National/Federal

After Harvard, Liberal Donors and Groups Fear New Scrutiny from Trump

DNyuz – Theodore Schleifer and Lisa Friedman (New York Times) | Published: 4/17/2025

The close-knit world of liberal donors and the nonprofit groups they support are worried that President Trump could go after their assets or their tax-exempt status. Trump confirmed he was potentially seeking to pull Harvard’s tax-exempt status, in an apparent act of retaliation for the university’s refusal to bow to a long list of demands. And he said there “could be” others. while some of these donors and their allied groups have cozied up to the Trump administration, more of them have worked diligently to lie low, de-emphasizing viewpoints that could attract scrutiny.

Appeals Court Panel Hears Arguments on AP’s Access to White House

MSN – Hassan Ali Kanu (Politico) | Published: 4/17/2025

A federal appeals court panel appeared skeptical at a hearing of the Trump administration’s request that it immediately lift a lower court’s order restoring the Associated Press to the White House press pool. The panel seemed wary of the administration’s arguments that they must immediately intervene in the case, saying there was not a risk of some imminent harm, especially since the Associated Press already had a longstanding, permanent slot in the small group of reporters who get access to the Oval Office and other White House spaces.

DOJ Questions Science Journal About Bias, Triggering Free Speech Concerns

MSN – Mark Johnson (Washington Post) | Published: 4/18/2025

The acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia sent a letter to the editor of a scientific journal for chest doctors, implying the journal was partisan and asking a series of questions about how the publication protects the public from misinformation, whether it included competing viewpoints, and whether it was influenced by funders. Free speech experts raised alarm over the letter. “The government has no authority under the First Amendment to regulate the editorial decisions of publications, and the letter suggests that’s what Martin intends to do,” said David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition.

The Supreme Court Could Be Poised to Hobble the Trump Resistance

MSN – Hassan Ali Kanu and Erica Orden (Politico) | Published: 4/21/2025

The Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments on the extent of lower court judges’ power to block a president’s policies nationwide. If the high court grants the Trump administration’s request to limit or lift three nationwide injunctions blocking the president’s bid to end birthright citizenship, it could cripple the ability of Trump’s opponents to seek, and judges’ ability to grant, such blocks entirely.

Wife of Former Senator Bob Menendez Found Guilty in Corruption Case

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 4/21/2025

The wife of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez was found guilty of helping her husband generate a steady flow of bribes and gifts that totaled about $1 million and included gold bars, cash, and a luxury car. Nadine Menendez was convicted of bribery, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit those crimes, and related counts. She faces the possibility of decades in prison.

Politically Connected Firms Benefit from Trump Tariff Exemptions Amid Secrecy, Confusion

MSN – Robert Faturechi (ProPublica) | Published: 4/22/2025

Critics say the Trump administration’s process for crafting its tariff policy has been opaque. Major stakeholders are in the dark about why certain products face levies and others do not. Tariff rates have been altered without any clear explanation for the changes. Administration officials have given conflicting messages about the tariffs or declined to answer questions at all. The lack of transparency about the process has created concerns among trade experts that politically connected firms might be winning carve-outs behind closed doors.

The Top Producer at ’60 Minutes’ Has Quit. He Says He Can No Longer Run the Show as He Always Has

MSN – David Bauder (Associated Press) | Published: 4/22/2025

With his show involved in a bitter dispute with President Trump, the top executive at the storied CBS News show “60 Minutes”, Bill Owens, abruptly resigned while saying he is losing the freedom to run it independently. Trump sued “60 Minutes” for $20 billion last fall, claiming it deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris. CBS denied it had done anything to give an advantage to Harris and released the full transcript of its interview.

Watchdog Agency Tells Fired Workers They Have No Legal Basis for Complaints

MSN – Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) | Published: 4/21/2025

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) told thousands of probationary federal workers it will not pursue their complaints about their firings. The decision was a reversal of the position of the previous head of the independent office, who was fired by President Trump. The watchdog agency said it does not have the purview to pursue the complaints made by more than 2,000 federal employees. It acknowledged many of the workers disputed the poor performance that was cited in their removals. But the OSC said it was impossible for them to challenge the firings as unlawful.

Jury Finds New York Times Didn’t Defame Sarah Palin

MSN – Corinne Ramey and Isabella Simonetti (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 4/22/2025

A federal jury rejected former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s claims that the New York Times defamed her in an editorial about gun violence. The verdict of not liable was the same conclusion a previous jury had reached in 2022 during the first trial in the case. The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year ordered a new trial, finding the judge acted improperly when he said, during jury deliberations, that he planned to dismiss the case.

Two Major Law Firms Urge Judges to Permanently Block Trump’s Executive Orders

MSN – Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 4/23/2025

A federal judge expressed deep skepticism over President Trump’s executive order targeting a prominent law firm, signaling she was inclined to grant a request to permanently block its enforcement. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell grilled a Justice Department lawyer over the government’s plans to suspend security clearances from lawyers at the firm of Perkins Coie and pressed him to explain why the Trump administration was forcing law firms to disavow the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations in its hiring practices.

Elon Musk Had the Government in His Grasp. Then It Unraveled.

MSN – Dan Diamond, Faiz Siddiqui, Trisha Thadani, and Jeff Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 4/24/2025

Elon Musk has had numerous confrontations with top Trump administration appointees in a three-month government stint that has been peppered with controversy. He has rebuked officials such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and economic adviser Peter Navarro. He also alienated Trump aides with unscripted remarks and abrupt edicts, forcing political appointees to scramble to explain his decisions. With Tesla battered by declining sales, Musk told investors his “time allocation to [the Department of Government Efficiency] will drop significantly,” though he added he will probably stay involved.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Cannabis Company Alleges Gov. Hobbs’ Aide Improperly Intervened in Marijuana License Case

Arizona Capitol Times – Kiera Riley | Published: 4/19/2025

Arizona Wellness Center Springerville filed a lawsuit against state public health department officials, the governor, and her chief of staff, accusing them of improperly issuing a dual-use cannabis license after the statutory deadline to Arizona’s largest cannabis retailer. The company and Cave claim Gov. Katie Hobbs’ chief of staff, Chad Campbell, coordinated with a lobbyist for the cannabis retailer Trulieve to grant a dual license to one of its subsidiaries despite past court orders finding it unlawful to grant a license after the deadline.

California – Former L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León Faces Ethics Fine for Voting on Issues in Which He Had a Financial Stake

MSN – Ben Poston (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 4/19/2025

Former Los Angeles Councilperson Kevin de León is facing an $18,750 ethics fine for voting on council decisions in which he had a financial interest and for failing to disclose income. A report from the city Ethics Commission said that in 2020 and 2021, De León voted on three city council issues that benefited the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and one that helped the University of Southern California, all decisions that were made less than a year after he received income from each.

California – Another Top Staffer Quits Oakland Public Ethics Commission

MSN – Eli Wolfe (Oaklandside) | Published: 4/17/2025

Nicolas Heidorn, executive director of the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, is leaving his post in July. Heidorn is the second high-level staffer to leave the agency in recent months. Last September, Simon Russell, the commission’s enforcement chief, announced he was resigning and criticized city officials for refusing to give his team more resources, despite repeated warnings that his staff are overwhelmed with work.

California – $5K in a Coffee Mug: Indictment details Bay Area developers’ alleged bribe to elected official

MSN – Bob Egelko and Molly Burke (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 4/23/2025

The owners of a Bay Area housing development firm, David Sanson and his son, Trent Sanson, were charged with offering bribes to an Antioch City Council member to win approval for a residential project. Prosecutors said Trent Sanson met with the council member and said his father was willing to pay $10,000 to put the project on the council’s agenda and win approval. He told the council member his father would likely give them $5,000 in cash and another $5,000 as a donation to a political action committee or as an independent expenditure.

California – Top S.F. Official Ousted After Probe Finds Misconduct, ‘Unlawful Activities’

MSN – Michael Barba (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 4/23/2025

A city commission voted to remove a beleaguered official from her post after an administrative investigation found she committed what San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie described as misconduct and “unlawful activities.” Kimberly Ellis, director of the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, faced a months-long investigation for secretly working a side job for a political group and directing city money to her friends.

Colorado – Bill to Add Colorado School Board and Special Districts to Ethics Commission Will Cost $120,000 Annually

Colorado Politics – Marianne Goodland | Published: 4/22/2025

House Bill 1079, which would add school and special districts to the jurisdiction of Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission, was approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Under the bill, the commission would handle complaints tied to members of 178 school boards and board members for 2,713 special districts, covering fire, water, sanitation, metropolitan, hospitals, libraries, and others. That would also extend to “direct hires” of those boards, such as district directors and school superintendents.

Florida – The $10M Steered to Hope Florida by the State was Medicaid Money, Document Shows

MSN – Alexandra Glorioso and Lawrence Mower (Tampa Bay Times) | Published: 4/23/2025

The $10 million that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration diverted to a state-created charity last year consisted of Medicaid dollars owed to state and federal taxpayers, contrary to what the governor and other officials have publicly asserted. The administration sent the $10 million to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity overseen by first lady Casey DeSantis. The money was then sent to two nonprofits that are not required to report how they spend their funds. Those dark money groups later gave $8.5 million to a political committee overseen by the governor’s chief of staff.

Florida – Man Detained in Florida on Immigration Hold Despite Being Citizen, Lawyer Says

MSN – Vivian Ho (Washington Post) | Published: 4/18/2025

Florida authorities detained a U.S.-born citizen on the charge of entering the state as an “unauthorized alien,” forcing him to spend more than 24 hours in a county jail on an immigration hold, despite the man having proof of his citizenship through his birth certificate and social security card. His lawyers said Juan Lopez-Gomez was arrested under a law that was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in February but was temporarily blocked in federal court.

Hawaii – Hawai’I County Moves to Adopt Nepotism Rules for Government Employees

Honolulu Civil Beat – Chad Blair | Published: 4/21/2025

It was an awkward moment for the Hawaii County Council as the board was considering the mayor’s nomination of Rebecca Inaba to serve on the island’s Leeward Planning Commission. The discomfort had nothing to do with her qualifications, experience, or reputation. The issue was that Inaba is the mother of the council chair, Holeka Goro Inaba. That same morning the council considered legislation to update the county code to prohibit nepotism.

Idaho – Woman Seeks $5M in Damages After Removal from GOP Town Hall for Heckling

MSN – Daniel Wu (Washington Post) | Published: 4/22/2025

An Idaho woman who was dragged out of a local Republican town hall in February by private security guards for heckling lawmakers is seeking $5 million in damages after the confrontation drew widespread attention and led city officials to press criminal charges against the guards. Video of plainclothes guards hauling Teresa Borrenpohl out of her seat and forcing her to the ground in an auditorium went viral as stories emerged across the country of constituents speaking out against Republican policies in town halls. Critics saw Borrenpohl’s ejection as an assault on free speech.

Indiana – Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith Signs No-Bid Contract with Law Firm Closely Tied to His Church

Indianapolis Star – Haleigh Columbo | Published: 4/24/2025

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office signed a no-bid contract with a law firm that is closely affiliated with Life Church, the church where Beckwith still serves as a pastor, a move that has raised red flags for ethics experts and lawmakers. Multiple ethics experts questioned the optics of awarding a no-bid contract to a company that has close ties to Beckwith’s other employer. Adler Attorneys’ chief executive officer, Raymond Adler, is a member of the church, and another attorney at the firm serves on the church’s board of directors. The law firm has also recently represented Life Church in municipal government matters.

Iowa – House Ethics Committee Reprimands Group for Claiming Lawmaker Was a Former Stripper

Iowa Capital Dispatch – Robin Opsahl | Published: 4/23/2025

The Iowa House Ethics Committee voted to publicly reprimand members of the “Bitches Get Stuff Done” organization for publishing content online claiming state Rep. Samantha Fett was a “former stripper.” Fett told the committee she filed the complaint because the group was registered to lobby lawmakers. “When you do register as a lobbyist, you agree to operate at a higher level of professionalism, under rules,” Fett said.

Louisiana – While Facing Ethics Charges, Landry Pushes Overhaul of Investigation Process

Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 4/23/2025

Gov. Jeff Landry wants to reform the Louisiana Board of Ethics’ investigation process. The changes Landry seeks would make it easier for subjects of an ethics complaint – like he is – to avoid charges or a probe into their alleged wrongdoing. House Bill 397 also loosens limits on elected officials and state employees’ state travel, weakens restrictions on government contracts with public officials and their families, and reduces requirements for elected officials and candidates’ disclosure of financial interests.

Maine – Judge Denies Laurel Libby’s Request to Immediately Restore Her Right to Vote in Maine House

Yahoo News – Rachel Ohm (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 4/18/2025

A federal judge denied a request from Rep. Laurel Libby to immediately restore her speaking and voting rights on the floor of the Maine House of Representatives. Libby was censured by House Democrats in February after she used a Facebook post to criticize a transgender athlete’s high school track championship and shared photos of the student without their consent.

Mississippi – House Speaker Jason White, Staff Treated to Super Bowl by Gambling Giant Pushing for Legalized Betting

MSN – Michael Goldberg and Taylor Vance (Mississippi Today) | Published: 4/23/2025

The sports gambling lobby has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Mississippi politicians trying to convince them to legalize mobile sports betting. Part of that effort was a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans this year for House Speaker Jason White, his staff, and two of their spouses. The trip was paid for, at least in part, by DraftKings, which has lobbied for legal online betting. Thanks to a loophole in Mississippi’s lobbying laws, there is no public account of the expensive weekend in lobbying reports that are supposed to document spending on behalf of state employees.

Missouri – Missouri Campaign Watchdog Is Once Again Unable to Function Due to Vacancies

Yahoo News – Rebecca Rivas (Missouri Independent) | Published: 4/22/2025

Seventeen complaints have been dismissed in the more than 100 business days since the Missouri Ethic Commission last had enough members to reach a quorum. It is the second time in less than a year that the commission has not had enough members to enforce campaign finance and ethics laws. In January, former Gov. Mike Parson withdrew two commissioners who he appointed months earlier but who had not yet been confirmed by the Senate. That left only two of the six seats on the commission filled. The last time the commission had enough members to meet was November 20.

Nevada – Nevada Lawmakers Often Fail to Disclose Rental Property Income, Point to Confusing Forms

Nevada Independent – Tabitha Mueller and Eric Neugeboren | Published: 4/20/2025

One-third of Nevada lawmakers who report owning rental properties did not disclose receiving income from them, which could be a violation of campaign finance disclosure laws if they are making money from them. But most of the lawmakers said the omission was an accident or a result of not taking income from the properties. A review of financial disclosure forms shows Nevada’s stipulations for filing are not always clear-cut to lawmakers or detailed about how to report rental income, leaving room for errors.

New Jersey – Racketeering Charges Against George Norcross Should Be Reinstated, N.J. Prosecutors Tell Appeals Court

MSN – Andrew Seidman (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 4/22/2025

State prosecutors urged an appeals court to reinstate criminal racketeering charges against New Jersey power broker George Norcross III, arguing a judge erred in dismissing the indictment without reviewing evidence that was presented to the grand jury. In his decision, prosecutors said Mercer County Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw effectively threw out five months of work by the grand jury, which heard 2,000 pages of testimony and hundreds of exhibits, and reached determinations about Norcross’ motivations through a faulty analysis.

New York – Federal Prosecutors in Eric Adams Case Resign After Being Put on Administrative Leave

MSN – Erica Orden (Politico) | Published: 4/22/2025

Three of the Manhattan federal prosecutors who worked on the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned, accusing the Justice Department of trying to force them to admit wrongdoing in connection with their resistance to dropping the charges. The prosecutors, Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach, and Derek Wikstrom, had been placed on administrative leave after they, along with the then-acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, balked at accepting the Justice Department’s orders to drop the corruption case against the mayor.

North Carolina – North Carolina Judges Weigh GOP Law Shifting Election Board Control Away from Democratic Governor

MSN – Gary Robertson (Associated Press) | Published: 4/16/2025

Judges in North Carolina heard arguments from attorneys for Republican legislative leaders who insist their latest method to attempt to wrest control of the State Board of Elections from a Democratic governor is lawful, this time giving the job of appointing members to the GOP state auditor. But lawyers for Gov. Josh Stein, who sued to stop the changes approved by the General Assembly and begin in earnest in May, contend the alteration suffers constitutional flaws similar to those that caused courts to strike down previous GOP attempts.

North Dakota – North Dakota House Passes Campaign Finance Bill Changing Deadlines, Donor Disclosures

Fargo Forum – Grant Coursey (Bismarck Tribune) | Published: 4/18/2025

The North Dakota House passed a number of changes to campaign finance disclosures. The version passed by the House solidifies reporting deadlines for political candidates, district parties and committees so they are based on dates instead of a certain number of days before or after an election, with the exception of special elections, among other changes.

North Dakota – Ethics Commissioners Say Bill Would Impose an Arbitrary Cutoff for Investigations

Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 4/17/2025

The North Dakota Ethics Commission fears changes approved by state lawmakers could allow alleged ethical violations by public officials to go unaddressed. The House voted to approve a number of amendments to the commission’s budget, Senate Bill 2004, which included a new provision requiring the commission to dismiss ethics complaints older than 180 days. If the bill is signed into law, it would take effect immediately.

Ohio – Ethics Probe Set Stage for Kenni Burns’ Firing as Kent State Football Coach, with Independent Firm uncovering $100K Loan from Booster

MSN – Tyler Carey (WKYC) | Published: 4/21/2025

Kent State University asked the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to investigate head football coach Kenni Burns earlier this year, and its findings eventually contributed to Burns’ recent firing. The probe found Burns accepted a loan of more than $100,000 from Kent State booster and area restaurant owner Mike Awad, and while Burns was found to have paid the money back, the transaction was found to “highly likely” be a violation of Ohio ethics laws.

Oregon – OLCC Manager Who Diverted Bottles of Elmer T. Lee Bourbon Back on the Job

MSN – Noelle Crombie (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 4/21/2025

Brian Flemming, the retail services manager for the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) who diverted sought-after Elmer T. Lee bourbon for himself, a colleague, and his bosses is back on the job after two years on leave. The allegations that Flemming used his position and insider knowledge of the state’s liquor inventory for his own benefit mirror the findings of a previous human resources investigation into six high-ranking OLCC executives. Those top managers were reprimanded and later resigned or were fired.

Pennsylvania – How the Restoration of Philly’s Historic 30th St. Station Became a Corruption Bonanza

MSN – Andrew Seidman and Chris Palmer (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 4/24/2025

In 2018, Amtrak officials invited the media to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia for a tour of the rail operator’s work on a yearslong project to restore the historic building’s facade. Although the taxpayer-funded project’s cost had nearly doubled to $109 million, the price tag was worth it, said Ajith Bhaskaran, the Amtrak manager overseeing the project, “because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do this work.” What Bhaskaran did not say at the time was that in exchange for signing off on all the extra work, he seized an opportunity to line his own pockets.

Tennessee – Corruption Trial of Ex-House Speaker Casada, Aide Cothren Starts This Week. What to Know

Yahoo News – Evan Mealins (Nashville Tennessean) | Published: 4/21/2025

After more than three years of investigation, ex-Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former top aide Cade Cothren are on trial, facing 20 fraud-related charges that could lead to decades in prison. Several current and former state legislators, and alleged co-conspirator Robin Smith are expected to testify that Casada and Cothren orchestrated a scheme to take advantage of a state-funded mailer program through a shadowy company organized under a fake persona.

Washington – Seattle Council Sends Democracy Voucher Renewal to August Ballot

Seattle Times – David Kroman | Published: 4/23/2025

Voters will decide this August whether to continue with Seattle’s experiment in taxpayer-funded Democracy Vouchers that have helped finance the campaigns of local candidates since 2017. The city council signed off on Mayor Bruce Harrell’s proposed 10-year, $45 million renewal, officially sending the question to the ballot this summer. If approved, the average Seattle homeowner would spend around $13 a year in property taxes on the program.

Washington – As in D.C., a Fight Breaks Out in Washington State Over Who Gets Access to Lawmakers

Spokane Public Radio – Daniel Walters (InvestigateWest) | Published: 4/20/2025

The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned the Trump administration’s move in February to handpick the reporters who get access to the White House, stripping that power from the association. But just eight days later, Washington state’s own Capitol Correspondents Association willingly chose to give up its own influence over which reporters get access to the Legislature, handing that gatekeeping role solely to the same lawmakers they cover.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Governor Can Lock in 400-Year School Funding Increase Using a Veto, Court Says

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 4/18/2025

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ creative use of his uniquely powerful veto to lock in a school funding increase for 400 years may be “attention grabbing,” but it was constitutional, the state Supreme Court ruled. The ruling affirms the partial veto power of Wisconsin governors, which is the broadest of any state. Wisconsin is the only state where governors can partially veto spending bills by striking words, numbers, and punctuation to create new meaning or spending amounts.

National/Federal

Greene Bought Market Dip Before Trump Paused Tariffs, Profiting from the Rally

DNyuz – Annie Karni (New York Times) | Published: 4/14/2025

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disclosed she purchased between tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of stock on April 8 and 9, the day before and the day of President Trump’s announcement that he was pausing a sweeping set of global tariffs, a pivot that sent the stock market soaring out of a sizable slump. The report came as Democrats in Congress have demanded investigations of whether the president’s moves on trade might have been aimed at manipulating the market and giving his allies a lucrative opportunity for insider trading.

At the Supreme Court, the Trump Agenda Is Always an ‘Emergency’

DNyuz – Abbie VanSickle (New York Times) | Published: 4/10/2025

The Trump administration has in recent weeks asked the Supreme Court to allow it to end birthright citizenship, to freeze more than a billion dollars in foreign aid, and to permit the deportation of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador without due process. In each case, the administration told the justices the request was an emergency. Traditionally reserved for clearly urgent matters, most often requests for stays of execution for people sentenced to death, they are now the favored path to challenge so-called nationwide injunctions, where a single federal judge issues a ruling that affects not only the parties to a case but the entire nation.

House Passes Voter Registration Bill That Would Require Proof of Citizenship

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 4/10/2025

House Republicans passed legislation aimed at stopping noncitizens from voting in federal elections, a priority pursued by President Trump. Known as the SAVE Act, it would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Democrats have railed against the bill, particularly its limits on acceptable forms of identification, which they say would make it difficult for married women who have changed their last names to register. The real goal, some Democrats say, is to disenfranchise Americans.

Amid Trump’s Pause on Foreign Bribery Cases, One Involving a Company His Allies Targeted Will Proceed

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 4/12/2025

President Trump has paused enforcement of an anti-corruption statute barring U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials, but the Justice Department said recently it will move forward on one pending case involving an old target of the president and his allies. Government lawyers said they intend to continue their prosecution of two executives at the voting machine company Smartmatic who were charged last year in an alleged bribery scheme involving payoffs to win business in the Philippines.

Some DOGE Staffers Hold High-Powered Jobs at Multiple Federal Agencies

MSN – Faiz Siddiqui and Jacob Bogage (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

Some Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff members have jobs in as many as seven federal offices. The unorthodox practice affords trusted acolytes of Elon Musk authority across broad swaths of government, as well as access to an array of confidential information. Because their jobs are embedded within agencies, the DOGE staffers have far more influence than those who might have worked collaboratively across government before, and their positions raise the possibility that even if Musk leaves government service at the end of May, as he has suggested, his allies will still have power, potentially for years to come.

‘Nothing But a Pattern’: Ethics advocates alarmed by delay for House watchdog

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 4/14/2025

More than three months into the 119th Congress, House leaders have not yet appointed board members of the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), hamstringing the ethics office and its mission. Failure to appoint the board of the OCC, an independent, nonpartisan office that reviews allegations of misconduct against House lawmakers and staff, is alarming on its own, according to some transparency advocates. But they also see a larger trend during the second administration of Donald Trump, as other ethics and accountability bodies come under fire.

Harvard Hit with $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze After Rejecting Trump’s Demands

MSN – Susan Svrluga (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The Trump administration announced it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the school rejected demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions. The administration’s demands are part of a crackdown on what it calls rampant antisemitism and leftist ideology on college campuses. The university was the first to formally push back against the government’s efforts to force change in higher education.

DNC Leader Announces Plans to Primary Members of His Own Party

MSN – Dylan Wells (Washington Post) | Published: 4/15/2025

A group dedicated to electing young progressives co-founded by David Hogg, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, is launching a $20 million effort to primary “out-of-touch, ineffective” incumbent House Democrats. Leaders We Deserve, the organization founded by Hogg and Kevin Lata, who was the campaign manager for the first Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, will target representatives they do not view as meeting the moment in an effort to force generational change in the Democratic Party.

Justice Department Must Provide Details of Attempts to Return Illegally Deported Man, Judge Says

MSN – Steve Thompson and Katie Mettler (Washington Post) | Published: 4/15/2025

A federal judge said she will require the Trump administration to produce records and sworn answers about the U.S. government’s attempts, or lack thereof, to return a Maryland resident who was apprehended by immigration authorities and illegally sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The decision from U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, where she left open the possibility of a contempt ruling against the Trump administration, marks another escalation in the legal showdown with the White House.

Judge Boasberg to Launch Contempt Proceedings into Trump Administration

MSN – Marianne LeVine, Spencer Hsu, Salvador Rizzo, and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2025

Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg said he would launch proceedings to determine whether any Trump administration officials defied his order not to remove Venezuelan migrants from the country based on the wartime Alien Enemies Act and should face criminal contempt charges. Boasberg’s order is the latest development in a broader showdown between the administration and the federal judiciary, which has blocked or slowed many of the White House’s far-reaching actions.

Rubio Shuts State Dept. Foreign Disinformation Office, Citing Censorship

MSN – Adam Taylor (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio the State Department is closing an office designed to counter foreign disinformation, saying the effort had “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans.” The closure of the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office marks a win for conservatives who claimed they were targeted by government-sponsored disinformation efforts.

White House Starting New Media Policy Sharply Curtailing Wire Service Access

MSN – David Bauder (Associated Press) | Published: 4/16/2025

The Associated Press (AP) says a new White House media policy violates a court order by giving the administration sole discretion over who gets to question President Trump, and the news agency asked a federal judge to enforce that order. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden said the White House had violated the AP’s free speech by banning it from certain presidential events because Trump disagreed with the outlet’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Supreme Court Will Review Trump’s Attempt to Ban Birthright Citizenship

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 4/17/2025

The Supreme Court said it will review President Trump’s attempt to ban automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, scheduling a special court session for May 15. The administration had asked the justices to lift or narrow nationwide orders blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship executive action, which Democratic-led states and immigrant advocacy organizations say is at odds with past court rulings and the Constitution.

Sarah Palin, New York Times to Face Off in Defamation Retrial

Yahoo News – Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) | Published: 4/10/2025

Sarah Palin and the New York Times are headed back to a courtroom where the former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate will try convincing a second jury the newspaper defamed her in an editorial about gun control. Palin lost her first trial against the Times and former editorial page editor James Bennet in 2022. But last August, an appeals court found the verdict tainted by several rulings by the presiding judge and ordered a retrial.

From the States and Municipalities

Canada – Former Ontario Mayor Dubbed ‘Mr. X’ Banned from Lobbying Province for 2 Years

Yahoo News – Adam Carter (CBC) | Published: 4/17/2025

Former Clarington Mayor John Mutton, who Ontario’s integrity commissioner identified as “Mr. X” in a scathing report about the removal of land from the Greenbelt, was banned from lobbying the provincial government for two years. “Mr. Mutton’s several failures to register, use of contingency fees, and disregard of the conflict-of-interest prohibition undermine the [law’s] purpose of transparency and public confidence in the independence of public sector decision making,” says a report from Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake.

California – SF Will Let Nonprofits Report Less About Themselves Due to Fears of Political Attacks

KQED – Katie DeBenedetti | Published: 4/15/2025

San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously to ease easing financial reporting requirements for city-funded nonprofits. The changes are intended to protect employees at nonprofits, particularly those who serve the LGBTQIA+ community and survivors of domestic violence. One government ethics expert worried that rolling back the disclosures could make the city more vulnerable to financial mismanagement, an issue that has plagued its departments and nonprofits for years.

California – California’s Lieutenant Governor Leases Offices to the State. What If She’s Elected Governor?

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 4/11/2025

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who earns millions of dollars annually from extensive property investments, says she will put some of her holdings into a blind trust if she is elected governor of California. Her portfolio includes downtown Sacramento office buildings that rent to dozens of organizations with business before the state and at least three state agencies. Which of those assets would be transferred to the blind trust and how Kounalakis would determine what constitutes a conflict of interest, however, remains unclear.

California – Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to Close in Aftermath of Corruption Probes

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 4/15/2025

Anaheim’s Chamber of Commerce, an organization deeply involved in one of Orange County’s largest corruption scandals, will be closing at the end of April. The closure comes roughly three years after the Chamber’s former chief executive officer, Todd Ament, pleaded to federal criminal charges after FBI agents described him as the ringleader of a group of powerful insiders who controlled public affairs and policymaking through elected officials at City Hall.

Connecticut – Ex-Bridgeport BOE Member’s Lie to Grand Jury Involved 2018 Campaign Event at Dolphin’s Cove: Records

Middletown Press – Jarrod Wardwell | Published: 4/13/2025

Former Bridgeport Board of Education Chairperson Jessica Martinez admitted she lied on the witness stand as she testified about allegedly illegal campaign activity at the former Dolphin’s Cove restaurant, court records show. Martinez was the treasurer of Dennis Bradley’s 2018 state Senate campaign. A grand jury found the Dolphin’s Cove event, which was omitted from the campaign’s financial disclosures, raised nearly $6,000 for the campaign and would have disqualified them from later earning over $84,000 in matching funds from the state.

Florida – Here’s Where $10 Million Donation to DeSantis’ Hope Florida Effort Went

MSN – Lawrence Mower and Alexandra Glorioso (Tampa Bay Times) | Published: 4/11/2025

Part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s crusade to defeat a Florida recreational cannabis ballot measure received $10 million from two groups that got money from a nonprofit associated with first lady Casey DeSantis’s community-based assistance program. The payments raise questions about whether the administration steered Medicaid dollars through Casey DeSantis’s key initiative to a political campaign.

Florida – State Workers Who Solicit Campaign Cash Could Face Criminal Charges Under Florida Bill

MSN – Ana Ceballos and Romy Ellenboge (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/14/2025

DeSantis administration employees who solicit money for campaigns or campaign for issues while they are supposed to be doing their jobs could face criminal penalties under a proposal moving in the Florida House. The bill appears to take aim at staffers in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration who reportedly solicited political contributions for his presidential bid and have asked state lobbyists to commit money to a political committee as first lady Casey DeSantis considers a run for governor in 2026.

Georgia – 2 Protesters at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall Are Subdued with Stun Guns

DNyuz – Maya Miller (New York Times) | Published: 4/15/2025

A town hall for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene outside of Atlanta quickly deteriorated into chaos. Greene, a loyal ally of President Trump, started to speak when a man in the crowd stood up and started yelling, booing and jeering at her. Several police officers grabbed the man and dragged him out of the room. Police officers escorted at least six people from the room. Three people, including the two who were subdued with stun guns, were arrested.

Hawaii – Honolulu Director’s Free Trip to Poland Raises Ethics Questions

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 4/14/2025

A company that just signed a no-bid contract with Honolulu’s motor vehicle office is hoping to send the agency’s director on an all-expenses-paid trip to Gdańsk, Poland in May. Thales Group offered to cover the flight, hotel, meals, and other related costs – a $5,000 value – for Department of Customer Services Director Kim Hashiro to visit their facility. Honolulu Ethics Commission guidelines prohibit officials with authority over contracts from accepting gifts from contractors, and a city council resolution forbids them from accepting any gift that could, in fact or appearance, impair their judgment.

Hawaii – Hawai’I Lawmakers Appear Poised to Crack Down on Pay-To-Play Politics

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 4/11/2025

Hawaii lawmakers are working to outlaw political donations from people who win government contracts. But key supporters of the legislation still need to come to an agreement on critical points including how contractors and nonprofit organizations will have to report who their officers and close family members are and whether that information will be kept secret from the public.

Illinois – Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Resistance to Ethics Reforms Draws Criticism

Yahoo News – Jake Sheridan (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 4/13/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson unsuccessfully resisted efforts to codify old rules banning lobbyists from donating to mayoral candidates. He criticized Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s report that he mishandled gifts and is fighting her again as she alleges his Law Department hinders investigations. Witzburg said Johnson’s pattern of resistance amounts to “brick walls” at each step in her attempts at ethics reform. The mayor appears to feel unfairly attacked by the reform bids, many of which he has argued should be broadened to also target the city council or are bad policy.

Maine – Trump Administration to Pull Maine K-12 Funding Over Trans Athletes Dispute

MSN – Brianna Tucker (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The Trump administration announced it would pull all federal education funding from Maine after state officials said they would not comply with demands from the administration to ban transgender athletes from participation in women’s sports, which could slash millions of dollars in federal funding from K-12 schools in the state. The move marks a major and retaliatory step forward in how far the administration is willing to go to force state governments to adhere to executive orders.

Massachusetts – Cape Cod State Rep. Accused of Stealing from Former Employer to Fund Campaign Expenses, Psychic Services

MSN – Abby Patkin (Boston.com) | Published: 4/11/2025

Massachusetts Rep. Christopher Flanagan was arrested following his indictment on wire fraud and falsification of records charges. Federal prosecutors allege Flanagan stole $36,000 from his former employer, the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, and used the money to pay for campaign expenses, credit card bills, menswear, and psychic services.

Minnesota – Champion Directed Public Funds to Another Nonprofit He Later Did Legal Work For, Records Show

Yahoo News – Christopher Ingraham (Minnesota Reformer) | Published: 4/11/2025

Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion recently stepped down from the ethics subcommittee after it was reported he steered millions of dollars in public funds to a legal client. Champion maintains the work was pro-bono, and it concluded before the start of the legislative session during which he spearheaded $3 million in state grants to a nonprofit run by that client. Court records indicate McAfee was not the only legal client to benefit from Champion’s grantmaking.

Montana – Bill to Streamline Legislator-to-Lobbyist ‘Revolving Door’ Voted Down in Montana House

Longview News-Journal – Seaborn Larson (Montana State News Bureau) | Published: 4/11/2025

The Montana House rejected Senate Bill 222, which would have repealed a two-year waiting period state law during which legislators and other public employees are prohibited from becoming lobbyists. Supporters of the bill said the two-year window prevents effective lawmakers who are no longer permitted to run because of term limits from continuing their good work as lobbyists. Opponents contended the buffer is important to keep legislators and government employees from setting up their own windfall from public office.

Nevada – Ethics Panel Rejects Settlement for Nevada Energy Director Over Free VGK Tickets

Las Vegas Review-Journal – Mary Hynes | Published: 4/16/2025

The Nevada Commission on Ethics rejected an agreement that would have resolved a complaint against Dwayne McClinton, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy, with commissioners saying they want disciplinary action to include a fine. The complaint stated McClinton accepted free Las Vegas Golden Knights tickets and solicited other perks while negotiating a potential taxpayer-funded sponsorship deal with the National Hockey League franchise.

Nevada – Secretary of State’s Bill Would Allow Some Personal Use of Campaign Funds

Yahoo News – Dana Gentry (Nevada Current) | Published: 4/11/2025

A campaign finance measure championed by Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar seeks to make running for office financially feasible for more individuals by allowing campaign contributions to be spent for some personal uses. The current prohibition deters some individuals from serving in low-paying positions such as state legislator, which pays $130 a day for the first 60 days of the 120-day session, plus per diem amounts for travel and expenses.

New Jersey – Gottheimer Funnels $10 Million from Congressional Campaign into Group Supporting Bid for Gov

MSN – Madison Fernandez (Politico) | Published: 4/16/2025

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s congressional campaign has sent close to $10 million to a super PAC supporting his bid for governor. Gottheimer had more than $20 million in his congressional campaign coffers when he announced his gubernatorial run in November. But that money cannot be transferred directly to his state campaign for governor, raising questions about how his congressional fund would be used to help it.

New Mexico – Lujan Grisham Nixes Lobbying Transparency Bill

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 4/14/2025

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed House Bill 143, which would have required lobbyists to publicly report the bills they are working to support or defeat during the legislative session. Lobbyists said they had concerns about the viability of a requirement in the bill that they file reports within 48 hours of lobbying activity.

New York – NYCHA Paid Out Millions to Bribe-Paying Contractors Implicated in Corruption Takedown

The City – Greg Smith | Published: 4/16/2025

One year after a sweeping corruption takedown at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), there have been 64 convictions out of the 70 housing authority employees arrested on charges of taking cash bribes to hand out contracts to vendors performing public housing repairs. On the other side of the corrupt transactions, it is a different story. Since the big sweep in February. 2024, NYCHA has awarded hundreds of contracts worth a total of $7.8 million to eight companies whose operators have publicly confessed to participating in the decade-long bribery conspiracy.

New York – NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Andrew Cuomo Denied $2.5 Million in Public Matching Funds Over Missing Information

Yahoo News – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/15/2025

The New York City Campaign Finance Board denied mayoral race front-runner Andrew Cuomo more than $2.5 million in public matching funds, dealing an unexpected and significant blow to his campaign. The board voted to deny the former governor the critical funds because his campaign had failed to furnish some identifying information about the donors whose contributions it had hoped to match.

North Carolina – North Carolina Supreme Court Rules Most Challenged Ballots Must Stay in Election Count

Yahoo News – Gary Robertson (Associated Press) | Published: 4/11/2025

The North Carolina Supreme Court said tens of thousands of cast ballots challenged by the trailing candidate in November’s unresolved election for a seat on the court must remain in the election count. But a majority of justices, all registered Republicans, let stand a lower court’s determinations that additional ballots from two other categories Associate Justice Allison Riggs contested were wrongly allowed in the tally. The Supreme Court’s order is not expected to fully resolve the close race.

North Dakota – North Dakota House Removes New Ethics Commission Position from Budget, Adds 6-Month Deadline

Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 4/14/2025

The North Dakota House voted to give the state’s Ethics Commission a six-month deadline to resolve complaints while also removing a new position approved by the Senate. The amended bill will head to the Senate for a concurrence vote before it can go to Gov. Kelly Armstrong. Rep. Mike Nathe, who brought the amendments, he believes some North Dakotans are “weaponizing” the commission to lodge frivolous complaints against public officials that can drag on indefinitely. The commission has some complaints that are more than two years old.

Ohio – HBO’s ‘The Dark Money Game’ Spotlights FirstEnergy’s Corruption as Trump Revives Federal Coal Plant Bailout the Utility Once Lobbied For

Energy and Policy Institute – Dave Anderson | Published: 4/16/2025

The premiere of HBO’s new documentary “The Dark Money Game” shines a spotlight on FirstEnergy’s bribes-for-bailouts scheme in Ohio days after President Trump revived a failed push to use federal emergency powers to bail out coal-fired power plants that FirstEnergy lobbied for extensively during Trump’s first term. “Ohio Confidential,” the first film in director Alex Gibney’s two-part documentary series about money in American politics, examines the federal racketeering investigation that exposed how FirstEnergy secretly paid millions of dollars in bribes to influence former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

Pennsylvania – Man Charged with Arson at Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Denied Bail

MSN – Justine McDaniel, Amber Ferguson, and Annabelle Timsit (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The man charged with setting fire to the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told authorities he walked more than an hour from his home, carrying beer bottles filled with gasoline, before scaling a fence, breaking into the mansion, and setting a room ablaze. Police accused Cody Balmer of seeking to harm Shapiro – he allegedly told police he planned to beat the governor with a hammer if he encountered him – and his family. He was denied bail at an arraignment.

Texas – A Texas Republican Benefited from Out-of-State Donors. Now He Wants to Limit Their Impact

MSN – Nolan McCaskill (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 4/10/2025

Texas soon could impose limits on out-of-state political contributions under a bill filed by former House Speaker Dade Phelan. Texas only has campaign donation limits for judges and judicial candidates in nonfederal races, allowing unlimited sums of money to flow into the campaign coffers of state candidates from donors nationwide.

National/Federal

Trump Sidelines Justice Dept. Legal Office, Eroding Another Check on His Power

DNyuz – Charlie Savage (New York Times) | Published: 4/4/2025

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel has traditionally been a powerful guardrail in government. It has issued interpretations of the law that bind agencies across the executive branch, decided which proposed policies were legally permissible, and approved draft executive orders before they went to presidents to be signed. But in President Trump’s second term, the office has largely been sidelined. As Trump issues policies that push legal limits and asserts an expansive view of his power, the White House has undercut its role, delaying giving it senior leadership and weakening its ability to impose quality control over executive orders.

Democratic Attorneys General Sue to Block Trump’s Voting Restrictions

MSN – Maeve Reston (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2025

A coalition of 19 Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration seeking to block President Trump’s effort to impose new voting restrictions across the country, calling his recent executive order unconstitutional, antidemocratic, and un-American. Though the constitution grants most power over elections to the states, Trump signed an executive order last week demanding changes including a new requirement for voters to produce documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.

Justice Department Lawyers Struggle to Defend a Mountain of Trump Executive Orders

MSN – Carrie Johnson (NPR) | Published: 4/3/2025

In courtrooms all over the country, the Justice Department has been busy defending President Trump’s executive actions. But in many of those cases, the government’s own lawyers have been struggling to answer questions and having to correct the record. It is a function of how aggressively Trump has moved so far and how the attorneys have been having a hard time keeping up.

Judge Orders White House Ban on AP Lifted

MSN – Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 4/8/2025

A judge ordered the White House to lift a nearly two-month-long set of access restrictions it placed on the Associated Press (AP) while the news organization’s lawsuit against three Trump administration officials plays out. Since February 11, AP reporters have been prevented from being at Oval Office events, on Air Force One flights. and at other official presidential events because the news organization refused to primarily use the name Gulf of America when referring to the body of water, instead of the Gulf of Mexico.

As Tariffs Set to Take Effect, Confusion Reigns on K Street

MSN – Caitlin Oprysko and Gabby Miller (Politico) | Published: 4/8/2025

As the White House rolls out its tariff plan, lobbyists across Washington are working to decipher the administration’s muddled messaging and translate it into a strategy for relief for their clients. In some cases, lobbyists are still puzzling out who they should contact at the White House to ensure their concerns are heard, or how the new duties will be implemented.

House Rejects Proxy Voting for New Parents, Chooses ‘Pairing’ Instead

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 4/8/2025

A weeks-long dustup over proxy voting for new parents in the U.S. House came to an end despite a last-ditch effort from one of its chief proponents. “Congress is stuck doing things the way that we did hundreds of years ago, and it’s time that we move it to the 21st century,” said Rep. Brittany Pettersen. She has led the charge to allow proxy voting for up to 12 weeks after birth.

Trump Directs Justice Dept. to Probe Officials Who Opposed Him in First Term

MSN – Kelly Kasulis Cho (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2025

President Trump signed sweeping presidential memorandums targeting two former government officials who opposed his actions in his first term, his latest effort to use the powers of the presidency to punish people and institutions who have challenged him. Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs and former homeland security official Miles Taylor, who penned an anonymous 2018 New York Times op-ed titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.”

U.S. Will Monitor Immigrants’ Social Media for ‘Antisemitic Activity’

MSN – Anumita Kaur and María Luisa Paúl (Washington Post) | Published: 4/9/2025

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin screening immigrants’ social media accounts for antisemitic content as grounds to deny visa and green-card applications, a move immigration law and free-speech experts condemn as an alarming federal overstep. The announcement raised concern among experts that the policy is too vague and would rely heavily on the personal opinions of officials.

Trump Told People to Buy. Hours Later, His Tariff Pause Sent Markets Soaring.

MSN – Rachel Lerman and Douglas MacMillan (Washington Post) | Published: 4/9/2025

Less than four hours before President Trump’s announcement that he was pausing tariffs sent markets soaring, he posted online telling his millions of social media followers it was a good time to buy. Democrats are now accusing Trump of “market manipulation.” The president holds much of his net worth in his stake in Truth Social’s parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group. The company’s stock rallied with the broader markets after the tariff announcement, closing the day up more than 21 percent.

White House Says It Ignores Journalists Who Use Pronouns in Email Bios

MSN – Gaya Gupta (Washington Post) | Published: 4/9/2025

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she will not engage with reporters who list their pronouns in their email signatures, the Trump administration’s latest move to target expressions of gender identity in the workplace. Including one’s pronouns in introductions, over email and in-person, has become normalized across many industries in recent years as a way to show support with the transgender or nonbinary community and prevent misgendering. But the practice has since been fiercely rejected by Republican politicians.

US Appeals Court Blocks Trump from Removing Democrats from Labor Boards

Reuters – David Wiessner and Jonathan Stempel | Published: 4/7/2025

A federal appeals court blocked President Trump from removing Democratic members from two federal labor boards, setting aside its earlier ruling. The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit further complicates a pair of cases that are emerging as key tests of Trump’s efforts to bring federal agencies meant to be independent from the White House under his control.

He Said He Would Ban Congressional Stock Trading. Now in Office, He Trades Freely.

Scranton Times-Tribune – Annie Karni (New York Times) | Published: 4/6/2025

When Rob Bresnahan, Jr., a wealthy Republican business executive, was running to represent a competitive U.S. House district in Pennsylvania, he published a letter to the editor in a local newspaper demanding an end to stock trading by members of Congress. If elected, Bresnahan told voters, he would co-sponsor legislation to ban stock trading by members of Congress. More than two months after being sworn in, Bresnahan has not introduced or co-sponsored such a bill. He has emerged as one of the most active stock traders in the freshman class.

Musk’s DOGE Using AI to Snoop on U.S. Federal Workers, Sources Say

Yahoo News – Alexandra Ulmer, Marisa Taylor, Jeffrey Dastin, and Alexandra Alper (Reuters) | Published: 4/8/2025

Trump administration officials have told some U.S. government employees that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team of technologists is using artificial intelligence to surveil at least one federal agency’s communications for hostility to President Trump and his agenda. While much of DOGE remains shrouded in secrecy, the surveillance would mark an extraordinary use of technology to identify expressions of perceived disloyalty in a workforce already upended by widespread firings and cost cutting.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Pro-Car Great Highway Group Faces Ethics Fine for Skirting S.F. Campaign Laws

Mission Local – Eleni Balakrishnan | Published: 4/9/2025

Open the Great Highway faces a fine from the San Francisco Ethics Commission for violating campaign finance law. It has been reported that Open the Great Highway was campaigning against Proposition K and soliciting donations without registering as a PAC with the California Secretary of State, a requirement for any group soliciting political donations above a certain threshold.

Florida – Florida Teacher Loses Job for Calling Student by Preferred Name

MSN – Laura Meckler and Lori Rozsa (Washington Post) | Published: 4/10/2025

A Florida high school teacher lost her job after calling a student by an alternative name without parental permission, sparking community backlash in the conservative area as school officials sought to comply with state law. It is the first known dismissal resulting from the campaign to shut down recognition of alternative gender identities, a policy piloted by Florida that spread to other Republican states and now has been taken up by the Trump administration.

Florida – Transgender Student’s Arrest for Violating Florida Bathroom Law Is Thought to Be a First

MSN – Hannah Schoenbaum (Associated Press) | Published: 4/3/2025

A transgender college student declared “I am here to break the law” before entering a women’s restroom at the Florida Capitol and being led out in handcuffs by police. Civil rights attorneys say the arrest of Marcy Rheintgen is the first they know of for violating transgender bathroom restrictions passed by numerous state Legislatures across the country.

Florida – State Officials Steered $10 Million Settlement to Casey DeSantis’ Hope Florida Charity

MSN – Lawrence Mower and Alexandra Glorioso (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/8/2025

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration diverted $10 million in state settlement money last year to the charity arm of a welfare initiative led by his wife. The unusual injection of cash was part of an undisclosed settlement agreement involving Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. The money went to the Hope Florida Foundation, a nonprofit that was established by the state to help realize Casey DeSantis’s vision to reshape welfare.

Idaho – Idaho Republican’s Bill Would Have Let Her Husband Sue Boise. Rules Say It’s OK

MSN – Sarah Cutler (Idaho Statesman) | Published: 4/7/2025

State Sen. Codi Galloway sponsored a bill to ban homeless encampments in large Idaho cities, including Boise, which she represents. In its initial form, the bill would have allowed business owners to sue cities that failed to enforce the ban. Galloway did not disclose that her husband could be one of the people filing such a lawsuit.

Illinois – Illinois Senate President Don Harmon Improperly Accepted $4 Million in Campaign Cash, Election Authorities Say

MSN – Addison Wright and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 4/9/2025

The Illinois State Board of Elections said Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign committee has accepted $4 million in prohibited donations. At issue is whether a loophole that allows politicians to remove campaign contribution limits was in effect when he collected what is deemed extra cash. Harmon has repeatedly given or loaned his campaign fund more than $100,000 over the years, opening the loophole and allowing him to collect unlimited sums of money. It is a maneuver political insiders call “the money bomb.”

Illinois – Anointed by Powerful Father, State Sen. Emil Jones III Heads to Trial on Bribery Charges

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 4/6/2025

Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III, whose father led the state Senate for years, is on trial for allegedly agreeing to help a red-light camera company alter legislation in exchange for $5,000 and a job for his legislative intern. It is the first case from a sprawling red-light camera probe to go before a jury, and will feature testimony from FBI mole Omar Maani, a founder and executive at SafeSpeed.

Indiana – Diego Morales’ $90K SUV Came from Dealership That Gave Him $65K in Campaign Donations

Indianapolis Star – Hayleigh Columbo | Published: 4/4/2025

Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith are under scrutiny after using state funds to buy premium SUVs costing the state around $90,000 each. In Morales’ case, his 2024 GMC Yukon Denali comes from Kelley Automotive Group in Fort Wayne, owned by Thomas Kelley, who has given Morales’s campaign $65,000 since 2022. Kelley sits on the state’s Motor Vehicle Advisory Board with Morales, which advises the secretary of state’s office on matters related to the regulation of automobile dealers in Indiana.

Kansas – Kansas Governor Signs Bill Doubling Campaign Finance Limits on Legislative Candidates

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 4/9/2025

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill into law that doubles campaign contribution limits to statewide and legislative candidates. The governor also signed legislation that creates a new definition for “cooperation or consent” in relation to express advocacy expenditures. For example, it would exclude a candidate’s or political party’s expenditures in response to inquiries about positions on legislative issues or the endorsement of a candidate.

Maine – Censured Lawmaker Seeks Immediate Restoration of Voting Rights in House

Yahoo News – Emily Allen (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 4/4/2025

A Maine lawmaker is asking a federal judge to immediately restore her ability to vote in the Legislature despite being over social media posts she made that identified a transgender student-athlete. Rep. Laurel Libby has argued the censure violates her First and 14th Amendment rights by punishing her for “protected speech outside the walls of the State House.”

Massachusetts – Canadian Utility Company Paid for Parts of Mass. Lawmakers’ Trip to Hydroelectric Facility

MSN – Chris Van Buskirk (Boston Herald) | Published: 4/9/2025

A group of Massachusetts lawmakers who visited Canadian hydroelectric facilities in March were ferried there at the expense of a public utility company that runs a power line between Quebec and Ayer. The cadre of elected officials, which was made up of three senators and eight representatives, touted the three-day trip as an “alternative energy fact finding” mission.

Massachusetts – Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to Plead Guilty in Federal Corruption Case, and Will Resign

MSN – Gayla Cawley (Boston Herald) | Published: 4/8/2025

Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson plans to plead guilty in a federal public corruption case tied to allegations she stole thousands of dollars from taxpayers in a kickback scheme that took place in City Hall and intends to resign. Prosecutors recommend that Fernandes Anderson be sentenced to prison for a year and a day, and that she pay $13,000 in restitution.

Minnesota – DFL Senate President Steered Millions in Public Funds to a Legal Client

Yahoo News – Christopher Ingraham (Minnesota Reformer) | Published: 4/4/2025

Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion faces questions about a possible conflict-of-interest related to his legal work and funding bills he sponsored. It was reported that Champion worked with a client, the Rev. Jerry McAfee, on a pro bono basis. McAfee’s nonprofit group 21 Days of Peace later received state grant funds from an account that Champion worked to authorize.

Mississippi – Judge Tosses Former Miss. Governor’s Suit Against Pulitzer-Winning Reporter

MSN – Samantha Cherry and Avi Selk (Washington Post) | Published: 4/5/2025

A judge dismissed former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant’s defamation lawsuit against a news nonprofit that investigated his connections to a $77 million public welfare scandal, sparing the newsroom from being forced to reveal internal documents and confidential sources it used for the Pulitzer-winning series. The dismissal was applauded by press freedom groups that viewed the suit as an effort to punish Mississippi Today and its journalists for scrutinizing government officials.

New Jersey – A Teachers’ Union Is Spending Millions to Elect Its Boss Governor

DNyuz – Tracey Tully (New York Times) | Published: 4/9/2025

Sean Spiller failed to qualify for matching state campaign funds and fell short of the threshold to participate in two upcoming debates as he runs for governor of New Jersey. His spokesperson works for a consulting firm in Washington, and he has no paid campaign manager. But Spiller has something the other five Democrats running for governor do not: a $35 million blank check from a group with close ties to the labor union he leads, the New Jersey Education Association.

New Mexico – NM Ethics Commission Has Authority Over Lobbying Advertising Campaigns, Court of Appeals Rules

Yahoo News – Austin Fisher (Source New Mexico) | Published: 4/7/2025

The New Mexico Court of Appeals ruled that when lawmakers passed the State Ethics Commission Act, they intended to give the panel power to handle complaints not only about individual lobbyists and their employers, but also to organizations that run lobbying advertising campaigns. The ruling stems from a complaint filed against New Mexico Families Forward. Former Rep. Ambrose Castellano alleged the group violated the law by failing to disclose the identity of its donors, and how much they had given.

New York – This Agency Fights Corruption. New York City Leaders Have Weakened It.

DNyuz – Jan Ransom (New York Times) | Published: 4/6/2025

In recent months, New York City’s government has been rocked by corruption scandals at a pace not seen in nearly a century. Yet over the past few years, New York’s leaders have presided over a gradual weakening of the city’s leading corruption-fighting agency, the Department of Investigation. In recent months, the agency has been so strapped for funds that it has tapped millions of dollars forfeited by people convicted of crimes to cover basic operating costs.

North Carolina – Court Directive to Notify Voters in Close North Carolina Election Blocked for Now

MSN – Gary Robertson (Associated Press) | Published: 4/7/2025

The North Carolina Supreme Court temporarily halted enforcement of an appeals court decision that favored a Republican candidate in a close and unresolved November election for a seat on the state’s highest court. The Supreme Court issued a temporary stay of an order by a Court of Appeals panel that in part directed election workers to identify and contact potentially tens of thousands of voters whose ballots were challenged by Republican candidate Jefferson Griffin.

North Dakota – House Committee Recommends Removing New Ethics Commission Position, Adding Deadline

Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 4/8/2025

A House committee recommended several sweeping changes to the North Dakota Ethics Commission’s budget, including cutting a new full-time staff member and adding a new six-month deadline for processing ethics complaints. The commission called the changes “a roadblock intended to hamper the commission’s work.”

Ohio – House Republicans Propose Eliminating the State’s Campaign Finance Enforcer

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/4/2025

Ohio House Republicans want to eliminate a regulatory body that enforces deadlines and accuracy of candidates’ campaign finance spending and fundraising reports. While their proposed state budget does not repeal the section of state law that created the Ohio Elections Commission 30 years ago, it reduces its budget from about $432,000 this year to zero in the next two fiscal years.

Ohio – Ex-Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones Sentenced to 2 Years, 4 Months in Prison for Corruption Schemes

MSN – Adam Ferrise (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/2/2025

Former Cleveland City Councilperson Basheer Jones was sentenced to two years and four months in prison for using his influence to benefit him and a romantic partner. The judge also ordered the one-time mayoral candidate to pay back $143,000 that he and others made off three schemes in which they swindled nonprofits. Jones is the sixth council member in the last two decades to be convicted of corruption-related charges.

Pennsylvania – Emails Between Pa. Lawmakers and Lobbyists Will Remain Hidden from the Public After Court Ruling

Yahoo News – Angela Couloumbis (Spotlight PA) | Published: 4/8/2025

A panel of Commonwealth Court judges ruled the state Legislature can continue to shield from public view written interactions lawmakers have with lobbyists. Good-government advocates called the ruling a missed opportunity to create more transparency around the inner workings of the Legislature, which has exempted itself from having to disclose many records – including emails – the executive branch routinely makes public.

Tennessee – Pardoned Ex-Sen. Kelsey Wrangles for Amendment to Campaign Finance Bill

Yahoo News – Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 4/9/2025

Straight off a prison stint cut short by a presidential pardon, former Tennessee Sen. Brian Kelsey is maneuvering for legislation to pay his legal expenses. Kelsey, who served two weeks in prison for directing an illicit campaign finance scheme, is lobbying lawmakers to pass legislation that would enable him to use his state campaign account to pay legal fees after three years of court battles.

Texas – Gov. Greg Abbott Sets Nov. 4 Special Election to Fill U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s Seat

MSN – Jasper Scherer, Kayla Guo (Texas Tribune), and Natalia Contreras (Votebeat) | Published: 4/7/2025

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott set November 4 as the special election date to fill the congressional seat left vacant by former U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death, a timeline that leaves the solidly Democratic seat vacant for at least seven months as Republicans look to drive President Trump’s agenda through a narrowly divided Congress. Turner died March 5, two months into his first ter. State law does not specify a deadline for the governor to order a special election.

Texas – Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Former Aides Win $6.6 Million in Whistleblower Case

MSN – Ayden Runnels and Jasper Scherer (Texas Tribune) | Published: 4/4/2025

A judge awarded $6.6 million to four former senior aides to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton who said they were improperly fired after reporting Paxton to the FBI. The case was sparked when eight former aides, including the four plaintiffs, reported Paxton to federal authorities in over his relations with Nate Paul, a friend and real estate investor. The whistleblowers accused Paxton of abusing his office to do favors for Paul, including by hiring an outside lawyer to investigate claims made by Paul and providing him confidential law enforcement documents.

Vermont – Final Reading: House advances changes to its ethics panel’s procedures spurred by bag-soaking scandal

VTDigger – Shaun Robinson | Published: 4/8/2025

The bag-soaking scandal that catapulted the Vermont House into national headlines last year and focused attention on the chamber’s internal committee that investigated the incident has prompted lawmakers to tweak the rules guiding inquiries into their colleagues allegedly bad behavior. The House gave preliminary approval to a set of rule changes that would give the secretive House Ethics Panel more leeway to describe its work to the public and the press. It would also require the panel to issue public reports on each of its investigations.

Wisconsin – Former Wisconsin Justice to Give Up Law License Over 2020 Election Review

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 4/7/2025

Former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman agreed to give up his law license for three years after facing a string of ethics allegations stemming from his error-riddled review of the 2020 election for Republican lawmakers. Gableman conceded that legal regulators had produced enough evidence to find he had violated state ethics rules for lawyers. He gave up his legal fight over the matter a week after a candidate backed by Democrats won a seat on the state’s high court and locked in a likely liberal majority for years.

National/Federal

Paul Weiss Chair Says Deal with Trump Adheres to Firm’s Principles

DNyuz – Matthew Goldstein, Jessica Silver-Greenbergm and Ben Protess (New York Times) | Published: 3/21/2025

The chairperson of Paul Weiss sought to reassure employees at the giant law firm that the deal it reached with President Trump was consistent with principles the firm has long stood by. Brad Karp sent a firm-wide email, detailing the agreement he had reached with Trump, which allowed the firm to escape an executive order that could have cost it significant business. Despite Karp’s assurances, the deal caused concern among the broader legal community that large law firms were capitulating to Trump’s demands instead of fighting them in court.

Federal Judiciary Creates New Task Force with Threats on the Rise

DNyuz – Abbie Van Sickle and Mattathias Schwartz (New York Times) | Published: 3/26/2025

A task force of federal judges will consider how to respond to “current risks” for the judiciary, following a spate of threats against judges who have ruled against the Trump administration. The formation of the task force is another sign the judicial branch is taking seriously an increasingly hostile and politicized climate.

Justice Dept. Tries to Intervene on Trump’s Behalf in Jan. 6 Lawsuits

DNyuz – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 3/20/2025

The Justice Department made an unusual effort to short-circuit a series of civil lawsuits seeking to hold President Trump accountable for his supporters’ attack on the Capitol. Department lawyers argued in court papers the cases that Trump was acting in his official capacity as president on January 6 and so the federal government itself should take his place as the defendant. That move, if successful, could protect Trump from having to face judgment for his role in the attack and from having to pay financial damages if he were found liable.

Lutnick Urges Fox News Viewers to Buy Tesla Stock, Raising Ethics Questions

MSN – Justine McDaniel and Sabina Rodriguez (Washington Post) | Published: 3/20/2025

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged Fox News viewers to buy Tesla stock, an apparent violation of federal ethics rules that prohibit officials from endorsing products or businesses. His promotion of Tesla was the latest move by a Trump administration official to bolster support for Elon Musk’s car company as it becomes a target for voters upset about the sweeping cuts Musk is leading across the federal government through the U.S. DOGE Service.

K Street Crashes Into ‘Nearly Un-Lobbyable’ Elon Musk

MSN – Sophia Call and Daniel Lippman (Politico) | Published: 3/20/2025

Washington’s lobbying class is searching for an effective approach to an unprecedented challenge: how do you influence a mercurial outsider like Elon Musk who has immense but unofficial power and is the world’s richest person. But solving for Musk could pay huge dividends. If K Street can figure out how to lobby him, they can capitalize off the anxiety pervading Washington that drives companies and industries to sign six-figure retainers.

Health Benefits Company Co-Founded by Dr. Oz Could Be a Conflict of Interest

MSN – Lauren Weber and Caitlin Gilbert (Washington Post) | Published: 3/24/2025

Mehmet Oz, the nominee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), co-founded health benefits company ZorroRX with his son last year. ZorroRX and similar companies promise to make hospitals money and save employers cash by connecting patients to the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program. As head of CMS, Oz would lead an agency that could directly influence how much money hospitals, and in turn companies like ZorroRX, make from the federal system.

‘This Is Not Your Grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll’: White House seeks corporate sponsorships for Easter event

MSN – Betsy Kline (CNN) | Published: 3/23/2025

The White House, through an outside event production company called Harbinger, is soliciting corporate sponsors for this year’s Easter Egg Roll, which is prompting major concerns from ethics experts and shock from former White House officials from both parties. The solicitation for sponsorships marks an unprecedented offering of corporate branding opportunities on White House grounds running counter to long-established regulations prohibiting the use of public office for private gain.

Trump’s Washington Runs on Secret Chat App Signal

MSN – Shira Ovide, Danielle Abril, and Hannah Natanson (Washington Post) | Published: 3/25/2025

Two months into the Trump administration, there is a sweeping shift underway in Washington as federal workers, and some high-level administration officials, migrate their correspondence to the messaging app Signal in a zeal for secrecy. Adopting Signal and other surveillance-dodging tactics of spies and billionaires comes at the potential loss of a real-time history of the Trump administration. The Atlantic magazine’s top editor said he was accidently added to a signal group in which U.S. officials planned a recent military attack in Yemen.

Trump’s Crackdown on Top Law Firms Spreads to Congress

MSN – Dasha Burns, Caitlin Oprysko, and Daniel Lippman (Politico) | Published: 3/24/2025

An email circulated by a Republican Senate staffer to GOP Senate offices instructs them to pay heed to the lobbying clients of Covington & Burling and Perkins Coie, two law firms that President Trump has singled out in his campaign to crack down on those that oppose his policies. A person familiar with the email said the goal was to signal “that maybe Senate Republican staffers should consider whether they should be helpful to these individuals [that hire Covington and Perkins Coie], given their affiliation with firms deemed to be anti-Trump.”

For Many, Proving U.S. Citizenship to Vote Could Be Costly and Difficult

MSN – Anumita Kaur and Gaya Gupta (Washington Post) | Published: 3/26/2025

Millions of Americans could be prevented from voting after President Trump signed an executive order requiring people to provide documents that prove they are citizens when they register to vote. High costs, bureaucratic delays, and transportation issues are among myriad hurdles preventing many Americans from acquiring these forms of identification, which means Trump’s new mandate will make it harder for citizens to reach the ballot box, experts said.

Masked Agents Whisk Away Tufts Student from Sidewalk, Video Shows

MSN – Niha Masih, Frances Vinall, and Julie Yoon (Washington Post) | Published: 3/27/2025

As Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk made her way to an interfaith center to break the Ramadan, plainclothes agents, some masked, descended on her. Within about a minute, the agents whisked her away in handcuffs. Ozturk’s lawyer said the agent belonged to the Department of Homeland Security. Ozturk is a Fulbright scholar on an F-1 student visa, her lawyer said. President Trump promised to deport international students he alleges are engaging in “pro-terrorist, antisemitic, anti-American” campus protests over Israel’s war in Gaza.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – Why Banning Huawei from the EU Institutions Is Harder Than It Seems

Euractiv – Anupriya Datta and Nicoletta Ionta | Published: 3/25/2025

The European Parliament quickly suspended lobbyists’ access after a new corruption case emerged involving Huawei, which allegedly paid bribes to politicians to support its 5G expansion in Europe. After the allegations became public, the European Commission issued internal instructions directing commissioners, cabinet members, and staff to immediately suspend all meetings and contacts with Huawei “until further notice.” But Huawei lobbyists could exploit loopholes to retain access to European Union premises despite the ban.

Canada – Canada’s Carney Calls Snap Election as Trump Looms Over Campaign

MSN – Amanda Coletta (Washington Post) | Published: 3/23/2025

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called a snap federal election for April 28, seeking to capitalize on momentum that has his Liberals resurgent. The campaign is likely to come down to one question: who can best handle President Trump and make Canada more resilient in the face of his threats? The election will pit Carney against Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, a populist firebrand who until recently held a commanding lead in the polls.

Arizona – GOP Lawmaker Undermines One of His Party’s Candidates for AZ Governor

Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) | Published: 3/27/2025

The head of the conservative Arizona Freedom Caucus is advancing legislation that would bar Republican Karrin Taylor Robson from becoming the next governor, even if she were to win the election over his favored GOP candidate. The resolution says nothing about Robson, but it does say no person is eligible to become a state elected official who for two years prior to the primary election was required to register as a paid lobbyist.

California – S.F. Is Weak and Ineffective at Preventing Conflicts of Interest, Report Finds

Mission Local – Xueer Lu | Published: 3/24/2025

Since January 2020, San Francisco has had eight department head-level employees forced out of office due to allegations of corruption. A new report suggests the city’s systems meant to limit conflicts-of-interest are lax and ineffective. The Budget and Legislative Analyst’s Office noted a distinct lack of process for reviewing financial disclosure forms, inconsistency across departments in ethics training, and failure of city employees to disclose secondary jobs and failure to catch and check them.

California – What Do the City Records Show About the Alleged Bribe in the Sacramento Mayor’s Race?

MSN – Joe Rubin (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 3/25/2025

Three weeks before allegedly offering a bribe to Sacramento mayoral candidate Flojaune Cofer, California Black Chamber of Commerce President Jay King had a previously undisclosed lunch meeting with then-City Manager Howard Chan and developer Paul Petrovich. During a September phone call, Cofer said she was asked by King to extend Chan’s contract. If she did, she said, King promised that Petrovich would make a substantial campaign contribution.

California – Ousted Official Used City Cash for Son’s UCLA Tuition, Probe Finds

San Francisco Standard – Gabe Greschler, Noah Baustin, Jonah Owen Lamb, and David Sijostedt | Published: 3/20/2025

Investigators revealed new details about a former San Francisco department head who allegedly enriched herself through a corrupt scheme of bribes and illegal gifts that went on for years. The city attorney’s office said Sheryl Davis, who has resigned as the Human Rights Commission director, received tens of thousands of dollars from a city-funded organization that benefitted her personal business ventures, expensive travel, and her son’s tuition at UCLA.

Colorado – Trump Complained About a Portrait of Him in Colorado’s Capitol. Now It’s Being Removed.

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 3/25/2025

President Trump likes having his name and image on things, but there is one representation of his likeness that he wanted gone – a portrait that hangs in the Colorado Capitol. Trump took to Truth Social to complain about the painting, blaming the state’s Democratic governor for it and demanding it be removed. Republican then asked for the portrait to be taken down, and the Democratic lawmakers who hold the majorities in the Legislature signed off on removing it.

Florida – Florida’s Top Gambling Regulator Became a FanDuel Lobbyist. A Bill Would Bar a Repeat.

MSN – Alexandra Glorioso (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/20/2025

As Florida’s first gambling regulator, Louis Trombetta took an aggressive approach to fantasy sports betting, driving three companies to shut down their games in the state. Then he went to work for one of their competitors. The sudden about-face has raised questions by ethics experts about the “revolving door” between regulators and the industry, a door one state lawmaker wants to shut behind Trombetta.

Idaho – Committee Sends Overhaul of Idaho’s Campaign Finance Law to House

Moscow-Pullman Daily News – Laura Guido | Published: 3/25/2025

A major overhaul of Idaho’s campaign finance law moved to the House floor. House Bill 442 would increase campaign expenditure reporting frequency, raise individual contribution limits, and include a trigger to significantly increase donation limits if a legislative candidate has $50,000 spent against them.

Kansas – Kansas Lawmakers Vote to Let More Organizations to Pay for Their Travel Expenses

MSN – Jack Harvel (Topeka Capital-Journal) | Published: 3/26/2025

A bill sent to the Kansas governor would allow more nonprofits to reimburse politicians for travel to events and conferences and give more leeway for the executive branch to accept gifts or discounted tickets to entertainment events. Organizations like the National Conference of State Legislatures can pay travel-related expenses, but non-nationwide organizations are prohibited. The bill expands who can reimburse lawmakers to any nonprofit nonpartisan group that does not lobby in the state.

Kentucky – Democrat Grimes, Former Kentucky Secretary of State, Wins Appeal in Ethics Case

Yahoo News – Jack Brammer (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 3/23/2025

The Kentucky Court of Appeals unanimously has upheld a lower court order that cleared former Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes of ethics charges. The court said the Executive Branch Ethics Commission missed its statutory deadline to charge Grimes with improperly ordering the downloading and distribution of voter registration data from her public office while she was secretary of state. The commission argued it was not bound by any statute of limitations.

Louisiana – Supreme Court Presses Louisiana on Use of Race During 2022 Redistricting

MSN – John Fritze (CNN) | Published: 3/24/2025

The Supreme Court grappled with a years-old, messy legal battle over Louisiana’s congressional districts during an oral argument in which several of the court’s conservatives questioned whether the state had violated the Constitution because of its focus on race. Several of those justices signaled they are prepared to further weaken the influence that the Voting Right Act has on redistricting, although it was not clear if there was a majority to do so in Louisiana’s case. That is partly because lower courts had guided the state toward redrawing its lines with race in mind.

Maryland – Gov. Moore’s Planned Attendance at Political Fundraiser Raises Legal Questions

MSN – Brooke Conrad (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 3/27/2025

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore appearance at an upcoming event organized by the Unity First PAC is raising eyebrows in Annapolis. Maryland law places certain limits on fundraising activities by the governor and other state officials during the General Assembly session and the event is scheduled for April 2, five days before the conclusion of the session. David Mitrani, Unity First PAC’s lawyer, said the PAC does not “engage in activity that is covered under Maryland’s campaign finance law and is not a candidate committee … and is therefore not subject to the legislative session blackout period.”

Minnesota – Minnesota State Senator Resigns After He Was Charged with Soliciting a Minor for Prostitution

MSN – Steve Karnowski (Associated Press) | Published: 3/20/2025

Minnesota Sen. Justin Eichorn resigned after he was charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution, stepping down before the Senate could vote on whether to expel him. Investigators had placed multiple ads online offering sex for money, according to the charging documents. Eichorn exchanged text messages with an undercover officer purporting to be a 17-year-old girl for several days until they arranged a meet-up, where he was arrested.

Montana – Former Legislators Could Immediately Become Lobbyists Under Senate Bill

Daily Montanan – Jordan Hansen | Published: 3/20/2025

Former Montana legislators could immediately become lobbyists under legislation from Sen. Greg Hertz. Now, state lawmakers, elected state officials, department directors, appointed state officials, and members of an elected official’s personal staff are not allowed to be licensed as lobbyists if they have served in any of those positions over the previous two years. Senate Bill 222 would remove the statute entirely.

Montana – ‘Buckle Up’: In Montana, Republican lawmakers target the judiciary

DNyuz – David Chen (New York Times) | Published: 3/24/2025

As the Trump administration steps up its attacks on the federal judiciary, similar power struggles are unfolding at the state level. The Montana Legislature is weighing an avalanche of bills to reshape the judiciary and influence who gets to sit on the courts. Judicial elections would become partisan contests. A new court would be created to adjudicate constitutional claims, helmed by judges who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. At least two bills have even proposed that a judge’s “facial expressions” to be construed as evidence of bias, potentially resulting in disqualification.

Montana – Montana Senate Can’t Muster Enough Votes to Punish Former President Ellsworth

MSN – Tom Lutey (Montana Free Press) | Published: 3/24/2025

The Montana Senate drew to a stalemate over whether to expel Sen. Jason Ellsworth for ethics violations, though there is no limit to how many tries they get at taking some sort of disciplinary action. Lawmakers failed twice to get the necessary two-thirds majority required to expel a member. Between attempts to expel, senators were also unsuccessful at censuring Ellsworth. The latter entailed removing him from key committees and banning him from the Senate floor for a few weeks.

New Jersey – Sanctioned Trump Attorney Alina Habba to Be Interim N.J. Prosecutor

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 3/24/2025

Alina Habba, a lawyer for President Trump who received sanctions and judicial reprimands while representing him, will be appointed interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey. Habba has been serving as a White House counselor and was a prominent figure on the campaign trail for Trump. Habba was heavily involved in Trump’s legal entanglements before the November election. In that role, she was sanctioned for running afoul of what judges considered appropriate attorney conduct.

New Mexico – One Signature Away from Becoming Law, Lobbyists Worry Over Reporting Bill

Yahoo News – Megan Gleason (Albuquerque Journal) | Published: 3/20/2025

New Mexico lawmakers sent a bill to the governor that would require lobbyists or their employers to file reports disclosing stances on bills they are attempting to influence and, if positions change, to update their stances within 48 hours. Currently, lobbyists only need to publicly report who is employing them and money spent to benefit legislators for lobbying purposes. House Bill 143 has raised red flags for some lobbyists, who are concerned it would worsen existing logistical issues and be overly burdensome.

New Mexico – 60 Days Later, Cicero Institute’s Reason for NM Lobbying Still Hidden from Public

Yahoo News – Patrick Lohmann (Source New Mexico) | Published: 3/24/2025

The legislative session is over and hundreds of bills are closer to becoming law, but it is still unclear which of them a billionaire-backed think tank influenced when it hired two veteran New Mexico lobbyists. The Cicero Institute has been linked to legislative lobbying efforts in other states where lawmakers have made it a misdemeanor to camp in public. The lobbyists would not say, and state law did not require them to disclose which bills they lobbied for or against in the 60-day legislative session that ended March 22.

New York – Cuomo Failed to Disclose Lobbyists Who Bundled Donations

New York Focus – Chris Bragg and Julia Rock | Published: 3/20/2025

.In a recent campaign filing, Andrew Cuomo disclosed having had no “intermediaries” – also known as bundlers – that raised money for his New York City mayoral bid. But records show Tonio Burgos sent out a fundraising email on March 7 seeking donations for Cuomo’s campaign. The email directed potential donors to a fundraising webpage set up by the Cuomo campaign which told them their donations would be matched with taxpayer dollars, even though Burgos’s work as a registered lobbyist means any gifts he solicits are ineligible for matching funds.

New York – Newly Unsealed Memo Sheds Light on Justice Department’s Rush to Drop NYC Mayor’s Corruption Case

Yahoo News – Michael Sisak (Associated Press) | Published: 3/25/2025

New court documents offer a behind-the-scenes look at how federal prosecutors built and then tried to salvage their criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in the face of unprecedented pressure from President Trump’s Justice Department. The documents include a draft memo by the former interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned in protest rather than carry out a directive from a top Justice Department official to dump the case against Adams.

Ohio – Romantic Partner of Ex-Cleveland City Councilman Basheer Jones Charged in Corruption Probe

MSN – Adam Ferrise (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/26/2025

The romantic partner of former Cleveland City Councilperson Basheer Jones was accused of lining her pockets with money from several schemes that authorities say the two carried out on nonprofits and through real-estate deals. Sinera Jones hid her relationship with Jones in the deals and allowed him to use his sway to get her a job with a nonprofit, according to prosecutors. Basheer Jones has pleaded guilty to similar charges.

Oregon – How Washington County Sewer Officials Scored Annual Hawaii Trips and 5-Star Lodging

MSN – Jamie Goldberg (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 3/20/2025

It is not uncommon for government workers in agencies large and small to attend out-of-state conferences. But what makes trips taken by officials with Washington Count’s sewer agency to Hawaii unusual is their frequency, cost, lack of transparency, and that the recurring tropical location is the result of a local business decision made by design. The trips are not accounted for in the agency’s annual budgets even though ratepayers of Clean Water Services indirectly footed the bill.

Pennsylvania – Democrat Notches an Upset in Pennsylvania State Senate Race

DNyuz – Campbell Robertson (New York Times) | Published: 3/26/2025

A Democrat won a surprise victory in a special election for the Pennsylvania Senate, narrowly prevailing in a district that Donald Trump won by 15 points last fall. The election, conducted in the small towns and suburbs of Lancaster County where no Democrat had won since 1979, joined two currents that are powering the political moment.

Texas – Cornyn, Cruz Ask US Supreme Court to Hear Activist’s Case Against Texas Ethics Watchdog

MSN – Bayliss Wagner (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 3/25/2025

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are supporting a conservative activist and political website publisher’s effort to have his case against the Texas Ethics Commission heard in the nation’s highest court. The senators filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the Supreme Court to take up Michael Quinn Sullivan’s 10-year-old lawsuit challenging a $10,000 fine levied against him in 2014 by the commission. It unanimously found that Sullivan, then the president of advocacy group Empower Texans, failed to register as a lobbyist while he worked to influence state lawmakers.

Texas – Texas Senate Passes Weakened Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Ban Following GOP Amendment

The Texan – Brad Johnson | Published: 3/20/2025

The Texas Senate passed legislation intended to ban “taxpayer-funded lobbying” but tacked on an amendment that exempts groups like the Texas Association of School Boards. The bill prohibits local governments from hiring registered lobbyists and allows citizens to sue those localities if they violate the ban. It applies only to political subdivisions and not constitutional offices, like county sheriffs.

Vermont – Ways and Means: Experts say Vermont Legislature’s ethics disclosures are lacking

Seven Days – Hannah Bassett | Published: 3/26/2025

The public can follow much of Vermont lawmakers’ work easily these days. Bills are updated and tracked from the day they are introduced, and agendas are published online in advance of meetings. Since the pandemic, floor discussions and committee meetings are generally live streamed, and the recordings remain online for viewing after the sessions conclude. For a small state with relatively limited statehouse resources, this is a testament to how even Vermont’s oldest institutions can use modern tools to foster trust in government, when they choose to.

Wisconsin – Why Elon Musk and Tesla Have a Legal Bone to Pick with Wisconsin

DNyuz – Reid Epsien and Neal Boudette (New York Times) | Published: 3/26/2025

Elon Musk is far away the biggest spender in this year’s race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, throwing his fortune behind a conservative candidate aiming to topple the court’s four-to-three liberal majority. The $20 million and counting from Musk and groups tied to him comes as Tesla is suing Wisconsin over its law prohibiting vehicle manufacturers from selling cars directly to consumers. The case is now before a court in Milwaukee County, but it could proceed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the coming months.

National/Federal

Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex

DNyuz – Maggie Haberman, Kate Conger, Eileen Sullivan, and Ryan Mac (New York Times) | Published: 3/17/2025

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is now accessible across the White House campus. It is the latest installation of the Wi-Fi network across the government since Musk joined the Trump administration as an unpaid adviser. Musk, who is now an unpaid adviser working as a “special government employee” at the White House, controls Starlink and other companies that have regulatory matters before or contracts with the federal government. Questions about his business interests conflicting with his status as a presidential adviser and major Trump donor have persisted for weeks.

With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left

DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

President Trump and his allies are attacking the players and machinery that power the left, taking a series of partisan official actions that, if successful, will threaten to hobble Democrats’ ability to compete in elections for years to come. So far, the attacks have been diffuse and sometimes indiscriminate or inaccurate. But inside the administration, there are moves to coordinate and expand the assault. It is not unusual for partisans in Congress or their outside allies to push for investigations into political groups on the other side of the aisle, but using the levers of government to target the opposition is considered an abuse of power.

Judges Fear for Their Safety Amid a Wave of Threats

DNyuz – Mattathias Schwartz and Abbie VanSickle (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

President Trump’s angry call for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against his administration on deportation flights set off a string of social media taunts and threats, including images of judges being marched off in handcuffs. The threats and intimidation may have not become actual violence, but they appear to be mounting, as Trump, his advisers, and his supporters are questioning the legitimacy of the American legal system. There is no evidence that jurists’ judgment has been warped by their antagonists. But at the least, public perceptions of judicial decisions could be shaped by the volume of attacks on the courts.

Trump’s Ending of Hunter Biden’s Security Detail Raises Questions About Who Gets Protection

DNyuz – Eileen Sullivan (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

While former President Joe Biden and his wife are by law allowed to have protection for the rest of their lives, their adult children had it only for a few months. Before leaving office, Biden issued an executive order that extended the protection to them, but President Trump revoked their detail. Despite the legitimate questions of cost for protecting so many people, the sudden announcement of the cessation of protection for Hunter Biden, coupled with Trump’s fixation on the former president and his only living son, raised questions about whether this move was the latest stop on the president’s revenge tour.

Two Democratic Commissioners Fired from FTC

MSN – Julian Mark, Cat Zakrzewski, and Will Oremos (Washington Post) | Published: 3/18/2025

President Trump fired the only two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, handing the remaining Republican commissioners exclusive control over the agency that oversees antitrust and consumer protection laws and serves as the U.S. government’s primary regulator of the tech industry. Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter announced their dismissals on social media, with both calling their firings illegal. Bedoya indicated that he intends to sue over his firing.

Judge Says Trump Penalties on Law Firm Send ‘Chills Down My Spine’

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 3/12/2025

A federal judge blocked provisions of President Trump’s executive order targeting attorneys at Perkins Coie. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell said Perkins Coie was likely to ultimately prevail in court with its challenge of the order, which was prompted by the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and its prior work for Trump’s political opponents. Howell warned that the order could damage the integrity of the entire legal profession, intimidating lawyers from taking up cases that the president views as going against his interests.

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Curb Judges’ Power to Block Policies Nationwide

MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 3/13/2025

President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to eliminate a key tool that lower courts have used to block various aspects of his agenda, Trump asked the justices to rein in or shelve three nationwide injunctions lower-court judges have issued against his bid to end birthright citizenship. But his request could have repercussions far beyond the debate over the controversial citizenship plan.

National Democratic Committees to Stage Town Halls in House GOP Districts

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 3/14/2025

A coalition of national Democratic committees is launching town hall meetings in Republican-held House districts across the country, ramping up the party’s efforts to put politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers on the defensive over President Trump’s agenda. The groups aim to hold town halls in all 50 states.

Amid ‘DEI’ Purge, Pentagon Removes Webpage on Iwo Jima Flag-Raiser

MSN – Jon Swaine and Alex Horton (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

Until recently, a page on the Defense Department’s website celebrated Pfc. Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six Marines photographed hoisting a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945. But the page, along with many others about Native American and other minority service members, has now been erased amid the Trump administration’s wide-ranging crackdown on what it says are “diversity, equity and inclusion” efforts in the federal government.

How Matt Gaetz Poisoned the House Ethics Committee

MSN – Haily Fuchs (Politico) | Published: 3/18/2025

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz is gone from Congress, but the wounds he inflicted on the House ethics committee that investigated him remain fresh. As the committee prepares in the coming weeks to ramp up after a monthslong delay and a pileup of potential cases, it is still regrouping from its crisis last year over whether to break with recent precedent and release the results of an investigation into Gaetz, who was being considered for attorney general.

Jury Selection Underway in Bribery Trial of Wife of Convicted Ex-New Jersey Senator

Yahoo News – John Russell | Published: 3/18/2025

The public corruption trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, is underway, having been split off from her co-defendants’ trial last year and then postponed by medical adjournments. Nadine Menendez was initially charged alongside her husband, accusing the couple of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes and gifts, including gold bars, from several businesspeople in exchange for the senator’s political influence.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – Huawei Lobbyists Banned from Accessing European Parliament After Bribery Arrests

MSN – Associated Press | Published: 3/14/2025

The European Parliament banned lobbyists working for Huawei from its premises following the arrests of several people in a corruption probe linked to the company, in yet another scandal to hit the Legislature. Huawei is suspected by Belgian prosecutors bribing European Union lawmakers. The European Parliament said the decision to suspend the access of Huawei lobbyists has been taken as a precautionary measure, in line with its security rules.

California – An L.A. City Council Member Is Launching a Nonprofit. Ethics Experts Have Questions

Los Angeles Times – Dakota Smith | Published: 3/15/2025

Los Angeles City Councilperson Tim McOsker is launching a nonprofit to pay for basic services, including street lighting and park improvements, in his district, an unusual move that raises questions for ethics experts. The One Five Fund, which formally launches in the next few months, “will make requests of folks throughout the city for money,” McOsker said. McOsker will fundraise for One Five but will not be involved in allocating the money, according to his office.

California – Will Disgraced Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu Serve Prison Time?

Voice of OC – Spencer Custodio | Published: 3/17/2025

Federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence disgraced former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu to eight months in prison and a $40,000 fine for wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and lying to FBI agents about trying to ram through the corrupted Angel Stadium sale to get $1 million in campaign support. Sidhu is asking for three years of probation and community service or a home arrest sentence. Sidhu resigned shortly after revelations of the corruption probe in 2022, and the stadium sale was canceled around the same time.

District of Columbia – D.C. Drops Lawsuit Against Proud Boys, Oath Keepers Over Jan. 6 Attack

Philadelphia Tribune – Ellie Silverman (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

The District of Columbia dropped a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over the attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying the city was unlikely to recover enough money to justify continuing legal action against the far-right groups and others it had sought to hold responsible for the riot. The suit marked the first effort by a government agency to hold individuals and organizations civilly liable for the violence at the Capitol that day.

Florida – 2 Miami-Dade Health Inspectors Accused of Fabricating Violations to Extort Restaurants

MSN – David Goodhue (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/12/2025

Two Miami-Dade County health inspectors were arrested on accusations they extorted bribes from restaurant owners. In total, Charles Bryant II and Craig Bethel extorted $14,620 from 15 businesses, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said. Both men, who worked for the Department of Environmental Resources Management, are accused of making up bogus health violations and threatening the businesses with shutting them down if they did not pay them money.

Florida – Ron DeSantis’ Team Is Urging Florida Lobbyists Not to Back Rep. Byron Donalds for Governor

MSN – Matt Dixon (NBC News) | Published: 3/18/2025

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s political operation is making calls to state lobbyists, urging them not to support U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, whose 2026 bid for governor has already collected more than $3 million, much of which has come from President Trump’s donors. Donalds announced his Trump-backed bid for governor in February, but there remains the prospect that DeSantis’s wife, Casey, also jumps into the race, which would set up a heavyweight Republican primary and continue the long-running political proxy war between Trump and DeSantis.

Florida – Lee School Board’s $180K Lobbying Contract Sparks Conflict-of-Interest Concerns

Yahoo News – Mickenzie Hannon (Naples Daily News) | Published: 3/13/2025

Some Lee County residents are questioning a new $180,000 contract the school board approved with Ballard Partners for federal lobbying services, raising concerns over potential conflicts-of-interest. Some residents voiced concerns about Ballard Partners’ ties to political consultant Terry Miller, who joined the firm as a partner in the Fort Myers office in 2023. He has also worked on campaigns for several board members. Critics argued the contract could give Miller undue influence over district affairs.

Hawaii – ‘Clean Government’ Bills Have Renewed Support

Yahoo News – Dan Nakaso (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) | Published: 3/18/2025

A series of bills aimed at further cleaning up government ethics, lobbying practices, and campaign contributions, while making it easier for new candidates to campaign for office, are suddenly enjoying renewed energy in the Hawaii Legislature after a lull in 2024. Collectively, the bills that remain alive this session are designed to tighten many of the practices that have directly or indirectly been linked to recent federal trials, guilty verdicts, and pleas by state and county officials.

Kansas – Kansas Senate Adds to Potential Makeover of State Elections with Passage of Two More Bills

Yahoo News – Sherman Smith and Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 3/17/2025

Lawmakers passed two bills that would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Kansas and restrict funding for election-related activities, such as voter registration efforts. The Legislature now has sent three election bills to the governor’s desk. The other one would narrow the window for advance ballots to arrive at county election offices.

Kansas – Kansas GOP Activist, Democrat Legislator Find Common Ground in Opposition to Campaign Finance Bills

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 3/17/2025

Democratic Rep. Alexis Simmons and former Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Kris Van Meteren stand uncommonly side-by-side against elimination of contribution limits for political party committees. Both said they could see logic to House Bill 2054’s doubling of contribution limits for candidates seeking election as governor and other statewide offices, the state Legislature and State Board of Education.

Kentucky – Secrecy Shrouds Campaign to Form New Suburban City in Louisville Metro

WDRB – Marcus Green | Published: 3/11/2025

The battle over a new city proposed for Jefferson County has been waged on yard signs, in online forums, and through word of mouth. But one front where the campaign is not occurring is on disclosure forms bringing transparency to groups fighting for and against the city of Eastwood. In many cases, local and state laws require those advocating for high-profile issues in Louisville and Frankfort to identify themselves and explain how much they are spending to influence decision makers. That is not happening in the Eastwood debate.

Michigan – Detroit Chamber Can’t Comp Lawmakers for Mackinac Conference

MIRS – Staff | Published: 3/11/2025

The Detroit Regional Chamber is not allowed to give lawmakers free admission to their annual Mackinac Policy Conference, which other attendees pay $3,200 apiece to attend, the secretary of state’s office said in a preliminary ruling. Normally, registration is $3,200 for chamber members, but state law bans gifts worth more than $79 from lobbyists, like the Detroit Regional Chamber. The Senate is advancing a bill that would allow lawmakers to continue receiving tickets to charity events or admission to a conference or educational event directly related to their duties, like the Mackinac Policy Conference.

Michigan – Michigan House Democrats Take Second Run at Ethics and Transparency Legislation

Yahoo News – Jon King (Michigan Advance) | Published: 3/18/2025

Michigan House Democrats used Sunshine Week, which acknowledges the importance of transparency in government, to re-introduce a package of bills they say will provide needed accountability to the finances of elected officials. The bills failed to get through the House last year during the lame duck session. Several of the sponsors saying the package would improve accountability by stopping election and campaign finance law violations in real-time, while also curtailing the influence of lobbying and financial interests on the legislative process.

Montana – Witness Testimony Wraps in Ellsworth Ethics Probe as Business Associate Skirts Subpoena

Bozeman Daily Chronicle – Seaborn Larson and Blair Miller (Lee Newspapers) | Published: 3/17/2025

Witness testimony over three days before a legislative ethics committee fortified allegations that Sen. Jason Ellsworth failed to disclose an extensive personal and professional relationship when organizing a state-funded contract for a friend, special counsel Adam Duerk argued. The committee’s final meeting before it begins crystalizing its forthcoming report for the Senate included a video statement from Bryce Eggleston, the contractor whom Ellsworth awarded a $170,100 state-funded contract to analyze the rollout of the GOP’s judicial reform agenda after the 2025 legislative session.

Nevada – Nevada Official Faces Ethics Commission over Golden Knights Perks

MSN – Mary Hynes (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 3/19/2025

Dwayne McClinton, director of the Nevada Office of Energy, is the subject of a state ethics complaint that claims he accepted free Vegas Golden Knights tickets and solicited access to a private watch party while negotiating a potential taxpayer-funded partnership with the National Hockey League team. McClinton neither disclosed the gifts nor abstained from further work on the partnership project.

New Jersey – Pay-to-Play

MSN – Riley Yates (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 3/20/2025

Two years ago, the New Jersey Legislature eviscerated the state’s pay-to-play law, a once-heralded good government measure that seeks to prevent construction companies, insurance brokers, and law offices from buying contracts through campaign donations. That has helped funnel campaign funds to political machines across New Jersey. In total, public contractors poured $3.8 million last year into political parties at the state, county, or local level, more than double what they gave in 2023, when the new rules first took effect.

New Mexico – Campaign Finance Reform Is ‘Dead,’ Says Sponsor

KUNM – Marjorie Childress (New Mexico In Depth) | Published: 3/16/2025

A bill meant primarily to close loopholes in New Mexico’s law governing the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures crashed in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs committee. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth has sought to close loopholes in the Campaign Reporting Act since several groups exploited them in a partially successful attempt to evade disclosing their donors and spending in the 2020 election.

New Mexico – Major Lobbyist Transparency Bill Nears Finish Line

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 3/18/2202

The New Mexico Senate voted to require new reports from registered lobbyists and those that pay them about the legislation they support or oppose. The House must now agree with changes made to House Bill 143. Sen. Jeff Steinborn has pushed for this type of lobbyist reporting since 2017, but his bills have not made it far in the Senate before.

New York – Adams’s Associates Under Federal Investigation Over Ties to China

DNyuz – Bianca Pallaro, Jay Root, Michael Forsythe, and William Rashbaum (New York Times) | Published: 3/18/2025

The Trump administration appears likely to succeed in having federal corruption charges dropped against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan. But in Brooklyn, a separate group of prosecutors has been conducting a long-running investigation involving the mayor’s most prominent fundraiser, and at one point searched her homes and office for evidence of a possible Chinese government scheme to influence Adams’s election, according to a search warrant.

New York – Judge Upholds Income Limits for State Legislators

Jamestown Post-Journal – John Whittaker | Published: 3/20/2025

A New York Supreme Court justice upheld outside income limits for state legislators but struck down a section of the law that would strip lawmakers of their voting rights if they violate the income limits. Republicans asked the judge to declare the law unconstitutional under the state and federal constitutions while the state argued limiting outside income falls within the Legislature’s legitimate interest in preventing conflict-of-interest and ethics issues caused by outside earned income.

Ohio – Six Years After Bribery Scandal, Ousted First Energy Lobbyists Still Aren’t Talking to the PUCO

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/13/2025

Nearly six years ago, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that benefitted FirstEnergy, which was later deemed to be the fruit of a bribery scheme. Three corporate lobbyists and one executive, all since ousted from their roles with FirstEnergy, once again avoided answering questions under oath about what happened. The goal of the hearing was to establish a process and build a record that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio could take to court, where a judge could issue an order compelling them to testify while giving immunity from being held criminally accountable for whatever answers they may provide.

Oklahoma – Ryan Walters Used His Official-Looking X Account to Support Trump. It Cost Him $5K to Settle Ethics Complaint.

Yahoo News – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 3/17/2025

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters agreed to pay a $5,000 settlement after being accused of ethics violations for pushing for Donald Trump’s election on a social media account with his official title. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission voted to settle three cases against Walters over his social media posts in support of Trump. It also voted to sue Walters over alleged campaign finance violations.

Oregon – Oregon’s 3 Most Populous Counties Don’t Track Who Lobbies Their Leaders

MSN – Austin De Dios (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 3/14/2025

None of Oregon’s most populous counties track with whom lobbyists meet or how much they spend on events with public officials. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners is looking to change that.

Tennessee – No Formal Ethics Commission Training Yet for Lee’s Cabinet After September Pledge

Des Moines Register – Vivian Jones (Nashville Tennessean) | Published: 3/10/2025

Additional ethics training has not occurred for members of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s cabinet nearly six months after a state ethics board recommended that they do so. Last year, Lee and Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds both repaid travel payments to nonprofits with connected political groups that employ lobbyists after media reports led to ethics complaints that alleged the travel expenses constituted illegal gifts.

Texas – How At-Large Voting Creates Conservative Majorities on Texas School Boards

MSN – Jeremy Schwartz (ProPublica) and Dan Keemahill (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/19/2025

The way communities elect school board members plays a key, if often overlooked, role in whether racially diverse districts experience takeovers by ideologically driven conservatives seeking to exert greater influence over what children learn in public schools In Texas. Since the pandemic, such groups have successfully leveraged the state’s long-standing and predominantly at-large method of electing candidates to flip school boards in their direction.

Texas – Bills Filed to Ban ‘Deepfakes’ in Political Ads in Texas

MSN – Bethany Blankley (The Center Square) | Published: 3/19/2025

Two bills were filed in Texas that would require additional disclosures for political ads. The bills were filed after the state Ethics Commission expanded disclosure requirements for campaign ads on social media posts. House Bill 366 would require disclosures on political ads that contain altered images known as “deep fakes.”

Utah – Utah on Path to End Automatic Mail Ballots after Wave of Misinformation

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

Utah is poised to abolish its practice of automatically mailing ballots to all voters, handing a victory to President Trump and Republicans who have vilified voting by mail since his 2020 election defeat. The likely changes in Utah are modest compared with Trump’s calls for ending mail voting altogether but would nonetheless mark a dramatic shift in a Republican stronghold that has long embraced mail balloting as convenient and secure.

Vermont – Vermont House Passes Change to Ethics Law, Despite Objections from the State’s Ethics Commission

VTDigger.org – Shaun Robinson | Published: 3/14/2025

The state panel tasked with reviewing alleged violations of Vermont’s ethical standards for government officials has been at odds with lawmakers over a bill that would limit the panel’s role in reviewing potential misconduct by state leaders. The House passed the bill that would, among other changes, exempt the panels and boards that investigate alleged misconduct by legislators, judges, and attorneys from a legal requirement to “consult” with the state ethics commission.

West Virginia – WV House Republicans Join Dems 54-41 to Reject Bill Allowing Direct Corporate Political Donations

West Virgina Watch – Caity Coyne | Published: 3/13/2025

The West Virginia House rejected a bill that would have allowed businesses and corporations in the state to directly donate up to $2,800, and potentially more, to candidates. Under House Bill 2729, business owners could have given the maximum amount of money to candidates multiple times by donating through their businesses, individual giving, and PACs.

National/Federal

Lawsuit Challenges Reporting Requirements for Conduit PACs

Campaigns and Elections – Max Greenwood | Published: 3/10/2025

A new lawsuit is challenging the requirement that conduit PACs disclose the personal details of small-dollar donors in their filings with the FEC. The complaint argues the provision in the Federal Election Campaign Act requiring conduit PACs like ActBlue and WinRed to publicly identify donors to give less than $200 to a campaign or committee violates a right to anonymity guaranteed by the Constitution.

ActBlue, the Democratic Fund-Raising Powerhouse, Faces Internal Chaos

DNyuz – Reid Epstein and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 3/5/2025

ActBlue, the online fundraising organization that powers Democratic candidates, has plunged into turmoil, with at least seven senior officials resigning recently and a remaining lawyer suggesting he faced internal retaliation. The departures from ActBlue, which helps raise money for Democrats running for office at all levels of government, come as the group is under investigation by congressional Republicans. They have advanced legislation that some Democrats warn could be used to debilitate what is the party’s leading fundraising operation.

Trump Expands Retribution Campaign Against Law Firms That Aided His Foes

MSN – Perry Stein and Michael Birnbaum (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2025

President Trump targeted another elite law firm that has represented clients he considers his political enemies, sending a message that he is willing to punish firms who work for people or groups that oppose his administration’s agenda. Trump signed an executive order hitting Perkins Coie with a directive that bans the federal government from hiring it, or from using contractors who work with it, except in limited circumstances. The order also bars Perkins Coie employees from entering federal buildings and suspends their security clearances.

Fired Head of Federal Watchdog Agency Says He’s Ending His Legal Battle Over His Removal by Trump

MSN – Alanna Durkin Richer (Associated Press) | Published: 3/6/2025

The fired head of a federal watchdog agency said he is abandoning his legal battle against the Trump administration to get his job back, acknowledging he was likely facing a tough road before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hampton Dellinger said he was dropping his case a day after the federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration in removing him as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency dedicated to guarding the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions.

Palestinian Protester Arrested by ICE Despite Green Card, Lawyer Says

MSN – Susan Syrluga (Washington Post) | Published: 3/9/2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student, who played a prominent role in last year’s protests over the Israel-Gaza war at Columbia University. President Trump has promised to deport international students who participated in “pro-jihadist protests.” The federal agents told Khalil his student visa had been revoked. When Khalil told agents he was a lawful permanent resident, holding a green card, agents detained him anyway, his attorney said.

Secretive D.C. Influence Project Appears to Be Running a Group House for Right-Wing Lawmakers

MSN – Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 3/6/3035

New evidence suggests Steve Berger, a pastor who runs a nonprofit that is trying to shape national policy, may be running what amounts to a group house for conservative lawmakers, with multiple members of Congress living with him at his organization’s headquarters. The six-bedroom, $3.7 million home is owned by a wealthy Republican donor. Berger has claimed to have personally spurred legislation, saying a senator privately credited him with inspiring a bill.

CDC Posts ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Database on Vaccine Advisory Group Members

MSN – Berkeley Lovelace (NBC News) | Published: 3/7/2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a webpage listing information about current and former members of its independent vaccine advisory committee, including what it describes as conflicts-of-interest. The new database comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees the CDC, has vowed to increase “radical transparency” at the federal health agencies. It was not immediately clear how the webpage would accomplish that.

Judge Says Trump Jan. 6 Pardon Doesn’t Apply to Man Who Conspired to Kill Investigators

MSN – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 3/10/2025

President Trump’s blanket pardon for the rioters who attacked the Capitol does not cover a conspiracy by one defendant to kill the law enforcement officials who investigated him, a federal judge ruled. Edward Kelley, who was convicted of conspiracy last year by a federal jury in Tennessee, had argued Trump’s sweeping clemency for rioters should also cover his conviction since the agents and officers he targeted were connected to the January 6 investigation.

A New Role for the South Lawn of Trump’s White House: Tesla car lot

MSN – Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

On the South Lawn of the White House, President Trump climbed into a Tesla Model S as Elon Musk slid into the passenger seat, converting one of the country’s most revered public spaces into a billboard for a company run by one of his closest allies. The president he made no secret of the fact that he was attempting to boost the financial fortunes of one of his supporters, whose cars, he noted, could be had for the low price of $35,000.

GOP Lawmaker Misgenders Democratic Rep. McBride, Derailing House Hearing

MSN – Kelsey Ables (Washington Post) | Published: 3/12/2025

A House subcommittee hearing went off the rails when Rep. Keith Self misgendered Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, and abruptly adjourned the session after a colleague confronted him. Speaking at a hearing on arms control, international security, and U.S. assistance to Europe, Self, the chairperson of the subcommittee on Europe, addressed McBride, a transgender woman, as “the representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride.”

Justice Department Is Expected to Slash Public Corruption Unit, AP Sources Say

MSN – Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 3/11/2025

Prosecutors in the Justice Department section that handles public corruption cases have been told the unit will be significantly reduced in size, and its cases will be transferred to U.S. attorney’s offices around the country, two people familiar with the matter said. The discussions about shrinking the public integrity section come weeks after the unit’s leadership resigned when a top Justice Department official ordered the dropping of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

USAID Workers Told to Shred, Burn Documents, Unnerving Congress

MSN – Missy Ryan and John Hudson (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ordered employees to destroy internal documents, according to an agency directive, raising new questions about how sensitive records are being handled in the Trump administration’s drive to curtail America’s assistance activities overseas. According to an email, a senior USAID official ordered employees to shred or burn documents at the organization’s Washington headquarters, including those related to agency personnel and those stored in safes used for classified material.

Washington Post Columnist Quits After Her Opinion Piece Criticizing Owner Jeff Bezos Is Rejected

MSN – David Bauder (Associated Press) | Published: 3/10/2025

Ruth Marcus, a columnist who has worked at the Washington Post for four decades, resigned after she said the newspaper’s management decided not to run her commentary critical of owner Jeff Bezos’ new editorial policy. Her exit is the latest fallout from Bezos’ directive that the Post narrow the topics covered by its opinion section to personal liberties and the free market. The newspaper’s opinions editor, David Shipley, had already resigned because of the shift.

Trump Official Tasked with Defending DOGE Cuts Posted Fashion Influencer Videos from Her Office

MSN – Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, and Audrey Ash (CNN) | Published: 3/12/2025

A federal employee tasked with defending the Trump administration’s mass government layoffs has been using her office to film fashion influencer videos. McLaurine Pinover, head of communications for the Office of Personnel Management, which acts as the government’s human resources agency, modeled her outfit choices for the day while directing followers from her Instagram account to a website that could earn her commissions on clothing sales.

Brother of Trump’s GSA Leader Tried to Buy Prime Federal Property

MSN – Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 3/13/2025

President Trump appointed former tech executive Stephen Ehikian as acting administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that manages government buildings, supplies, and services. Two weeks later, Ehikian’s brother, Brad Ehikian, a real estate developer, proposed that the GSA sell his company a federally owned 17-acre campus in Silicon Valley for $65 million. The GSA tried to auction the property in 2022 for nearly twice that amount. Current and former agency officials said they had not encountered such a proposal from someone related to the GSA administrator.

Pleas on X, Biden Dirt and Attacks on the FBI: As Trump flexes his pardon powers, defendants angle for their get-out-of-jail free card

Politico – Ben Schreckinger | Published: 3/11/2025

President Trump’s moves to expand the use of pardons have white-collar defendants jolting to attention, and many are responding with creative maneuvers designed to appeal less to judges or juries than to the ultimate arbiter in the Oval Office. Trump’s appointment of a White House “pardon czar,” Alice Johnson, and an announcement by the Justice Department lawyer who oversaw pardons during Biden’s term that she has been fired, signal Trump is not done exercising his clemency powers.

Musk’s Team Must Produce Documents to Comply with Open Records Laws, Judge Says

Seattle Times – Zach Montague and Minho Kim (New York Times) | Published: 3/10/2025

A federal judge found Elon Musk’s government-cutting unit is likely subject to public disclosure laws and must promptly turn over documents to a group that had sued for access to its internal emails. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk leads had all the hallmarks of an agency that would typically be subject to laws like the Freedom of Information Act.

State Politics Has a Sexual Misconduct Problem

Yahoo News – Grace Panetta (The 19th) | Published: 3/11/2025

State Legislatures craft most of the laws passed in the U.S. and serve as the main pipeline for higher office. But sexual harassment in state politics “remains a systemic and ongoing issue affecting both parties” according to a new report from the National Women’s Defense League. Legislatures are largely self-governing bodies, and even after a spate of post-#MeToo reforms, many lawmakers surveyed said the mechanisms for reporting misconduct in their states are lacking.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – Belgian Prosecutors Arrest Suspects in Huawei Bribery Probe Targeting EU Parliament

MSN – Samuel Petrequin and Sylvian Plazy (Associated Press) | Published: 3/13/2025

Belgian prosecutors announced the arrests of several people in a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament and the Chinese company Huawei. The arrests came as a media investigation said lobbyists working for the telecommunication giant were suspected of bribing current or former European Parliament members to promote the company’s commercial policies in Europe.

Canada – Supreme Court Strikes Down Doug Ford’s Controversial Campaign Finance Law

Toronto Star – Robert Benzie | Published: 3/7/2025

A key section of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s controversial campaign finance law has been struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada. The high court found it was unconstitutional for Ford to limit pre-election spending by unions and other third-party groups in his 2021 legislation. It is a major legal triumph for a coalition of labor unions and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which opposed the Progressive Conservatives’ bill that limited their spending to $600,000 on advertising and other political activities in the 12 months before an election.

California – Probe Finds Nonprofit’s Gift to Former Top S.F. Official Created ‘Appearance of a Bribe’

MSN – Michael Barba and St. John Barned-Smith (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 3/11/2025

An investigation concluded a $5,500 gift from the nonprofit Urban Ed Academy to former San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Davis appeared to break city ethics rules and created “at least the appearance of a bribe and undue influence.” Davis subsequently awarded a $270,000 contract to the nonprofit. That contract was one of $2.3 million in city contracts that Urban Ed Academy received in recent years under the Dream Keeper Initiative, a major city reinvestment in the Black community that Davis oversaw.

California – Contractors Might Have to Disclose Campaign Finance Violations in Santa Ana

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 3/6/2025

Contractors and developers in Santa Ana might soon have to disclose any campaign finance violations issued by state or federal officials, a move that could be a first for Orange County. Santa Ana City Councilperson Phil Bacerra wants it made clear to the public if a developer or business applying for a permit, contract, license, or entitlement has been found to have violated any state or federal campaign finance laws.

Colorado – Former State Senator Now Faces Investigation by Denver, Boulder District Attorneys After Resigning Amid Ethics Probe

Denver Post – Seth Klamann and Nick Coltrain | Published: 3/11/2025

Former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis is under investigation by the Denver and Boulder district attorneys’ offices, nearly a month after legislative staff determined Jaquez Lewis forged at least one letter of support in an ethics probe. Under Colorado law, using deceit in an attempt to influence a public servant is a felony, as is the use of certain forgeries.

District of Columbia – D.C. U.S. Attorney Targets Ukraine Whistleblower Rep. Vindman

MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

Interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin has sent another letter to U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, a critic of President Trump, demanding information in what Democratic lawmakers say is a potential abuse of his prosecutorial power. Martin wants information about a business founded by Vindman and his brother to help arm Ukraine to fight Russia. Eugene and Alexander Vindman, both former U.S. Army officers with national security backgrounds, played key roles in Trump’s first impeachment, over his reported attempt to pressure Ukraine’s then-incoming president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to find damaging information about Joe Biden.

Florida – Florida Senate Committee Moves to Ban Using Tax Dollars on Ballot Initiative Campaigns

Yahoo News – Jeffrey Schweers (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 3/11/2025

After Gov. Ron DeSantis used millions of state dollars last year to battle against abortion and marijuana proposals, some Florida lawmakers want to ban the use of public funds to promote or oppose ballot amendments. The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee approved such a measure by voice vote, adding it to a controversial bill to further restrict the petition-gathering process citizens groups use to get amendments before voters.

Maine – Republican Maine Lawmaker Sues House Speaker Over Censure for Post on Transgender Athlete

MSN – Patrick Whittle (Associated Press) | Published: 3/12/2025

Maine Rep. Laurel Libby sued the House speaker over her censure that followed a social media post about a transgender athlete participating in high school sports. Libby posted about a high school athlete who won a girls’ track competition. The post included a photo of the student and identified them by first name, with the name in quotation marks, saying they previously competed in boys’ track. Libby claims the censure violated her right to free speech. The lawsuit also says the censure stripped her right to speak and vote on the House floor, and that disenfranchises the thousands of residents in her district.

Maine – Committee Rejects Clean Elections Expansion, Other Proposals to Alter Election Laws

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 3/10/2025

The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted down several proposals to alter election laws in Maine, including measures that sought to expand the state’s clean elections program, eliminate ongoing absentee voter status, and reestablish a component of ranked choice voting tabulations that was done away with last session. These mark the first few committee recommendations for how the state should alter its elections laws this session.

Maryland – Maryland Democrats File Elections Complaint Against ‘Shadowy’ Campaign Targeting Gov. Wes Moore

MSN – Sam Janesch (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 3/7/2025

Maryland Democrats asked the State Board of Elections to sanction what they are calling a “shadowy” and illegal campaign against Gov. Wes Moore ahead of his reelection bid next year. The campaign, which has identified itself only as “No Moore” since its launch in February, has targeted the Democratic governor over his handling of the state’s budget deficit. Daily posts that evoke Moore and sometimes refer to his election prospects are likely a violation of state campaign finance law because the group behind those messages has not registered with the as a campaign entity, the Democratic Party argued.

Mississippi – Federal Trial in Jackson Corruption Case set for Summer 2026

Mississippi Today – Anna Wolfe | Published: 3/7/2025

U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan set the corruption trial for Jackson’s mayor, a city councilperson, and the county’s district attorney for July 13, 2026. A federal grand jury indicted Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and council member Aaron Banks in a bribery scheme after concocting a sting involving undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers. All three officials pleaded not guilty.

Montana – Ravalli County Rep. Ron Marshall Resigns, Cites Influence of Lobbyists in Legislature

Yahoo News – Micah Drew (Daily Montanan) | Published: 3/4/2025

State Rep. Rob Marshall resigned from the Montana Legislature, citing corruption in a Capitol “run by lobbyists.” During previous sessions, Marshall said there was a greater appetite among legislators and the Republican leadership to work together and hear each other out on the merits of various pieces of legislation, but this year there is “more wheeling and dealing” going on in Helena.

New Jersey – New Jersey’s Ballot Design That Gave Party Bosses Big Influence Is Officially Dead

MSN – Ry Rivard (Politico) | Published: 3/6/2025

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a redesign of primary ballots, formally ending an entrenched system that gave unique influence to the state’s party bosses but faced an unexpected wave of opposition. The county line system gave political parties in all but two of the state’s 21 counties the power to help design primary ballots based on party endorsements. Party-backed candidates were grouped together while candidates without endorsements were displayed awkwardly or on obscure parts of the ballot. Getting the line could make or break a campaign.

New Jersey – This Democrat Is Running for Governor with No Staff – but $35M in His Corner

New Jersey Monitor – Dana DiFilippo | Published: 3/10/2025

In his last disclosure, Democrat Sean Spiller reported spending of just $64,253 since he launched his campaign to be New Jersey governor last June. What is fueling Spiller’s campaign is not money that he raised himself. He is backed by an outside spending group that told election officials it will spend $35 million on the race. That independent expenditure group, Working New Jersey, has not disclosed any of its financial information since Spiller entered the race. This should raise red flags for election observers, including the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, said Craig Holman of Public Citizen.

New Mexico – Lobbyist Disclosure Bill Advances – Minus Cap on Lobbyist Spending on Lawmakers

Santa Fe New Mexican – Daniel Chacón | Published: 3/10/2025

The Senate Rules Committee endorsed a bill designed to shine a brighter light on lobbying activities in New Mexico after the panel stripped a House floor amendment many interpreted as capping lobbyist spending at $50 per day per legislator during a legislative session. Sen. Jeff Steinborn said he believes the Republican-sponsored amendment was an attempt to “undermine the bill” and create a “side show.”

New York – For #MeToo Movement, Mayor’s Race in New York City Poses a Test

DNyuz – Emma Fitzsimmons (New York Times) | Published: 3/10/2025

This year, three Democratic candidates for mayor of New York City – Andrew Cuomo, Scott Stringer, and the incumbent, Eric Adams – will provide a durability test for the #MeToo movement in New York politics. All three have faced allegations of sexual misconduct; all have forcefully denied the accusations and challenged the accusers in court. Some of the accusers, their lawyers, and women’s groups are trying to keep the #MeToo allegations front and center, hoping to persuade voters that they should be viewed as disqualifying behavior.

New York – Adams Case Should Be Permanently Dismissed, Outside Legal Expert Recommends

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 3/7/2025

The Justice Department should dismiss a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams “with prejudice,” eliminating the possibility of bringing charges again in the future, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement said in court documents. The Justice Department had sought to toss the charges but leave open the possibility of reindicting the mayor. Their decision to abandon the case outraged career prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in New York and at Justice Department headquarters, prompting a slew of resignations.

New York – What New York State Aide’s Help Was Worth to China: More than $15 million

MSN – James Avery (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 3/8/2025

In an indictment, the Justice Department alleged former gubernatorial aide Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, got rich as she levered proximity to two New York governors to help China. She was criminally indicted for illegally acting as a foreign agent and, along with her husband, was hit with financial charges including money-laundering conspiracies. Now prosecutors have unsealed details of how they allege Sun orchestrated a scheme that generated a stream of funds and gifts as she did favors for Chin and how managing the intake was a family affair.

Oklahoma – LOFT Report Uncovers Outdated Complaints and Revenue Discrepancies at Ethics Commission

MSN – Colleen Wilson (KOKH) | Published: 3/6/2025

A report by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency about the Ethics Commission revealed poor record keeping, as well as a misguided focus and a loss of sight of the original mission of the state agency. The report recommended several ways to get the agency back on track, including increasing transparency and creating a complaint tracking system.

Oregon – Citizen-Driven Ballot Measures Could Become More Rare Under Proposals Taken Up by Oregon Lawmakers

Oregon Public Broadcasting – Dirk VanderHart | Published: 3/11/2025

Landing a measure on the Oregon ballot could be more time-consuming and expensive under a pair of provisions lawmakers are considering putting before voters next year. Both seek to address what their backers say is a growing problem: the concentration of the state’s population in the Portland metro area that ensures measures can qualify for the statewide ballot without a say from the rest of Oregon.

Pennsylvania – Helping to Run an Election in Pennsylvania Often Starts with Running for Election

Votebeat – Carter Walker | Published: 3/10/2025

This year, voters across Pennsylvania will have a chance to choose the people who will staff their polling locations for the next four years. In most states, these workers are appointed, but in Pennsylvania, the people who oversee voting at the precinct level are elected officials with four-year terms. Pennsylvania is the only state that does it quite like this.

Tennessee – Ex-Tennessee Lawmaker Announces Trump’s Pardon 2 Weeks into Prison Time for Campaign Finance Scheme

MSN – Jonathan Matisse (Associated Press) | Published: 3/12/2025

Former Tennessee Sen. Brian Kelsey said President Trump pardoned him two weeks into his 21-month prison sentence for an illegal campaign finance scheme that he pleaded guilty to in 2022, before he tried unsuccessfully to take back his plea. Kelsy admitted his attempts to funnel campaign money from his state legislative seat toward his failed 2016 congressional bid.

National/Federal

Democrats Challenge Trump Effort to Control Federal Election Commission

Courthouse News Service – Ryan Knappenberger | Published: 2/28/2025

The Democratic National Committee sued the Trump administration, challenging an executive order that ostensibly granted President Trump increased control over the executive branch, including independent agencies like the FEC. The order requires independent agencies to submit any proposed rules to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the White House. That gives Trump final say over previously nonpartisan decisions. Democrats argue the move eviscerates the Federal Election Campaign Act and would allow the president to dictate to the FEC’s bipartisan board.

Who Paid for Trump’s Transition to Power? The Donors Are Still Unknown.

DNyuz – Ken Bensinger (New York Times) | Published: 3/6/2025

After six weeks in office, President Trump has not disclosed the names of the donors who paid for his transition planning, despite a public pledge to do so. Preparing to take power and fill thousands of federal jobs is a monthslong project that can cost tens of millions of dollars. Previous presidents used private contributions as well as federal money to foot the bill. Those presidents made public the names of donors and their contributions within 30 days of taking office, as required under agreements they signed with the departing administration.

‘We Will Not Falter.’ Trump-Era Resignation Letters Take Center Stage

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2025

Dozens of federal officials and employees have quit in protest or been forced out amid the upheavals the Trump administration has unleashed across government agencies. A number of the departing have documented their discontent in resignation letters that have found their way into public view. Taken together, the letters from career bureaucrats who in many cases worked under Democratic and Republican presidents, amounts to a collective cry of frustration in response to an administration they feel has belittled and discounted their work.

Speaker Mike Johnson Is Living in a D.C. House That Is the Center of a Pastor’s Secretive Influence Campaign

MSN – Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 2/28/2025

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been staying at a District of Columbia home with Steve Berger, an evangelical pastor. Berger’s stated goal is to minister to members of Congress so that what “they learn is then translated into policy.” The house is owned by a major Republican donor who has joined Berger in advocating for and against multiple bills before Congress. House ethics rules allow members of Congress to live anywhere, as long as they are paying fair-market rent.

Trump’s Opponents Decry a Sweeping Crackdown on Free Speech

MSN – Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) | Published: 3/3/2025

Since taking office, Donald Trump has mounted what critics call a sweeping attack on freedom of expression. Some of the attacks are against diversity, equity, and inclusion, while others are aimed at media organizations that Trump dislikes. Also targeted are opponents who have spoken sharply about the administration. Together, critics – and in some cases, judges – have said Trump’s efforts have gone beyond shaping the message of the federal government to threaten the First Amendment rights of private groups and individuals.

The D.C. Power Broker Embroiled in a Global Hacking Scandal

MSN – Christopher Matthews and Jenny Strasburg (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 3/3/2025

A Washington strategist and lobbyist with deep connections to the Republican Party, Justin Peterson is accustomed to fighting aggressively on behalf of powerful clients such as Exxon Mobil. But at a November 2015 breakfast with an Israeli private investigator, Peterson launched a yearslong campaign that federal prosecutors now say crossed a line. As he put it in an email following the breakfast, Peterson wanted the investigator to “operationalize the research on the bad guys.” According to prosecutors, in practice that led to something very specific: hacking into the email accounts of Exxon’s enemies.

Ethical Concerns Surround Sen. Joni Ernst’s Relationships with Top Military Officials Who Lobbied Her Committee

MSN – Robert Faturechi (ProPublica) | Published: 3/4/2025

Earlier this year, the Air Force revealed that Maj. Gen. Christopher Finerty, who oversaw the Air Force’s lobbying before Congress, had inappropriate romantic relationships with three women who worked on Capitol Hill. Sources say one of the women whose relationship with Finerty was scrutinized by the Air Force inspector general was Sen. Joni Ernst. She sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Pentagon and plays a crucial role in setting its annual budget.

Republicans Advised to Avoid In-Person Town Halls After Confrontations Over Cuts Go Viral

MSN – Melanie Zanona (NBC News) | Published: 3/4/2025

Congressional Republicans are again being advised against holding in-person town halls after several instances of lawmakers being berated by attendees went viral. The cautions against town halls are just the latest warnings by top GOP leaders about participating in the events, which give constituents the opportunity to ask questions and voice concerns.

Musk’s Starlink Gets FAA Contract, Raising New Conflict of Interest Concerns

MSN – Chris Isidore (CNN) | Published: 2/25/2025

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to use SpaceX’s Starlink internet system to upgrade the information technology networks it uses to manage U.S. airspace, raising new concerns about conflicts of interest for Elon Musk in one of his other roles, that of recommending funding cuts at federal agencies, including the FAA. Musk’s SpaceX is a is dependent on federal contracts. Its Starlink satellite internet provides service for government and private customers around the world.

Supreme Court Says Judge Can Force Trump Administration to Pay Foreign Aid

MSN – Justin Jouvenal, Annie Gowan, and Ann Morrow (Washington Post) | Published: 3/5/2025

A divided Supreme Court denied the Trump administration’s request to block a lower court order on foreign aid funding, clearing the way for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to restart nearly $2 billion in payments for work already done. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices in the order, which was the high court’s first significant move on lawsuits related to President Trump’s initiatives in his second term.

Al Green Kicked Out of Trump’s Speech as Democrats Bring Signs, Heckle

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 3/5/2025

Within the first minutes of President Trump’s address to Congress, an extraordinary exchange unfolded as House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered the sergeant at arms to remove from the chamber Rep. Al Green, who protested the president’s remarks. Green shouted at Trump, shaking his cane and saying the president had “no mandate” to cut Medicaid. Democrats have worked to find their footing in resisting Trump, and the speech brought different approaches from lawmakers, a handful of whom skipped it altogether and some of whom walked out mid-address.

Appeals Court Allows Trump to Remove Watchdog Hampton Dellinger for Now

MSN – Derek Hawkins (Washington Post) | Published: 3/5/2025

A federal appeals court allowed President Trump to temporarily remove the head of an independent watchdog agency while the judges decide whether the president has the authority to fire him without cause.  A lower court had blocked the president from firing Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit paused that ruling, saying the government had met the “stringent requirements” for securing a stay during the appeal.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Have Federal Agents Served Warrants at California’s Capitol? The Legislature Doesn’t Want You to Know

CalMatters – Ryan Sabalow | Published: 3/5/2025

The Legislative Open Records Act gives lawmakers and their staff members more discretion to withhold records than most other public agencies have under the similar California Public Records Act. But David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition, said even if they have a legal right to withhold records, public agencies usually have broad discretion to release them. “We should err on the side of disclosure. The public has a right to know,” Loy said.

California – Ethics Violation Lodged Against Former CalRecycle Director

MSN – Susanne Rust (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 3/4/2025

The former director of CalRecycle, Rachel Wagner – who oversaw, wrote, and promoted the single-use plastic legislation known as Senate Bill 54 – is now the executive director of the Circular Action Alliance, a coalition of plastic and packaging companies determined to delay, if not derail, the law. A whistleblower submitted a formal complaint to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, asking the agency to investigate Wagoner on the grounds she violated a ban that prevents former regulators from receiving compensation to work against the state on matters they once oversaw.

California – Jury Convicts Fired S.F. Building Inspector Who Approved Family Projects

MSN – Michael Barba (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 3/4/2025

Van Zeng, a former San Francisco building inspector who inspected projects linked to his family – including construction on his own home – was found guilty by a jury of breaking conflict-of-interest rules. Zeng’s father is a building contractor who allegedly arranged illegal payments for Bernie Curran, a disgraced former building inspector at the center of a larger corruption scandal. Zeng’s parents flip houses, and his sister is a real estate agent.

California – Huntington Park City Hall and Mayor’s Home Raided in Corruption Investigation

MSN – Ruben Vives (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

Huntington Park City Hall and the homes of the mayor and current and former city council members were searched as part of a corruption investigation. Electronics, paperwork and records were seized as part of the probe, dubbed “Operation Dirty Pond.” Investigators have been looking into alleged misuse of millions of dollars allocated for the construction of a regional aquatic center at Salt Lake Park, according to the district attorney’s office. The city allocated more than $20 million to the project and has spent about $14 million even though nothing has been constructed yet.

California – SF Waives Ethics Rules in Asks for Private-Sector Help

San Francisco Examiner – Adam Shanks | Published: 3/5/2025

San Francisco is asking the private sector to step up and fund what city government cannot – or will not – as it faces a major budget deficit. The Board of Supervisors has approved special waivers to allow department heads to widely solicit donations to support city services. In doing so, they have won an exception to an ethics law that was tightened up just a few years ago – and, according to those who shepherded the new rules through, with good reason.

Connecticut – Kosta Diamantis and Chris Ziogas Charged in Corruption Scheme

Connecticut Mirror – Andrew Brown and Dave Altimari | Published: 2/28/2025

Former Deputy Budget Director Konstantinos Diamantis and former Connecticut Rep. Christopher Ziogas were indicted on federal corruption charges for allegedly pressuring state employees to cancel a 2020 audit that was examining an optometrist’s Medicaid billing practices. The indictment comes just weeks after Helen Zervas, the optometrist and Ziogas’ fiancée, pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid and conspiring with two state officials to cancel the audit.

Connecticut – CT Lawmaker Eyeing PURA Seat Owes Struggling Ratepayers Over $1 Million

Energy and Policy Institute – Itai Vardi | Published: 3/4/2025

Connecticut Sen. John Fonfara, who is reportedly a candidate for commissioner at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), headed a delinquent electric supplier company that owes over $1.1 million to customers who are struggling to pay their electric bills. Fonfara has started multiple new companies whose interests could be affected by decisions made by PURA. At least one of them is in the electric supply industry. Another is invested in building data centers, which often require large investments in electricity infrastructure.

Georgia – Georgia Committee That Has Pursued Fani Willis Now Wants to Investigate Stacey Abrams

MSN – Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 2/28/2025

A Georgia Senate committee pursuing a thus-far fruitless investigation of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wants to add Stacey Abrams to its list of targets. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and other Republicans say they want to further examine recent ethics findings that voter participation group New Georgia Project improperly coordinated with Abrams’ 2018 campaign for governor.

Hawaii – Hawaii Defense Contractor Exec Must Face Some Campaign Finance Conspiracy Claims

Courthouse News Service – Jeremy Yurow | Published: 3/3/2025

A federal judge in Hawaii dismissed racketeering claims against a defense contractor but allowed conspiracy and state law claims to proceed. Duke Hartman was formerly an executive at PacMar Technologies. PacMar claims he participated in a scheme to funnel illegal campaign contributions to a PAC. Hartman claims PacMar’s former chief executive, Martin Kao, along with his wife Tiffany and fellow executives, orchestrated an illegal donation scheme and subsequent cover-up.

Hawaii – Honolulu Officials Charged in Kealoha Retirement Payout Case

Yahoo News – Peter Boylan (Honolulu Star Advertiser) | Published: 3/4/2025

Honolulu’s former managing director, corporation counsel, and chairperson of the Police Commission were charged with conspiracy for their handling of a $250,000 retirement payment in 2017 to former Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha. The plea deal signals an end to a long-running public corruption probe by federal prosecutors in California that began with the Kealoha case and expanded to examine the intersections between politics, business, and law enforcement in Hawaii.

Illinois – Judge Grants Retrial on Four Bribery Counts in ‘ComEd Four’ Case Involving Madigan

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 3/3/2025

A federal judge granted a partial retrial on several bribery counts in the case of four former executives and lobbyists for electric utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) who were convicted in 2023 for their roles in bribing former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. U.S. District Court Judge Manish Shah left intact the convictions on a number of other counts, including the lead count of conspiracy and charges alleging the defendants altered ComEd’s books to hide the scheme.

Kansas – Kansas Republican Dissidents Put Spotlight on Ethics Investigation and Effort to Rewrite State Law

Yahoo News – Sherman Smith (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 2/28/2025

A sudden burst of chatter around a three-year-old campaign finance investigation that has largely played out in the shadows, included the disclosure of a confidential document that details the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission’s findings of an alleged far-reaching scheme to circumvent campaign donation limits and the commission’s decision to clear a central figure in the investigation. But at least a handful of Republicans harbor a grudge over the alleged violations and an apparent attempt by others in the party to rewrite state ethics law.

Louisiana – More Louisiana Officials Can Shield Their Home Addresses, Ethics Board Decides

MSN – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 2/28/2025

The Louisiana Board of Ethics will allow statewide elected officials and more high-ranking government employees to keep their home addresses off forms posted online. Last year, the board’s staff redacted the home addresses of five executive office employees who work for Gov. Jeff Landry. The new ruling will allow 28 more officials to keep their home addresses off the ethics board website if they request it.

Louisiana – Bill Would Require Live Broadcast of Louisiana Ethics Board Meetings

The Center Square – Nolan McKendry | Published: 2/27/2025

A bill in Louisiana would mandate live broadcast and online archiving of meetings of the state Board of Ethics and the Supervisory Committee on Campaign Finance Disclosure. The legislation comes amid growing tension between the Legislature, the Board of Ethics, and Gov. Landry’s administration.

Maryland – Much Ado About $60. How 2 Republicans’ Complaints Led the Library to Cancel a Democratic Candidate’s Event.

Baltimore Banner – Rona Kobell | Published: 3/5/2025

The Baltimore County Public Library appears to be closing the book on a county council candidate’s plan to host events there after two delegates complained to library officials about a campaign kickoff held at one of its branches. Sharonda Huffman held a campaign event in December and put down $60 to reserve a room for a second event in February. The library canceled the February after it was alleged that Huffman’s December event was a fundraiser. The library encourages political activity but does not allow fundraisers or parties.

Michigan – Judge Will Take Additional Briefs Before Deciding on Trial for Ex-Speaker Lee Chatfield

MSN – Arpan Lobo (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 2/28/2025

A hearing to decide if former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield should stand trial over a series of alleged financial crimes related to his use of political funds wrapped up recently, although it could be months still before a judge issues a ruling. Chatfield was charged last year with embezzlement, conspiracy, and larceny. State Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office claims he knowingly used money from political funds to pay for vacations, dinners at upscale restaurants, and other non-permitted items when he was a lawmaker.

Mississippi – Mississippi Judge Vacates Her Order That a Newspaper Remove Its Editorial Criticizing Local Leaders

MSN – Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) | Published: 2/26/2025

A Mississippi judge vacated her order that a newspaper remove its editorial criticizing local officials, days after a city decided to drop the lawsuit that spurred it. The judge’s order had been widely condemned by free speech advocates as a clear violation of the paper’s First Amendment rights.

Montana – Judge Denies State Representative’s Request to Block Tobacco Lobbyists at MT Legislature

Longview News-Journal – Seaborn Larson | Published: 2/26/2025

A federal judge denied a state representative’s attempts to block lobbyists from major cigarette manufacturers from engaging lawmakers on his bill. Rep. Ron Marshall sued Altria and R.J. Reynolds, alleging the companies were violating anti-lobbying provisions set out in the 1998 settlement those companies made with several states.

New Mexico – No More Free Meals? House Approves Bill Restricting Certain Lobbyist Spending

Albuquerque Journal – Dan Boyd | Published: 3/4/2025

A bill expanding lobbyist reporting requirements was broadened before passing the New Mexico House. The change would also prohibit lobbyists from spending large amounts on food, beverages, or entertainment for state-elected officials, including lawmakers, during and just before legislative sessions.

New York – The Case of the Missing $3M: Eric Adams’ campaign finance woes grow

MSN – Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/27/2025

A mysterious $3 million sitting in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ reelection account is the latest irregularity giving campaign finance officials cause to deny him public matching funds. The Campaign Finance Board nixed Adams’ request for $4.5 million in taxpayer-funded campaign dollars in December and has renewed its decision monthly. “The Campaign is not eligible for payment because the difference between the Campaign’s reported receipts and documented receipts is equal to or greater than [10 percent],” the board said.

New York – Andrew Cuomo Enters Crowded NYC Mayor Race, Says He Will Fix a City in Crisis

MSN – Ginger Adams Otis and Victoria Albert (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 3/1/2025

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned in disgrace three years ago, announced his return to politics with a bid to be New York City’s next mayor, joining a crowded primary field that includes embattled incumbent Eric Adams. Cuomo launched his comeback with a video that acknowledged past errors, without providing details, while outlining how he would tackle housing, crime, and other issues if elected to lead the city. He promised to work with his party’s progressive wing, as well as President Trump.

New York – N.Y. Ethics Watchdog Pressures Legislative Leaders to Fill Open Vacancies

Spectrum News – Kate Lisa | Published: 2/28/2025

The head of New York’s ethics watchdog said he is putting pressure on legislative leaders to quickly fill three vacancies on the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) after the state’s highest court affirmed the agency’s constitutionality. COELIG Executive Director Sanford Berland said commissioners will have a busy year with the case behind them, but legislative leaders must step in to make that possible.

Ohio – Neo-Nazis Targeted a Majority-Black Town. Locals Launched an Armed Watch.

MSN – Daniel Wu (Washington Post) | Published: 2/27/2025

For weeks, men carrying rifles have guarded the roads leading into Lincoln Heights, Ohio, stopping and questioning those who approach the small, majority-Black town near Cincinnati suburb. In February, a truck of neo-Nazis came to Lincoln Heights’s doorstep. Masked demonstrators, some carrying rifles, hurled racist slurs and waved flags with red swastikas on a highway overpass leading into town. Residents say they are distraught after being surrounded by hate and suspicious of police officers whom county officials criticized for not cracking down on the neo-Nazi march.

Oregon – Portland Voters Approved a Strict Campaign Finance Law. A City Watchdog Wants to Soften It

MSN – Shane Dixon Kavanaugh (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 2/28/2025

City Auditor Simone Rede is pushing to upend significant portions of Portland’s pioneering campaign finance law, alarming advocates who have worked to curb the influence of money in politics. Rede wants the mayor and city council to take actions that would allow potential changes to contribution limits and disclosure requirements, either by allowing state law to preempt the city’s stricter rules or by proposing a local ballot measure this fall.

Oregon – ‘Get the Junk Out of Our Rates’ Bill Could Limit How Oregon Utilities Pay for Lobbying, Ads

OPB – Monica Samayoa | Published: 3/4/2025

Legislation in Oregon aims to ensure customers are not paying for utilities’ lobbying and advertising expenses. Natural gas rates and electric rates are set through a process that allows utilities to charge rates that cover the cost of doing business, and then to turn a profit. Senate Bill 88 would create more clarity around utility spending, and when it must come out of those allowed profits. If they spend on advertising, political influence, litigation, or pay for trade associations or membership fees and fines, that spending would not be allowed to push up rates.

Pennsylvania – Former Dauphin County Employees Are Getting Contracts, Raising Ethical Questions

MSN – Juliette Rihl (PennLive) | Published: 3/5/2025

When government employees in Pennsylvania leave their jobs, state law prohibits them from getting a contract with their former agency for the first year. But in Dauphin County, some former employees are getting contracts anyway. Over the past year, the county hired at least four former employees as consultants almost immediately after they left their full-time government roles, some at a higher pay rate than they had as full-time employees. Several ethics experts said the practice is unethical and, in some cases, may have been illegal.

South Carolina – North Charleston Council Members, Others Charged in Money Laundering, Bribery Schemes

Yahoo News – John Monk (The State) | Published: 2/26/2025

Three North Charleston City Council members and five other people were accused of being involved in a variety of bribery, kickback, extortion, and money laundering schemes. The charges follow a yearlong investigation by the FBI code-named “Southern Shake.” Some of the charges have to do with the rezoning of a hospital site and others with a million-dollar-plus violence prevention grant program run by the city government.

Tennessee – Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. Federally Charged with Bribery and Tax Evasion

Memphis Commercial Appeal – Lucas Finton | Published: 2/28/2025

An indictment charges Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. with one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and six counts of attempting to evade or defeat tax payments. Three nonprofits were named in the criminal complaint along with businesses owned and operated by Ford. The charges are connected to a nearly four-year-long investigation into Ford’s grant-funding habits.

National/Federal

On X, Conservative Activists Find a Direct Pipeline to Musk’s Team

DNyuz – Zach Montague (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

As his operation targets spending considered unaligned with President Trump’s agenda, Elon Musk has personally appealed to users of his social media platform X to help root out what he has termed “waste, fraud and abuse.” He has been responsive to complaints that go viral, with his team trumpeting the apparent changes pushed through as a result. For at least two prominent conservative activists, a Trump administration so carefully attuned to right-wing social media has created the opportunity to build an extraordinary pipeline of influence and access.

Justice Dept. Takes Broad View of Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons

DNyuz – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

When FBI agents searched the home of Jeremy Brown in connection with his role in the attack on the Capitol, they found several illegal items. Brown was ultimately convicted on charges of illegally possessing weapons and classified material and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Now, federal prosecutors say because the second case was related to January 6, it was covered by the clemency President Trump issued on his first day in office to all the people charged in connection with the Capitol attack.

She Lobbied for a Carcinogen. Now She’s at the E.P.A., Approving New Chemicals.

DNyuz – Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

Formaldehyde can cause cancer and severe respiratory problems. So, in 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a new effort to regulate it. The chemicals industry fought back. Its campaign was led by Lynn Dekleva, then a lobbyist at the American Chemistry Council, an industry group that spends millions of dollars on government lobbying. Dekleva is now at the EPA in a crucial job: She runs an office that has the authority to approve new chemicals for use.

Jeff Bezos Announces ‘Significant Shift’ Coming to the Washington Post. A Key Editor Is Leaving Because of It

MSN – Liam Riley (CNN) | Published: 2/26/2025

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announced a “significant shift” to the publisher’s opinion page that led David Shipley, the paper’s editorial page editor, to resign. The changes upended precedent and rattled a media company that has already been shaken by years of turmoil and leadership turnover. The Post will now publish daily opinion stories on two editorial “pillars”: personal liberties and free markets, Bezos said. The opinion section will cover other subjects, too, Bezos wrote, but “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

Trump, Schmoozing Saudis, Plays Two Roles: President and mogul

MSN – Natalie Allison, Abigail Hausohner, and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

In back-to-back events, President Trump held court with Saudi government officials and investors who do business with his family’s firms. The meetings demonstrated how Trump has blended the roles of president and business mogul. The Trump Organization has treated Saudi Arabia as a critical partner in its efforts to expand its empire of hotels and resorts.

Firings of Some Federal Workers Should Be Halted, Watchdog Recommends

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

A federal watchdog agency argued the Trump administration’s firings of probationary federal workers were likely illegal, recommending the terminations be halted pending an investigation. The request for the halt was issued by Hampton Dellinger, the embattled head of the independent Office of Special Counsel, whom Trump has tried to oust but a judge has temporarily kept in place. It is now in the hands of the Merit Systems Protection Board, another independent agency whose head Trump has tried to depose.

White House Will Decide Which Journalists Get Access to It in an Unprecedented Step

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 2/25/2025

The Trump administration is stripping the White House Correspondents’ Association of its role in managing the White House Press Pool, taking control of deciding who will be a part of the small rotating group of journalists and photographers who accompany the president. It is an aggressive move by the government to control which news outlets have access to the president, one that is unprecedented in modern American politics and comes amid President Trump’s long-standing efforts to erode Americans’ trust in fact-based reporting.

Experts Say Trump Comes Close to the Red Line of Openly Defying Judges

MSN – Justin Jouvenal, Leo Sands, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

Federal judges have blocked President Trump’s attempts to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans, halt billions in foreign assistance, and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. But in each case, the administration has said it still has legal authority to do at least some of those things, prompting judges and those challenging Trump’s actions to accuse him of failing to comply. Legal experts said the administration’s aggressive maneuvers have approached the red line of openly flouting court orders.

Trump Loyalist Kash Patel Becomes Director of FBI, Which He Vows to Remake

MSN – Jeremy Robuck and Mark Berman (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director, installing a close ally of President Trump and a staunch critic of the bureau. Patel will take command of an organization with far-reaching surveillance powers and access to sensitive intelligence at a moment when it is engulfed by turbulence and uncertainty. Since Trump’s inauguration, at least eight top officials have been forced out, and people familiar with the FBI’s workforce say morale has plummeted amid fears of further staffing shake-ups.

As Trump Pursues His Policies, Democratic States Block His Path

MSN – Maeve Reston, Reis Thebault, Janna Slater, and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 2/22/2025

Amid a barrage of executive orders from President Trump and dramatic steps by billionaire Elon Musk to downsize the federal government, Democratic attorneys general have emerged as the new administration’s most persistent, and effective, adversaries. While congressional Democrats who lack control of either chamber have struggled to respond to Trump’s first weeks, state attorneys general have marched into court, pledging to rein in an administration intent on pushing the limits of presidential power.

Trump Wants More Power Over Agencies. Experts Worry About Campaign Finance Regulators

NPR – Ashley Lopez | Published: 2/20/2025

There are currently about 80 agencies across the federal government that were designed by Congress to be independent of the White House. An executive from President Trump seeks to require these agencies to run all new policies, rulings, and regulations by the president. Campaign Legal Center Executive Director Adav Noti said the FEC, in particular, was created following the Watergate scandal to be both bipartisan and independent, so it would not be “beholden to any particular president.” It is a view contested by the Trump administration.

FEC Clears Ted Cruz of Wrongdoing Over Podcast Syndicator’s Donations to Super PAC

Yahoo News – Jasper Scherer (Texas Tribune) | Published: 2/21/2025

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz did not run violate campaign finance laws when the company that syndicates his podcast contributed nearly $1 million through a series of payments to a super PAC supporting Cruz’s reelection bid, the FEC ruled. The agency dismissed a complaint filed by watchdog groups, who alleged Cruz could have violated campaign funding rules if he played any role in iHeartMedia’s contributions to the pro-Cruz Truth and Courage PAC. Under federal law, candidates can only direct or solicit up to $5,000 in donations to super PACs, which can otherwise raise unlimited sums to support candidates.

From the States and Municipalities

California – In Huntington Beach, Politics on a Plaque

Seattle Times – Orlando Mayorquin (New York Times) | Published: 2/24/2025

The Huntington Beach City Council, all of whom are Republicans, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the city’s central public library into a political statement, using their favorite acronym. The council-approved design of the plaque describes the library in this bold-letter fashion: Magical Alluring Galvanizing Adventurous. The wording of the plaque has thrown Huntington Beach into the national spotlight. But the dispute is part of a yearslong battle over the city’s political and cultural identity.

California – California Agrees to Drop Parts of Social Media Law Challenged by Elon Musk’s X

Yahoo News – Tyler Katzenberger (Politico) | Published: 2/24/2025

California agreed to drop portions of a law that requires large social media companies to disclose their policies for handling hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism. A settlement between state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Elon Musk’s social media platform X stops short of tossing the entire law, as X demanded when it first filed the case, citing First Amendment complaints. But it deals a blow to California’s push to publicize how social media platforms define and referee speech on their platforms.

Colorado – Appeals Court Says State Campaign Finance Enforcement Framework Is Constitutional

Colorado Politics – Michael Karlik | Published: 2/26/2025

Colorado’s second-highest court said the state’s current method of adjudicating campaign finance complaints is constitutional and is not the “very definition of tyranny.” State law allows any person to file a complaint alleging a campaign finance violation, which the secretary of state’s office then screens, decides whether to dismiss or investigate, and potentially imposes a penalty. Campaign Integrity Watchdog argued the process consolidated legislative, executive, and judicial functions within “a single, partisan elected office.”

Connecticut – New Head of IT at CT Election Enforcement Agency Raises Conflict of Interest Concerns

CT Insider – Joshua Eaton | Published: 2/25/2025

Mann Hasen left the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) in 2014. Since then, he founded a company that processes online credit card donations for campaigns, a process SEEC oversees. Hasen was also treasurer for a failed state Senate campaign that is now the subject of an open complaint with SEEC over allegations of improper in-kind donations. Hasen is named in that complaint. The SEEC recently re-hired Hasen as head of IT at the agency, which was his former position. “I have to really question the decision to hire from the very start, given the entanglements he has,” said Bilal Sekou of Common Cause Connecticut.

Florida – Florida Lobbying Ban Likely to Survive 11th Circuit Scrutiny

Courthouse News Service – Alex Pickett | Published: 2/26/2025

An attorney for a Florida mayor and county commissioner asked an appeals court to strike down part of a state constitutional amendment that restricts lobbying by elected officials. The amendment prohibits elected officials from paid lobbying of any government bodies “on issues of policy, appropriations or procurement” during their terms in office. The Florida Legislature then passed a law putting the amendment into effect and adding penalties. Plaintiffs argue the ban violated their First Amendment right to free speech.

Florida – Florida Appeals Court Overturns Ethics Committee’s Decision on Doug Underhill. Here’s Why.

MSN – Mollye Barrows (Pensacola News Journal) | Published: 2/26/2025

A state appeals court overturned decisions by the Florida Commission on Ethics that former Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill should have been removed from office over allegations he misused his public office and that he owed $35,000 for ethics violations while serving as commissioner. The appeals court ruled the ethics commission “abused its authority” in the case.

Florida – Centners’ Ex-Lobbyist Sues Them, Alleges They Let Him ‘Take the Fall’ in His Criminal Case

MSN – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 2/25/2025

Miami lobbyist and attorney Bill Riley Jr. filed a lawsuit against his former clients David and Leila Centner, alleging the couple let him “take the fall” and failed to provide information to prosecutors that would have exonerated him in a now-dismissed money laundering and bribery case involving Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla. Prosecutors had alleged that nearly $250,000 in campaign contributions was channeled from the Centners to Díaz de la Portilla-controlled political committees to secure his support for an arena the Centners wanted to build.

Florida – In Trump’s DC, K Street Clamors for Florida-Linked Lobbyists

MSN – Kimberly Leonard (Politico) | Published: 2/20/2025

Powerful interest groups are moving to hire lobbyists with ties to Florida to influence the Trump administration. The president has chosen officials from the state for top positions, and he continues to spend plenty of time in Florida, making appearances at galas, hosting Republicans at Mar-a-Lago, and signing executive orders. Because the state legislative session in Tallahassee lasts only 60 days, some lobbyists say adding work in Washington is easy enough to juggle.

Georgia – Giuliani’s Legal Battle with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss Has Finally Ended

MSNBC – Clarissa-Jan Lim | Published: 2/25/2025

After a protracted legal saga in which he was held in contempt twice, Rudy Giuliani has finally put an end to the defamation case brought by two former Georgia election workers, having “fully satisfied” the judgment against him. According to the federal court filing, Giuliani satisfied the judgement that required him to pay Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss nearly $150 million for spreading lies about them after the 2020 election.

Idaho – Idaho Legislators Address ‘Monetization of Politics’ in New Campaign Finance Bills

Yahoo News – Mia Maldonado (Idaho Capital Sun) | Published: 2/21/2025

House leadership introduced four bills to address the influx of out-of-state spending involved in Idaho elections. House Bill 309 would require lobbyists to disclose expenses on a weekly basis during the legislative session and a monthly basis outside of session.

Illinois – Rift Widens Between Johnson and Inspector General He Inherited

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/25/2025

The rift between Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the inspector general he inherited increased over efforts to remove what chief watchdog Deborah Witzburg views as roadblocks impeding her internal investigations. Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry responded after Wirtzburg accused Johnson and his predecessor Lori Lightfoot of withholding documents, selectively enforcing subpoenas, and demanding to have the Law Department sit in on interviews that “risk embarrassment” to the mayor.

Kentucky – Questions Spur Further Investigation of London Mayor’s Improper Contributions to Beshear Campaign

Yahoo News – Tom Loftus (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 2/21/2025

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance wants more information in the investigation of whether London Mayor Randall Weddle made illegal contributions to help Gov. Andy Beshear win reelection in 2023. The registry staff recommended the board find Weddle violated the law by making numerous contributions in the names of other people to Beshear’s campaign for governor and the state Democratic Party, but Weddle did not know his actions violated the law. Registry members said they were unsure of many important details of what happened and could not make any findings for now.

Maine – Maine House Votes to Censure Lawmaker Over Social Media Posts Showing Transgender Minor

Maine Public – Kevin Miller | Published: 2/26/2025

The Maine House voted to censure Rep. Laurel Libby, whose social media posts about a transgender high school athlete have drawn national attention to the student and to Maine’s policies. The censure resolution accuses Libby of “reprehensible” actions as part of an effort to “advance her political agenda” – actions the resolution and Democrats said could endanger the student.

Maine – Should Unenrolled Candidates Be Able to Take Twice as Much from Contributors? These Lawmakers Think So.

Maine Wire – Libby Palanza | Published: 2/18/2025

Two lawmakers want to increase the campaign contribution cap for unenrolled candidates running for office in Maine. Under state law, candidates are limited in the amount of money from any given individual or PAC during an election. Legislative Document 390 would double these limits for candidates who are not associated with one of the officially recognized political parties.

Maine – Portland Establishes Ethics Commission More Than 2 Years After Voters Approved It

Yahoo News – Grace Benninghoff (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/24/2025

The Portland City Council passed an order that establishes a city ethics commission. Ever since voters approved the creation of the commission more than two years ago as a part of an overhaul of the city charter, the council has been working to put it in place. In the intervening years there have been multiple workshops, more than two dozen proposed amendments, and several opportunities for public comment.

Maryland – Maryland Lawmakers Want Governors to Face Stronger Ethics Laws

MSN – Natalie Jones (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 2/27/2025

Lawmakers want Maryland governors to place their personal financial holdings into a blind trust months after conflicts-of-interest were raised during the state’s U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Larry Hogan and now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. Companion bills in the House and Senate would require the governor to either place their financial interests into a certified blind trust approved by the State Ethics Commission or divest from any interest the commission determines may pose a conflict with the governor’s public duties.

Michigan – Michigan House Passes Plan to Close ‘Revolving Door’ of Lawmakers, Lobbyists

MSN – Arpan Lobo (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 2/20/2025

The Michigan House passed legislation that would impose a waiting period on themselves before they could become lobbyists. The bills would ban executive officeholders, including the governor and heads of state departments, from engaging in lobbying for the first two years after they leave office.

Mississippi – Mississippi City Stuns Newspaper with Restraining Order Over Editorial

MSN – Ann Branigin (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

A newspaper in Mississippi was ordered to take down an editorial that criticized public officials. The city of Clarksdale filed a defamation lawsuit against the Clarksdale Press Register following the editorial that called out the mayor and city council for holding a meeting about a proposed tax without alerting the media. City leaders said they were “chilled and hindered” in their efforts to lobby for the tax in the state capital “due to libelous assertions and statements” made in the article. The order was condemned by free-speech advocates.

New Jersey – In Stunning Development, Corruption Charges Against N.J. Political Boss Dismissed

MSN – Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 2/26/2025

The indictment against one of the most powerful political figures in New Jersey was thrown out of court in a startling decision by a judge who found no crime had been committed. George Norcross, a wealthy insurance executive from Camden who has never held elected office but held far-reaching sway over government and politics, was accused of orchestrating a wide-ranging corruption scheme. Authorities charged that enterprise diverted state-funded tax breaks intended to spark economic development in the state’s poorest city.

New Mexico – Lobbyist Transparency Bill Clears First Hurdle

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 2/25/2025

Legislation in New Mexico that would bring more transparency to lobbying behind the scenes at the statehouse began moving through the legislative process with almost four weeks to go in the session. Senate Bill 248 would require more details about the money lobbyists spend to achieve policy goals.

New York – Hochul Announces Guardrails Around Eric Adams

MSN – Nick Reisman and Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/20/2025

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled guardrails hemming in New York City Mayor Eric Adams in light of his alliance with President Trump and Trump’s leverage over Adams. The governor, facing pressure to remove the mayor, is proposing a series of oversight measures she said are meant to prevent undue influence by the White House. Hochul left open the possibility of forcing Adams from office.

New York – Judge Appoints Outside Lawyer to Argue Against Dropping Adams Charges

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 2/21/2025

The federal judge overseeing the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams appointed an outside lawyer to present arguments in opposition to the Justice Department’s efforts to dismiss the charges. U.S. District Court Judge Dale Ho declined a request from top leadership at the department to immediately close the case. Instead, he appointed Paul Clement, U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, to advise the court on the matter.

North Dakota – House Defeats Bill to Streamline North Dakota Ethics Commission

Yahoo News – Mary Steurer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 2/25/2025

The North Dakota House overwhelmingly defeated a bill that aimed to give the state’s Ethics Commission more freedom over how it investigates potential violations. The Ethics Commission pushed for House Bill 1360 as a way to simplify the rules and laws that govern its work. Commission staff said this would both help reduce the commission’s backlog of complaints, as well as make the process easier to navigate for the public.

Ohio – Vivek Ramaswamy Launches Campaign for Ohio Governor

MSN – Patrick Svitek and Dylan Wells (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

Vivek Ramaswamy, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate and short-lived co-chairperson of President Trump’s government efficiency commission, launched his campaign for Ohio governor, joining a contested primary that will test his star power in the Trump-led GOP. Ramaswamy’s candidacy could add to a major period of transition for Republicans in Ohio, a onetime battleground state in presidential elections that has become more comfortable territory for Republicans under Trump.

Oregon – Questions Over Oregon Politician’s Pay Lead Defense Department to Terminate Agency Funding

Portland Oregonian – Les Zaitz (Malheur Enterprise) | Published: 2/23/2025

State Rep. Greg Smith’s unsupported pay claims and effort to boost his own pay resulted in the federal government pulling funding for an agency that was supposed to create jobs, preserve parts of the Oregon Trail, and protect wildlife on a former military base in eastern Oregon. That could cost the Columbia Development Authority nearly $800,000 a year, a loss that local governments may have to make up if they want the small agency to survive.

Oregon – Multnomah County Awards a Billion Dollars in Contracts Each Year Without Lobbying Rules

Willamette Week – Anthony Effinger | Published: 2/26/2025

Unlike the state of Oregon, the city of Portland, and many large counties on the West Coast, Multnomah County does not require contractors or their lobbyists to register or report hours spent pitching their services to public officials. People familiar with the county’s operations say the lack of lobbying requirements opens the door for abuse. County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards is working on lobbying rules for the county. She oversaw compliance with lobbying and ethics rules across the country as a senior director at Nike.

Pennsylvania – Johnny Doc’s Bribery Conviction Just Cost His Former Union Local 98 Another $25,000 in Ethics Fines

MSN – Chris Palmer (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 2/20/2025

The union that convicted labor leader John Dougherty once molded into one of the state’s most powerful political forces agreed to pay nearly $25,000 to the Philadelphia Board of Ethics to resolve issues that stemmed from Dougherty’s criminal conduct a decade ago. The penalties relate to Dougherty’s failure to register as a lobbyist as he and the union he directed sought to influence government officials between 2014 and 2016.

Texas – Texas Lawmaker Is Targeting Publicly Funded Lobbying. Will Restrictions Pass This Session?

MSN – Alex Driggars (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 2/26/2025

State Sen. Mayes Middleton is taking aim at local taxing entities’ long-standing ability to hire lobbyists to help them navigate the Texas Legislature. Middleton filed Senate Bill 19, which would prevent local governments, such as school districts and cities, from hiring lobbyists with public money or paying dues to organizations that lobby on their behalf. One such organization is the Texas Association of School Boards, a named target of Middleton’s bill, which drew the ire of some Republican lawmakers last session for its opposition to school vouchers.

National/Federal

With Congress Pliant, an Emboldened Trump Pushes His Business Interests

DNyuz – Eric Lipton and Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 2/17/2025

Donald Trump re-entered the White House with a massively expanded portfolio of business interests, some of which require government approval or regulation, others of which are publicly traded, and still others involving foreign deals. Presidents are not subject to the conflict-of-interest laws that regulate the rest of the government, but his recent actions underscore how emboldened Trump feels in his second term. It demonstrates his confidence that the lines dividing various Trump interests, and his desire to reward friends and punish perceived enemies, will not trigger congressional oversight in a political ecosystem he helped change.

With Truth Social, Trump Has Official Mouthpiece and a Channel for Revenue

DNyuz – Sharon LaFraniere and Matthew Goldstein (New York Times) | Published: 2/19/2025

Anyone who wants to keep up with President Trump’s views knows to go to his Truth Social account. There, one finds his reasoning on a panoply of issues, including tariffs on Canada and Mexico, relations with Russia, American ownership of the Gaza Strip, and a budget bill now before Congress. In some ways, it is akin to how Trump turned Twitter, now called X, into his megaphone in his first term, when administration officials declared his posts to be official White House communications. But Trump is the biggest shareholder in the company that owns Truth Social and stands to benefit directly if his posts drive traffic to the site.

Acting Archivist, Inspector General for National Archives Forced Out

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/16/2025

The acting archivist of the United States and several senior staff members at the National Archives and Records Administration have resigned, marking the latest departures at a typically nonpolitical agency that has been the target of President Trump’s ire since its attempts to recover presidential documents from his Florida home. The departures came after Trump officials made it clear they wanted to remove the agency’s leadership team and install loyalists.

U.S. Plan to Award $400M Vehicle Contract Removes Reference to Musk’s Tesla

MSN – Leo Sands (Washington Post) | Published: 2/13/2025

The State Department planned to spend $400 million over the next five years on a contract to build armored electric vehicles with Telsa, whose chief executive, Elon Musk, has been advising President Trump on how to slim federal spending, according to government documents. After media outlets reported on the possible contract, the document was updated to omit any reference to Tesla, changing the “Armored Tesla” contract instead to “Armored Electric Vehicles,” although the contract’s value remained the same.

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Allow Him to Fire Independent Agency Leader

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/16/2025

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for the president to fire the leader of an independent agency that investigates whistleblower reports filed by government workers, he first time Trump has appealed to the justices for help in his efforts to remake and seize greater control of the federal bureaucracy. Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, said his termination was illegal because it violated a law that shields leaders of independent agencies from removal by the president, “except in cases of neglect of duty, malfeasance or inefficiency.”

Who’s Running DOGE? The White House Says It’s Not Elon Musk.

MSN – Faiz Siddiqui and Natalie Allison (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

Elon Musk has embarked on a tear through Washington in his first month as the most influential adviser to President Trump. The White House, though, says Musk has “no actual or formal authority” over government decisions, despite the display of influence by the world’s richest person. Musk, according to the Trump administration, is neither a Department of Government Efficiency employee, nor the official in charge of the group. That assertion came in a filing as part of a lawsuit by 14 states alleging Musk’s actions are unconstitutional.

State Dept. Orders Cancellation of News Subscriptions Around the World

MSN – Jeremy Barr and John Hudson (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

The State Department ordered the cancellation of all news subscriptions deemed “non-mission critical.” The move aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on media companies that count the U.S. government as paying customers. Embassy security teams rely on news coverage to prepare for diplomatic travel in conflict zones. Cancellation of subscriptions, including to local news outlets, could hinder their assessment of threats, a State Department official said.

Judge Stops Trump Ouster of Merit Systems Protection Board Chair

MSN – Olivia George (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

A federal judge ordered the reinstatement, at least temporarily, of the chairperson of the federal board that hears appeals of disciplinary actions against federal employees, ruling the Trump administration had not articulated adequate grounds for her removal. The administration fired Cathy Harris as chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board with a one-sentence email. The messages provided no reason for the ouster. The next day, Harris sued, claiming her termination violated federal law.

After Ceding Power of the Purse, GOP Lawmakers Beg Trump Team for Funds

MSN – Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Republican senators find themselves in an unusual position by having to ask Trump administration officials to release funds they themselves appropriated. Senators have in recent days made the case to Cabinet secretaries and other officials to let money flow back into their states. They are trying to finagle exceptions to President Trump’s sweeping executive orders or cuts that freeze hundreds of billions of dollars, including money for farmers and infrastructure projects. That push comes as the administration has also sought to fire a wide swath of federal employees, some of whom live in red states.

Mass Resignation Marks a New Kind of Defiance in the Second Trump Era

MSN – Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) | Published: 2/15/2025

The resignation of seven U.S. Justice Department officials after refusing to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, an ally of President Trump, marks the first significant defiance of Trump by federal officials. The action could create a precedent for further acts of resistance if Trump orders other government officials to do things they find inappropriate or believe would violate their legal responsibilities.

Federal Lobbying Set New Record in 2024

OpenSecrets – Indy Scholtens | Published: 2/11/2025

Business associations, corporations, labor unions, and other organizations are spending more than ever to influence policy decisions at the federal level. In 2024, lobbying spending reached a record-breaking $4.4 billion. The $150 million increase in lobbying continues an upward trend that began in 2016. The health sector remained the largest spender, with a total of $743.9 million in lobbying expenditures in 2024. It is the only sector that spent more than $700 million on federal lobbying last year.

Trump Signs Order to Claim Power Over Independent Agencies

Politico – Megan Messerly and Bob King | Published: 2/18/2025

President Trump signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House, an action that would greatly expand his power but is likely to attract significant legal challenges. It represents Trump’s latest attempt to consolidate power beyond boundaries other presidents have observed and to test the so-called unitary executive theory, which states the president has the sole authority over the executive branch.

Venting at Democrats and Fearing Trump, Liberal Donors Pull Back Cash

Seattle Times – Lisa Lerer, Reid Epstein, and Theodore Schleifer (New York Times) | Published: 2/16/2025

The demoralization and fear gripping blue America in the early weeks of the Trump administration have left liberal groups and their allies struggling for cash, hurting their ability to effectively combat the right-wing transformation of the federal government. The small-dollar online spigot that powered opposition to the first Trump administration has slowed to a trickle as shaken liberal voters withhold their donations.

Senior Justice Department Ethics Official Resigns Over Sidelining by Trump Appointees, Source Says

Yahoo News – Sarah Lynch (Reuters) | Published: 2/19/2025

The Justice Department’s senior ethics official resigned after President Trump’s administration pulled him off his duties and assigned him to a new sanctuary-cities working group, a person familiar with the matter said. The official, Bradley Weinsheimer, decided to accept the government’s deferred resignation offer rather than accept the reassignment, the latest in a string of nonpolitical career Justice Department officials who have resisted efforts they say politicize investigations.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Legislative Immunity Is a Privilege in Most States. A Speeding Ticket Could Change That in Arizona

MSN – Eric Sandoval (Associated Press) | Published: 2/15/2025

The Arizona Constitution shields state lawmakers from any civil process and arrest for anything but treason, felony, and breach of peace during legislative sessions and the 15 days before. Legislative immunity exists in most states and allows lawmakers to brush aside lawsuits and low-level infractions. In Arizona, the perk does not have unanimous support in the Legislature. Rep. Quang Nguyen introduced a resolution to end immunity for traffic violations. If passed, it would become a ballot measure.

California – Who’s Paying for California Politicians’ Travel? After CalMatters’ Report, Audit Proposes a Legal Fix

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 2/14/2025

A California Fair Political Practices Commission audit recommends simplifying disclosure requirements to cover more interest groups that take lawmakers to policy conferences and on international study tours, a change that can only be made by those very same legislators. The audit followed CalMatters’ revelations that a 2015 law requiring such trip organizers to annually disclose their major donors had been used only twice in seven years despite interest groups paying for millions of dollars in travel for lawmakers during that time.

California – OC Developer Fined by State Officials for Dark Money Campaign in Santa Ana

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 2/13/2025

Ryan Ogulnick, an Orange County developer, is facing a $87,000 fine from the California Fair Political Practices Commission for an alleged political money laundering scheme in Santa Ana. The commission found he illegally hid the source of over $300,000 that was spent on mailers in the 2018 city council elections. At least one commissioner is calling on the county’s district attorney to investigate.

Colorado – Democratic State Senator Abruptly Resigns from Colorado Legislature Amid Ethics Investigation

Colorado Sun – Jesse Paul | Published: 2/18/2025

State Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis abruptly announced her resignation from the Colorado Legislature amid an ethics investigation into her alleged yearslong mistreatment of her Capitol staffers. Her resignation comes after she was reelected to a second four-year term in the Senate in November. A Democratic vacancy committee will be convened to select her replacement, who will serve until at least the 2026 election.

Colorado – Denver Approves New Rules for Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Matching Dollars in City Elections

The Leader-Telegram – Elliott Wenzler (Denver Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Denver’s Fair Elections Fund, which is intended to help more candidates for mayor and other city offices compete financially, will have new stipulations after the city council approved changes to its rules. The changes will ban anonymous donations, require “neutral debates” for participating candidates, pave the way for campaign finance investigations, and prohibit the use of public money on certain things like alcohol.

District of Columbia – D.C. U.S. Attorney Probing Democrats Over Alleged Threats, Documents Show

MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

The top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia escalated his scrutiny of what he characterized as potential threats directed at Elon Musk and government workers, demanding information from a Democratic member of Congress who criticized Musk and telling his office he planned to prosecute anyone targeting public officials. Legal analysts called interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin’s direct inquiries to lawmakers highly irregular and his discussion of investigative targets troubling.

Florida – Space Coast Rocket Founder Robert Burns Ordered to Pay $24,500 in Campaign Finance Case

Yahoo News – Tyler Vazquez (Florida Today) | Published: 2/14/2025

Political consultant and Space Coast Rocket founder was ordered by a state judge to pay $24,500 in fines related to an election fraud case. Judge Lawrence Stevenson said Burns engaged in a “pattern of nonreporting contributions received, and expenditures made, while they were actively campaigning for and against multiple candidates.” According to a court filing, the Florida Elections Commission sent 84 letters regarding the failure to file reports that Burns ignored, resulting in the charges.

Illinois – Former Mayors Johnson and Lightfoot Accused of Impeding Inspector General’s Investigations

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/13/2025

Mayor Brandon Johnson and his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, were accused of impeding the work of Chicago’s inspector general by withholding documents, selectively enforcing subpoenas, and demanding to have the Law Department sit in on interviews that “risk embarrassment” to the mayor. The roadblocks outlined by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg include picking and choosing which subpoenas to comply with and withholding or unreasonably delaying the release of sensitive documents, such as emails and text messages.

Illinois – After Madigan’s Conviction, Lawmakers Ask: Has Illinois done enough to root out corruption?

WTTW – Angel Vicky | Published: 2/12/2025

Like the prosecutors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial presenting evidence, Republicans and ethics advocates are seizing on Madigan’s conviction as proof that Illinois needs reform. Republicans who are suing to undo a legislative district map they say Democrats gerrymandered to their advantage, argue redistricting is another area left untouched to Illinois’ ethical detriment.

Illinois – ‘You Can Raise Me Five Grand’: New details emerge in bribery case against state Sen. Emil Jones III

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/19/2025

Illinois Sen. Emil Jones was dining at a Chicago steakhouse with an influential red light camera company executive when the executive expressed concern about Jones’ pending bill requiring a study on the automated traffic systems. The executive, Omar Maani of SafeSpeed, then asked Jones a point-blank question: how much do you want? “You can raise me five grand. That’d be good,” Jones allegedly told Maani. That conversation and other key details were revealed for the first time as Jones’ trial date on bribery charges approaches.

Kansas – Kansas House Committee Advances Election-Reform Bill That’s More Than a Name Change

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 2/13/2025

The House Elections Committee approved campaign finance reforms arising from disputes about Kansas’ definition of a PAC, coordination among PACs and candidates, and contributions given by a person in the name of another. The Governmental Ethics Commission, which would be renamed the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission in the bill, has engaged in political and legal battles with attorneys representing activists who bristled at vague language in state election statutes and challenged constitutionality of the commission’s interpretation of laws.

Kentucky – A Police Report, Lawsuits and Ethics Complaints: Pressures mount against councilwoman

Louisville Courier-Journal – Eleanor McCrary | Published: 2/17/2025

Louisville Metro Councilperson Donna Purvis is being accused of harassment after following an elderly constituent back to her apartment building in September after a heated verbal altercation at City Hall. It is the latest in a string of legal and ethics fights involving Purvis. In the six years she has been in office, Purvis has been sued for defamation by her former legislative assistant, racked up $20,000 in fines for campaign finance violations, and received multiple ethics complaints, some of which are ongoing.

Maine – Maine Lawmaker Accused of Forging Signatures on Campaign Finance Forms

Yahoo News – Rachel Ohm (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/13/2025

A grand jury indicted Maine Rep. Randall Hall on charges he forged signatures and made a false statement on campaign finance forms last year. According to the indictment, Hall forged signatures on 10 qualifying contribution affirmation forms, which are the forms that must be filled out by donors who give qualifying contributions to a candidate for state office so they can get clean elections funding from the state.

Michigan – Top Lawmaker Wants to Close Michigan ‘Revolving Door’ to Lobbyist Jobs

Bridge Michigan – Simon Schuster | Published: 2/18/2025

After years of failed attempts to slow the “revolving door” between Michigan policymakers and the professionals paid to influence them, a new proposal to block government leaders from immediately becoming lobbyists is gaining steam in the state Legislature. Bipartisan legislation would create a two-year waiting period before lawmakers who leave office can register as paid lobbyists to influence their former colleagues.

Minnesota – Senate GOP Files New Ethics Complaints Against Nicole Mitchell, State Senator Facing Felony Burglary Charges

Pioneer Press – Alex Derosier | Published: 2/18/2025

Minnesota Senate Republicans are leaning into their push to force state Sen. Nicole Mitchell from office after she was hit with another felony charge tied to her alleged break-in at her stepmother’s home last year. Republicans argued Mitchell had a conflict-of-interest when she voted to block a motion that would have opened her to an expulsion vote. They also filed an updated ethics complaint.

Mississippi – MS Campaign Finance Enforcement Lacks ‘Teeth,’ Hindering Accountability

Yahoo News – Charlie Drape and Grant McLaughlin (Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/17/2025

Even if the state wanted to bring charges against federally indicted-Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba for failing to submit several campaign finance reports, it likely would not, due to Mississippi’s confusing campaign finance laws. The state attorney general’s office said the law is difficult to enforce because there are several state agencies involved before the attorney general can see a case. If that even happens, the punitive measures are minor at best, said Michelle Williams, the attorney general’s chief of staff.

New York – NY Ethics Panel Ruled Constitutional in Split Decision in Cuomo Case

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 2/18/2025

New York’s top court upheld the constitutionality of the state’s new ethics commission. The decision revives the authority of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, which was created in 2022 to succeed the oft-criticized Joint Commission on Public Ethics that was disbanded. A state Supreme Court justice, as well as an appellate court in Albany, had ruled the new commission was formed in violation of the state constitution’s separation of powers doctrine.

New York – Acting Deputy AG Emil Bove Defends Move to Drop Eric Adams Case

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove defended his controversial decision to end the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, describing the choice to a federal judge as “a standard exercise of prosecutorial discretion.” Bove’s directive sparked days of open conflict within the department, drove eight veteran department attorneys to resign, and prompted the unusual proceeding in a Manhattan federal courtroom.

New York – Mass Resignations from Eric Adams’ Administration Spark Chaos in NYC Government

Yahoo News – Sally Goldenberg, Nick Reisman, Janaki Chada, and Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/17/2025

Four deputy mayors have signaled their intent to resign over concerns about New York City Mayor Eric Adams; conduct. The deputy mayors voiced worry that Adams is essentially doing the bidding of President Trump, who remains unpopular in the city. The Department of Justice ordered federal corruption charges against Adams dropped, in a case that appeared to be tied to the mayor’s cooperation on deporting migrants.

South Dakota – Felonies for Silent Supervisors a Sticking Point as Anti-Corruption Bills Clear SD Senate

Yahoo News – John Hult (South Dakota Searchlight) | Published: 2/18/2025

A package of four anti-corruption bills passed the South Dakota Senate and were sent to the House. The bills were sparked by recent criminal investigations into state employee misbehavior. The governor and attorney general agree on the language in three of the bills, but the question of felonies for state employee supervisors has confounded attempts for consensus on the fourth.

South Dakota – SD Governor Signs Bill Closing Loan Loophole in Campaign Finance Law

Yahoo News – South Dakota Searchlight staff | Published: 2/18/2025

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed a bill into law that would close a campaign finance loophole. The new law says any loan to a campaign, when combined with contributions from the same source, cannot exceed contribution limits in state law.

Tennessee – Campaign Contribution Limits Could Be Lifted for Political Parties, Caucus PACs

Yahoo News – Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 2/18/2025

Smarting from a barrage of dark money that took out two state Senate incumbents in 2024, Tennessee lawmakers are set to consider eliminating campaign contribution limits for political parties and party caucuses. Senate Bill 229 aims to create more equity after out-of-state PACs spent heavily to defeat incumbent Sens. Frank Niceley and Jon Lundberg last August. The Lundberg election remains under investigation by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.

Texas – Critics of Texas House Leadership Spent Big in This Year’s Speaker’s Race. They Fought Years for That Chance.

MSN – Kate McGee (Texas Tribune) | Published: 2/13/2025

Over the past year, outside groups spent heavily on campaigns for their Texas House speaker of choice, turning a race that is usually waged  behind closed doors into a public spectacle that has raised allegations among its members of foul play. State Rep. Dustin Burrows, the candidate most closely associated with prior House leadership, ultimately won. But the result came only after a deluge of spending made possible by a pair of lawsuits 14 years apart filed by close associates or allies of a chief Burrows’ adversary: oil billionaire Tim Dunn.

Utah – A Lonely Holdout Where Republicans Still Resist Trump: Utah

Las Vegas Sun – Kellen Browning (New York Times) | Published: 2/18/2025

As President Trump pursues his right-wing agenda at breakneck speed, with Democrats in retreat and “Never Trump” conservatives making themselves scarce, one of the 50 states has remained a redoubt of a kinder, gentler, and more civil kind of Republicanism – Utah. One big reason is that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who make up a vast, and once reliably conservative, segment of the Utah population, have been drifting away from the GOP.

Virginia – Bills to Ban Personal Use of Campaign Funds Clear Virginia Legislature

MSN – Laura Vozella (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

The Virginia House and Senate voted unanimously to tighten the state’s notoriously loose campaign-finance laws by banning the personal use of campaign funds, something already banned in 48 states and in federal contests. Bills to prohibit using campaign coffers as personal piggy banks have been filed in Richmond every year since 2014 but never made it out of the General Assembly until now.

Virginia – How Trump’s Assault on Bureaucracy Could Rock Virginia Elections

MSN – Ally Mutnick (Politico) | Published: 2/12/2025

Virginia’s off-year races are often a bellwether for the national mood a year before the midterms. But they are poised to take on even more significance this November because so many government employees and contractors who live in Northern Virginia are experiencing firsthand the impact of the Trump administration’s attempt to shrink the federal bureaucracy. For Democrats, who have the thinnest of grips on the House of Delegates and are eagerly seeking to reclaim the governor’s mansion, it may be an opening.

National/Federal

Trump’s New Line of Attack Against the Media Gains Momentum

DNyuz – David Enrich (New York Times) | Published: 2/7/2025

Media lawyers scoffed last year when Donald Trump sued two news organizations for producing journalism that, he claimed, violated laws meant to protect consumers from things like deceptive advertising. First Amendment experts still believe that Trump’s cases, against CBS News and The Des Moines Register, lack legal merit. But they now realize the lawsuits are proving effective at harassing the press and more of them are probably on the way.

Trump Tries to Fire Chair of Federal Election Commission. Why She’s Refusing to Leave.

MSN – Joey Garrison (USA Today) | Published: 2/6/2025

Ellen Weintraub, who has served as a Democratic member of the FEC since 2002, posted a letter signed by Donald Trump on social media that said she was “hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately.” Weintraub, who is currently chairperson of the FEC, questioned the legal validity of the move and signaled her intent to fight the removal.

Bondi Ends FBI Effort to Combat Foreign Influence in U.S. Politics

MSN – Ken Dilanian (NBC News) | Published: 2/6/2025

Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a halt to a years-old federal law enforcement effort to combat secret influence campaigns by China, Russia, and other adversaries that try to curry favor and sow chaos in American politics. The order disbands the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and pares back penalties for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, despite years of warnings by U.S. intelligence agencies that foreign malign influence operations involving disinformation were a growing and dangerous threat.

GOP Laws Aimed at Very Rare Noncitizen Voting Could Hit Eligible Voters

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/9/2025

Republicans in Congress and state Legislatures are charging forward with plans to require Americans to prove they are citizens as they say they seek to crack down on noncitizen voting, an almost nonexistent problem. Voting by noncitizens is already illegal in all state and federal elections and requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship could make it harder for millions of legitimate voters to cast ballots. Driver’s licenses and other state IDs can be used only for people who provided proof of citizenship to get those IDs, so some people will need to track down other documents.

In Trump’s Actions, Opponents See More Than Cuts – They See a Constitutional Crisis

MSN – Naftali Bendavid and Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

As President Trump and congressional Democrats clash about spending authority, citizenship rules, control of the government, and other fundamental powers, the president’s opponents are increasingly making an unnerving accusation: that the country is in the grip of a full-blown constitutional crisis. That term recalls some of the most perilous moments in American history, from the Civil War to Watergate. Some of Trump’s adversaries contend that in seizing powers the Constitution does not give him and forcing clashes with Congress and the courts, the president has thrust American democracy into a similarly dangerous moment.

Trump Halts Aid to South Africa, Claiming Discrimination Against Afrikaners

MSN – María Luisa Paúl (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

President Trump signed an executive order halting all U.S. aid to South Africa and directing his administration to develop a plan for resettling White Afrikaners as refugees, citing what he called “government-sponsored race-based discrimination” against them. The subject of Trump’s criticism appears to be a recent law that allows land expropriation without compensation in rare cases. South African officials have said the policy is part of an effort to address disparities left by apartheid, a system that for decades barred Black South Africans from owning land.

Trump Administration Cuts Teams That Fight Foreign Election Interference

MSN – Colby Itkowitz, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Sarah Ellison, and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

The Trump administration eliminated much of the federal government’s front line of defense against foreign interference in U.S. elections. The move alarmed state election officials and election security experts, who warned that safeguarding Americans from foreign disinformation campaigns will be difficult if no one at the federal level is doing that work.

Trump Pauses DOJ Enforcement of Bribery Laws for US Firms Overseas

MSN – Josh Meyer (USA Today) | Published: 2/10/2025

President Trump signed an executive order pausing enforcement of a federal law that makes it a crime for U.S. businesses to bribe foreign officials, saying the law puts companies at a disadvantage on the global stage. Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to stop actions taken under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, including prosecutions of American individuals and companies who the Justice Department has charged with bribing foreign government officials in attempts to gain business in other countries.

Trump Removes Top Government Ethics Czar

MSN – Fredreka Schouten (CNN) | Published: 2/10/2025

President Trump removed the head of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) from his post, the latest example of Trump acting against a government watchdog. The agency’s director, David Huitema, was confirmed to the post by the Senate in November and officially began the job in December. OGE directors typically serve five-year terms, allowing them to overlap administrations as part of an attempt to reduce partisanship.

Trump Dismisses Archivist to the United States

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

President Trump fired the head of the National Archives and Records Administration, targeting an independent agency that was involved in trying to recover documents he took to his Florida estate after his first presidential term. Colleen Shogan was named archivist of the United States by Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed to her role in 2023, a year after the Archives referred its search for documents in Trump’s possession to the FBI.

Judge to Trump-Terminated Ethics Watchdog: You’re un-fired

MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 2/10/2025

A federal judge reined in President Trump’s firing spree, ruling a federal ethics watchdog can return to his job for at least a few days while the judge receives more detailed legal arguments about the case. Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the reprieve to Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, after he sued to contest the email he received from the White House indicating he had been dismissed from his position. Dellinger leads an independent federal agency that handles whistleblower issues and complaints about violations of the Hatch Act, which limits political activity by government employees.

Trump White House Says It Can Talk to Justice Dept. on Criminal Cases

MSN – Perry Stein and Jeff Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 2/9/2025

The Trump administration’s rules for how White House staff can interact with the Justice Department are a departure from Biden-era guidance, explicitly saying the president and vice president and their top lawyers can discuss ongoing criminal and civil cases with the attorney general and her deputies. Legal experts say the guidance could erode guardrails that have traditionally given the Justice Department a degree of independence from the White House that does not exist for other executive branch agencies.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – State-Commissioned Report Finds ‘Significant’ Issues in Alabama Ethics Law, Recommends Major Reforms

Alabama Daily News – Alexander Willis | Published: 2/11/2025

A report commissioned by the Alabama Legislature found “significant overbreadth concerns” in the state’s ethics law, including “structural vulnerabilities” that could enable discriminatory enforcement, with state lawmakers recommended to enact sweeping reforms. The Bopp Law Firm found provisions that raised “serious First Amendment concerns” regarding secrecy agreements amid ethics complaints, vagueness and due process concerns, and breadth of issues in who the ethics law applies to.

California – California Regulators Allege This Silicon Valley Ex-Lawmaker Violated Campaign Finance Law Dozens of Times

MSN – Yue Stella Yu (CalMatters) | Published: 2/7/2025

California’s campaign finance investigators allege former state Assemblyperson Evan Low, who raised money for a foundation co-managed by his chief of staff, received non-monetary donations worth more than $113,000 from that foundation for his re-election campaign. If proven true, such donations, and a lack of timely disclosures from Low and the nonprofit foundation, would violate reporting requirements and contribution limits, according to a staff report from the California Fair Political Commission.

California – S.F. Union Files Another Ethics Complaint Against Waymo After First Try Gets Tossed

MSN – Chase DiFeliciantonio (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 2/6/2025

The San Francisco Ethics Commission will not pursue allegations brought against Waymo last year by the Teamsters union that the company improperly lobbied San Francisco airport officials. In a second complaint to the commission, the union’s attorneys argued other lobbyists and executives for the autonomous vehicle maker failed to properly register before meeting with airport officials last year, and other meetings since then also violated ethics rules.

California – LA’s Top Homelessness Official Signed $2.1 Million Contract with Husband’s Employer

MSN – Nick Gerda and David Wagner (LAist) | Published: 2/11/2025

Documents show Va Lecia Adams Kellum, chief executive of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, signed a $2,1 million contract and two other contract amendments with Upward Bound House, a nonprofit where her husband works in senior leadership. State law bans public officials from any involvement in contracts in which they have a financial interest, including agreements that financially benefit their spouse or groups that pay their spouse.

Hawaii – Hawai’i Executive Indicted for Illegal Campaign Donations

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 2/11/2025

Developer Timothy Lee was indicted on nine felony counts of illegally funneling money to Honolulu mayoral candidates in 2020. The details of Lee’s case harken back to an earlier era of campaign spending cases when felony charges were more common. In the early 2000s, dozens of executives at design and engineering firms were accused of laundering money to the campaigns of Hawai’I’s most prominent politicians. Many avoided any jail time and paid hefty fines instead.

Hawaii – Hawai’i’s Crackdown on Lobbyists Has Come a Long Way. Is It Far Enough?

Honolulu Civil Beat – Patty Epler | Published: 2/8/2025

Fifty years ago, Hawaii was considered a national leader in what was then a growing movement to crack down on inappropriate political influence by special interests. But things soon stalled. Hawaii remained stuck, for the most part, with the barest of transparency requirements and minimal punishment. Then, two state lawmakers and some Maui County officials were arrested for taking millions of dollars in bribes. The Legislature could not ignore the public outrage and things improved.

Illinois – Ethics Board ‘Revokes’ Informal Agreement That Allowed Mayor to Accept Pricey Gifts

WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 2/11/2025

Mayor Brandon Johnson is subject to the city’s ethics ordinance and prohibited from accepting most gifts worth more than $50, the Chicago Board of Ethics announced. No longer will gifts accepted by Chicago’s mayor on behalf of the city be covered by an “unwritten arrangement” dating back to the 1980s, board President William Conlon said during a meeting.

Illinois – ‘People Really Stood Their Ground,’ Juror Says of Split Michael Madigan Verdict

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau, and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/12/2025

A jury delivered a split verdict against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, finding him guilty on 10 of 23 criminal counts in his case. The jury also found Madigan not guilty on seven counts and was unable to reach a verdict on six additional counts. The convictions related to Madigan’s efforts to secure a valuable state board position for former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis and to an alleged bribery scheme involving Commonwealth Edison.

Illinois – President Donald Trump Pardons Ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Nearly 5 Years After Commuting His Sentence, AP Says

Yahoo News – Rick Pearson (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/10/2025

Nearly five years after commuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s federal prison sentence, President Trump granted a full pardon to the disgraced former governor who was convicted more than 13 years ago on an array of corruption charges, including fundraising schemes and attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat for his personal benefit. Unlike the commutation, which left intact Blagojevich’s conviction, pardon wipes clean the criminal slate of the only Illinois governor in history to be impeached and convicted by the General Assembly, and banned from seeking any state elected office ever again.

Indiana – Almost $30M Spent Lobbying Indiana General Assembly Last Year

Yahoo News – Leslie Bonilla Muñiz (Indiana Capital Chronicle) | Published: 2/10/2025

Experienced lawmakers from both parties said lobbyists bring valuable information. Sometimes they even use their expertise to write legislation or contribute fixes. But they had varying opinions on accepting lobbyist-funded dinners and gifts, and on how well Indiana regulates the influence of political contributions on legislation. Many groups also operate 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations, which can engage in lobbying related to social welfare goals. Their donors and contributions are confidential.

Kentucky – What Is Executive Branch Lobbying? How People Get Paid to Influence KY’s Top Leaders

Yahoo Finance – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 2/10/2025

Lobbying efforts to sway executive branch decisions are an important, lucrative, and growing aspect of Frankfort. The subject matter of executive branch lobbying often revolves around state contracts. Lobbyist Bob Babbage said one key distinction between executive and legislative lobbying is that the people you are lobbying have different perspectives. Cabinet members always look at the statewide picture, but legislators’ first loyalties lie with their constituents.

Louisiana – Louisiana Ethics Board Agrees to Keep Governor’s Staff Information Private in Spite of Law

Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 2/12/2025

The home addresses of Gov. Jeff Landry’s executive staff will be kept out of public records, despite a state law that requires the information to be disclosed. The Louisiana Board of Ethics voted to keep their addresses secret. Its members agreed with Attorney General Liz Murrill’s view that the disclosure conflicts with the right to privacy contained in the state constitution.

Minnesota – Judge Blocks Minnesota Campaign Law to Limit Donations from Corporations with Foreign Ownership

MSN – Briana Bierschbach (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 2/7/2025

A federal judge permanently blocked the implementation of a Minnesota campaign finance law that aimed to limit political contributions from corporations with foreign ownership. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud said the law was too broad.

Mississippi – Evidence in Jackson’s Bribery Scandal Can’t Be Made Public Until Trial, Judge Says

MSN – Charlie Drape (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/6/2025

A federal judge granted a protective order blocking all evidence in Jackson’s bribery scandal from being released until the trial begins. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and city Councilperson Aaron Banks were accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents who said they wanted to develop to a convention center hotel in Jackson. The order means the evidence may not become public before the spring elections.

Montana – Montana Senate Votes to Send Ellsworth Investigation to Department of Justice

Montana Free Press – Tom Lutey | Published: 2/6/2025

Allegations of criminal activity by former Montana Senate leader Jason Ellsworth are being handed over to the state Department of Justice following a heated floor debate in the Senate chambers in which minority Democrats prevailed. Republicans have openly stated Ellsworth is guilty since news broke that he awarded $170,100 in contracted work to a former business associate, Bryce Egglsteon. Ethics proceedings against Ellsworth were launched in the Senate after a brief investigation.

Nevada – Many Nevada Candidates Are Fined Over Transparency on Campaign Funds. Few Pay in Full.

Nevada Independent – Eric Neugeboren | Published: 2/11/2025

Across the first 11 months of 2024, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office assessed more than $440,000 in fines related to campaign finance violations, with the PAC associated with Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford facing one of the largest at more than $20,000. But almost all of those fines have not yet been paid off, and many of them will likely end up being waived or reduced, which is part of the reason why the secretary of state’s office is looking to reform the penalty process in this year’s legislative session.

New York – Gov. Hochul’s Administration Seeks Investigation of $10M Ad Blitz Against Her

Gothamist – Jon Campbell | Published: 2/11/2025

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration wants an official investigation into the organizations behind a $10 million advertising campaign that criticized her for changes to a home health care program for the elderly and disabled. State Health Commissioner James McDonald requested a formal inquiry into the Alliance to Protect Home Care and two other nonprofits tied to the spending. McDonald accused the groups of “flouting the state’s ethics and charitable registration laws” in part by failing to disclose the true identity of the people or groups funding the television, radio, and online ads blanketing the state in recent months.

New York – Mayor Adams Aide Under NYC Council Probe Didn’t Recuse from Ex-Employer Dealings Due to ‘Miscommunication’

MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 2/6/2025

Nate Bliss, a senior aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, did not recuse himself for years from city government business dealings with his ex-employer and is now blaming the slipup on a “miscommunication” with the Conflicts of Interest Board. The city council’s Oversight and Economic Development Committee launched a probe over his ties to his ex-employer after it emerged his jump from Taconic to City Hall happened less than three months before Adams’ administration picked Taconic to execute “Innovation East,” a major redevelopment of the city’s Manhattan public health lab.

New York – Top Justice Department Official Orders Prosecutors to Drop Charges Against New York Mayor Eric Adams

MSN – Jake Offenhartz, Alanna Durkin Richer, and Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 2/10/2025

The Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors to drop their case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, which would clear him of all corruption charges. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said the order was not based on the strength of evidence in the case, but rather because it had been brought too close to Adams’ reelection campaign and was distracting from the mayor’s efforts to assist in the Trump administration’s law-and-order priorities.

New York – Mohamed Bahi, Ex-Eric Adams Aide, to Plead Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charges

The City – Greg Smith | Published: 2/7/2025

A onetime senior aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams who was charged with organizing an illegal straw donor scheme for the mayor has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy. Mohamed Bahi, formerly one of the mayor’s liaisons to the Muslim community, was initially charged with witness tampering and obstruction of justice in a criminal complaint that alleged he had direct conversations with Adams about the campaign donation scheme.

New York – Report: State campaign finance match program combats megadonor influence

WAMC – Jeongyoon Han (WXXI) | Published: 2/6/2025

More small donors are contributing to state elections in New York, according to a recent report, and the share of large donations for candidates’ fundraising decreased from 2024 to 2020. The report by the Brennan Center for Justice credits a state-run public campaign finance program for the change. Proponents say it encourages candidates to rely more on donations from constituents, and less on megadonors and special interest groups.

Ohio – Jim Tressel Nominated as Lieutenant Governor to Gov. Mike DeWine

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/10/2025

Gov. Mike DeWine nominated former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel as his lieutenant governor. Tressel, who retired as president of Youngstown State University in 2023, will, if confirmed by the General Assembly, finish the final 22 months of Jon Husted’s term as lieutenant governor. DeWine appointed Husted to JD Vance’s U.S. Senate seat.

Ohio – Advocacy Groups Take Issue with Ohio House Rules on Chamber Lobby, Floor Votes

Ohio Capital Journal – Susan Tebben | Published: 2/11/2025

Nearly five dozen advocacy groups signed on to a letter opposing Ohio House rules for this General Assembly, including a ban on public gathering near the House chamber at certain times and decreasing public notice for floor votes. When the rules were first approved, Republicans said they would create more efficiency in legislative business, while Democrats questioned the effect on transparency going forward with the new rules.

Ohio – Ex-Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld Loses Appeal, Could Be Sent Back to Prison

WCPO – Paula Christian and Felicia Jordan | Published: 2/11/2025

Former Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld could be heading back to prison after a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against his appeal to have his public corruption conviction thrown out. The appeal focused on whether the government presented enough evidence for a jury to rule an explicit quid pro quo had occurred, and whether Sittenfeld’s indictment “was constructively amended,” meaning the jury was given evidence pointing to crimes outside of Sittenfeld’s actual indictment.

Oregon – Oregon Legislator Seeks Stricter Lobbying Limits for Former Lawmakers Representing State Agencies

Yahoo News – Julia Shumway (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 2/11/2025

Rep. Anna Scharf is pushing to tighten Oregon’s anti-revolving-door law, saying it unfairly discriminates between former lawmakers who lobby for private industries and those who obtain state jobs after leaving the Legislature. Oregon, like most states, makes former lawmakers wait before they can become lobbyists who ask their former colleagues to support bills. In Oregon, lawmakers cannot take a paid lobbying job until they have been out of office for at least a year.

Rhode Island – RI Ethics Panel to Review ‘Gift Rule’ Following ILO Group Investigation

Yahoo News – Eli Sherman (WPRI) | Published: 2/11/2025

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to reexamine the state’s gift law, in a move that could limit the value of what lobbyists for nonprofit organizations can give to public officials. The panel voted to take another look at the rule, which currently prohibits any “interested party” from giving a gift exceeding $25 to a public official if the gift-giver might profit from their decisions.

South Dakota – South Dakota House Restores ‘Loan Loophole’ Bill Back to Original Form, Sends to Governor

Yahoo News – Joshua Haiar (South Dakota Searchlight) | Published: 2/6/2025

A bill that would close a campaign finance loophole in South Dakota allowing unlimited funds into a campaign is headed to the governor’s desk. It would prevent the ability to make unlimited campaign donations as long as the contribution is categorized as a loan. The debate took a tense turn when Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer accused the bill’s sponsors of using it as a tool to target businessperson Toby Doeden.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Swing State’s Embattled Elections Chief Can Remain in Post

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 2/7/2025

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the state’s nonpartisan top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, who has been targeted for removal by Republican lawmakers over the 2020 presidential election, can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate. The court said no vacancy exists and, because of that, the elections commission “does not have a duty to appoint a new administrator to replace Wolfe simply because her term has ended.”

National/Federal

Ethics Pledges by Trump Cabinet Draw Questions and Skepticism

DNyuz – Eric Lipton (New York Times) | Published: 2/1/2025

Publicly released letters lay out negotiated agreements between the members of the new administration and federal ethics officials. These letters, and associated financial disclosures, illustrate the extraordinary wealth of President Trump’s cabinet picks, as well as the uncharacteristically large list of potential conflicts-of-interest with which they enter the government. Each signed letter is supposed to detail what decisions these officials can be involved in, and which they must stay away from, to avoid violating federal rules.

CBS to Hand Over Harris Interview After Trump, FCC Pressure. What to Know.

MSN – Annabelle Timsit (Washington Post) | Published: 2/2/2025

CBS News plans to provide the Federal Communications Commission with the transcript of a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that is at the heart of a lawsuit against the network filed by Donald Trump, the latest development in a battle that critics say is being used to target press freedom. The controversy over the interview, which was broadcast during the last few weeks of the presidential campaign, centers on Harris’s response in a conversation about Israel led by journalist Bill Whitaker.

As DOJ Probes FBI’s Jan. 6 Work and Weighs Firings, Agents Told to Detail Roles

MSN – Perry Stein, Carol Leonnig, Jeremy Roebuck, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/2/2025

FBI officials sent out a questionnaire to determine the involvement of thousands of FBI personnel in cases related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. It came a day after the FBI’s acting director said the bureau would conduct a broad examination, at the request of the Justice Department, of anyone who touched the January 6 investigation. The survey and other moves prompted a team of high-profile lawyers to threaten legal action if FBI or Justice Department personnel are fired without due process.

Why the Supreme Court May Be Open to Trump’s Push for Expanded Power

MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

Donald Trump’s rapid-fire efforts to expand presidential authority seem likely to prompt key test cases at the Supreme Court he helped shape, according to legal experts, with the conservative supermajority signaling in past rulings it may be open to landmark changes in the balance of power. Behind the seemingly scattershot array, analysts see a common goal: A decades-long effort by conservatives to boldly grow the power of the presidency through a principle that says the executive branch has sole authority to hire and fire agency employees and control their policies.

Elon Musk Shielded by Ethics Loophole as Trump ‘Special Government Employee’

MSN – Haisten Willis (Washington Examiner) | Published: 2/4/2025

Elon Musk may have a novel role within the Trump administration, but the title that allows him to serve in the government has drawn the ire of ethics watchdogs for decades. Musk’s status as a special government employee protects him from typical ethics disclosures, a loophole that has been used by administrations from both parties since the last century.

Md. FBI Site Pick Had Flaws but No Conflict of Interest, Report Finds

MSN – Aaron Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 2/3/2025

The controversial selection of a suburban Maryland site for the future FBI headquarters was not the result of a conflict-of-interest, a federal inspector general who launched a review of allegations of such improprieties concluded. But a decision to weight the cost of development during the decision-making process in a way that benefited the Prince George’s County site was “not justified,” the inspector general’s report found.

Greenland Bans Foreign Political Funding as Trump Seeks Control

MSN – Kelsey Ables (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

Greenland passed a law banning foreign contributions to political parties, an assertion of self-governance amid concern over President Trump’s calls for the United States to acquire the island. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, whose officials have repeatedly emphasized it is not for sale. Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland in January, generating global attention that “shows how susceptible Greenland may be to potential foreign political influence,” said Donald Rothwell, an expert on the law of the polar regions.

Republican Ire at USAID Finds an Unusual Target: Politico

MSN – Sarah Ellison, Clara Ence Morse, and Laura Wagner (Washington Post) | Published: 2/5/2025

Conservative attacks on the embattled U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) landed on an unexpected target when Elon Musk, right-wing influencers, elected Republicans, and the White House zeroed in on subscription money that federal government agencies paid for Politico Pro and other specialty subscription publications aimed at corporations and government entities. Musk and other Republicans claimed USAID alone had spent millions of dollars on Politico over the past 12 months. But that characterization is false.

Top Trump Prosecutor in DC Dropped Federal Case Against Capitol Rioter He Represented

MSN – Brad Heath, Sarah Lynch, and Andrew Goudsward (Reuters) | Published: 2/5/2025

As President Trump moved to free the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol, his newly appointed top prosecutor in Washington put his name on a request that a judge drop charges against one of them he represented as a defense attorney. Lawyers generally are prohibited from taking both sides in the same case and U.S. Justice Department regulations require lawyers to step aside from cases involving their former clients for at least a year.

Prosecutors Seek Dismissal of Campaign Finance Case Against Ex-Nebraska Congressman Fortenberry

MSN – Associated Press | Published: 1/29/2025

Federal prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss their case against a former member of Congress charged with lying to authorities about a foreign billionaire’s illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign. The Nine U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had reversed Fortenberry’s conviction, ruling the case should not have been tried in Los Angeles. Fortenberry was subsequently charged with two counts: falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements.

Democrats Elect Ken Martin, Head of Minnesota Party, as Next Chair

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 2/1/2025

Ken Martin, a longtime Democratic Party insider who leads the party in Minnesota, was elected to take over as chairperson of the Democratic National Committee after the party suffered devastating defeats in the November election, including losing the presidency to Donald Trump. The candidates for the job generally agreed that the Democratic Party needs to do more to appeal to working-class voters, to amplify their message in less traditional media settings, and to organize year-round. They mostly sought to avoid recriminations over the 2024 election.

Lobbying Firms Tied to Trump Report Wave of New Clients

Politico – Caitlin Oprysko | Published: 1/29/2025

Lobbying firms with close ties to President Trump have added new clients in droves since the election, with several disclosing close to two dozen so far, as companies, industry groups, and other organizations look for an in with the new administration. Some of the biggest winners have been firms whose owners have helped Trump from outside of the government, or whose current or former employees have more formal ties to the administration.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Fined $157K for Repeated Violations of Campaign Reporting Requirements

Yahoo News – Iris Samuels (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 1/29/2025

The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) fined Alaskans for Honest Elections, Alaskans for Honest Government, the Ranked Choice Education Association, and Arthur Matthias a combined total of almost $157,000. That comes after a prior penalty of more than $94,000. APOC imposed the maximum allowed fines, stating the respondents have “proven themselves shockingly poor at complying with their reporting obligations throughout their campaign.”

California – California Blesses Political Donors’ Strategy to Multiply Their Influence

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 1/31/2025

The Fair Political Practices Commission cleared the way for a new approach to raising and spending money in California elections. Political committees now have state regulators’ blessing to create an unlimited number of affiliated committees with different leaders, and then closely coordinate fundraising and candidate donations among them. That could exponentially increase their influence on campaigns.

California – State Senator Retains Key Role Over Fire Insurance Laws Despite Cannabis Corruption Probe

MSN – Anabel Sosa (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 1/30/2025

California Sen. Susan Rubio was reappointed as chairperson of the committee that oversees insurance-related legislation, a powerful position that went unoccupied for weeks while swaths of Los Angeles burned. Rubio’s reappointment as chair comes amid lingering questions about her role in an ongoing federal investigation into an alleged cannabis industry bribery scheme that dates back to her time on the Baldwin Park City Council and her 2018 campaign for state office.

California – Newsom Weakens Financial Disclosure Requirements for LA Officials as Relief Pours In

MSN – Kenneth Schrupp (The Center Square) | Published: 2/4/2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order for Los Angeles fire relief includes provisions creating a 60-day reporting extension for required ethics disclosures of behested payments or conflicts-of-interest for government officials in Los Angeles County. Transparency watchdogs say elected officials should disclose financial conflicts in real time to avoid corruption, while Republicans warn the measures will make politicians even less accountable as billions in state, and eventually, federal aid comes pouring in.

California – Oakland’s Tiny Government Watchdog Sparked an FBI Investigation. Why Is It Neglected?

MSN – Eli Wolfe (Oaklandside) | Published: 2/5/2025

When federal prosecutors announced corruption charges against former Mayor Sheng Thao and her boyfriend, they gave a tip of the hat to the Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission for launching the investigation and federal prosecutors to allegations of bribery and conspiracy at City Hall. But in October, the commission’s enforcement chief, Simon Russell, quit his job. In a departing letter, Russell wrote he was burned out from long, exhausting hours, and he was upset and baffled that city officials had ignored his requests for more money and staff.

District of Columbia – D.C. Council Expels Trayon White Over Allegations He Took Bribes

MSN – Paul Schwartzman, Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

The District of Columbia City Council voted to expel council member Trayon White. His expulsion, the first imposed by the council in its 51-year history, forces White to immediately surrender his seat. Federal prosecutors allege White used his elected position to keep government contracts flowing to two companies, accepting envelopes with thousands of dollars in cash and lucrative kickbacks.

Hawaii – Bill To Close Pay-To-Play Loophole in Hawai’i Moves to Full House

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 2/6/2025

State legislators are seeking to close a 20-year-old loophole that has allowed government contractors to donate to politicians despite a law that purports to ban such contributions. Last year, a media investigation found that people with ties to contractors contributed $24 million to campaigns and the donations often coincided with key decisions by lawmakers regarding the contracts.

Hawaii – 2 Honolulu Officials to Plead Guilty in Kealoha Payout, Avoiding Jail Time

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 2/3/2025

Former Honolulu officials reached agreements with the government to resolve federal charges that they improperly arranged a $250,000 payout to the city’s now-disgraced former police chief. The pleas likely mark the end of the road for the special public corruption unit whose findings rocked Honolulu for a decade.

Illinois – Illinois Governor Bans Jan. 6 Rioters Pardoned by Trump from State Jobs

MSN – Tobi Raji (Washington Post) | Published: 2/1/2025

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker directed the state’s hiring authority to block all those who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol from state employment. The order would apply to more than 50 people from Illinois who were given pardons or commutations by President Trump in one of the earliest acts of his second term and marks the latest effort by the blue state governor to push back against Trump.

Illinois – Mayor Johnson Outlines New Gift Policy After Critical Report from Inspector General

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/5/2025

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson of accepting valuable gifts and failing to report them while denying internal investigators access to the room where the items are purportedly stored. Now, logs of the gifts that Johnson receives from visiting dignitaries and the public will be maintained and posted on the city’s website, along with a video of the “gift room” in the mayor’s City Hall office where those items are stored.

Kentucky – KY Legislative Lobbying Shatters Record, Topped $28 Million in 2024. Why Is Spending Up?

MSN – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 2/3/2025

Companies and organizations looking to influence the Kentucky Legislature are spending more and more to influence the decisions made and the laws passed in Frankfort. In 2024, companies and other organizations spent almost $28.2 million on lobbying efforts. That is up from 2023’s record of $25.5 million. Observers say more entities are learning just how important the state Legislature is. Combine that with the growing cost of doing business in general, the increase in size of the government, and the Republican caucuses’ penchant for ignoring Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, and you get a system that is grown steadily over the last three years.

Maine – Efforts to Expand Maine Clean Elections Reckon with Currently Inadequate Program Funding

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 2/3/2025

Advocates and lawmakers seeking to stem the influence of money on elections in Maine are hoping to expand the state’s pioneering clean elections program. But during a public hearing on a reform proposal, it became clear they are running up against a funding landscape where the state’s current allocation is being drained faster than it is being replenished.

Maine – Maine Approves Rules to Restrict Utilities’ Lobbying, Prevent Costs from Being Passed to Customers

Yahoo News – Stephen Singer (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/5/2025

Maine regulators approved a set of rules restricting utility spending. The new rules forbid those expenses from being passed on to ratepayers. Utilities may not bill ratepayers for donations to political campaigns or parties, contributions to trade associations or business groups, or spending on lobbying or educational activities, except to inform customers about energy efficiency, conservation, and other measures.

Mississippi – MS Senate, House Advance Election, Campaign Finance Reforms by Deadline. See What Happened

MSN – Grant McLaughlin (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/4/2025

A Mississippi Senate committee, albeit against some opposition, advanced legislation to establish a 15-day early voting period, several bills to amend and add enforcement to campaign finance laws, and a bill to require online filing of campaign finance reports. The House Apportions and Elections Committee also advanced its own campaign finance l legislation earlier in the session.

Mississippi – Lumumba Files 3 Campaign Finance Reports After Having Not Done So Since 2021

Yahoo News – Charlie Drape (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/4/2025

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba filed three campaign finance reports after failing to do so for the last three years, even though state law requires them to be filed annually. Lumumba’s campaign finance reports are at the center of his federal indictment, which accuses him of accepting $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers.

Montana – Senate Ethics Investigation into Former President Expected to Take All of February

Montana Free Press – Tom Lutey | Published: 2/3/2025

The ethics committee investigation into former Montana Senate leader Jason Ellsworth will take most of February, if not longer, to ensure hen is afforded time for a defense. Ellsworth is accused of splitting in two a $170,100 contract awarded to a business associate in order to avoid a state law requiring contracts of $100,000 or more to be competitively bid. The split contract, and questions about whether contractor Bryce Eggleston could do the work, are the foundation of the Senate’s case against its former leader.

New York – Former FDNY Chief Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Receive Bribes to Speed Up Building Inspections

MSN – Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News) | Published: 1/29/2025

Former New York Fire Department Chief Anthony Saccavino pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept thousands of dollars in bribes for speeding up inspections for businesses with matters before the department. Saccavino is accused of expediting fire inspections for building owners who could pay up in a scheme that saw him and his co-conspirators rake in nearly $200,000 in illegal kickbacks.

New York – Eric Adams’ 2021 Campaign Could Be on the Hook for $10 Million

MSN – Joe Anuta and Jeff Coltin (Politico) | Published: 2/3/2025

New York City election officials are raising the stakes in their audit of Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, a move that could foreshadow the beleaguered mayor being forced to repay $10 million. The Campaign Finance Board informed Team Adams it was taking more time to complete an audit of his election effort after discovering bookkeeping irregularities and learning of an alleged straw donor scheme via the mayor’s federal criminal case.

New York – Mystery Donor Funds $10 Million Campaign Against Hochul Home Care Plan

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 2/4/2025

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing fierce opposition to her overhaul of a popular but pricey home care program that allows people with chronic medical issues to choose their own caregivers and pay them through Medicaid. The Alliance to Protect Home Care, a social welfare nonprofit, spent $10.6 million last year on a public relations campaign criticizing the reforms, the second-highest spending lobbying campaign in Albany that year. But it is unclear who is bankrolling the spending.

North Dakota – Bill Offers Immunity from Conflict Crimes to North Dakota Lawmakers If They Follow Ethics Rules

Yahoo News – Jeff Beach (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 1/31/2025

Legislation in North Dakota would give state lawmakers immunity from conflict-of-interest crimes if they disclose potential conflicts and follow legislative ethics rules. A separate bill seeks to overhaul how the North Dakota Ethics Commission handles complaints encountered opposition from the state attorney general’s office.

Ohio – Householder, Convicted of Racketeering, Tells Judges He’s Only Guilty of ‘Ordinary Politics’

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/5/2025

While prosecutors said ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder orchestrated the biggest bribery scheme in state history, his lawyers told an appellate court that he is only guilty of “regular politics.” The arguments in Householder’s appeal came nearly two years after a jury convicted him of racketeering, predicated on a bribery scheme to pass a 2019 bailout of nuclear plants owned by a subsidiary of FirstEnergy. In exchange for the bailout, FirstEnergy funneled millions of dollars in campaign contributions from its subsidiary and the corporate parent.

South Dakota – Dakota First Action, Supporters Attack Bill to Reform ‘Unlimited’ Campaign Loan Loophole

Yahoo News – Dominik Dausch (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) | Published: 2/3/2025

The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 12, which would require loans made by an individual to a candidate or political committee to count toward individual contribution limits. Brian Lewis, political director for Dakota First Action, said the bill was not meant to reform campaign finance law. He asserted the bill was instead a means of eking vengeance against Dakota First Action and its founder, Toby Doeden, for its recent political activities.

Texas – Critics Argue a Texas Court Ruling Jeopardizes Election Integrity

Houston Public Media – Natalie Weber | Published: 2/3/2025

A criminal case against Robbie Gail Charette, a candidate for a judicial seat in Washington County, for errors related to financial paperwork and political ads, could set a precedent that the Texas Ethics Commission has sole authority to enforce certain laws related to campaign finance, political advertising, and lobbyists.  In practice, this means prosecutors must go to the commission before filing charges in these cases, at least for now.

Utah – Audit: Utah AG Reyes’ office lacked transparency and his involvement in the office was minimal

MSN – Emma Pitts (Deseret News) | Published: 2/1/2025

Former Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ office lacked sufficient transparency, Reyes’ direct involvement in the office was minimal, and there were concerns about potential conflicts-of-interest with nonprofit organizations, according to an audit. Common law allows the attorney general to govern with broad discretion. Because of this, “there is a lack of well-defined limitations on outside activities, such as nonprofit involvement, that the AG may pursue,” the report said. Consequently, the auditor general found potential conflicts to be a cause for concern that merits legislative attention.

Utah – Independent Reporter Sues Utah Legislature to Obtain Press Pass

Salt Lake Tribune – Sean Means | Published: 2/2/2025

Senior staff of the Utah Legislature defended their denial of press credentials to an independent reporter, arguing in a court filing that doing so does not violate the reporter’s First Amendment right to cover lawmakers. In his lawsuit, Bryan Schott demands state officials issue him a credential to cover this year’s Legislature, and that they no longer prohibit other journalists who write outside of “established” news outlets from receiving those same credentials. Schott argues he was denied a credential because of his reporting, to which the Legislature’s Republican leadership objected.

Virginia – Virginia Bill to Bar Corporate Donations to Campaign Funds Dies

Richmond Times-Dispatch – Dave Ress | Published: 2/4/2025

For the first time in years, a bill to rein in Virginia politicians’ wide open door for corporate contributions to their campaigns made it to the floor of a General Assembly chamber and died there in a minute, without a vote or debate. For decades, critics have argued this money gives special interests an inside edge when arguing for or against legislation. The bill would have barred any corporation from donating to any candidate, campaign committee, PAC, or political party committee.

Washington – Amazon Sues State Agency to Block Release of Company Records to Bezos-Owned Washington Post

MSN – Haleluya Hadero (Associated Press) | Published: 1/30/2025

Amazon is suing a Washington state agency to prevent the release of some company materials to The Washington Post, the newspaper which is owned by Jeff Bezos. The company asked the court to step in and block the release of documents that include “trade secrets” about Project Kuiper, an Amazon initiative to provide internet through satellites in space.

Wisconsin – Altered Image of Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate in New Ad Raises Ethics Concerns

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 2/4/2025

A new television attack ad in Wisconsin’s hotly contested Supreme Court race features a doctored image of the liberal candidate, a move her campaign claims could be a violation of a recently enacted state law. The winner of the high-stakes race on April 1 will determine whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court remains under a liberal majority or flips to conservative control.

National/Federal

How Redistricting Helped Republicans Win the House

DNyuz – Nick Corasaniti and Michael Wines (New York Times) | Published: 1/26/2025

Competition is an endangered species in legislative elections. A New York Times analysis of the nearly 6,000 congressional and state legislative elections in November shows just how few races were true races. Nearly all were dominated by an incumbent or played out in a district drawn to favor one party overwhelmingly. The result was a blizzard of blowouts, even in a country that is narrowly divided on politics. Roughly 90 percent of races are now decided not by general-election voters in November but by the partisans who tend to vote in primaries.

Denmark and Other Nations Under Pressure Seek Lobbyists with Trump Ties

DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel (New York Times) | Published: 1/27/2025

The government of Denmark has not historically been a big spender on Washington lobbying. But days before Donald Trump took office for a second time, Denmark’s embassy started shopping for a lobbyist with ties to the new president, who has proclaimed his intention to try to take over the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. The Danes are not alone. A number of countries that would be affected by Trump’s threatened acquisitions, tariffs, aid reductions, or deportations have been urgently seeking help on K Street to navigate his administration.

Powerless, Democrats Debate Just How Deep in the Wilderness They Are

DNyuz – Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 1/29/2025

Democratic lawmakers, activists, and strategists across the ideological spectrum are engaged in a fierce debate over how badly damaged the 2024 election left the party’s brand, a consequential internal argument that is already shaping early efforts to rebuild. While there is none of the denialism that gripped Republicans after Donald Trump lost in 2020, Democratic leaders are in sharp disagreement over how to interpret losses that not only returned Trump to power but also put Republicans in total control of the federal government.

DOJ Fires Officials Who Worked on Jack Smith’s Trump Investigations

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 1/27/2025

The Justice Department fired more than a dozen officials who worked on the special counsel team that investigated Donald Trump in two separate criminal cases, citing a lack of trust in them. The terminations are the latest example of the Trump administration reshaping the Justice Department, transferring or firing veteran career officials who the president’s allies believe would impede or interfere with their agenda.

House GOP Holds Retreat at a Trump Property, a Windfall to President’s Resort

MSN – Cleve Wootson, Jr., Paul Kane, and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 1/28/2025

Congressional Republicans are hashing out President Trump’s legislative agenda at the Miami-area golf resort that bears his name, offering a windfall for the once-underperforming property owned by a president who spent his first term battling criticism that he used his political position to enrich himself. Regardless of how the budget talks go, the biggest immediate beneficiary of the discussion will probably be Trump National Doral Golf Club.

Pete Hegseth Confirmed as Defense Secretary After Vance Breaks Tie

MSN – Abigail Hauslohner, Liz Goodwin, and Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) | Published: 1/24/2025

The Senate confirmed President Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, to become the country’s next defense secretary. The appointment of Hegseth, a Trump loyalist who has called for a “frontal assault” to rid the Pentagon of what he has said is a leftist ideology, marks a dramatic political shift in the United States’ national security policy and leadership. Hegseth secured his post in a vote of 51-50. It marks the second time in U.S. history that a vice president’s vote was necessary to confirm a Cabinet official.

Trump Defends Ousting at Least 15 Independent Inspectors General in Late-Night Purge

MSN – David Nakamura, Lisa Rein, and Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 1/25/2025

The White House removed the independent inspectors general of nearly every Cabinet-level agency in an unprecedented purge that could clear the way for Donald Trump to install loyalists in the crucial role of identifying fraud, waste, and abuse in the government. The dismissals appeared to violate federal law, which requires Congress to receive 30 days’ notice of any intent to fire a Senate-confirmed inspector general.

Johnson Aide Discouraged Hutchinson Subpoena Over Concerns About Lawmakers’ ‘Sexual Texts’

MSN – Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) | Published: 1/23/2025

An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson advised Republican colleagues against subpoenaing former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson as part of their investigation into the Capitol riot in to prevent the release of sexually explicit texts lawmakers sent her. Johnson revived the investigation as part of an effort by Donald Trump and his allies to seek retribution against perceived political enemies, including those who investigated his role in the January 6 attack.

Elon Musk’s Business Conflicts Draw Scrutiny Amid White House Role

MSN – Faiz Siddiqui (Washington Post) | Published: 1/24/2025

Elon Musk criticized a private-sector partnership touted by the Trump administration to hasten the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure. What was left unsaid was that Musk’s artificial intelligence business, xAI, is directly challenging OpenAI for the lead in the race to transform society with the technology. The debate reflects the inherent conflict in the highly unusual arrangement of having the world’s foremost business leader, and its richest person, actively working in the White House without having stepped aside from his business roles.

Former Senator Bob Menendez Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison in Corruption Case

MSN – Salvador Rizzo and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 1/29/2025

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison following his conviction on bribery and corruption charges. A jury found Menendez took bribes from three New Jersey businesspeople who sought his help quashing criminal investigations and securing lucrative deals with officials from Egypt and Qatar. The bribes totaled nearly $1 million, and included cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz. Menendez is the first public official in the United States to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent.

Trump’s Perceived Enemies Brace for Retribution with Plans, Dark Humor

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Sarah Ellison, Patrick Marley, and Holly Bailey (Washington Post) | Published: 1/28/2025

Around the nation, those who have crossed Donald Trump are readying themselves, their families, and their colleagues for the retribution that the president and his allies have pledged will come. Those who fear they could be targeted include election officials, prosecutors, current and former elected officials, democracy advocates, people who worked in Trump’s first administration, and those who appeared on a list of perceived enemies. They are bracing for criminal investigations, tax audits, congressional or state legislative scrutiny, arrests, online harassment, and physical threats.

Meta Will Pay $25 Million to Settle Trump Lawsuit Alleging Censorship

MSN – Naomi Nix and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 1/29/2025

Meta agreed to pay $25 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump alleging the company’s suspension of his social media accounts after the attack on the U.S. Capitol amounted to an act of censorship. The settlement is a major concession by Meta, which for years has maintained its right to determine which posts and accounts should be allowed to remain on its social networks.

Trump White House Rescinds Order Freezing Federal Spending, Reversing Course

MSN – Jeff Stein and Tony Romm (Washington Post) | Published: 1/29/2025

The White House budget office rescinded an order freezing federal grants after the administration’s move to halt spending provoked a backlash. The order freezing grants caused mass chaos and confusion across Washington, appearing to imperil government programs that fund schools, provide housing, and ensure that low-income Americans have access to health care.

Navajo Nation Leaders Raise Alarm Over Reports of Indigenous People Being Questioned and Detained During Immigration Sweeps

Yahoo News – Alaa Elassar (CNN) | Published: 1/27/2025

At least 15 Indigenous people in Arizona and New Mexico have reported being stopped at their homes and workplaces, questioned or detained by federal law enforcement, and asked to produce proof of citizenship during immigration raids, according to Navajo Nation officials. The reports, which have caused panic amongst tribal communities in both states, come amid the Trump administration’s attempt to ramp up undocumented immigrant arrests nationwide and amass a larger force to carry out the president’s deportation pledge.

DOJ Moves to Drop Prosecution of Former Trump Co-Defendants in Classified Documents Case

Yahoo News – Josh Gerstein and Kyke Cheney (Politico) | Published: 1/29/2025

The Justice Department moved to drop its effort to prosecute Donald Trump’s former co-defendants in special counsel Jack Smith’s classified documents case. Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira were accused of helping Trump obstruct the investigation into classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s first term. Smith charged them with obstructing justice and making false statements. If the appeals court grants the government’s request, it will end the last remnant of the federal criminal prosecutions against Trump.

From the States and Municipalities

California – ‘Pay-to-Play’ Claim Shakes Sonoma County’s $114 Million Real Estate Plans

Santa Rosa Press Democrat – Emma Murphy | Published: 1/29/2025

Sonoma County largest public employee labor union has come out swinging against a set of proposed county office acquisitions totaling $114 million and its attack, including allegations of pay-to-play politics involving at least one elected county supervisor, have derailed at least temporarily the deals’ advance. The Service Employees International Union Local 1021 alleges. Supervisor David Rabbitt improperly participated in closed-session discussions about the properties in question after receiving a campaign contribution from the agent of one of the brokerage firms involved in the deals.

California – Sacramento Has Contracts of Over $1 Million with Leader Accused of Bribery in Mayor’s Race

Yahoo News – Joe Rubin (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 1/29/2025

In December, runner-up mayoral candidate Flojaune Cofer introduced intrigue at a Sacramento City Council meeting, commenting publicly to oppose extending City Manager Howard Chan’s contract a year. “In late September, I was told that I would be given a campaign contribution in exchange for agreeing to extend the city manager’s contract by one year,” Carter said. The alleged bribe involved Jay King, the president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce, and developer Paul Petrovich.

Colorado – Democratic Lawmakers Seek to Expand Ethics Commission Jurisdiction to Colorado School Boards, Special Districts

Colorado Politics – Marianne Goodland | Published: 1/29/2025

Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are on their fourth attempt to expand the jurisdiction of the state’s independent ethics commission. House Bill 1079 would add school board members and their direct hires for 178 school districts, such as superintendents and boards of the state’s more than 3,000 special districts and their direct hires, to the jurisdiction of the ethics commission.

District of Columbia – Interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Launches Probe of Jan. 6 Prosecutions

MSN – Spencer Hsu, Keith Alexander, and Tom Jackman (Washington Post) | Published: 1/27/2025

Edward Martin Jr., interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., asked two top prosecutors in his office to undertake an internal review of its handling of Capitol riot prosecutions, a move that follows a White House executive order to the Justice Department and intelligence agencies to hunt for political bias in their ranks. Martin’s move to carry out the review is likely to stoke criticism from Democrats that he is helping the Trump administration sow discord in the office, divert prosecutorial resources. and punish prosecutors making reasonable legal judgments.

District of Columbia – D.C. Council Member Trayon White Denies Wrongdoing Ahead of Expulsion Vote

MSN – Jenny Gathright and Meagan Flynn (Washington Post) | Published: 1/28/2025

An attorney for District of Columbia Councilperson Trayon White Sr. offered the lawmaker’s first extended public response to the council’s looming expulsion of him, arguing during a council proceeding that the legislative body’s disciplinary process violated his client’s rights. The council, however, appears poised to expel White through a final vote. White is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for promising to influence contracts at city government agencies.

Georgia – Georgia Asks Federal Appeals Court to Tighten Voting Rights Act

MSN – Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 1/23/2025

Georgia is seeking another U.S. Supreme Court showdown over the Voting Rights Act, asking a federal appeals court to interpret the law in a way that could make it much harder to prove minority votes have been illegally diluted. A lawyer for the state asked a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court that required lawmakers to draw more Black-majority electoral districts.

Illinois – Brandon Johnson’s Campaign Gives Back Most of a $50,000 Contribution from Fund Run by a City Hall Lobbyist

Chicago Sun Times – Robert Herguth and Mitchell Armentrout | Published: 1/24/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign returned most of a $50,000 contribution it accepted from a PAC led by a City Hall lobbyist whose law firm has a city contract to collect outstanding utility bills. City ethics rules bar campaign donations to a mayor by city lobbyists and city contractors. The Friends of Brandon Johnson campaign fund appears to have repeatedly violated those restrictions since Johnson took office in May 2023, prompting tens of thousands of dollars in refunds.

Illinois – OIG Report Finds Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Office Improperly Blocked Access to Gift Room with Gucci Bags, Other Designer Items

MSN – Alice Yin (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/29/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office improperly blocked public access to a City Hall room where they said they store Gucci bags, designer cufflinks, and other gifts. City Inspector General Deborah Witzburg found Johnson’s office violated the ethics policy that requires mayors to record gifts above $50 and “accepted on behalf of the City” in a publicly available log maintained on the fifth floor of City Hall. Covert investigators visited the mayor’s office last June but were denied access to the log.

Louisiana – Louisiana Environmental Activist Loses Freedom of Speech Lawsuit Against Parish Officials

MSN – Jack Brook (Associated Press) | Published: 1/29/2025

Louisiana parish officials who threatened to arrest and imprison an environmental activist as she attempted to speak during a public meeting did not violate her right to freedom of speech, a civil jury ruled. Joy Banner had sought more than $2 million in damages from two St. John the Baptist parish officials, President Jaclyn Hotard and Councilperson Michael Wright, who she said blocked her from raising allegations of corruption tied to industrial development at a public meeting.

Massachusetts – Massachusetts Water Employee Faces $6,000 Fine After Accepting Free Ski Trips

MSN – Rick Sobey (Boston Herald) | Published: 1/29/2025

Another local water employee in Massachusetts is facing a $6,000 fine from the state after accepting free ski trips from a water meter manufacturer and distributor. The State Ethics Commission ruled Auburn Water District Foreman Scott Callahan violated the conflict-of-interest law by accepting two free ski trips from the manufacturer and its distributor.

Mississippi – US Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Mississippi Lifetime Ban on Voting by Felons

Yahoo News – Andrew Chung (Reuters) | Published: 1/27/2025

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Mississippi’s lifetime ban on voting by people convicted of a wide range of felonies, a policy adopted in 1890 during the Jim Crow era that stands as one of the toughest such restrictions in the nation. The justices turned away an appeal of a lower court’s decision rejecting a lawsuit that claimed the ban violates the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment promise of equal protection and Eighth Amendment bar on cruel and unusual punishments.

Montana – Montana Senate Convening Ethics Committee to Investigate its Former President

Montana Free Press – Tom Lutey | Published: 1/27/2025

The Montana Senate will conduct an ethics investigation into a $170,100 government contract brokered by former Senate President Jason Ellsworth with his business associate. Department of Administration (DOA) Director Misty Ann Giles acknowledged the Ellsworth contract violated state law, but the DOA saw the deal through, nonetheless. The investigation concluded Ellsworth’s actions with state funds were both wasteful and abusive.

Nebraska – Scott Danigole Is Next Head of Nebraska Campaign Finance Agency NADC

Yahoo News – Paul Hammel (Nebraska Examiner) | Published: 1/27/2025

Scott Danigole was selected as the next executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission. Danigole, who has served as a fiscal analyst for the state Legislature for the past 27 years, said he sought the position to continue to serve the state and due to a commitment to ensure “doing the right thing.”

New Jersey – Bill Spadea Has Improperly Benefited from Radio Show, Rival Claims in Governor’s Race Row

Yahoo News – Nikita Biryukov (New Jersey Monitor) | Published: 1/28/2025

Attorneys for gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli called on New Jersey’s campaign finance watchdog to withhold matching funds from rival Bill Spadea, arguing Spadea’s campaign has improperly reaped benefits from his morning radio show. The complaint revives protests made months ago that claimed Spadea’s daily presence on New Jersey 101.5 amounted to in-kind contributions from the station’s owner worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in violation of contribution limits and other rules on New Jersey’s gubernatorial public financing program.

New Mexico – Lawmakers, Ethics Commission Want More Lobbying Information Disclosed to Public

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 1/24/2025

In New Mexico, some lobbyists report political contributions, but there is no record of what company may have provided that money. Some lobbyists report thousands of dollars spent on meals with lawmakers, but no information about which lawmakers enjoyed those meals, or which of their clients paid for the food. Even for those in office, or for journalists, knowing who the lobbyists are, who is paying for the campaign donations they make, or the meals they buy, or what legislation they are trying to pass or kill, can be challenging.

New York – Justice Dept. Is Said to Discuss Dropping Case Against Eric Adams

DNyuz – Maggie Haberman, William Rashbaum, Devlin Barrett, and Jonah Bromwich (New York Times) | Published: 1/29/2025

Senior Justice Department officials under President Trump have held discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan about the possibility of dropping their corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams. Trump has the power to pardon Adams, who as New York City’s mayor could aid his plans for mass deportations. If prosecutors were to dismiss the case entirely, it could allow Adams to insist on his innocence to voters as he seeks another term as mayor, while allowing Trump to avoid the appearance of a pardon that many might view as unwarranted.

New York – NYC Council Votes to Expand Lobbying Ban on Ex-City Hall Officials Amid ‘Revolving Door’ Concerns

MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt and Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News) | Published: 1/23/2025

Senior New York City Hall officials, like deputy mayors and chiefs of staff, are barred from lobbying the mayor’s office for a year after leaving public service. They can lobby other city agencies besides the mayor’s office immediately upon departing under existing regulations. A new bill passed by the city council would beef up the law so ex-senior City Hall officials could not lobby any city agencies for two years after departing. It would also subject multiple positions to the ban that are not covered now.

New York – Prominent New York Lobbying Firm Racks Up Fines

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 1/23/2025

Over four years, a prominent New York lobbying firm, Patrick B. Jenkins and Associates, missed disclosure deadlines more than 230 times and paid more than $123,000 in late fees. Every two months, lobbying firms must file reports that provide insight into each public official and the issues they are seeking to influence on behalf of each of their clients. If filings are submitted late, the public cannot access this information in a timely manner.

North Dakota – Voter Registration, Campaign Finance Reporting Debated by North Dakota Lawmakers

Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 1/27/2025

The latest bill to require voter registration in North Dakota met strong opposition. North Dakota is the only state in the country without voter registration. Instead, voters must provide valid identification at the polls or when they request a mail-in ballot. Lawmakers also debated House Bill 1286, which is meant to address the use of dark money. The bill proposes a complex system for reporting contributions to political committees, campaigns, and ballot measures, and for investigating possible violations.

Ohio – Panel Suspends East Cleveland Mayor from Office

MSN – Cliff Pinckard (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/29/2025

A panel of three retired judges decided to suspend from office East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King, who currently is facing public corruption charges. King is accused of using more than $75,000 in city money to pay companies he or his relatives owned and giving a city-owned car and gas card to a former council member.

Oregon – Oregon Government Ethics Commission Will Probe Kotek’s Spending on Parking, Dinner

Yahoo News – Julia Shumway (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 1/24/2025

Members of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted to investigate Gov. Tina Kotek’s reported spending on parking, concert tickets, and an employee recognition buffet. Auditors flagged the spending which they described as “minor” and “unintentional” apparent violations of state ethics law, earlier in January. The ethics commission discussed the findings and concluded it did not have enough information to decide how to move forward. But commission Chairperson David Fiskum said they needed “not to do nothing.”

Oregon – Ethics Commission Faults Oregon Rep. Greg Smith for Not Naming Clients

Yahoo News – Julia Shumway (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 1/24/2025

Oregon’s government ethics watchdog dinged a state representative for failing to follow a law he voted for that requires government officials to disclose some sources of business income. The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted unanimously to move ahead with an investigation into Rep. Greg Smith. Last year was the first that officials had to disclose some sources of income for businesses they own.

Texas – Texas Lawmakers Race Against Fundraising Blackout to Fill Campaign Coffers

MSN – Karen Brooks Harper and Nolan McCaskill (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 1/23/2025

December 14 was the last day to raise campaign money for the legislative session that began Texas recently, and the state’s 181 lawmakers raised a combined $13 million in two weeks, a number that jumps closer to $17 million when fundraising by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate, is added. The fundraising in the two weeks preceding the session moratorium awes even the most veteran of political insiders, particularly as the skyrocketing cost of running a campaign requires officials to raise ever more money.

Utah – Here’s the Loophole Allowing Utah Lawmakers to Become Lobbyists Without ‘Cooling Off’

Salt Lake Tribune – Robert Gehrke | Published: 1/23/2025

Days after wrapping up a 24-year career in the Utah Senate, Curt Bramble filed to lobby the state Legislature, despite a law intended to prevent legislators from becoming “revolving-door” lobbyists. Bramble said there is a provision in the law that allows him to represent clients through his accounting and business consulting firm. “If lobbying or government relations isn’t your primary business then there’s an exception,” Bramble said.

West Virginia – Head of West Virginia Gun Lobby Appointed to Replace Lawmaker-Elect Arrested for Making Threats

MSN – Leah Willingham (Associated Press) | Published: 1/23/2025

The president of West Virginia’s largest gun-lobbying group was appointed to fill the seat of a lawmaker-elect who was ousted while confined to his house on charges related to terroristic threats against his colleagues. Ian Masters, president of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, was appointed to take over the vacated seat of Joseph de Soto.

National/Federal

Trump’s D.E.I. Order Creates ‘Fear and Confusion’ Among Corporate Leaders

DNyuz – Emma Goldberg (New York Times) | Published: 1/23/2025

In his first days in office, with series of sweeping moves, President Trump took aim at diversity efforts. Trump ordered federal officials overseeing government diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to be put on leave. His order did not stop with government employment. He revoked an executive order signed in 1965 that prohibited discriminatory hiring and employment practices for private government contractors. Perhaps most alarming for business leaders was the order’s focus on private corporations, whether they do business with the government or not.

Justice Department Says It Will Prosecute Local Officials Over Immigration Enforcement

MSN – Maria Sacchetti and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2025

The Trump administration directed federal prosecutors nationwide to investigate and potentially prosecute state and local officials who do not cooperate with the president’s plans to carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in U.S. history. The directive is likely to face fierce blowback from legal advocacy groups and officials in cities and states led by Democrats. Many lawyers say it is legal for state and local officials to stay out of most immigration enforcement.

Who Is Mariann Budde, the Bishop Who Told Trump to ‘Have Mercy’?

MSN – Olivia George and Gaya Gupta (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2025

While speaking at an interfaith inauguration prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, a bishop pleaded with President Trump to show compassion toward immigrants, LGBTQ+ children, and “the people in our country who are scared now.” The Right Rev. Mariann Budde also criticized Trump during his first term, particularly over his handling of protests during the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. She has served as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington since 2011 and was the first woman to be elected to the position.

Justice Department Issues Freeze for Civil Rights Division

MSN – Perry Stein and David Nakamura (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2025

The U.S. Justice Department ordered the civil rights division to halt much of its investigative activity dating from the Biden administration and not pursue new indictments, cases, or settlements. Cases that have already been filed would be subject to the discretion of the judge overseeing them. Within the Justice Department, the civil rights division typically experiences the sharpest shift in priorities between Republican and Democratic administrations. But the division typically decides on a case-by-case basis what litigation to pursue from the previous administration.

CNN Found Guilty of Defaming Security Contractor, Ordered to Pay $5 Million

MSN – Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 1/17/2025

A jury found CNN guilty of defaming security contractor Zachary Young, who argued his reputation and business were destroyed after he was featured in a segment on the network about the high costs of evacuating Afghans from the country after the Taliban took power. Young was awarded $5 million. The high-dollar verdict could also incentivize more lawsuits against media companies, particularly in a climate of hostility toward the press.

Washington Lobbyists Turn to Musk’s DOGE to Influence Trump

MSN – Gregory Korte and Ted Mann (Bloomberg) | Published: 1/19/2025

The Department of Government Efficiency, run by Elon Musk, is supposed to advise Donald Trump on spending cuts and regulatory reform. It does not yet, and may never, have any formalized responsibilities or authority. So far, its recruits have been organizing in clandestine meetings blocks from the White House. But already, companies and industry groups have started looking to the department, above the more traditional committees of Congress and federal agencies, to advance their agendas and protect their interests.

Biden Preemptively Pardons Milley, Fauci, Jan. 6 Panel – and His Family

MSN – Sabrina Rodriguez and Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 1/20/2025

President Biden issued preemptive pardons to retired Gen. Mark Milley, Anthony Fauci, members and staff of the January 6 congressional committee, and police officers who testified before the panel, just hours before Donald Trump’s inauguration. Biden’s decision comes after Trump has repeatedly threatened to go after those who have crossed him politically or attempted to hold him accountable for his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Trump Signs Order to End ‘Government Censorship’ of Social Media

MSN – Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 1/20/2025

President Trump signed an executive order intended to “immediately stop all government censorship,” a sweeping action that could chill years of efforts to combat the proliferation of false information online. Conservatives have argued in multiple lawsuits that efforts to limit the spread of false information online about public health and elections amount to illegal censorship. The order will create legal uncertainty for government officials who communicate with tech companies.

DOJ Can’t Show Jack Smith’s Report on Trump Classified Docs Case to Lawmakers, Cannon Rules

MSN – Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 1/21/2025

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the Justice Department from showing selected lawmakers portions of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on the classified documents case against Donald Trump. Cannon said there is no legal basis for the department to confidentially share the report with leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The ruling could make it easier for the Trump administration to bury the report, which recounts Smith’s investigation into the classified records that Trump stored at his Mar-a-Lago home and his alleged attempt to obstruct efforts to retrieve them.

Clemency for Oath Keepers, Proud Boys Fuels Extremism Threat, Experts Say

MSN – Spencer Hsu, Ellie Silverman, and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 1/21/2025

Counterterrorism experts say Donald Trump’s decision to free all the roughly 1,600 January 6 riot defendants, including the leaders of two extremist groups who played outsize roles in the Capitol riot, could further embolden fringe groups and hamper the Justice Department’s fight against political violence. Extremism researchers raised concerns over the message their freedom sends to armed militia-style groups or others with violent anti-government views. If those convicted of plotting such violence against the government walked free with support from the nation’s commander in chief, would others be energized to take up more action?

Trump Promotes Meme Coin, Raising Ethics Issues as Value Soars

MSN – Tony Romm (Washington Post) | Published: 1/19/2025

Ahead of his inauguration, Donald Trump launched and promoted a new cryptocurrency venture, raising fresh ethical questions about his attempts to monetize the incoming administration’s deepening political ties to the industry. Trump’s new project is known as a meme coin, a highly volatile sort of token that crypto enthusiasts can buy and sell tied to an online trend or personality.

Patagonia’s Ties to Nonprofit Raise Campaign Finance Concerns

Yahoo News – Tony Biasotti (Ventura County Star) | Published: 1/21/2025

A new nonprofit filed its incorporation paperwork with an address in Ventura and the name Save Our Home Planet Action. Its stated purposes included “raising awareness of the current environmental crisis,” land preservation and restoration, and lobbying and advocacy. It had no website, no known donors, and no apparent source of revenue. But it did have money. Ten days after its founding, it gave nearly $900,000 to two PACs.

Trump Revokes Lobbying Ban for Biden Appointees

Yahoo News – Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 1/22/2025

President Trump revoked an executive order signed by Joe Biden that set ethics and lobbying rules for appointees. Biden’s order banned outgoing appointees from registering to lobby until the end of his administration or for two years, whichever is later. It extended an existing ban on officials communicating with their former agency to include communications with senior White House staff. Trump’s order could make it easier for Biden alumni to land well-paying jobs in the private sector, where former officials can immediately cash in on their intimate knowledge of how the levers of power work to influence policy.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Santa Clara County Weighs Raising Campaign Donation Limits

MSN – Brandon Pho (San Jose Spotlight) | Published: 1/16/2025

Santa Clara County supervisors could relax restrictions on how much they can raise for their reelection campaigns. The issue sparked a debate at a Board of Supervisors meeting about whether a higher ceiling for candidate fundraising would help or hurt poorer people’s chances of winning elected county office.

California – Sheng Thao and Partner Andre Jones Sought More than $300,000 in Bribes, Feds Allege

MSN – Natalie Orenstein and Darwin BondGraham (Oaklandside) | Published: 1/17/2025

Former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao was indicted on bribery charges, along with her longtime boyfriend and a father-son team who run the company on contract for the city’s recycling services, alleging a corruption scheme involving cash payments and campaign mailers in exchange for city contracts. The indictment alleges Thao and Andre Jones accepted bribes from David and Andy Duong in exchange for promising to extend their recycling services contract and purchase housing units from a company the Duongs ran if Thao was elected in 2022.

Colorado – Colorado Senate Committee to Review Ethics Complaint Against Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis

Colorado Politics – Marianne Goodland | Published: 1/21/2025

The Colorado Senate formed an ethics committee to investigate claims that Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis mistreated staff members, a move that could ultimately lead to a reprimand or removal from office. A workplace misconduct complaint alleged she paid an aide to do landscaping work and tend bar and paid him with a campaign check. She did not report those expenditures in her campaign finance reports.

Florida – Ethics Commission Dismisses Baxter Complaint but Says She ‘Probably Violated’ County Code

MSN – Mike Diamond (Palm Beach Post) | Published: 1/22/2025

The Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics dismissed a complaint against county Commissioner Sara Baxter over gifts she received from lobbyist Ron Book. The commission upheld a staff finding there was “probable cause” to conclude Baxter violated the law for failing to report the gifts. But it rejected a staff recommendation to issue “a letter of instruction” to her, which would have warned her not to do it again. It may be one of the last anonymous complaints to be investigated by an ethics commission in Florida.

Florida – Judge Dismisses Díaz de la Portilla ‘Shakedown’ Lawsuit, Citing Legislative Immunity

MSN – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 1/17/2025

A judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing former Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla of orchestrating a “shakedown” scheme by pressuring the longtime operator of the Rickenbacker Marina to take on the commissioner’s associate as a business partner in exchange for the commissioner’s vote on a redevelopment deal. The ruling marks the second legal victory for Díaz de la Portilla. The Broward State Attorney’s Office dismissed a criminal corruption case against him.

Florida – DeSantis Picks Florida Attorney General to Replace Marco Rubio in Senate

MSN – Hannah Knowles and Lori Rozsa (Washington Post) | Published: 1/16/2025

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would appoint Ashley Moody, his state’s attorney general, to replace Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate, elevating a close ally. Moody previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Florida and became the youngest judge in the state when she won election to the Circuit Court in Hillsborough County. DeSantis also announced he will select his chief of staff, James Uthmeier, to take Moody’s place as attorney general.

Georgia – Giuliani and Georgia Election Workers Reach Settlement in Defamation Case

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 1/16/2025

Rudy Giuliani and two Georgia election workers reached a settlement in a case to determine whether he would be forced to give up World Series rings, his Florida condominium, and other assets as part of a $148 million defamation judgment. A trial on the matter was scheduled to begin January 16 involving Giuliani and election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, a mother and daughter. Freeman and Moss were included in a false election fraud narrative presented by Giuliani after the 2020 presidential race Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden.

Illinois – Man Banned from Chicago Park District Jobs After Scandal Now Working for Alderman

MSN – Jake Sheridan (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/20/2025

A November 2021 investigation cited Alonzo Williams, then the Chicago Park District’s chief programs officer, and other executives for mishandling allegations of abuse and sexual harassment in the lifeguard program. Williams resigned when the report came out and was designated “do not rehire” by the agency. But Williams quickly found contracting work in the city council. Despite the still-in-place label from the sister city agency, Ald. Greg Mitchell has hired Williams, payroll records show.

Illinois – Regardless of Verdict, Could Madigan Trial Be Make-or-Break Moment for Illinois?

MSN – Ray Long, Megan Crepeau, and Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/19/2025

The outcome of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial will be watched closely well beyond Chicago’s federal courthouse, with the verdict representing a potential make-or-break moment at the Illinois Capitol. Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers must now brace themselves for the culmination of a trial that has put a spotlight on Illinois’ messy intersection of money, special interests, and power politics.

Indiana – 3 More Women Accuse Indiana Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor of Sexual Misconduct

MSN – Hayleigh Colombo, Tony Cook, and Kayla Dwyer (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 1/19/2025

Three more women are accusing Indiana Senate Minority Leader Greg Taylor of sexual misconduct, the latest in a string of allegations against the chamber’s most powerful Democrat.  The new accusations date back to Taylor’s early years in the Legislature, but together with more recent allegations show a nearly decade-long pattern of unwelcomed sexual conduct toward younger interns, lobbyists, and staff.

Kentucky – Biden Pardons Kentuckian Jerry Lundergan for Campaign Finance Conviction

Yahoo News – Jack Brammer (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 1/20/2025

President Biden pardoned businessperson Jerry Lundergan for his conviction on federal campaign finance charges. Lundergan was sentenced to 21 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for making illegal contributions to the failed U.S. Senate campaign of his daughter, former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, and for causing the concealment of those contributions from the FEC.

Kentucky – He Ran Kentucky’s Nursing Home Inspections. Now He’s a Nursing Home Lobbyist. Is That OK?

Yahoo News – John Cheves (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 1/16/2025

The state official in charge of nursing home inspections might have violated Kentucky’s ethics law by moving too quickly a year ago into a job as a nursing home industry lobbyist, promoting the interests of his new employer throughout 2024 in meetings and communications with his old employer. In December 2023, Adam Mather quit his $135,086 state job and registered as a Frankfort lobbyist for the nursing home industry’s trade group, becoming president of the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities.

Maryland – Delegate’s Canceled Check Answers One Campaign Finance Question, Raises Another

Yahoo News – Bryan Sears (Maryland Matters) | Published: 1/23/2025

A state delegate may have inadvertently run afoul of Maryland campaign finance law as she sought to address questions recently about a missing 2023 payment to rent a venue for a campaign event. There were allegations that Del. Dana Jones failed to report a payment or in-kind contribution for the venue. Jones produced canceled checks that show her campaign paid the Annapolis Maritime Museum $850 for use of the venue.  But the checks also showed something else: Jones’s signature at the bottom of the payments.

Mississippi – MS Secretary of State Outlines Campaign Finance Reform Among His Legislative Priorities for 2025

MSN – Pam Dankins (Mississippi Clarion Ledger) | Published: 1/16/2025

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson outlined his legislative priorities during a press conference, continuing his call for campaign finance reform and voicing the importance of election integrity in the state. During last year’s legislative session, Watson pushed lawmakers to approve and pay for a new campaign finance reporting system, so the public can easily view and search donations to candidates. His efforts were struck down.

Montana – Montana Senate Republican Leaders Looking into Use of $170K of State Funds by Former President

Yahoo News – Micah Drew (Daily Montanan) | Published: 1/17/2025

Sen. Jason Ellsworth, the former Montana Senate president, denied any wrongdoing in connection with a $170,000 no-bid contract he signed in his final days in office, an expenditure that is now under scrutiny by new Senate leadership. The contract is between Ellsworth and Bryce Eggleston of Agile Analytics. A Federal Trade Commission case from more than a decade ago identified Ellsworth and Eggleston as having a previous professional relationship, with businesses registered at the same address.

New Jersey – George Norcross’ Attorneys Argue in Court Their ‘Well-Connected’ Client Turned Camden Around as They Seek Dismissal

WHYY – P. Kenneth Burns | Published: 1/22/2025

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter Warshaw heard arguments over whether the corruption indictment against George Norcross III and his five co-defendants should be dismissed. They are accused of executing an enterprise that muscled out Norcross’s business rivals from owning properties on the Camden waterfront, while reaping benefits of a tax incentive program that was written by Philip Norcross. Defense attorney Michael Critchley described the arguments as “a complaint about how our political and economic system begins and operates.”

New York – NYC Council Pushing Lobbying Ban on Mayor’s Office Staffers – but Excludes Itself from Crackdown

MSN – Carl Campanile (New York Post) | Published: 1/17/2025

The New York City Council is poised to pass legislation that extends lobbying restrictions to cover more power brokers in the mayor’s office after they leave the government but the tougher regulation to crack down on potential influence peddling excludes the council’s own members and staff. The measure comes at a time when Mayor Eric Adams is contesting federal corruption and bribery charges, and several former top aides have also either resigned or face criminal charges.

New York – Adams Legal Defense Fund Almost $1 Million in Debt as Donations Dwindle

The City – Yoav Gonan | Published: 1/16/2025

New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ legal defense fund raised just $2,200 from two donors over the last three months, even as his expenses to battle federal corruption charges mount ahead of an expected April trial, new filings show. The trust has refunded roughly $167,000 in contributions, many of which came from family members of people engaged in business with city government, who are prohibited from giving.

North Carolina – To Gain a Court Seat, Republicans Seek to Throw Out Thousands of Votes

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 1/23/2025

The election for an open seat on the North Carolina Supreme Cort may be decided by the very justices who will sit alongside whoever is ultimately declared the winner. The fight over the court seat reveals the intensifying politics of judicial elections and the spread of election litigation in the years since Donald Trump unsuccessfully challenged his 2020 presidential loss. The state Supreme Court justices blocked the elections board from certifying Justice Allison Riggs’ narrow win so they could consider a challenge. The justices recently kept that order in place but said they would let a lower court consider the challenge first.

Ohio – Ramaswamy Will Bow Out of Cost-Cutting Project and Run for Governor in Ohio

DNyuz – Theodore Schleifer and Madeleine Ngo (New York Times) | Published: 1/20/2025

The advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency is losing one of its leaders before it even begins. Vivek Ramaswamy, whom President Trump named in November as co-leader of the initiative alongside Elon Musk, will quit the project because he plans to run for governor of Ohio.

Ohio – American Electric Power Pays $19M to Settle with SEC Over Its HB6 Entanglement

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/22/2025

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission agreed to enter a $19 million settlement with American Electric Power (AEP) after regulators accused the company of misleading investors about its involvement in a criminal corruption scandal. Four men, including ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, have been criminally convicted of racketeering. AEP had insisted that neither the company nor its subsidiaries contributed to a dark money nonprofit Householder controlled. But tax records show AEP contributed $1.2 million between 2017 and 2020 to two Householder-controlled groups.

Ohio – Feds Charge Former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones, Ex-Senior Vice President in Bribery Scheme

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/17/2025

Former FirstEnergy Chief Executive Officer Chuck Jones and Michael Dowling, a former lobbyist for the company, face federal racketeering charges for their roles in a public corruption scandal to pass a $1 billion bailout for the utility’s nuclear plants. The charges come nearly a year after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost charged the men in state court over some of the same conduct. Typically, the U.S. Justice Department does not charge for the same crimes after the state, but the new indictment covers more ground.

Ohio – Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted Will Succeed JD Vance in the US Senate

MSN – Julie Carr Smyth and Stephen Groves (Associated Press) | Published: 1/17/2025

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted will succeed Vice President JD Vance in the U.S. Senate. Gov. Mike DeWine’s decision ends months of jockeying among top Ohio Republicans for the seat, which Vance had held for less than two years. DeWine said a large consideration was that Husted has extensive government experience that Ohio’s last two U.S. senators, Vance and businessperson Bernie Moreno, both political novices when elected, lacked.

Ohio – Ohio Utility Regulators Move Ethics Questions to Start of Application Process as Part of Reforms

WOSU – Renee Fox | Published: 1/16/2025

Five people have applied to fill an opening on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). There is something new about the process this year. PUCO spokesperson Matt Schilling said this time the agency required applicants to fill out Ohio Ethics Commission forms in order to apply, instead of later in the process.

Oklahoma – Second Ethics Probe Examines Ryan Walters for Social Media, Political Activity

NonDoc – Michael McNutt and Sasha Ndisabiye | Published: 1/17/2025

With his handling of 2022 campaign funds already being questioned, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is also being investigated over whether certain posts on social media and certain comments on issues mostly concerning Donald Trump violate ethics rules about the use of state money, property, or time. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission authorized Executive Director Lee Anne Bruce Boone to “pursue prosecution in district court.”

Oregon – New Report Scrutinizes Lobbyists Working for NW Natural Gas and for Public Health, Climate Groups

Yahoo News – Alex Baumhardt (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 1/16/2025

Two lobbying firms advocating on behalf of Oregon’s largest gas utility are also lobbying on behalf of conservation and public health groups and local governments interested in ending natural gas hookups and combating climate change caused by burning gas. Conflicts-of-interest between NW Natural and a number of government bodies and nonprofits were analyzed in a new report. It calls on the Oregon Legislature to require lobbyists to disclose their compensation and their positions on specific bills, so they are not being paid to fight for and against policies that are at odds with one another.

Wyoming – Wyoming’s Money Managers Fear Losses from Freedom Caucus’ Investment Restrictions

WyoFile – Andrew Graham | Published: 1/20/2025

The House Freedom Caucus’ proposed ban on “environmental, social and governance” investing threatens Wyoming’s pensions and stock market returns, the state’s investment chiefs say. Those warnings sparked a flurry of changes by the legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Christopher Knapp, as he scrambled to achieve the caucus’ ideological goals without tanking the state’s returns.