024

Voters in Enid, Oklahoma, removed city Councilperson Judd Blevins over his ties to white nationalist groups. He faced the recall vote after local activists learned he had marched alongside neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and led an Oklahoma chapter of the white nationalist group Identity Evropa. Blevins will be replaced by Cheryl Patterson, a former teacher who campaigned on a return to “normalcy” for this small city, which was divided by the furor over Blevins.

Oregon – Gov. Tina Kotek Signs Historic Campaign Finance Bill

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 4/3/2024

Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law a bill that will limit the amount of money that individuals and groups can contribute to campaigns starting in 2027. The law is historic for Oregon, which has seen increasingly large sums of money poured into campaigns. The bill cleared the Legislature with overwhelming support. Good government groups, labor unions, and business groups, negotiated the details of the legislation.

South Carolina – South Carolina Latest State to Use Congressional Map Deemed Illegal

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 3/28/2024

In a scenario that has played out in three states in recent years, a federal court ruled time had run out to draw a new congressional district in South Carolina and the state would have to proceed this fall with an existing election map the court had previously deemed illegal. The ruling echoes redistricting cases in other Southern states where courts found congressional maps violated the voting rights of Black voters and other people of color but allowed them to be used anyway, at least temporarily.

Texas – Texas Appeals Court Overturns Crystal Mason’s Conviction, 5-Year Sentence for Illegal Voting

MSN – Karen Brooks Harper (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/28/2024

A Texas appeals court overturned the illegal voting conviction of Crystal Mason, who was given a five-year prison sentence for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for federal tax evasion. The court said there was no evidence Mason knew she was ineligible to vote when she cast her ballot, which is a condition that must be met to convict her of illegal voting. The case thrust Mason, who is Black, into the political fray amid a Republican-led crackdown on voter fraud, partly fueled by baseless claims of rampant illegal voting.

Texas – Texas Could Require Social Media Influencers to Disclose Paid Political Posts

MSN – Robert Downen (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/28/2024

The Texas Ethics Commission gave initial approval to a proposal that would require social media users to disclose if they are being paid to share or create political advertisements. The action comes just months after it was reported that a secretive and politically connected company called Influenceable LLC paid internet influencers to defend state Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of his impeachment trial. The proposed rule could be finalized at the commission’s next meeting in June.

Virginia – A Skill Game Company Gave a Va. Senator a $1.9K Trip. No One Will Explain It

Virginia Mercury – Graham Moomaw | Published: 4/1/2024

In 2022, Virginia Sen. Bryce Reeves disclosed a campaign finance report that skill game company Pace-O-Matic paid for a trip he took worth $1,900. Pace-O-Matic was hosting hundreds of guests in Wyoming at Cheyenne Frontier Days. But the campaign finance report gave no indication where Reeves went on the dime of a company that has lobbied the General Assembly for permission to put slot machine lookalikes in convenience stores and truck stops. Under the current rule, lawmakers cannot accept more than $108 in gifts from any single lobbying interest per calendar year, but there are several exceptions to that limit.

Washington – Washington State Legislative Maps Survive Supreme Court Appeal in Latest Battle Over Latino Voting Rights

Courthouse News Service – Kelsey Reichmann | Published: 4/2/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the use of Washington state’s new legislative district maps that give Latino voters greater representation. A Republican lawmaker and two voters asked the justices to allow the state’s 2024 election to move forward under a map that was found to have violated a section of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits race discrimination. A lower court judge recently enacted a remedial map after claims of Latino vote dilution, but the Republicans say the new map is more discriminatory than the first.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Becomes Latest State to Ban Private Funding of Elections

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 4/2/2024

Wisconsin voters opted to ban private funding for election administration, joining more than two dozen states that have ended or limited the practice after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife spent $350 million to help local governments run elections during the coronavirus pandemic. They also approved a second proposal that limits who can perform election-related duties. Both measures were initiated by Republican state legislators.

Wisconsin – What Are Wisconsin’s Biggest Lobbying Law Violation Settlements Since 2016?

PBS Wisconsin – Hina Suzuki (The Badger Project) | Published: 3/26/2024

Wisconsin has strict lobbying laws – so strict that lobbyists are not allowed to give anything of monetary value to the politicians and government officials they lobby. If a lobbyist breaks the rules, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission will negotiate a settlement with the lobbyist or lobbying organization in lieu of civil litigation. Money received from settlements goes to the Common School Fund, the primary, and often only, funding source for school libraries in the state. The Badger Project obtained a list of the largest lobbying fines since 2016.

Campaign Finance

New York: “Ex-NYPD Deputy Inspector Sentenced in Mayor Adams Campaign Straw Donor Scheme” by Molly Crane-Newman (New York Daily News) for Yahoo News

Oklahoma: “Gov. Stitt Task Force Calls for Changing Campaign Donation Limits” by Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) for Yahoo News

Elections

Florida: “With Abortion Ballot Question, a ‘Path to Relevance’ for Democrats in Florida?” by Patricia Mazzei (New York Times) for Yahoo News

Ethics

Alabama: “Alabama House Approves Legislation Overhauling State Ethics Code” by Alander Rocha for Alabama Reflector

National: “Trump Special Counsel Fires Back at Cannon Order That Could Disrupt Case” by Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “To Comply with Court, Federal Agency Lets White People Claim Social Disadvantage” by Julian Mark (Washington Post) for MSN

Minnesota: “‘Book Senator Hoffman to speak’: DFL state senator’s consulting firm raises ethical questions” by Ryan Faircloth (Minneapolis Star Tribune) for Yahoo News

New York: “How a California Billionaire Known for Auto Loans Provided Trump’s Bond” by Michael Kranish and Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) for MSN

Legislative Issues

National: “Freedom Caucuses Push for Conservative State Laws, but Getting Attention Is Their Big Success” by Elaine Povich (Stateline) for Yahoo News

Lobbying

Missouri: “Recall of Columbia First Ward Councilperson Nick Knoth Passes” by Hunter Walterman for KOMU

National/Federal

Trump’s Legal Fees Are Sky High. An Elaborate PAC Scheme Is Helping Pay Them – for Now

MSN – Erin Mansfield and Zac Anderson (USA Today) | Published: 3/24/2024

A pro-Donald Trump super PAC has been transferring millions of dollars every month to the former president’s fund for paying his legal bills. The transfers have kept the fund, Save America, afloat as it bled tens of millions of dollars on legal bills since a New York grand jury indicted Trump, the first in a wave of criminal indictments and civil judgments against him. Save America is a type of fund called a leadership PAC that can only accept $5,000 per election cycle from each donor but has few restrictions on how it spends money. It is being funded by Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC that can raise unlimited amounts of money.

Rep. Mike Gallagher to Resign in April, Narrowing House GOP Vote Margin to 1

MSN – Patrick Svitek and Marianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 3/22/2024

U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher announced he will resign effective April 19, leaving the slim House GOP majority with a one-vote margin that will make it even harder to pass legislation. Under Wisconsin law, Gallagher’s seat is likely to remain vacant until January, with the November general election to determine who wins his seat. The realities of the thin majority were on full display as the House passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill by a narrow margin.

Trump Media Merger Wins Investor Approval, Netting Trump a Potential Windfall

MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 3/22/2024

Shareholders voted to take Donald Trump’s media company public, a long-delayed move that will open the owner of Truth Social to stock-market investors and grant Trump a stake worth billions of dollars that he could use to pay down his legal debts. Some critics have said Trump Media is a “meme stock” with a more than $5 billion valuation they say is out of sync with its financial outlook. Trump Media lost $49 million in the first nine months of last year and brought in $3.4 million in revenue.

Federal Officials Say 20 Have Been Charged for Threatening Election Workers

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 3/24/2024

Justice Department officials said reports of widespread threats against officials running the 2020 and 2022 elections have resulted in charges against roughly 20 people, with more than a half dozen receiving sentences between one and three-and-one-half years. But the federal officials said at a news conference that it remains to be seen if the stiff sentences will serve as an effective deterrent to would-be-criminals in future election cycles.

NBC Reverses Decision to Hire Ronna McDaniel After On-Air Backlash

MSN – Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 3/26/2024

Amid a chorus of on-air protest from some of the network’s biggest stars, NBC announced that former Republican National Committee Chairperson Ronna McDaniel will no longer be joining the network as a paid contributor. The network had announced four days earlier they were bringing McDaniel on board to provide “expert insight and analysis” on politics. But the company’s on-air personalities disagreed vehemently, saying McDaniel’s promotion of Donald Trump’s false election-fraud claims disqualified her from a role in their news divisions.

No Labels, No Candidate: Rejections pile up as time runs short

Seattle Times – Rebecca Davis O’Brien and Reid Epstein (New York Times) | Published: 3/22/2024

No Labels, the group that for months has pledged to run a centrist presidential ticket in the event of a rematch between President Biden and Donald Trump, is running out of time to recruit a standard-bearer after a string of rejections. With a number of prominent prospective candidates saying no thanks in recent months, some No Labels members and leaders have grown frustrated with the failure to advance a ticket. Still, the group’s leadership continues to hold out hope for November, even as the possibility of outright defeating both Biden and Trump seems increasingly remote.

Threats Against Politicians Are Prevalent. The FEC Wants to Let Campaigns Pay for Security.

Yahoo News – Zach Montellaro (Politico) | Published: 3/27/2024

The FEC wants to allow candidates to use campaign funds for a wide range of security measures, an expansion of what campaign accounts can be used for amid a heated political environment. The proposed changes would allow federal candidates to use their campaign funds to pay for things like as security personnel, cameras or motion detectors at their homes, and cybersecurity services – so long as these purchases “address ongoing dangers or threats” arising from their status as federal candidates or officials and they pay a fair market value.

How Justice Thomas’s ‘Nearly Adopted Daughter’ Became His Law Clerk

Yahoo News – Steve Eder and Abbie VanSickle (New York Times) | Published: 3/28/2024

One of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s law clerks for the court’s next term will be Crystal Clanton, a conservative organizer turned lawyer, who has such a close relationship with Thomas and his wife that the couple informally refer to her as their “nearly adopted daughter.” For Thomas’s critics, the selection of Clanton is blatant favoritism, if not nepotism, particularly for a justice already under an ethics cloud for revelations about his gifts and travel from wealthy benefactors.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Deepfake Kari Lake Video Shows Coming Chaos of AI in Elections

MSN – Reis Thebault (Washington Post) | Published: 3/24/2024

Journalist Hank Stephenson has made a living out of detecting lies and political spin. But even he was fooled at first when he watched the video of one of his home state’s most prominent congressional candidates. Kari Lake, the Republican U.S. Senate hopeful from Arizona, was on his phone screen, speaking words written by a software engineer. Stephenson was watching a deepfake, an artificial-intelligence-generated video produced by his news organization, Arizona Agenda, to underscore the dangers of AI misinformation in an election year.

California – L.A. City Councilmember Curren Price Accused of 21 Violations of City Ethics Laws

MSN – James Queally, David Zahniser, and Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 3/27/2024

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission has privately accused city Councilperson Curren Price of voting on matters in which his wife had a financial interest. The commission accuses Price of 21 violations of the city’s ethics laws, many of them similar to those filed by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón against Price last year. In the criminal case, Price is accused of voting to support projects for developers that had done business with a consulting company founded by his wife. The allegations from the commission mostly involve violations of conflict-of-interest laws or the council member’s failure to fully disclose economic interests.

California – Judge Recommends Conservative Lawyer John Eastman Be Disbarred in California

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 3/27/2024

A California judge recommended that John Eastman be disbarred in the state over his role in developing a legal strategy to help Donald Trump stay in power after his 2020 election loss. State Bar Court of California Judge Yvette Roland ordering that Eastman’s law license be put on “involuntary inactive” status. The California Supreme Court will issue a final ruling on the matter, which Eastman can appeal.

Colorado – Colorado Appeals Court Upholds Campaign Finance Fine for Ex-State Senate Candidate

Colorado Politics – Michael Karlik | Published: 3/26/2024

Colorado’s second-highest court agreed that a former state Senate candidate misinterpreted campaign finance law and failed to file the proper paperwork upon declaring her candidacy. Although Suzanne Taheri believed she had satisfied Colorado’s campaign finance requirements by submitting a copy of her federal tax return shortly after she became a candidate, an administrative law judge concluded that was not the correct form of disclosure.

District of Columbia – Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark Could Face Disbarment for Aiding Trump

MSN – Keith Alexander (Washington Post) | Published: 3/26/2024

Jeffrey Clark, a former senior Justice Department official who sought to use the agency’s influence to help reverse Donald Trump’s 2020 election defeat, violated legal ethics and should be sanctioned professionally, even prohibited from practicing law in the nation’s capital, an attorney for the District of Columbia Bar told a disciplinary panel. The Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleged Clark engaged in dishonest conduct when he drafted a letter he wanted the Justice Department to send to Georgia officials, demanding the state Legislature call a special session to examine votes in the presidential election.

Florida – DeSantis Tourism Board, Disney Reach Settlement to End Legal Feud

MSN – Lori Rozsa and Aaron Gregg (Washington Post) | Published: 3/27/2024

The board appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to oversee Disney’s former special taxing district agreed to a settlement with the company, capping a legal feud over who should control development at the theme park complex. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, made up of DeSantis appointees, agreed to drop its lawsuit against the company in exchange for Disney relinquishing some control over its property.

Florida – Florida Donors with State Business Fueled End of DeSantis Presidential Run

MSN – Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey, and Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 3/27/2024

The biggest donors in Republican politics largely shunned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after his presidential campaign began to falter last summer. So, his allies turned to donors the governor still held sway over because of his day job. Lobbyist friends and fundraisers of DeSantis called Florida clients asking them to contribute to the super PACs paying for television ads and field operations and many of those people gave. The pitch, according to one person who received a call, was DeSantis was likely to remain a powerful governor in the state.

Florida – In Public, Suarez Says He’s Not Ken Griffin’s Attorney. Under Oath, He Said Differently

MSN – Sarah Blaskey and Alexandra Glorioso (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/21/2024

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has said he has no conflict-of-interest when it comes to his public support for billionaire Ken Griffin, a major client of the law firm where Suarez is employed. But in an interview conducted under oath in December, Suarez contradicted previous public statements and said he is one of Griffin’s attorneys, a potential violation of ethics laws prohibiting elected officials from working for anyone who has business before their government.

Florida – Centners Downplay Ties to Arrested Miami Commissioner, Say They ‘Sprinkle Money Around’

MSN – Tess Riski, Joey Flechas, and Sarah Blaskey (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/24/2024

A wealthy couple at the center of the state’s money laundering and bribery case against a former Miami city commissioner told prosecutors they did not know the mechanics of how $245,000 from their business’s account ended up in the commissioner’s political committee coffers, according to audio recordings of interviews. David and Leila Centner, the operators of the private school Centner Academy, told prosecutors that as a “very high net-worth family,” they “sprinkle money around” and often approve large transactions without knowing the details.

Georgia – Georgia Election Official Seeking New Term Voted on Cases Involving His Lobbyist Clients

Just the News – Natalia Mittelstadt | Published: 3/22/2024

State Election Board member Edward Lindsey is up for reconfirmation before the Georgia House amid new revelations he has voted on cases involving counties for which he is a lobbyist. Lindsey is a lobbyist for both Cobb County and DeKalb County. He is also a registered lobbyist for Dentons, a global law and lobbying firm that has contracted with both Cobb County and DeKalb County. The elections board has had multiple complaints regarding both county’s elections during Lindsey’s tenure, which he has been involved in and voted on.

Kansas – In the Kansas House, When Lobbyists Ask for New Laws, Their Names Go on the Bills

Yahoo News – John Hanna (Associated Press) | Published: 3/26/2024

The Kansas House is making it a little easier for the state’s residents to find out who is lobbying its members. Besides a number and official sponsor, each bill now lists who asked for it, be it a lawmaker at someone else’s request or an individual lobbyist for a specific client. The change started in January. While at least a handful of states require lobbyists to list specific bills of interest to them in reports open for public inspection, the Council of State Governments knows of no other state legislative chamber that is listing lobbyists and groups on its bills.

Louisiana – How to Elect a Louisiana Sheriff: Runoff, recount, reversal, repeat

MSN – Molly Hennessy-Fiske (Washington Post) | Published: 3/24/2024

When Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator announced last summer that he would step down after more than four decades in law enforcement, residents braced for a divisive campaign. Yet few could have predicted they would have to go to the polls three times in six months to pick a successor, elections fraught with racial tensions and legal wrangling over voting rights that mirror national struggles.

Montana – Montana Supreme Court Strikes Down Voting Restrictions

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 3/27/2024

The Montana Supreme Court struck down four laws the state’s Republican-led Legislature passed in 2021 to restrict voting. The laws ended same-day voter registration in most cases, eliminated student ID cards as a permitted form of voter identification, and sought to curtail paid ballot-collection efforts. They also outlawed absentee ballots for people who would be 18 years old by Election Day.

New Jersey – Tammy Murphy Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race in Stunning Announcement

MSN – Brent Johnson (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 3/24/2024

New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy abruptly announced she has dropped her bid for U.S. Senate, a stunning development in what had increasingly become a bitter and dramatic Democratic primary for the state’s seat currently held by indicted Sen. Robert Menendez. Murphy was aiming to become the first woman ever to represent New Jersey in the upper chamber of Congress. Now, she leaves the race four months after entering it and two months before the June 4 primary.

New Jersey – In New Jersey, Some See Old-School Politics Giving Way to ‘Spring’ Amid Corruption Scandal

Yahoo News – Mike Catalini (Associated Press) | Published: 3/25/2024

New Jersey has the reputation as a home to backroom political dealing. But advocates hoping to break the boss-dominated culture in this Democratic stronghold say the ongoing corruption case against U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez might have opened the door to a new era in Garden State politics. Many progressives were cheered when Tammy Murphy withdrew from the Senate primary, since they viewed her as someone who was benefiting from a system they argue gives party leaders undue influence. The well-connected wife of Gov. Phil Murphy dropped her bid to succeed Menendez.

New York – Trump Wins Partial Stay of Fraud Judgment, Allowed to Post $175 Million

MSN – Mark Berman, Jonathan O’Connell, and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 3/25/2024

An appeals court panel in New York said Donald Trump would be allowed to post a $175 million bond to stave off enforcement of a nearly $500 million civil judgment against him and his business. While the five judges on the panel eased the financial strain on Trump, they did not erase it entirely. They gave Trump 10 days to come up with the reduced bond of $175 million, saying they would only delay enforcement of the full amount if he put up that lower figure within this window and it is not immediately clear how he will come up with the money.

New York – NY Judge Issues Gag Order on Trump in Hush Money Trial, Blasting His ‘Threatening, Inflammatory, Denigrating’ Statements

MSN – Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle and Jeremy Herb (CNN) | Published: 3/27/2024

A New York judge imposed a gag order on Donald Trump, limiting the former president from making statements about potential witnesses in the criminal trial relating to hush money payments scheduled to begin in April. Judge Juan Merchan said Trump cannot make statements about attorneys, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors or lawyers intended to interfere with the case. Trump is also barred from making statements about any potential or actual juror.

New York – N.Y. Judge Sets Firm April 15 Trial Date in Trump’s Historic Hush Money Case

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 3/25/2024

Donald Trump will begin his first criminal trial on April 15, a judge ruled, at the end of a contentious hearing in which he repeatedly slammed the former president’s legal team for claims of prosecutorial misconduct the judge said were unfounded. New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s assertion that the Manhattan district attorney’s office acted improperly with regard to newly available evidence. He also insisted the trial over reimbursement of an alleged hush money payment was back on track after a delay.

New York – Adams Adviser Frank Carone Pulls Lobbying Registration as His Firm Reveals City, State Targets

New York Daily News – Chris Sommerfeldt | Published: 3/21/2024

Frank Carone, New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ ex-chief of staff, rescinded his lobbying registration earlier recently – a move that coincided with his consulting firm revealing its other employees have lobbied officials in the administrations of both Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul. In amended filings, Oaktree Solutions removed Carone’s name from the list of employees lobbying on behalf of the firm’s 18 clients. Asked why his name was scrubbed, Carone said he only registered to undergo lobbying training.

Ohio – Imprisoned Ex-Ohio Speaker Householder Hit with New Charges Alleging Misuse of Campaign Funds

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/25/2024

Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is once again facing charges in the ever expanding state and federal bribery cases surrounding the passage of legislation in 2019. The newest charges go beyond Householder’s acceptance of a bribe from FirstEnergy that landed him in federal prison for 20 years. They allege he unlawfully used campaign funds to pay his criminal defense fees in the federal case and lied on state ethics forms that require candidates and office holders to disclose their earnings, assets, and liabilities.

Ohio – Ex-FirstEnergy Lobbyist Charged in Bribery Scheme Gets to Spend Easter at His Beach House, After All

MSN – Corey Shaffer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/25/2024

A former FirstEnergy lobbyist charged in connection with the largest bribery scandal in Ohio’s history will get to spend the Easter holiday at his vacation home in an upscale South Carolina beach community. Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Susan Baker Ross placed several conditions on Dowling, including giving the court a detailed itinerary of his weeklong trip, contact information for everyone who will be staying with him, and outfitting his phone with a GPS tracker in addition to the ankle monitor he is already wearing.

Ohio – Cuyahoga County Grand Jury Foreperson Lobbied Publicly for House Bill 6. Why Was He Allowed to Hear Case Against Larry Householder?

MSN – Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/27/2024

A politically connected labor leader served as the foreperson for a grand jury that returned a new criminal indictment against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, a development experts said raises questions about the impartiality of the process and that could pose future legal issues for Attorney General Dave Yost’s case. Legal experts said Dave Wondolowski’s role on the grand jury could raise problems because of his familiarity with Householder. Wondolowski was involved with issues surrounding House Bill 6, which is at the center of federal corruption charges against Householder and that spawned the new state case.

Oregon – Oregon Secretary of State Says It Needs More Money, Employees to Overhaul Outdated Campaign Finance Filing System

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 3/21/2024

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade says her office needs more money and employees if it is to overhaul its outdated campaign finance filing system to adhere to new campaign finance rules lawmakers approved recently. Lawmakers did not allocate any money to implement the new limits and change the current filing system, which is nearly 20 years old, so Griffin-Valade plans to request at least $4.1 million from the Legislature’s Emergency Board.

Oregon – Portland Elections Office Finds Zenith Energy Violated City Lobbying Rules

Portland Mercury – Taylor Griggs | Published: 3/26/2024

Zenith Energy attempted to influence officials by communicating directly with city directors and commissioners to gain approval of a controversial land use document that allows the company to continue doing business in Portland, according to an investigation by City Auditor Simone Rede’s office. Rede said Zenith violated the law requiring organizations that spend more than eight hours or $1,000 lobbying city officials in any quarter to register and report the activity.

Pennsylvania – Philly Ethics Board Looks to Tighten Rules After Jeff Brown Super PAC Scuffle

Billy Penn – Meir Rinde | Published: 3/22/2024

After losing a court battle over alleged campaign finance improprieties during last year’s mayoral election, the Philadelphia Board of Ethics is moving to tighten its restrictions on spending by super PACs. The board is also asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit filed against the city by Jeff Brown, the supermarket magnate and former mayoral candidate, and a dark money super PAC that spent heavily to support his run. The revisions would make it clear that someone who plans to run for office cannot get around the limits by delaying the announcement of their candidacy, as Brown did.

Pennsylvania – Upgrades to PA Governor’s Mansion Bankrolled by Private Group That Won’t Disclose Donors, Full Cost

Spotlight PA – Angela Couloumbis | Published: 3/25/2024

The remodeling of the official residence of Pennsylvania’s governor will focus on bringing in new pieces of furniture, art, and other items to the public areas of the historic mansion. Beyond that, little is known about the scale, scope, or even the price tag for the redesign. Despite the involvement of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s aides in the project, no one will say who is managing it, raising money for it, or exactly who is paying for the bill.

Rhode Island – Former Top RI Official Ordered to Pay $5,000 Fine Over Infamous Philly Trip. What to Know.

MSN – Katherine Gregg and Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) | Published: 3/26/2024

Former state official David Patten agreed to pay a $5,000 fine for his actions on a now-infamous trip to Philadelphia to visit a company seeking to redevelop Providence’s Cranston Street Armory. The Rhode Island Ethics Commission also voted to find probable cause that Gov. Daniel McKee’s former administration director, James Thorsen, violated the law by accepting a free lunch during that trip. This is the first time the commission has brought a case under the state procurement law since being granted authority to do so by the General Assembly.

South Dakota – South Dakota Ethanol Lobbying Entered a ‘Borderline,’ ‘Gray’ Area, Critics Say

Yahoo News – Dominik Dausch (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) | Published: 3/27/2024

When a bill that would open the door to Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline in South Dakota was about to head to the state House for debate, major ethanol companies came out in force to support the legislation. Busloads of people with ties to ethanol companies showed up at the Capitol’s doorstep. A media investigation found these companies reimbursed and, in one case, paid, employees and board members to lobby legislators in the days leading up to the vote on the bill. The state’s broadly written lobbyist laws lack clarity about compensating lobbyists.

Texas – Texas AG Ken Paxton Reaches Deal to End Securities Fraud Charges After 9 Years

MSN – Juan Lozano (Associated Press) | Published: 3/26/2024

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton agreed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution under a deal to end criminal securities fraud charges that have shadowed him for nearly a decade. The announcement came just weeks before Paxton was set to stand trial on felony charges that could have led to a prison sentence. It was the closest Paxton has ever come to trial over accusations he duped investors in a technology startup near Dallas.

Wisconsin – Prosecutors in 3 Wisconsin Counties Decline to Pursue Charges Against Trump Committee, Lawmaker

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 3/22/2024

Prosecutors in three Wisconsin counties declined to pursue felony charges of campaign finance violations against Donald Trump’s fundraising committee and a state lawmaker related to an effort to unseat Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. The prosecutors cited conflicts-of-interest, in some cases because they too are actively involved in their local Republican parties. The state Ethics Commission referred the charges to counties adjacent to the three that declined to prosecute. Ultimately, Attorney General Josh Kaul, could be asked to prosecute the cases.

Wisconsin – Robin Vos Slams Shadow Lobbying Effort on Electric Grid Construction Bill

MSN – Jessie Opien (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) | Published: 3/21/2024

The intense lobbying efforts behind a bill that would have changed regulations for transmission line construction exposed problems with Wisconsin’s ethics laws, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said. ” … For an entity to be able to donate to an outside group and have them do their lobbying for them, all unreportable, seems to me to be a … huge loophole in [the] law that we need to fix,” Vos said. The speaker named the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity as a “prime” example of the issue, despite generally being politically aligned with the organization.

Wisconsin – Former Milwaukee Election Official Convicted of Absentee Ballot Fraud

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 3/20/2024

A jury convicted a former Milwaukee election official of absentee ballot fraud and misconduct in office in an unusual case that pitted a self-proclaimed whistleblower against election conspiracy theorists. Kimberly Zapata served as deputy elections director in 2022, when baseless claims about elections circulated among Republicans, including in the state Legislature. Zapata has said the focus by some lawmakers on meritless issues frustrated her and she wanted to alert them to what she viewed as a true vulnerability in Wisconsin’s voting system.

Campaign Finance

Wisconsin: “Prosecutors in 3 Wisconsin Counties Decline to Pursue Charges Against Trump Committee, Lawmaker” by Scott Bauer (Associated Press) for MSN

Elections

Arizona: “Deepfake Kari Lake Video Shows Coming Chaos of AI in Elections” by Reis Thebault (Washington Post) for MSN

New Jersey: “Tammy Murphy Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race in Stunning Announcement” by Brent Johnson (NJ Advance Media) for MSN

Ethics

Florida: “Centners Downplay Ties to Arrested Miami Commissioner, Say They ‘Sprinkle Money Around'” by Tess Riski, Joey Flechas, and Sarah Blaskey (Miami Herald) for MSN

National: “Trump Media Merger Wins Investor Approval, Netting Trump a Potential Windfall” by Drew Harwell (Washington Post) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “Upgrades to PA Governor’s Mansion Bankrolled by Private Group That Won’t Disclose Donors, Full Cost” by Angela Couloumbis for Spotlight PA

Legislative Issues

National: “Rep. Mike Gallagher to Resign in April, Narrowing House GOP Vote Margin to 1” by Patrick Svitek and Marianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Georgia: “Georgia Election Official Seeking New Term Voted on Cases Involving His Lobbyist Clients” by Natalia Mittelstadt for Just the New

Campaign Finance

Kansas: “Biden Effigy Beaten, Kicked at Kansas County GOP Event, Drawing Outrage” by Annie Gowan (Washington Post) for MSN

New York: “Mayor Adams Campaign Supporters Fined in Straw Donor Scheme” by Molly Crane-Newman (New York Daily News) for MSN

Ethics

California: “Confidentiality Pact Deepens Mystery of How Bakery Clause Got into California Minimum Wage Law” by Adam Beam (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

National: “Congressional Hearing on the Biden Classified Documents Probe Turns into a Proxy Campaign Battle” by Zeke Miller, Colleen Long, and Farnoush Amiri for Associated Press News

Iowa: “Transgender Activist Risks Jail to Challenge Law Targeting Protest” by Molly Hennessey-Fiske (Washington Post) for MSN

Missouri: “Dean Plocher Draws New Scrutiny Over Series of Capitol Meetings with Out-of-State Vendor” by Jason Hancock for Missouri Independent

Legislative Issues

Tennessee: “Republican, Democrat File Bill to Move Sexual Harassment Inquiries Outside the Legislature” by Vivian Jones (Tennessean) for Yahoo News

Lobbying

National: “Former U.S. Official’s Work for Chinese Client Stirs Concern Over Disclosure Loopholes” by Michael Martina (Reuters) for MSN

National/Federal

Nikki Haley Suspends Her Campaign and Leaves Donald Trump as the Last Major Republican Candidate

Associated Press News – Steve Peoples and Meg Kinnard | Published: 3/6/2024

Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign after being soundly defeated across the country on Super Tuesday, leaving Donald Trump as the last remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. Haley challenged Trump to win the support of the moderate Republicans and independent voters who supported her. Haley has made clear she does not want to serve as Trump’s vice president or run on a third-party ticket arranged by the group No Labels.

New Jersey Businessman Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Cooperate in Sen. Bob Menendez’s Corruption Case

MSN – Larry Neumeister (Associated Press) | Published: 3/1/2024

A New Jersey businessperson pleaded guilty to trying to bribe U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, agreeing to a deal with prosecutors that calls for him to testify in the corruption case against the senator and his wife. Jose Uribe was among three businesspeople charged in the corruption case against Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez. Authorities say the couple accepted bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for the senator’s influence over foreign affairs.

Appeals Court Ruling Means Over 100 Jan. 6 Rioters May Be Resentenced

MSN – Rachel Weiner and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 3/1/2024

A federal appeals court overturned a sentencing enhancement used against January 6 defendants charged with felony obstruction, a decision that means that over 100 convicted rioters may have to be resentenced. The ruling could have an impact in plea negotiations, eliminating one bargaining chip used by prosecutors when encouraging defendants to plead guilty without a trial.

FEC Allows Candidates to More Easily Pay Themselves from Campaign Funds

MSN – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 3/1/2024

A new rule allowing federal candidates to more easily draw salaries from their campaign funds went into effect on March 1. The new rule aims to remedy a commonly cited barrier to working Americans considering running for office, which is often an all-consuming and expensive endeavor. Incumbent federal officeholders cannot receive compensation from campaign funds under the updated rule.

Supreme Court Keeps Trump on Ballot, Rejects Colorado Voter Challenge

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 3/4/2024

The Supreme Court restored Donald Trump to the Colorado primary ballot, ruling the state lacked authority to disqualify him after his actions during the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The justices warned of chaos if a candidate for nationwide office could be declared ineligible in some states, but not others, based on the same conduct. While the decision was unanimous, the court’s three liberal justices also wrote separately, saying the conservative majority went too far and decided an issue that was not before the court to “insulate all alleged insurrectionists from future challenges to their holding office.”

Trump Pulls Closer to GOP Nomination with Super Tuesday Wins

MSN – Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 3/5/2024

Donald Trump won resounding primary victories in more than a dozen states, pulling closer to securing the Republican presidential nomination and catapulting more fully into a rematch with President Biden. More than a third of the delegates who eventually will vote on the GOP’s candidate were up for grabs on Super Tuesday, putting Trump on track to win a majority of delegates by March 19 at the latest, according to his team’s projections. Biden was quickly projected to notch decisive victories in almost every contest.

Sen. Menendez Faces New Charges in Bribery Case

MSN – Praveena Somasundaram and Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 3/5/2024

Federal prosecutors charged U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife with extortion and obstruction of justice. Menendez; his wife, Nadine Menendez; and two associates, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were charged in an 18-count indictment that built upon the bribery charges they face in a case accusing them of conspiring to have the senator act as an illegal foreign agent on behalf of the Egyptian government.

The Fed Hates Politics. Now It’s Trying to Cut Rates in an Election Year.

MSN – Rachel Siegel (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2024

The Federal Reserve is eyeing multiple interest rate hikes  starting sometime this year. As the months pass, the chances grow that those cuts end up juicing the economy in the run-up to Election Day, just as Republicans and Democrats fight to leverage the economy in their appeals to voters. Decisions about interest rates, Fed officials say, are based solely on how the economy evolves, and whether inflation keeps trending down.

Supreme Court Sets Trump Immunity Claim in D.C. Trial for April 25

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court scheduled argument for April 25 to review Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The case will determine whether and how quickly Trump faces trial in the District of Columbia for allegedly trying to block Joe Biden’s election victory. The court’s decision to consider Trump’s claims, rather than letting stand a lower court decision that he can be prosecuted, drew criticism for further delaying the election obstruction trial.

Foreign Agent Law Faces Sweeping Changes

Yahoo News – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 3/5/2024

The Department of Justice is expected to propose sweeping updates to the Foreign Agents Registration Act. It has been decades since there have been major legislative or regulatory updates to the law, which imposed registration and reporting requirements for individuals and entities seeking to sway U.S. policy or the public on matters of foreign interests. The law has not kept up with societal changes in recent years, including the rise of social media, even as the Justice Department has been more aggressive in its enforcement, practitioners say.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Judge Dismisses Challenge to New Arizona Campaign Finance Law Exposing Dark Money Donors

MSN – Sasha Hupka (Arizona Republic) | Published: 3/1/2024

A Maricopa County judge rejected a lawsuit challenging a new law requiring so-called dark money groups to expose their political donors. Judge Scott McCoy ruled the Center for Arizona Policy and the Arizona Free Enterprise Club are not immune from Proposition 211, which was passed in 2022. The measure garnered wide support with its argument that the public has a right to know who is funding anonymous political messages from vaguely named committees.

Arizona – Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona Says She Won’t Seek Reelection, Avoiding 3-Way Race

MSN – Jonathan Cooper (Associated Press) | Published: 3/5/2024

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced she will not run for a second term after her estrangement from the Democratic Party left her politically homeless and without a clear path to reelection. Sinema’s decision avoids a three-way contest in one of the most closely watched 2024 Senate races, a hard-to-forecast scenario that spawned debate among political operatives about whether one major party would benefit in the quest for the Senate majority. Most analysts agreed Sinema had faced significant, likely insurmountable hurdles if she had decided to run.

Arizona – Arizona’s Trump Electors Subpoenaed in Grand Jury Investigation

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2024

A grand jury issued subpoenas to Republicans who took part in the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election by signing and transmitting paperwork that falsely purported to show Donald Trump had won Arizona’s 11 electoral votes. The subpoenas request each of the Republicans testify before the grand jury about their involvement in the elector plan. They are part of an investigation by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who has indicated her office would soon conclude the criminal probe.

California – Billionaire Flynn Says He Met Newsom Staff in Lobbying Effort Against Wage Bill

MSN – Eliyahu Kamisher, Daniela Sirtori-Cortina, and Josh Eidelson (Bloomberg) | Published: 3/1/2024

Billionaire Greg Flynn, who owns two dozen Panera Bread franchises in California, said he suggested excluding fast-casual restaurants from a bill raising minimum wages for fast-food workers in the state, but was surprised when chains that make and sell bread were specifically exempted from the final legislation. Flynn, a long-time Newsom campaign donor and one of the world’s largest restaurant-franchise operators, said he never met with the governor over the bill, though he “did meet with his staff in a group meeting with other restaurant owners.”

California – Ethics Overhaul Looks to Be Heading to Easy Victory

San Francisco Examiner – Troy Wolverton | Published: 3/5/2024

Voters approved Proposition D, a measure to overhaul San Francisco’s ethics laws, which was prompted by the corruption scandal involving former Department of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. It broadens the definition of people who are prohibited from giving gifts to city officials. The measure also greatly increases the number of city officials who would be required to undergo annual ethics training, among other provisions.

California – San Francisco Commissioner Resigns After City Says She OK’d Nonprofit’s Fake Invoices

San Francisco Standard – Jonah Owen Lamb | Published: 2/29/2024

The chairperson of the commission that oversaw a new community center in San Francisco resigned after facing allegations she approved false invoices for a nonprofit that bilked the city for at least $100,000. Susan Murphy resigned after the city attorney’s office announced the findings of an investigation that alleged Murphy approved the invoices for a nonprofit called J&J Community Resource Center, which provides services for low-income families and youth. Murphy used to be the nonprofit’s secretary, according to tax filings.

Connecticut – CT Election Regulators Want More Oversight of Local Town and City Political Campaign Finances

CT Insider – Ken Dixon | Published: 3/5/2024

Local political candidates including mayors, selectmen, and school boards would be required to file their campaign finance statements electronically with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) under legislation supported by Connecticut’s top election regulator. Michael Brandi, executive director and general counsel of the SEEC, said the current system, in which candidates for local office file their reports in local city and town halls, is hard to monitor by the SEEC, the public, and the news media.

Florida – Moms for Liberty’s Descovich Hit with Ethics Complaint as She Awaits Confirmation to Ethics Commission

Florida Bulldog – Dan Christensen | Published: 3/5/2024

Tina Descovich, co-founder of the controversial political group Moms for Liberty, awaits a confirmation vote before the state Senate for a seat on the Florida Commission on Ethics, even as a newly filed complaint could well lead to her ouster. Descovich is not registered to lobby in Tallahassee, or apparently anywhere else. But she has been an outspoken advocate pushing a variety of conservative public policy positions with Gov. Ron DeSantis and legislators. “Members [of the commission] are prohibited from lobbying state and local governments,” according to the commission’s rules.

Florida – Deegan’s Chief of Staff Says Questions About Consultant Are ‘Political Shenanigans’

MSN – David Bauerlein (Florida Times-Union) | Published: 3/7/2024

Jacksonville City Council members questioned how a consultant working on a city grant-writing contract got a badge for entry to City Hall and a cubicle in the mayor staff’s office without going through a background check since he had a misdemeanor conviction in 1989. At issue is how the city handles background checks for contract employees and what the policy is for providing entry badges to them so they are able to enter City Hall and designated offices within the building.

Florida – Appeals Court Blocks Fla. ‘Stop Woke Act,’ Says It’s a ‘First Amendment Sin’

MSN – Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 3/4/2024

A federal appeals court upheld a ruling that blocked Florida from enforcing a law, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts how private companies teach diversity and inclusion in the workplace. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled the Stop Woke Act “exceeds the bounds” of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech and expression in its attempts to regulate workplace trainings on race, color, sex, and national origin.

Illinois – Ex-Illinois State Sen. Terry Link Gets Probation for Campaign-Cash Tax Conviction

MSN – Jason Meisner and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 3/6/2024

Former Illinois Sen. Terry Link, who wore a secret FBI wire in a sting against a colleague in the Legislature, was sentenced to three years of probation on tax evasion charges stemming from the withdrawal of campaign funds for personal use. Link pleaded guilty to failing to report income on his tax returns to the IRS and spending more than $73,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses.

Kansas – Wichita City Council Lifts Ban on Corporate Political Donations, with One Requirement

MSN – Matthew Kelly (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 3/4/2024

The Wichita City Council voted to lift a short-lived ban on corporate campaign contributions to city candidates. The rollback of the campaign finance reform was approved as council members supported an amendment requiring candidates to report the name of the principal owner of the company that gave to their campaign. Another amendment that would have banned the practice of giving multiple donations through different companies failed.

Kentucky – Appeals Court Sides with GOP Constitutional Officers on Ethics Commission Power

Kentucky Lantern – McKenna Horsley | Published: 3/1/2024

A ruling from a three-judge panel of the Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a law allowing the state’s constitutional officers to each appoint a member of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission. Gov. Andy Beshear, whose office has said it will ask the state Supreme Court to hear the case, filed a lawsuit block the law that reduced his authority over appointments to the commission. The governor had been responsible for appointing the five commission members.

Maine – Judge Suspends Enforcement of New Maine Law Barring Foreign Spending on Referendum Elections

Maine Public – Steve Mistler | Published: 3/1/2024

A federal judge delayed the implementation of a voter-approved law in Maine that aimed to close an election law loophole by stopping foreign government spending on state referendum races. U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen issued a preliminary injunction on the day before the new law was to go into effect. Torresen suggested she viewed significant portions of the law could include domestically held corporations and, as a result, is unconstitutional.

Maine – Measure to Limit PAC Contributions in Maine Could Be Headed for November Ballot

Portland Press Herald – Eric Russell | Published: 2/22/2024

An effort to limit individual and business contributions to PACs in Maine is likely headed for the November ballot. Although the proposal only applies to Maine-based PACs, the measure is seen as a test case for national supporters of campaign finance reform whose broader goal is to regulate PACs that have operated unchecked, and often in secret, for years. The citizen initiative as written would limit annual contributions to PACs from individuals, business, and other PACs to $5,000 in a calendar year. Right now, there are no limits.

Mississippi – Campaign Finance Reform Bill Gets Cold Response; Lawmakers Axe Transparency Component

Mississippi Today – Geoff Pender | Published: 3/6/2024

Campaign finance reform legislation in Mississippi would add transparency, increase penalties and fines, and allow the secretary of state to sidestep the attorney general office’s office if it refuses to go after alleged violations of the law. But lawmakers on the Senate Elections Committee were skeptical of the bill. They removed its main transparency component, and added a “reverse repealer,” ensuring it cannot be passed into law as is. Only then did they send it along to the full Senate.

Nevada – New Ethics Standards Coming to Clark County Government

MSN – Taylor Avery (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 3/5/2024

Clark County commissioners and some county employees have some new ethics rules to follow. Commissioners unanimously approved a handful of changes to the ethics law, including revisions to how conflicts-of-interest are disclosed, clarifications to language about waiting periods, and changes to required training on ethics standards.

Nevada – As CSN Taps Ex-Rep. Ruben Kihuen for Lobbyist Job, Some Lawmakers Question the Move

Nevada Independent – Jacob Solis | Published: 3/1/2024

Soon after the College of Southern Nevada announced it would hire former U.S. Rep. Ruben Kihuen, who left Congress amid an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations, as its top lobbyist, some lawmakers signaled concerns about working with him. As the college’s new executive director of government affairs, Kihuen’s job would require frequent, sometime one-on-one meetings with lawmakers and lobbyists. “To put us in a position where we’re making women uncomfortable in the building, I think, is unacceptable,” said a female lawmaker.

New Jersey – N.J. Was Once Heralded for Its Tough Pay-to-Play Laws. Not Anymore.

MSN – Riley Yates and Brent Johnson (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 3/4/2024

The Elections Transparency Act reworked New Jersey’s campaign finance system. While the reforms injected more money into politics, raising overall contribution limits for the first time in two decades, it also required “dark money” groups to disclose their major donors. Supporters of the new law insist the old rules were confusing, difficult to enforce, and rife with workarounds that made them ineffective. But critics maintain the changes only made things worse, all but dismantling “pay-to-play” rules once heralded as the strongest in the nation.

New York – Former Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg Pleads Guilty to Perjury in Deal That Doesn’t Require Cooperation

MSN – Jake Offenhartz and Michael Sisak (Associated Press) | Published: 3/4/2024

Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of Donald Trump’s company, pleaded guilty to lying under oath during his testimony in the ex-president’s New York civil fraud case. His plea deal will send him back to jail but does not require that he testify at Trump’s hush-money criminal trial. In pleading guilty, Weisselberg found himself caught again between the law and his loyalty to Trump.

New York – Meet the New York City Hall Community Liaison Whose House Was Raided by the FBI

MSN – Joe Anuta and Jeff Coltin (Politico) | Published: 3/4/2024

The FBI searched the two homes of Winnie Greco, a longtime aide to Ner York City Mayor Eric Adams, making her the second community liaison in the administration caught up in a federal probe. Greco is the administration’s director of Asian Affairs. Neither she nor anyone in the Adams administration has been accused of a crime, though the New York Post reported federal officials suspect Greco of potentially orchestrating straw donors who gave to the mayor’s campaign.

Ohio – Ohio AG to PUCO: HB6 subpoenas could let Randazzo, FirstEnergy execs escape prosecution

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/1/2024

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) significantly narrowed its investigations into the alleged bribery schemes of FirstEnergy, blocking subpoenas of its former chairperson and the two corporate executives accused of bribing him. The order from Attorney Examiner Megan Addison, came within 24 hours of a request from a top lawyer with the attorney general’s office to stop the subpoenas. She warned failure to do so could imperil the state’s criminal bribery cases against former FirstEnergy Chief Executive Officer Chuck Jones, company lobbyist Mike Dowling, and PUCO Chairperson Sam Randazzo.

Ohio – Alicia Reece’s Convention Center Votes Raise Conflict of Interest Question

MSN – Sharon Coolidge and Scott Wartman (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 3/6/2024

Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece has twice cast the lone “no” vote in matters related to the Duke Energy Convention Center’s renovation. In February, she abstained on a vote to spend $10 million in county money on the expansion. Her father, Steve Reece Sr., has been paid nearly $200,000 by the firm that runs the center, Oak View Group, to book events there. Any decisions the commissioners make about the convention center, including votes related to renovation, could impact her father’s contract.

Ohio – J.R. Majewski, Embattled Congressional Candidate, Exits Ohio House Race

Yahoo News – Ally Mutnick (Politico) | Published: 3/2/2024

J.R. Majewski announced he will bow out of the GOP primary for a key Ohio congressional seat after a week of waffling on his future in the race. His departure before the March 19 primary is welcome news for the House Republicans leaders who have maneuvered behind the scenes to nudge him out of the primary out of fear that he would lose the general election to U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat.

Oregon – Ninth Circuit Rejects GOP Senators’ Appeal for Reelection After Walkouts

Courthouse News Service – Alanna Mayham | Published: 2/29/2024

Two Republican state senators who boycotted Oregon’s Legislature in 2023 lost an appeal after a three-judge panel ruled legislative walkouts are not a form of free speech. The lawsuit followed an order from Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade that upheld a voter-backed measure barring lawmakers from reelection if they accrued over 10 unapproved absences during a legislative session.

Oregon – Oregon House Passes Compromise Campaign Finance Reform Bill

Yahoo News – Dianne Lugo (Salem Statesman-Journal) | Published: 3/6/2034

The Oregon House passed a campaign finance bill that would establish new contributions limits. Oregon is one of five states without caps on campaign donations and one of 11 without limits on individual candidate contributions. Lawmakers adopted final amendments on House Bill 4024 after discussions during the session between labor unions, business groups and good-government advocates. If the bill is signed into law, backers of ballot initiative efforts said they would withdraw petitions that would bring reform to November’s ballot.

South Dakota – State House Bans Senator for Breach of Decorum

South Dakota Searchlight – Joshua Haiar and Makenzie Huber | Published: 3/4/2024

A state senator has been banned from the South Dakota House floor and lobby for the last week of the 2024 legislative session after placing a bottle of syrup on another lawmaker’s desk. Sen. Tom Pischke placed the bottle of syrup on Rep. Kristin Conzet’s desk days after Conzet motioned to defeat a commemoration celebrating the late Nancy Green, whose likeness was used to create the Aunt Jemima advertising character.

Tennessee – Another Tennessee Legal Battle Brews Over Bill Preventing Challenge of House Rules in State Court

Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 2/29/2024

A Tennessee House committee passed legislation removing state courts from challenges of House rules despite the threat of another court battle. House Bill 1652 says circuit, chancery, and other lower state courts would no longer have jurisdiction over cases involving House and Senate rules. Rep. Gino Bulso contends the First Amendment does not apply to House rules and argues the Constitution allows the Legislature to hold floor sessions in secret without judicial review.

Virginia – Virginia Senator Who Does Legal Work for Skill Game Industry Will Help Write Skill Game Bill

Virginia Mercury – Graham Moomaw | Published: 2/29/2024

A state senator whose law firm has helped the skill game industry fight Virginia’s ban on the slots-like gambling machines is among the handful of senators picked to write legislation behind closed doors that could determine whether the industry remains profitable or ceases to exist in the state. Many members of the Virginia General Assembly are lawyers, and it is not uncommon for them to vote on legislation that could conceivably impact a client. Tangential associations are not usually enough to trigger the conflict-of-interest law.

Wisconsin – Pro-Trump Lawyers Central to Alternate-Elector Plot Settle Wisconsin Lawsuit

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 3/4/2024

Two attorneys who advanced a strategy to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election by organizing rosters of Republicans to falsely portray Donald Trump as the winner of several states, have reached a legal settlement in Wisconsin with the state’s two rightful electors and a Democratic voter, ending a lawsuit.  As part of the settlement, James Troupis, a former Dane County judge who oversaw Trump’s legal efforts in Wisconsin, and Kenneth Chesbro, an architect of the plan to try to invalidate Joe Biden’s win by convening Republican electors in seven states, released a trove of their communications about their work after the 2020 election.