lobbying Archives - Page 136 of 278 - State and Federal Communications

May 23, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying “White House Moves to Block Ethics Inquiry into Ex-Lobbyists on Payroll” by Eric Lipton for New York Times California: “California Is About to Go Nuts Thanks to Some Fourth-Graders from Merced” by Robert Rodriguez for Fresno Bee Campaign Finance […]

May 22, 2017 • Written by Allyson Smith

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying Maine: “Democrats Block Bill to Punish Lying at Maine State House” by Christopher Cousins for Bangor Daily News New Mexico: “Loophole and Vague Laws Create Ambiguity in Lobbyist Reporting” by Sandra Fish for New Mexico In Depth Ethics “Work […]

May 19, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

NYCU Video Digest – May 19, 2017

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

May 19, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – May 19, 2017

Federal: Deputy Attorney General Appoints Special Counsel to Oversee Probe of Russian Interference in Election Washington Post – Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, and Matt Zapotosky | Published: 5/18/2017 The Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as special […]

Federal:

Deputy Attorney General Appoints Special Counsel to Oversee Probe of Russian Interference in Election
Washington Post – Devlin Barrett, Sari Horwitz, and Matt Zapotosky | Published: 5/18/2017

The Justice Department appointed Robert Mueller, a former FBI director, as special counsel to oversee the investigation into ties between President Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, dramatically raising the legal and political stakes in an affair that has threatened to engulf Trump’s presidency. The decision by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein came after a cascade of damaging developments for Trump in recent days, including his abrupt dismissal of James Comey as FBI director, and the subsequent disclosure that the president asked Comey to drop the investigation of his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

DOJ Deflects Calls for More Foreign Agents Act Transparency
Bloomberg BNA – Kenneth Doyle | Published: 5/11/2017

Watchdogs are calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to make public all of its advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a law aimed at letting the public know about foreign influence on U.S. politics. The Justice Department recently posted online brief summaries of three past advisory opinions issued under FARA. It has indicated no plans for further action. Meanwhile, other, more complex questions about who must register under the law have increased. High-profile advocates, including Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security adviser, recently filed disclosures under FARA revealing past work for foreign governments or political parties.

Reckless Stock Trading Leaves Congress Rife with Conflicts
Politico – Maggie Severns | Published: 5/14/2017

A Politico investigation found 28 House members and six senators each traded more than 100 stocks in the past two years, placing them in the potential cross hairs of a conflict-of-interest on a regular basis. A handful of lawmakers, some of them frequent traders and some not, disproportionately trade in companies that also have an interest in their work on Capitol Hill. House and Senate members who are active traders insist their buying and selling is a normal part of managing their finances, as with any American who wants to save for retirement. But the clear majority of lawmakers avoid potential conflicts by buying mutual funds, putting their portfolios in blind trusts, or simply staying out of the stock market.

The Right Builds an Alternative Narrative About the Crises Around Trump
New York Times – Jeremy Peters | Published: 5/17/2017

As Americans process a dizzying week of damning revelations about President Trump, he has found shelter on the right, where the collective judgment of the conservative media and the Republican Party so far seems to be to shift the blame and change the subject. His most fervent supporters are building alternative narratives to run alongside the “mainstream media” account, from relatively benign diversions to more bizarre conspiracies. For many Trump loyalists, the issue is not whether his presidency is messy and chaotic and dysfunctional; the more relevant question is whether they see anyone else who is equipped to change Washington in the way Trump promised he would.

What Is Obstruction of Justice? An Often-Murky Crime, Explained
New York Times – Charlie Savage | Published: 5/16/2017

The report that President Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to drop the investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has sparked charges that Trump is obstructing justice. Several federal statutes criminalize actions that impede official investigations. While some examples of illegal ways to thwart the justice system are specific, like destroying evidence, the law also includes broad, catchall prohibitions. Could that cover asking the FBI director to drop part of an investigation, and later firing him?

From the States and Municipalities:

California – Mayor’s Top Aide Got Married at Bayfront Estate of Developer and SoccerCity Supporter
San Diego Union-Tribune – Jeff McDonald | Published: 5/12/2017

Stephen Puetz, chief of staff to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, took his wedding vows at a private home owned by developer Morgan Dene Oliver, who advocating for the SoccerCity plan for the city-owned Qualcomm Stadium property. Puetz said he received no special treatment from Oliver. As soon as he was offered use of the estate, he said, he contacted the city Ethics Commission to see how he could best meet the conflict-of-interest rules. Puetz said he and his wife, former council aide and registered lobbyist Diana Palacios, paid for the wedding themselves, including a reasonable fee to Oliver for use of the property.

Massachusetts – City Council Debates Level of Transparency in Lobbying Act
Spare Change News – Beth Treffeisen | Published: 5/15/2017

The Boston City Council held a hearing to discuss Mayor Martin Walsh’s re-filing of the proposed home rule petition on lobbying. At the hearing, questions soon arose on whether this draft is what would work best for the city. In its current form, the petition is modeled after existing lobbying regulations at the state-level, but also goes beyond the state’s framework by covering communications not only with elected officials but also with all city employees at all levels of municipal government.

Missouri – Greitens Fails to Meet Promises on Ethics Laws
Southeast Missourian – Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) | Published: 5/15/2017

Bills to strengthen state ethics laws, a campaign pledge of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, languished and failed to make it to his desk before lawmakers adjourned the 2017 legislative session. While Greitens said he “set the example on ethics” by enacting lobbyist-gift and revolving-door bans in the executive branch, lawmakers said a not-for-profit with secret donors that promotes his agenda helped undermine his policy proposals in the Legislature.

Montana – New Commissioner Takes Over at Political Practices Office
U.S. News & World Report – Matt Volz (Associated Press) | Published: 5/15/2017

Jeff Mangan has taken over as Montana’s commissioner of political practices, succeeding Jonathan Motl. The office is a political hot seat by nature of its role as the independent overseer of the campaign activities of the state’s elected officials. Allegations of partisan bias tend to dog the commissioner, who is appointed by the governor and must be confirmed by the Senate. As a result, the commissioner’s office has seen frequent turnover – Mangan will be the fifth person to hold the office since Dennis Unsworth in 2010, and he is the first in that time to be confirmed to a full six-year term.

New Hampshire – N.H. Ethics Committee Has Fielded Dozens of Complaints, But Issued No Violations
New Hampshire Public Radio – Casey McDermott | Published: 5/15/2017

The Executive Branch Ethics Committee has spent much of the last decade maintaining a remarkably low profile – it has never held a public hearing on a complaint or recommended any penalties against public officials accused of ethics breaches. From the beginning, this seven-member panel was designed to serve as a resource and a kind of conscience-check for state officials. On that end, it has published dozens of advisory opinions, but the committee was also supposed to be a place where the public could turn when they thought executive branch officials were breaking the rules.

New Jersey – ‘P.S.: One of the ring leaders works in your bank!’: Is this congressman’s fundraising letter a threat?
Washington Post – Amber Phillips | Published: 5/15/2017

In a hand-written note, U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen outed a member of an activist group opposing the incumbent Republican to her employer. Saily Avelenda was still a senior vice president and assistant general counsel at Lakeland Bank in March when Frelinghuysen sent a fundraising letter to a member of the bank’s board of directors informing him that Avelenda was one of the “ringleaders” of NJ 11th for Change. The group formed in response to the election of President Trump and has been pressuring Frelinghuysen to meet with constituents in his district and to oppose Trump’s agenda. Avelenda subsequently resigned from her position at the bank.

North Carolina – Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case
New York Times – Adam Liptak and Michael Wines | Published: 5/15/2017

The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a decision that found North Carolina’s 2013 voting law discriminated against African American voters. A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit had found in 2016 that North Carolina legislators had acted “with almost surgical precision” to blunt the influence of African American voters. Last summer, the Supreme Court had divided evenly on whether the law could be used in last fall’s election while the appeals continued. As is the court’s custom, the justices gave no reason for declining to hear the case. But Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement noting there was a dispute about who represented the state in the case and nothing should be read into the court’s decision to decline to hear it.

South Carolina – State Rep. Rick Quinn Indicted by State Grand Jury
Charleston Post & Courier – Glenn Smith | Published: 5/16/2017

State Rep. Rick Quinn is the fourth South Carolina legislator charged as part of a corruption probe. A grand jury indicted Quinn on two counts of misconduct in office. He is accused of using campaign donations for personal profit. Quinn is the son of veteran strategist Richard Quinn, who owns marketing and political consulting firms. Rick Quinn, also a campaign consultant, owns a direct-mail business. The Quinns have said they keep their firms separate, but the indictments allege Rep. Quinn has an economic interest in all of them. Quinn’s father has not been charged. But the millions of dollars the Quinn firms have collected and spent on clients’ behalf have been a central part of the inquiry.

Vermont – Vt. Political Ethics Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk
Burlington Free Press – April McCullum | Published: 5/11/2017

A bill passed by Vermont lawmakers sets up a state ethics commission in 2018 with a part-time executive director that would review complaints, but would have no investigative or enforcement authority. The commission would also create a state ethics code. The bill also limits lawmakers and government officials from lobbying immediately after they leave office. Individuals who give campaign contributions to a candidate would have to wait one year before that politician’s office could consider them for a no-bid state contract over $50,000.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

May 18, 2017 • Written by Allyson Smith

Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying “Trump’s Pick for a Top Interior Post Has Sued the Agency on Behalf of Powerful California Water Interests” by Bettina Boxall for Los Angeles Times Campaign Finance Colorado: “Another Colorado ‘Social Welfare’ Nonprofit Just Got Fined for Improperly Playing […]

May 17, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying Massachusetts: “City Council Debates Level of Transparency in Lobbying Act” by Beth Treffeisen for Spare Change News Campaign Finance California: “California Ethics Watchdog Nabs Its Former Leader” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee Ethics “Comey Memo Says Trump Asked […]

May 16, 2017 • Written by Allyson Smith

Arizona Legislature Adjourns

The Arizona Legislature adjourned the first regular session of the 53rd Legislature sine die on May 10, 2017. Senate Bill 1123 passed, prohibiting any person acting on behalf of a state agency from entering into a contract for lobbying services, […]

May 16, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Elections “Young Black Democrats, Eager to Lead from the Left, Eye Runs in 2018” by Alexander Burns for New York Times Ethics “Trump Revealed Highly Classified Information to Russian Foreign Minister and Ambassador” by Greg Miller and Greg Jaffe for […]

May 14, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying “DOJ Deflects Calls for More Foreign Agents Act Transparency” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA Kansas: “Who Are Kansas Lobbyists Taking to Dinner?” by Bryan Lowry and Kelsey Ryan for Kansas City Star Texas: “Powerful Abbott Appointee’s Lobbying Sparks […]

May 12, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

NYCU Video Digest – May 12, 2017

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

May 12, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

News You Can Use Digest – May 12, 2017

National: Silicon Valley Tech Lobbyists Swarm Brussels Politico.eu – Harry Cooper and Nicholas Hirst | Published: 5/4/2017 A new report shows spending on European Union lobbying by Google, Facebook, Apple, and other technology companies has increased by up […]

National:

Silicon Valley Tech Lobbyists Swarm Brussels
Politico.eu – Harry Cooper and Nicholas Hirst | Published: 5/4/2017

A new report shows spending on European Union lobbying by Google, Facebook, Apple, and other technology companies has increased by up to 278 percent between 2014 and 2017, and four out of seven lobbyists currently accredited with the European Parliament have been hired directly from the Parliament to lobby their former colleagues. Transparency International says that major Silicon Valley companies have been lobbying in Brussels for years, but the budget for lobbying has increased in recent years, as Brussels tries to tackle tax avoidance schemes, data protection, and privacy issues.

Federal:

Inside Trump’s Anger and Impatience – and His Sudden Decision to Fire Comey
Washington Post – Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Sari Horwitz, and Robert Costa | Published: 5/10/2017

The stated rationale for President Trump’s firing FBI Director James Comey’s delivered by White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders was that Comey had committed “atrocities” in overseeing the agency’s probe into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, hurting morale in the bureau and compromising public trust. But the private accounts of more than 30 officials at the White House, the Justice Department, the FBI, and on Capitol Hill, as well as Trump confidants and other senior Republicans, paint a conflicting narrative centered on the president’s brewing personal animus toward Comey.

Kushner Family Stands to Gain from Visa Rules in Trump’s First Major Law
New York Times – Eric Lipton and Jesse Drucker | Published: 5/8/2017

A bill President Trump signed into law renews a program offering permanent residence in the U.S. to affluent foreigners investing money in real estate projects in the country. Just hours after the measure was signed, the company run until January by Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, was urging wealthy Chinese in Beijing to consider investing $500,000 each in a pair of Jersey City luxury apartment towers the family-owned Kushner Companies plans to build. Kushner was even cited at a marketing presentation by his sister Nicole Meyer. The sequence of events offers one of the most explicit examples of the peril of the Trump and Kushner families maintaining close ties to their business interests and creates an impression they stand to profit off Trump’s presence in the White House.

Why the IRS Puts White-Nationalist Groups in the Same Category as Orchestras, Planetariums and Zoos
Washington Post – Max Ehrenfreund | Published: 5/10/2017

Four organizations associated with white nationalism – the National Policy Institute, the New Century Foundation, the Charles Martel Society and VDare Foundation – have raised $7.8 million in tax-free donations over the last decade. White nationalist groups qualify for tax-exempt status because they have successfully argued they have an “educational” mission. A proposal would force them to start paying taxes by removing the provision they rely on for their tax exemption, a broad rule that benefits organizations that sponsor lectures, conferences, and public discussions. But even groups that condemn white nationalists’ messages are hesitant about plans to take away their tax-exempt status.

From the States and Municipalities:

Arizona – Months After It Was Exposed, Phoenix Hasn’t Fixed Toothless Lobbying Law
Arizona Republic – Dustin Gardiner and Rob O’Dell | Published: 5/8/2017

More than three months after Phoenix realized it could not enforce its regulations for lobbyists seeking to influence decisions at City Hall, the problem has yet to be fixed. The rules could get some bite under a set of proposals the city council will debate, but one option under consideration would weaken them even further. Lobbyists who do not register or report meals, gifts, or other expenses made on behalf of elected officials currently face no penalties for breaking the lobbying law by not disclosing their activity. Some city leaders and a watchdog say the delay in making the rules enforceable erodes public confidence.

California – California Politicians Stole Their Money. Will That Make Them Care About Democracy?
Sacramento Bee – Alex Koseff | Published: 5/7/2017

Political scandals are almost dishearteningly pervasive in southeast Los Angeles County. Too many officials have violated the public trust in the area’s small- and medium-sized cities, which are working class and heavily immigrant. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, whose district is at the heart of the most recent troubles, dubs it the “corridor of corruption,” as five cities have sent more than a dozen city officials to jail or prison in the last 11 years. Tired of a reputation shaped by shortcomings, Rendon is one of a new group of representatives forged by the scandals who hope to shed the negative image that has plagued the area.

California – Foes into Friends: Lobbyists make amends to lawmakers with ‘make-up money’
CALmatters.org – Laurel Rosenhall | Published: 5/10/2017

In California, “make-up money” refers to the contributions that flow to newly-elected officials from interest groups that backed a losing candidate during the campaign. There is nothing illegal about giving these donations to a politician, said Jessica Levinson, president of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. Political contributions break the law only when they involve a direct exchange of money for governmental action. But giving money to the winner of an election after backing an opponent shows that donors are looking to curry favor with whomever has the power to make decisions, Levinson said.

Florida – When That Feisty Neighbor Becomes the President
New York Times – Michael LaForgia and Steve Eder | Published: 5/6/2017

For local officials in Palm Beach County, it was one thing to spar with Donald Trump, the developer, over issues with his private club, Mar-a-Lago. But dealing with President Trump is another matter entirely. Since he was elected, local officials have quickly granted Trump’s club permission to build a concrete helipad, allowed it to host a charity event for the Navy SEAL Foundation featuring a staged shootout between some commandos and pretend terrorists, and agreed to assume the costs, for now at least, of closing roads and providing additional security. Behind every decision was a balancing act between a desire to best serve constituents and a political instinct not to anger the nation’s chief executive.

Illinois – Ethics Board Rejects Watchdog Recommendation That City Officials Report Lobbying
Chicago Tribune – Hal Dardick | Published: 5/9/2017

Chicago’s reinvigorated Board of Ethics has been flexing its muscle against lobbyists who emailed Mayor Rahm Emanuel on the mayor’s private accounts and failed either to register or report their lobbying activities. But the hefty fines are apparently not enough to satisfy city Inspector General Joe Ferguson. The law puts the onus on lobbyists, not city officials, to report contact. Last year, the inspector general’s office recommended making changes to improve compliance with the law, including the possibility of having city officials report lobbying interactions. The inspector general’s office released a follow-up report recently in which it said the ethics board rejected that recommendation.

Missouri – Judge Strikes Parts of Missouri Campaign Finance Law
Courthouse News Service – Dionne Cordell-Whitney | Published: 5/10/2017

Parts of Missouri’s new campaign finance law are unconstitutional, but the $2,600 individual donor limit will stay, U.S. District Court Judge Ortrie Smith ruled. But in striking down a provision in the law that banned committee-to-committee transfers, it has opened up the ability to raise an unlimited amount of money through a local PAC and transfer that cash to a different PAC. Critics say that will make campaign money harder to track and makes it easier for candidates to get around the individual donor limit.

New Hampshire – Lawmaker Behind Misogynistic Forum: ‘I’ve never hated women’
U.S. News & World Report – Kathleen Ronayne (Associated Press) | Published: 5/9/2017

About a dozen state representatives and voters urged lawmakers to take action against New Hampshire Rep. Robert Fisher, warning that his involvement in a misogynistic online forum feeds into a derogatory culture toward women and may promote abuse. Fisher has been under fire since it was reported he was behind a men’s rights forum known for its comments degrading women, questioning female intelligence, and denying rape. Fisher said he does not “hate women” and denied a new report that he still oversees the Reddit forum, known as “The Red Pill.”

New York – Murky Definitions for Government Entities Undermines Transparency
Gotham Gazette – Rachel Silberstein | Published: 5/3/2017

There is a multitude of quasi-governmental entities that exist in grey area of New York law, and how to classify these entities has been the subject of some debate. A rudimentary search pulled up at least a dozen different definitions for “state agency” and “local agency” in state law. While some rely to some degree on government funding, have board members appointed by city or state officials, and may serve a public function, as independent 501(c)(3) nonprofits, one could argue these entities do not qualify as a public authority or public benefit corporation. But like more typical government agencies, they are subject to Freedom of Information Laws. Government reformers say this ever-morphing patchwork of definitions only serves to confuse the public and obscure conflicts of interests, rather than increase transparency.

Ohio – Nelson Mullins Partner Settles with SEC in Pay-to-Play Suit
American Lawyer – Scott Flaherty | Published: 5/3/2017

Robert Crowe agreed to settle civil allegations brought by federal regulators in a “pay-to-play” scheme involving State Street Bank. Crowe was a lobbyist for Boston-based State Street when he became embroiled in the scheme of a former State Street employee to raise campaign contributions for a deputy treasurer in Ohio. The former employee had made a deal to provide campaign funding in exchange for business contracts for State Street, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged. Crowe allegedly filtered $16,000 through his personal bank account to reimburse others for making contributions to the deputy treasurer. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Crowe agreed to a federal judge’s order to pay nearly $95,000 in penalties.

Washington – Seattle Mayor Ed Murray Won’t Seek Second Term: ‘It tears me to pieces to step away’
Seattle Times – Daniel Beekman | Published: 5/9/2017

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said he will not run for re-election, as he fights claims he sexually abused teenage boys in the 1980s. Murray, who was expected to win the upcoming mayoral race, dropped out days before the official filing deadline. In April, a man filed a lawsuit accusing Murray of sexually abusing him in 1986, when he was a homeless 15-year-old boy. Three other men have since come forward to accuse Murray of abuse, including paying for sex with them while they were minors. Murray said the allegations against him “are not true. The scandal surrounding them hurts me and this city.”

West Virginia – W. Va. Reporter Arrested for ‘Yelling Questions’ at HHS Secretary
USA Today – Doug Stanglin | Published: 5/9/2017

Tom Price during his visit to West Virginia. The exchange came as Price and senior white House aide KellyAnne Conway visited the Capitol to learn about efforts to fight opioid addiction in a state that has the nation’s highest overdose death rate. A criminal complaint says Daniel Heyman was yelling questions at the two. It says he tried to breach Secret Service security and had to be removed from a hallway at the Capitol. He was charged with willful disruption of governmental processes. Heyman, who works for Public News Service, said he was arrested after asking repeatedly whether domestic violence would be considered a pre-existing condition under the proposed health care overhaul. He said he believed he was doing nothing wrong.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

May 11, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

Phoenix City Council Considering Penalties for Lobbying Violations

City Council discovered its lobbying regulations have no enforcement mechanism several months ago, but it has yet to agree on whether violations should be treated as civil or criminal matters. The discovery began following a controversial vote on a request […]

May 11, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

Pennsylvania House Committee Approves Stiffer Penalties for Lobbying Violations

A measure to increase penalties for violations of Pennsylvania lobbying laws made it out of committee this week. House Bill 1175 increases the amount a lobbyist may be fined from $2,000 to $4,000, and establishes a graduating scale of daily […]

May 11, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Lobbying California: “Foes into Friends: Lobbyists make amends to lawmakers with ‘make-up money’” by Laurel Rosenhall for CALmatters.org Illinois: “Ethics Board Rejects Watchdog Recommendation That City Officials Report Lobbying” by Hal Dardick for Chicago Tribune Campaign Finance Tennessee: “Bill to […]

Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

NYCU Video Digest – May 19, 2017

News You Can Use Digest – May 19, 2017

Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Wednesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Arizona Legislature Adjourns

Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

NYCU Video Digest – May 12, 2017

News You Can Use Digest – May 12, 2017

Phoenix City Council Considering Penalties for Lobbying Violations

Pennsylvania House Committee Approves Stiffer Penalties for Lobbying Violations

Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News

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