LobbyComply Blog

Question

I recently began a new position with responsibility for local government relations for my employer. I’ve only previously done state work. What do I need to know?

Answer

Local government lobbying compliance is significantly more fragmented and complex than state-level lobbying, and the differences can catch even experienced state lobbyists off guard. While state lobbying laws tend to follow more standardized frameworks, local lobbying requirements vary widely by jurisdiction, population size, government entity, and even industry.

Local Lobbying Laws Are Not Universal

Unlike state lobbying, some smaller cities, towns, and special districts have no lobbying ordinances. However, the absence of a local ordinance does not necessarily mean that compliance obligations do not exist. In several states, including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Missouri, state lobbying laws extend to local government activity, requiring lobbyists to register and report with the applicable state agency when engaging with local officials.

In New York, for example, the state lobbying statute requires disclosure of all lobbying activities before municipalities, including jurisdictional subdivisions with populations exceeding 5,000 residents.

How State Law Can Shape Local Lobbying Requirements

State law may also mandate that local governments adopt their own lobbying frameworks. Maryland does not require local lobbyists to register at the state level, but it requires counties and municipal corporations to maintain lobbying regulations that substantially mirror state lobbying rules.

Highly regulated states such as California often have robust local disclosure requirements, particularly in larger cities and counties. Florida, while somewhat less centralized than California, is also known for numerous local lobbying ordinances that govern municipal and county-level advocacy.

Industry-Specific and Entity-Specific Compliance Risks

Local lobbying requirements frequently extend beyond traditional city councils and county commissions. Special-purpose entities (SPE) often impose their own disclosure regimes. Transportation authorities, such as the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and airport authorities, such as the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, may require separate registration and reporting.

School districts also present compliance risks. Lobbying activity involving districts such as Broward County Public Schools, Los Angeles Unified School District, or Miami-Dade County Public Schools can trigger registration and periodic reporting obligations, even when activity would not be reportable at the state level.

Healthcare is another highly regulated area. Some public hospital systems impose lobbying requirements that are more stringent than local ordinances. For example, Jackson Health System, an affiliated network of hospitals in Miami-Dade County, requires all pharmaceutical representatives to register as lobbyists before visiting facilities to promote products.

No Thresholds Mean Higher Compliance Exposure

A critical difference between state and local lobbying is that many local jurisdictions impose no monetary or activity thresholds. This means registration may be required simply for engaging in conduct that meets the definition of lobbying, regardless of time spent or compensation received. As a result, even minimal outreach can create compliance obligations.

Before engaging in any local government relations activity, it is essential to independently verify applicable state laws, local ordinances, and entity-specific rules or consult with a lobbying compliance professional to reduce the risk of inadvertent noncompliance.

Note: The information in this response can be easily found on our website in the Lobbying Compliance section of the United States Lobbying Compliance Guidebook.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions.

Frequently Asked Questions About Local Lobbying Compliance

1. How can I tell whether a local jurisdiction has a lobbying ordinance?

There is no single database or universal indicator. Larger cities and counties are more likely to have lobbying ordinances, but population alone is not determinative. Each jurisdiction must be reviewed individually, including municipal codes, ethics ordinances, and administrative policies. Special districts and quasi-governmental entities should be evaluated separately.

2. Does lobbying a local official always require registration?

Not always, but many local jurisdictions define lobbying broadly. In some cases, registration is required immediately upon engaging in covered activity, regardless of compensation or frequency. Where no registration threshold exists, even introductory meetings, informational outreach, or industry-specific advocacy may trigger obligations.

3. If state law governs local lobbying, do local rules still matter?

Yes. Even when state law applies, local ordinances or entity-specific policies may impose additional requirements. These can include separate registration, local reporting schedules, gift restrictions, or cooling-off periods. State compliance should never be assumed to fully satisfy local obligations.

4. Why is the absence of a registration threshold risky?

When no threshold exists, there is little margin for error. Limited or informal activity can still require registration and reporting, increasing exposure to enforcement actions, fines, or reputational harm if obligations are overlooked. Conservative compliance analysis is strongly recommended.

5. What steps should I take before engaging in local lobbying activity?

Before engaging with local officials or entities, confirm:

• Consult with a Lobbying Compliance Firm
• Whether state law applies to your activity
• Whether the local jurisdiction has a lobbying ordinance
• Whether special entities (school districts, transit authorities, hospitals) impose independent requirements
• Whether industry-specific rules apply

When uncertainty exists, consulting with a lobbying compliance firm, like State and Federal Communications, can help ensure accurate registration, timely reporting, and reduced compliance risk.

National/Federal

Judge Blocks Government from Searching Data Seized from Post Reporter

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 1/21/2026

Government officials may not examine electronic devices seized from a Washington Post reporter until litigation stemming from the search of her home is settled, a federal judge ruled. The order was issued hours after the newspaper demanded in a court filing that federal law enforcement officials return the electronic devices the government seized from staff reporter Hannah Natanson’s home. The extraordinary search “flouts the First Amendment and ignores federal statutory safeguards for journalists,” The Post told the court.

Judge Warns Trump Administration from Changing Plaintiffs Immigration Status in First Amendment Case

MSN – Michael Casey (Associated Press) | Published: 1/22/2026

A federal judge ruled that group of academics, who are party to a lawsuit alleging U.S. policy singles out noncitizens for detention or deportation over their pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses, can seek relief from the court if their immigration status is changed as retribution for taking part in the case. The decision from U.S. District Court Judge William Young comes in the wake of trial last year, in which he ruled the Trump administration violated the Constitution when it targeted non-U.S. citizens for deportation solely for supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel.

Senate Democrats to Block Government Funding After Second Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis

MSN – Riley Beggin (Washington Post) | Published: 1/25/2026

Senate Democrats plan to block a sweeping government funding package after U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, killed a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, in Minneapolis, and a partial shutdown now looks likely. It is the third shooting by federal agents in the city in January Democrats said they could not vote for legislation to continue U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s funding without changes to how the agency operates.

In 16 Shooting Incidents Since July, No DHS Officers Have Faced Charges

MSN – David Nakamura and Olivia George (Washington Post) | Published: 1/27/2026

Department of Homeland Security officers have fired shots during enforcement arrests or at people protesting their operations 16 times since July, and as in the recent shootings in Minneapolis, in each case the Trump administration has publicly declared their actions justified before waiting for investigations to be completed. None of the officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol, or Homeland Security Investigations has faced criminal charges in any of the shootings, nor has the administration announced any internal disciplinary measures against them.

Millions in Bets Ride on What Trump Will Say, Do, or Invade Next

MSN – Lisa Bonos (Washington Post) | Published: 1/28/2026

Betting on political events on prediction markets has grown sharply in recent months. There is $129 million at stake on political markets on Kalshi, the company said. About 370,000 people are staking more than $90 million on politics at Polymarket. Many of those wagers hinge on actions by President Trump or his administration. The growth of prediction markets and the popularity of wagers on the actions of politicians and the U.S. government have sparked concern about insider trading, market manipulation, and the incentives for government insiders to influence the outcomes others are betting on.

Political Ad Spending Is Projected to Reach a New High in 2026 Midterms

OpenSecrets – Carolyn Neugarten | Published: 1/20/2026

The 2026 elections are on track to become the most expensive midterm cycle in U.S. history, driven in large part by huge increases in political advertising. According to AdImpact’s Political Projections 2025–2026 report, spending on political advertising is estimated to reach $10.8 billion in the next cycle, over 20 percent higher than in 2022.

How a Democratic Heavyweight Is Using AI in the Midterms

Yahoo News – Jessica Piper (Politico) | Published: 1/27/2026

A Democratic opposition research firm is putting massive troves of its work product online ahead of the midterm elections and using artificial intelligence to help everyone from campaigns to podcasters figure out how to navigate the information. The project from American Bridge 21st Century reflects an expansion of its efforts ahead of the 2026 elections, as well as the evolving nature of political campaigning, including opposition research, in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Lobbyists and Lawmakers Mingle Over Luxury Tequila, Shrimp and Cigars at Capital Party

MSN – Yue Stella Yu (CalMatters) | Published: 1/21/2026

Hundreds of politicians, staffers, and lobbyists attended the annual “back to session bash” in Sacramento, funded by tribal groups, sports betting companies, and other special interests aiming to influence them. The signature event at the beginning of each year of legislative action is one of many political gatherings at which lawmakers and their staff are invited to mingle with special interests. It offers a glimpse into the perks available to California politicians and shows how special interests buy access to policymakers who they hope to influence.

Colorado – Former Colorado State Senator Convicted of Felonies for Fabricating Letters Amid Ethics Investigation

Colorado Sun – Jesse Paul | Published: 1/28/2026

Former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis was convicted of attempting to influence a public servant and multiple counts of forgery for fabricating letters of support to the Colorado Senate Ethics Committee to try to avoid sanctions amid an investigation into her alleged mistreatment of Capitol aides. Prosecutors said they planned to ask that Jaquez Lewis be sentenced to probation. She resigned from the Senate in February 2025 amid the ethics probe.

District of Columbia – Jack Evans, Who Left D.C. Council Amid Scandal, to Run for Chairman

MSN – Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) | Published: 1/27/2026

Jack Evans resigned from the District of Columbia Council in 2020 after being repeatedly accused of using his public office for private gain. Now, the former lawmaker is once again attempting a political comeback, seeking to return to the body that unanimously recommended his expulsion for ethics violations. This time he hopes to lead the council, challenging the chairperson, his former colleague Phil Mendelson.

District of Columbia – Longtime D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton Files to End Reelection Bid

Roll Call – Matt Brown | Published: 1/25/2026

Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House for more than three decades, will not seek a 19th term in office. During her tenure in Congress, Norton built a reputation as an intense fighter on behalf of the city. She has repeatedly led legislation for. statehood, with the measure advancing out of the House in 2020 and 2021, when Democrats controlled the chamber. More recently, though, Norton generated more attention over concerns about her age and effectiveness.

Georgia – FBI Executes Search Warrant Seeking Ballots from Fulton County’s 2020 Election

MSN – Ben Brasch and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 1/28/2026

The FBI executed a search warrant at the elections warehouse of a Georgia county at the heart of right-wing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s efforts to challenge the narrative of his loss that year. The warrant authorized agents to seize all physical ballots from the 2020 election, voting machine tabulator tapes, images produced during the ballot count, and voter rolls from that year.

Illinois – As Chicago Ethics Board Surpasses 6 Months Without a Leader, Enforcement Actions Stall

WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 1/26/2026

The Chicago Board of Ethics, which has been without a permanent leader for more than six months, was forced to cancel two recent meetings, stalling several probes into campaign finance law violations, nepotism in city hiring, and bribery. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s failure to name a new ethics board chair has infuriated good-government advocates who are again demanding that he do more to combat Chicago’s reputation as the most corrupt of corrupt American cities.

Indiana – Hogsett Allies Routinely Benefit from No-Bid City Contracts

Yahoo News – Tony Cook, Jordan Smith, and Peter Blanchard (Indianapolis Star), and Emily Hopkins (Mirror Indy) | Published: 1/27/2026

Joe Hogsett’s first policy announcement while running for mayor of Indianapolis in 2015 was an ethics reform package that included a promise to reduce no-bid contracts. A media investigation found that after a decade in power, Hogsett’s administration continues to regularly award contracts without a competitive process. The result: his administration has spent millions of taxpayer dollars with little public vetting, sometimes on contracts involving his top campaign donors and close advisers, including his disgraced former chief of staff, Thomas Cook.

Kansas – Kansas Bill Targets Crypto’s Shadowy Path into Campaign Coffers

WebProNews – Andrew Cain | Published: 1/27/2026

Kansas lawmakers are moving to close a persistent gap in campaign finance rules, targeting cryptocurrency donations that have long evaded state oversight. A new bill introduced in the 2026 legislative session seeks to impose clear regulations on digital asset contributions, echoing warnings from the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission dating back years.

Louisiana – District 6 Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. Indicted in Baton Rouge Corruption Probe

Yahoo News – Bria Gremillion (WVLA) | Published: 1/28/2026

Baton Rouge Caity Councilperson Cleve Dunn Jr. was indicted on multiple charges, including theft and money laundering. The indictment stems from Dunn’s alleged role in the misuse of money intended for the Capital Area Transportation System (CATS). It is alleged Dunn was tied to the indictments of former CATS Chief Administrative Officer Pearlina Thomas, contractor Jarion Colar, and Terral Jackson and his wife, Erica Jackson, that were handed down recently.

Maryland – Baltimore Inspector General Accuses City of Blocking Access to Records Amid Dispute

MSN – Todd Karpovich and Ruben Castaneda (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 1/27/2026

City Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration has blocked her office’s ability to manage and monitor its own investigative files, leaving her unable to determine whether sensitive data has been “compromised.” Cumming said she notified law enforcement partners and whistleblowers that the Office of the Inspector General no longer has the ability to track who can access investigative, ethics, and whistleblower records.

Maryland – Maryland Launches New Tools to Make Campaign Finance Easier to Access

Yahoo News – Janis Reeser (Hagerstown Daily-Mail) | Published: 1/26/2026

The Maryland State Board of Elections launched an upgrade to its campaign finance disclosure systems, designed to improve transparency, accuracy, and public access to information. It aims to streamline the way candidates, committees, and businesses report their financial activities related to campaigns.

Minnesota – Bondi’s Injection of Voter Roll Demands into Minneapolis ICE Tensions Draws Claims of ‘Ransom’

MSN – Tierney Sneed and Fredreka Schouten (CNN) | Published: 1/27/2026

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s demand that Minnesota hand over sensitive voter registration records to the federal government amid tensions over ICE and immigration enforcement underscores the importance of the administration’s nationwide data grab that is facing resistance in multiple states and has stumbled in the courts. The Justice Department has already sued Minnesota and 23 other states for the voter data, but Bondi recently urged Gov. Tim Walz to help “bring an end to the chaos,” by turning over the records, among other requests.

Minnesota – Three Arrested in St. Paul Church Protest as Judge Rejects Charges Against Don Lemon

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck, Perry Stein, and Praveena Somasundaram (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2026

A judge in Minnesota rejected federal prosecutors’ attempt to criminally charge journalist Don Lemon in relation to his presence during a protest at a St. Paul church, an extraordinary rebuke of a Justice Department that has drawn criticism for its forceful response to demonstrations against immigration enforcement efforts. Department officials announced the arrests of a prominent civil rights lawyer and two others in connection with the church demonstration. The protest at Cities Church in St. Paul has become a flash point in the debate over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota.

Minnesota – Man Arrested After Spraying Unknown Substance on Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis Town Hall

MSN – Laura Bargfeld and Hannah Schoenbaum (Associated Press) | Published: 1/28/2026

A man sprayed an unknown substance on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and was tackled to the ground during a town hall in Minneapolis, where tensions over federal immigration enforcement have come to a head after agents fatally shot Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Omar continued speaking for about 25 more minutes after the man was ushered out by security, saying she would not be intimidated.

Minnesota – Democrats Visit 5-Year-Old Who Was Detained in Minneapolis, in a Case That Stirred Anger Over ICE

MSN – Valerie Gonzalez, Eric Gay, and Bill Barrow (Associated Press) | Published: 1/28/2026

U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro and Jasmine Crockett visited a five-year-old Ecuadorian boy and his father at a Texas federal detention center, in a case that has stirred anger over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and given fuel to Democrats and others who are pushing back against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s actions. The meeting was part of Democrats’ midterm-election-year effort to conduct congressional oversight and highlight the consequences of President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota and elsewhere.

Minnesota – Minnesota Prosecutors Face Uphill Battle If They Charge Feds in Fatal Shootings

MSN – Daniel Barnes (Politico) | Published: 1/28/2026

If Minnesota officials try to prosecute the federal agents who recently killed two people in Minneapolis, they will face steep obstacles from a century-old Supreme Court precedent, one that helped sink a similar case just a few years ago. The 2017 shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by two U.S. Park Police officers in a Northern Virginia neighborhood, and the protracted legal battles that followed, may be the best preview of what Minnesota officials can expect if they pursue criminal charges against federal immigration agents.

Minnesota – Sen. Amy Klobuchar Launches Bid for Minnesota Governor: ‘We cannot sugarcoat how hard this is’

MSN – Jeff Zeleny (CNN) | Published: 1/29/2026

Sen. Amy Klobuchar launched her bid for governor of Minnesota, pledging to unify her state and move beyond a deadly battle with the federal government over immigration. Klobuchar is seeking to govern Minnesota during an extraordinarily fraught moment. The state has become the epicenter of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has sparked waves of outrage and protest from residents, particularly after two fatal shootings of protesters by federal agents.

Missouri – Missouri Governor Withdraws Ethics Nominees Amid Fight Over Gerrymandered Map

Yahoo News – Jason Hancock (Missouri Independent) | Published: 1/28/2026

Gov. Mike Kehoe withdrew two nominees to the Missouri Ethics Commission after Democrats pointed out the appointments were based on a congressional map that Republicans contend is no longer valid. Sen. Stephen Webber raised a formal objection to four nominees to the commission. The appointments are based on congressional districts, Webber noted, and Kehoe relied on the map approved by lawmakers in 2022. But Republicans are in court arguing the newly gerrymandered map, which passed four months ago, is in effect.

New Jersey – ‘Terrifying Abuses of Power’: Judge hears arguments over leadership arrangement at New Jersey prosecutor’s office

MSN – Ry Rivard (Politico) | Published: 1/23/2026

A federal judge heard arguments about whether the Trump administration is illegally running the U.S. attorney’s office in New Jersey. After Trump loyalist Alina Habba stepped down in December, Attorney General Pam Bondi put three people in charge of running the prosecutor’s office. Now the same judge who first ruled Habba was serving illegally, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brann, is considering the legality of what he called this “triumvirate of attorneys.” The arrangement has never been used before in American history.

New York – Ingrid Lewis-Martin Accepted Diamond Earrings to Help Developers Dodge Inspections, New Filings Allege

The City – Greg Smith | Published: 1/27/2026

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, once former New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ closest advisor, faces a variety of pending criminal charges, including allegations she accepted bribes from two developers in exchange for making their problems with city building inspectors disappear.. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg recently detailed concerns raised by a top buildings department official who was concerned a planned hotel renovation Lewis-Martin was pushing was potentially unsafe. According to the official, the developer ignored demands from the Department of Buildings for information on whether the hotel could meet fire safety rules.

North Carolina – Lack of Lobbying Disclosure for $15 Million NC Road Project Leads to Policy Change

MSN – Dan Kane (Raleigh News & Observer) | Published: 1/28/2026

No surprises. That is the intent of a new North Carolina Association of Regional Councils of Governments policy regarding any lobbyists it hires. It was adopted after one of its member councils accepted $15 million in state money on behalf of a developer building a road in Mooresville without knowing its lobbyist represented the developer too.

North Dakota – North Dakota Ethics Rule Changes Address Bad Faith Complaints

Yahoo News – Mary Steurer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 1/28/2026

The North Dakota Ethics Commission adopted several updates to its complaint process, including a change that allows complaints filed in bad faith to be dismissed. Legislators in 2025 directed the commission to create a process to handle bad faith complaints amid concerns that public officials were using complaints as a weapon to harm their political opponents. The amended rules consider bad faith complaints to include those filed “to harass or impugn the reputation” of the accused.

Ohio – Ohio Ethics Agency Prohibits Legal Defense Funds for Public Officials

Blue Water Healthy Living – Laura Bischoff (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 1/22/2026

The Ohio Ethics Commission said public officials are not allowed to solicit or accept money for their legal defense in civil cases from sources they are trying to do business with, are regulated by, or have interests in officials’ agencies. Anyone elected, appointed, or employed by a public agency, whether paid or unpaid, in Ohio would be governed by the opinion.

Ohio – Ohio Ethics Commission Kills Charter School Disclosure Rule After Political Pressure

MSN – Laura Hancock (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/29/2026

The Ohio Ethics Commission put the brakes on a recently passed rule that would have required officials overseeing charter schools to file financial disclosures after state legislative leadership objected to the requirement. Senate President Rob McColley and House Speaker Matt Huffman wrote a letter to the commission, accusing the panel of making changes “by executive fiat.” The lawmakers objected to the requirement by saying it was unfair, since traditional public school boards and board candidates only must file disclosures if they serve over 12,000 students.

Ohio – Ohio HB6 Scandal Trial Set to Begin Tuesday for Ex-FirstEnergy Executives

MSN – Adam Ferrise (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/26/2026

For the first time since Ohio’s House Bill 6 scandal broke more than five years ago, a trial has begun for former FirstEnergy executives on accusations they used the utility’s deep pockets and political influence to carry out what officials have called the largest bribery scheme in Ohio history. Former FirstEnergy Chief Executive Officer Chuck Jones and the company’s former top lobbyist, Michael Dowling, face charges that they bent state regulators to their will and bribed Public Utilities of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo with $4.3 million.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma Agency Sues Vendor Over Ethics Reporting System Debacle

Yahoo News – Barbara Hoberock (Oklahoma Voice) | Published: 1/22/2026

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission filed suit against a Texas vendor for allegedly failing to deliver a campaign finance reporting system despite repeated assurances and deadline extensions. The failure of RFD & Associates cost the state over $800,000, according to Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who is representing the agency.

Oklahoma – State Rep. Ajay Pittman Resigns and Pleads Guilty to Three Felonies

Yahoo News – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 1/28/2026

State Rep. Ajay Pittman resigned from office and pleaded guilty to three felonies for trying to fool the Oklahoma Ethics Commission with a falsified check. Under a plea deal, she was put on probation for seven years. Her resignation was part of her plea deal. She also agreed not to seek state office again for seven years.

Rhode Island – Home, Office Security Would Be Eligible for Campaign Funds Under R.I. Senate Bill

Yahoo News – Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) | Published: 1/23/2026

As threats and acts of violence against elected officials increase nationwide, the Rhode Island General Assembly will consider letting candidates for office use campaign funds for personal security. New legislation would add home and office security systems to the list of ways state and local candidates can spend campaign money during an election cycle.

Tennessee – How Tennessees Speaker of the House Helped Keep a Payday Lender’s Struggling Sports Gambling Company Alive

MSN – Adam Friedman (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 1/27/2026

The owners of a payday lending company faced a crisis in March 2021 when their other business, a now-defunct sports gambling operation, was under investigation by Tennessee regulators. The couple, Michael and Tina Hodges, had already turned to of the House Speaker Cameron Sexton in 2014 to create a new triple-digit interest loan called a “Flex Loan.” Now they needed Sexton’s help keeping their fledgling gambling business, Action 247, afloat as it tried to compete with sportsbooks like FanDuel and DraftKings.

Texas – Nacogdoches Council Passes Lobbying Ordinance in Split Vote

Nacogdoches Daily Sentinel – Nicole Bradford | Published: 1/22/2026

The Nacogdoches City Council passed an ordinance requiring lobbyists to register with the city and pay a $150 fee. City staff defined lobbying as attempting to influence city policy or a council vote in exchange for some form of compensation. The ordinance also expands on the city’s conflict-of-interest provisions.

Vermont – Facing ‘Precarious’ Future, Vermont State Ethics Commission Seeks Financial Lifeline from Lawmakers

Vermont Public – Peter Hirschfeld | Published: 1/28/2026

Paul Erlbaum, a commissioner on the State Ethics Commission, pleaded with members of the Senate Government Operations Committee for two additional staff members. Without the move, Erlbaum said, “the continued existence of the commission is precarious.” In 2024, the Vermont Legislature established a uniform code of ethics for town and city governments, and directed the Ethics Commission to provide training, advice, and guidance on how to uphold it. Lawmakers, however, failed to provide the commission with additional resources to fulfill those duties.

Virginia – Judge Rules Virginia Democrats Violated Law with Redistricting Amendment

MSN – Gregory Schneider (Washington Post) | Published: 1/27/2026

A circuit court judge in rural Tazewell County ruled against the redistricting effort started by Virginia Democrats, declaring the process they used to create a proposed constitutional amendment is invalid. Democrats immediately pledged to appeal and said they expect a referendum on the matter to go ahead this spring as planned. Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. wrote that his ruling “PROHIBITS the proposed amendment from being submitted to the voters for their consideration.”

Washington – Bipartisan Campaign Finance Bill Drafted by Sen. Wilson Makes Quick Trip Through Committee

Yahoo News – Jacob Moore (Centralia Chronicle) | Published: 1/23/2026

A bipartisan group of state senators in Washington introduced a bill to increase transparency in campaign finance by standardizing reporting schedules for political groups with the Public Disclosure Commission. If passed and signed into law, Senate Bill 5840 would require political committees and other groups that spend money to support or oppose ballot proposals or candidates to participate in more frequent financial reporting.

Campaign Finance

Washington: “Bipartisan Campaign Finance Bill Drafted by Sen. Wilson Makes Quick Trip Through Committee” by Jacob Moore (Centralia Chronicle) for Yahoo News

Elections

Washington DC: “Jack Evans, Who Left D.C. Council Amid Scandal, to Run for Chairman” by Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “How a Democratic Heavyweight Is Using AI in the Midterms” by Jessica Piper (Politico) for Yahoo News

Ethics

Minnesota: “Appeals Court Declines to Reimpose Restrictions on Agents at Minnesota Protests” by Zach Schonfeld (The Hill) for Yahoo News

National: “In 16 Shooting Incidents Since July, No DHS Officers Have Faced Charges” by David Nakamura and Olivia George (Washington Post) for MSN

Ohio: “Ohio HB6 Scandal Trial Set to Begin Tuesday for Ex-FirstEnergy Executives” by Adam Ferrise (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

Tennessee: “How Tennessees Speaker of the House Helped Keep a Payday Lender’s Struggling Sports Gambling Company Alive” by Adam Friedman (Tennessee Lookout) for MSN

Procurement

Indiana: “Hogsett Allies Routinely Benefit from No-Bid City Contracts” by Tony Cook, Jordan Smith, and Peter Blanchard (Indianapolis Star), and Emily Hopkins (Mirror Indy) for Yahoo News

National/Federal

Journalists Confront New Reality in Reporting After FBI Raid

MSN – Sarah Ellison, Patrick Marley, and Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post) | Published: 1/15/2026

After the FBI searched a Washington Post reporter’s home, journalists from multiple outlets said they moved swiftly to secure their phones and laptops, reassure confidential sources and consult newsroom leaders as they worried about the federal government’s seizure of devices containing sensitive information. Many journalists said they saw the FBI raid as a jarring new step aimed at limiting news organizations’ ability to gather information the government does not want to be made public.

Recent Trump Investments Reignite Concerns Around Potential Conflicts of Interest

MSN – Auzinea Bacon (CNN) | Published: 1/17/2026

President Trump purchased up to $2 million in Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery investments days after the announcement of a megadeal between the two media giants, among other purchases, according to a financial disclosure from the White House, renewing questions from ethics experts around potential conflicts-of-interest. A White House official said Trump’s stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third-party financial institutions.

How EPA Ethics Officials Cleared Former Industry Insiders for Regulatory Roles

MSN – Amudalat Ajasa (Washington Post) | Published: 1/19/2026

Environmental Protection Agency ethics officials have interpreted impartiality guidelines in a way that has allowed several former industry insiders to oversee dramatic changes to chemical regulations, documents show. Those ethics decisions have cleared the way for a former agriculture lobbyist to help reinstate a pesticide that had been banned twice by federal courts, as well as for two former chemical industry executives to help reassess the agency’s stance on the dangers of formaldehyde.

Trump Administration Backs Labor Secretary Facing Misconduct Probe

MSN – Meryl Kornfield and Lauren Kaori Gurley (Washington Post) | Published: 1/19/2026

The Trump administration is rallying around Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer as she faces professional misconduct allegations that led to the suspension of two of her top aides. The aides were named in a complaint to the agency’s inspector general alleging they scheduled personal travel during what were supposed to be official, taxpayer-funded trips, according to a report in the New York Post. Chavez-DeRemer was also accused of having an affair with a staffer and drinking in her office during the workday, the newspaper reported.

Trump’s Pardons Forgive Financial Crimes That Came with Hundreds of Millions in Punishments

MSN – Owen Auston-Babcock (NBC News) | Published: 1/20/2026

Just one year into his second term, President Trump has pardoned an unusually high number of wealthy people accused of financial crimes, according to an NBC News analysis of the last four administrations. Over half of Trump’s 88 individual pardons are for white-collar offenses, with money laundering, bank fraud, and wire fraud among the most frequent crimes. The 87 people and one corporation pardoned by Trump in the last year had been ordered to pay more than $298 million in fines and restitution, vastly more than the totals previously owed by those who received pardons during recent Democratic administrations.

‘No Longer in My Hands’: How Hill Republicans stopped caring about DOJ releasing the Epstein files

MSN – Hailey Fuchs (Politico) | Published: 1/19/2026

One month after the congressionally mandated deadline to release all its files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department has made only a fraction of the files public, and it remains silent on its plans to fully comply with the law. Also keeping quiet about the delays are congressional Republicans, almost all of whom voted in November to release the records after spending months heeding President Trump’s opposition to the move. Some of them are openly admitting it is no longer a priority.

Trump to Pardon Ex-Puerto Rico Governor Vázquez in Campaign Finance Case, Official Says

MSN – Darlene Superville (Associated Press) | Published: 1/16/2026

President Trump plans to pardon former Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez. She pleaded guilty last August to a campaign finance violation in a federal case that authorities say also involved a former FBI agent and a Venezuelan banker. Federal prosecutors had been seeking one year behind bars, something that Vázquez’s attorneys opposed as they accused prosecutors of violating a guilty plea deal reached last year that saw previous charges including bribery and fraud dropped.

Trump Administration Concedes DOGE Team May Have Misused Social Security Data

MSN – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 1/20/2026

Two members of Elon Musk’s DOGE team working at the Social Security Administration (SSA) were secretly in touch with an advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results in certain states,” and one signed an agreement that may have involved using Social Security data to match state voter rolls, the Justice Department revealed in court papers. The SSA referred both DOGE employees for potential violations of the Hatch Act, which bars government employees from using their official positions for political purposes.

Supreme Court Appears Likely to Allow Lisa Cook to Remain on Fed Board

MSN – Justin Jouvenal and Andrew Ackerman (Washington Post) | Published: 1/21/2026

The Supreme Court appeared likely to block President Trump from immediately firing Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve board, a move that would prevent Trump from exerting greater influence over the central bank that guides the economy. Nearly all the justices asked skeptical questions of Solicitor General D. John Sauer during roughly two hours of arguments, taking issue with most aspects of the government’s case that the president had met the legal bar to remove Cook while a lawsuit challenging her removal plays out.

FCC Targets Talk Shows by Revisiting ‘Equal Time’ Rule for Political Candidates

MSN – Kelly Kasulis Cho and Scott Nover (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2026

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said network talk shows are required to give equal airtime to all candidates intending to run for the same public office, changing course on a decades-old ruling and raising free speech concerns. The “equal time” rule provides exemptions for “bona fide” news programs or interviews. In 2006, the FCC determined the “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” qualified for the exemption, distinguishing it from an entertainment program and setting a precedent followed by other talk shows. But the FEC said TV networks could not rely on that decision as a blanket ruling and would have to apply for exemptions for individual programs.

Smith Defends His Trump Investigations at a Public Hearing, Saying, ‘No One Should Be Above the Law’

MSN – Eric Tucker, Mary Clare Jalonick, Lisa Mascaro, and Alanna Durkin Richer (Associated Press) | Published: 1/22/2026

Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith defended his investigations of Donald Trump at a congressional hearing in which he insisted he had acted without regard to politics and had no second thoughts about the criminal charges he brought. Smith testified behind closed doors in December but returned to the House Judiciary Committee for a public hearing, his first since leaving the job last year. The hearing split along partisan lines as Republican lawmakers sought to undermine the former Justice Department official as Democrats hoped to elicit new and damaging testimony about Trump’s conduct.

Lobbying Revenues Soared in Trump’s First Year, Breaking Records for Top Firms

Reuters – David Thomas | Published: 1/21/2026

President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spend legislation, a six-week federal government shutdown, and executive actions on trade, healthcare, and other policies helped make 2025 a record-breaking year for federal lobbying revenue for several top U.S. firms. It was an especially big year for Ballard Partners. The firm said it grew its lobbying revenue by 300 percent in 2025 to $88.3 million. The previous single-year record for an individual firm was $67.8 million, according to OpenSecrets.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Feds Argue Corruption Case Against Sheng Thao Built on ‘Significant’ Evidence

Oaklandside – Eli Wolfe | Published: 1/20/2026

The federal government says it had ample evidence to pursue its case against former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and three other defendants without relying heavily on the testimony of an informant with a checkered history. This is one of the big takeaways from a motion prosecutors filed in the case against Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones, and David and Andy Duong of California Waste Solutions. The prosecutors’ latest filing sets the stage for the first major hearing in March in the sprawling Oakland corruption case, which erupted into public view with raids of Thao, Jones, and the Duongs’ homes.

Florida – Donors Gave Big to DeSantis’ Marijuana Campaign After Getting $10M from Hope Florida

MSN – Lawrence Mower and Alexandra Glorioso (Miami Herald) | Published: 1/19/2026

Weeks after Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration steered $10 million from a legal Medicaid settlement to a charity spearheaded by the state’s first lady, the Hope Florida Foundation gave $5 million apiece to two separate organizations that gave millions of dollars to a political committee waging an anti-marijuana campaign championed by the governor. The payments raised questions about whether the administration diverted Medicaid dollars through Casey DeSantis’s key initiative to a political campaign.

Hawaii – Hawai’I Attorney General to Investigate $35K Bribery Case After All

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 1/20/2026

The Hawaii attorney general reversed course recently, announcing she will take up the case of a state lawmaker who was recorded accepting $35,000 in a paper bag from the subject of a bribery investigation in 2022. Public scrutiny has grown since the Honolulu Civil Beat revealed the monetary handoff’s existence last year. Questions have been raised about whether it was a bribe, an unreported gift, or a campaign contribution – which would be a state crime – or legal campaign cash bundling, typically arranged to curry favor with politicians.

Illinois – New Melissa Conyears-Ervin Ad in Illinois’ 7th District Race Highlights Federal Campaign Spending Loophole

Yahoo News – Rick Pearson (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/21/2026

Generally, candidates for federal office are prohibited from using state campaign funds because state fundraising rules and contribution limits are much looser than federal restrictions. But in seeking a seat in Congress and a position on the State Central Committee, both from Illinois’ Seventh Congressional District, Melissa Conyears-Ervin is taking advantage of a loophole in federal campaign finance law that allows her to use state campaign money for commercials ostensibly promoting her campaign for state central committee but that also tout her run for Congress.

Maryland – Baltimore City Councilman Joined Board of Taxpayer-Funded Nonprofit He Wrote a Bill On

WBFF – Patrick Hauf (Spotlight on Maryland) | Published: 1/19/2026

Baltimore City Councilperson Mark Parker joined the board of a taxpayer-funded nonprofit the same month he drafted legislation to regulate that organization, a move that watchdogs say raises conflict-of-interest concerns as the nonprofit faces mounting scrutiny over how it spends millions of dollars in public money. Parker was added to the board of the Baltimore Children and Youth Fund in September as he introduced legislation to tighten oversight of the nonprofit, which is guaranteed $16 million in city taxpayer funding this fiscal year.

Massachusetts – Who’s Paying for the 2026 Ballot Questions? Mass. Senate Passes a Bill Requiring More Transparency

MSN – John Micek (MassLive) | Published: 1/16/2026

With a record number of proposals likely headed to the 2026 ballot, the Massachusetts Senate united behind a bill proposing more public reporting on ballot question fundraising and spending. But the chamber opted against forcing similar disclosure at the local level. Lawmakers unanimously approved legislation expanding disclosure rules for ballot question campaigns in a bid to reveal a steadier flow of information about funding sources.

Minnesota – Justice Dept. Enters New Territory with Probe of Minnesota Officials

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yasmeen Abutaleb (Washington Post) | Published: 1/17/2026

President Trump’s Justice Department crossed a new threshold with its criminal investigation of top Democratic elected officials in Minnesota, targeting vocal critics during a moment of crisis in which protesters and federal agents are clashing on the city’s streets. Subpoenas the Justice Department is preparing to send suggest the agency is looking at whether Gov. Tim Walz’s and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s public statements about the administration’s actions amount to illegal interference with law enforcement.

Minnesota – ICE Targeted Off-Duty Police Officers in Twin Cities, Local Police Say

MSN – Frances Vinall (Washington Post) | Published: 1/21/2026

Local law enforcement leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul are raising concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents violating U.S. citizens’ civil rights, including those of off-duty police officers. Mark Bruley, police chief of suburban Brooklyn Park, said an off-duty police officer had been “boxed … in” by vehicles driven by ICE agents, who demanded with guns drawn to see paperwork proving the officer had a right to be in the country. “She’s a U.S. citizen, and clearly would not have any paperwork,” he said. All the off-duty officers who had been targeted by ICE in his city were people of color, Bruley said.

Minnesota – Exclusive: Justice Department leadership pushed FBI to investigate campaign contributions to Minnesota officials

MSN – Katelyn Polantz, Evan Perez, and David Wright (CNN) | Published: 1/20/2026

Top Justice Department officials pushed the FBI to investigate political campaigns in Minnesota over whether they illegally benefited from fraud in public service organizations. Some of the Justice Department’s interest, according to one of the sources, comes from a Washington Examiner report that said Gov. Tim Walz, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, and other state politicians received campaign donations from people implicated in the Minnesota public benefits fraud scheme and community care providers.

Minnesota – Judge Limits ICE’s Crowd Control Tactics Following Minneapolis Shooting

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney, Hassan Ali Kanu, and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 1/16/2026

A federal judge barred federal agents in Minneapolis from arresting peaceful protesters or using nonlethal munitions and crowd control tools against them. The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Kate Menendez lands amid an increasingly confrontational dynamic between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials who have accused Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of stoking fear and violence on local streets. It comes a week after an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good.

Mississippi – MS Secretary of State Sets Sights on Campaign Finance Transparency

MSN – Bea Anhuci (Mississippi Clarion Ledger) | Published: 1/21/2026

Secretary of State Michael Watson has been proposing a campaign finance database for years. Now, as corruption scandals unfurl into investigations and trials throughout Mississippi, he thinks he has the support to enact his vision into law. The proposed system would require all candidates to digitally file their campaign finance information. The bill, developed with Sen. Jeremy England, would also restrict cash donation amounts, among other reforms.

Missouri – Bill Would Ban Missouri Politicians from Using Recurring Donations to Fund Campaigns

Yahoo News – Rudi Keller (Missouri Independent) | Published: 1/13/2026

Missouri politicians would not be able to lure donors into recurring contributions with emotional appeals that do not disclose who would benefit from the money under a bill heard in committee. State Rep. Jim Murphy said the scheme leaves contributors, who are often elderly people, confused when thousands of dollars are drawn from their accounts months, or years, after they respond to a fundraising email or text.

Nebraska – Auditor Flags Possible Pillen ‘Favoritism’ in $2.5M No-Bid Bioeconomy Contract with Lobbyist

Yahoo News – Aaron Sanderford (Nebraska Examiner) | Published: 1/15/2026

Gov. Jim Pillen, while pressing the Nebraska Department of Economic Development in 2024 to tighten its belt, steered the state agency to award a $2.5 million no-bid emergency contract to a bioeconomy consultant and lobbyist he knew and had traveled with as part of state delegations. Auditor Mike Foley alleges the Economic Development Department, in carrying out that Pillen-picked contract, broke state law by not specifying in writing what emergency justified skipping the required step of bidding out contracts worth more than $50,000.

New York – Judge Strikes Down Republican Congressional District in New York

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 1/21/2026

A New York judge ordered state officials to redraw the congressional district held by Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, handing Democrats a likely victory amid a nationwide political brawl over congressional lines. State Judge Jeffrey Pearlman concluded Malliotakis’s Staten Island-based district violates a provision of the state constitution that bars the abridgment of voting rights for racial minorities. An appeal is expected, and Malliotakis said she is confident the existing lines will ultimately be upheld.

New York – Gov. Kathy Hochul Hasn’t Released Her Meeting Logs in 15 Months

MSN – Chris Bragg (New York Focus) | Published: 1/20/2026

When New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ran for a full term in 2022, she released her schedule of meetings on a rolling basis, usually several months after they occurred. The schedules indicated that Hochul’s record-breaking campaign fundraising was fueled by constant meetings with donors. As Hochul runs for a second full term this year, the public no longer has that view into how she is spending her time. That is because the most recent schedules her office has released are from September 2024, more than 15 months ago.

Oklahoma – Former Oklahoma Mental Health Department Official Settles with Ethics Commission

Yahoo News – Emma Murphy (Oklahoma Voice) | Published: 1/15/2026

The former deputy director of the state’s mental health department settled with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and will pay $2,500 for violating lobbyist registration and reporting law.  Heath Hayes communicated with state officials “for the purpose of influencing governmental action” without being registered as a lobbyist, according to a statement from Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the Ethics Commission.

South Dakota – Donations to SD Campaigns from Foreign Nationals Would Be Banned by Bill Sent to State Senate

Yahoo News – Joshua Haiar (South Dakota Searchlight) | Published: 1/21/2026

South Dakota lawmakers advanced a bill that would bar candidates and political committees from taking campaign contributions or loans from a foreign national. Under the draft, accepting a contribution from any of the listed entities would be moved to a more severe class of misdemeanor, and a subsequent offense within a calendar year would change from a misdemeanor to a felony.

Texas – After a Hard-Fought Campaign, Austin Neighborhood Elects a Canine Mayor

MSN – Sydney Page (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2026

On a January night on Austin’s 37th Street, neighbors gathered to count the final ballots and swear in a new mayor. The mayor-elect did not give an acceptance speech – instead, he barked. Mo Bamba, a pug-chihuahua mix, was sworn in as the new mayor of 37th Street, following the neighborhood’s fourth annual pet election that drew more than 12,000 votes. The annual pet election began as a playful neighborhood tradition four years ago, designed to draw attention to Austin’s upcoming human mayoral runoff election amid a season of notably low voter turnout.

Virginia – Lindsey Halligan Out as U.S. Attorney Following Pressure from Judges

MSN – Steve Thompson, Salvador Rizzo, and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 1/20/2026

Lindsey Halligan, a Trump administration lawyer who was named head of a key U.S. attorney’s office in Virginia last year with instructions to seek criminal charges against President Trump’s perceived political adversaries, left her post at the Justice Department. Halligan’s departure followed moves by two federal judges who issued court orders hours earlier saying they intended to replace Halligan at the helm of the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia and threatening disciplinary sanctions for any government lawyer who continued to refer to her as U.S. attorney in legal filings.

Washington – Prominent Seattle Lobbying Firm Defaults on Debts, Ousts Founder

Seattle Times – Jim Brunner | Published: 1/19/2026

A prominent Seattle lobbying firm ousted its well-known founder, laid off much of its staff, and is under new ownership after defaulting on millions of dollars in debt under a bankruptcy restructuring plan. The sale of Strategies 360 caps a public fall for a once-dominant firm and its founder Ron Dotzauer, a consultant with ties to top Washington politicians.

Campaign Finance

Massachusetts: “Who’s Paying for the 2026 Ballot Questions? Mass. Senate Passes a Bill Requiring More Transparency” by John Micek (MassLive) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Recent Trump Investments Reignite Concerns Around Potential Conflicts of Interest” by Auzinea Bacon (CNN) for MSN

National: “How EPA Ethics Officials Cleared Former Industry Insiders for Regulatory Roles” by Amudalat Ajasa (Washington Post) for MSN

Minnesota: “Justice Dept. Enters New Territory with Probe of Minnesota Officials” by Patrick Marley and Yasmeen Abutaleb (Washington Post) for MSN

Minnesota: “Judge Limits ICE’s Crowd Control Tactics Following Minneapolis Shooting” by Kyle Cheney, Hassan Ali Kanu, and Josh Gerstein (Politico) for Yahoo News

National: “Journalists Confront New Reality in Reporting After FBI Raid” by Sarah Ellison, Patrick Marley, and Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Oklahoma: “Former Oklahoma Mental Health Department Official Settles with Ethics Commission” by Emma Murphy (Oklahoma Voice) for Yahoo News

Procurement

Nebraska: “Auditor Flags Possible Pillen ‘Favoritism’ in $2.5M No-Bid Bioeconomy Contract with Lobbyist” by Aaron Sanderford (Nebraska Examiner) for Yahoo News

National/Federal

Capitol Riot ‘Does Not Happen’ Without Trump, Jack Smith Told Congress

MSN – Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 12/31/2025

The January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol “does not happen” without Donald Trump, former special counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers in characterizing the Republican president as the “most culpable and most responsible person” in the criminal conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The House Judiciary Committee released a transcript and video of a closed-door interview Smith gave about two investigations of Trump. It shows how Smith, during a daylong deposition, defended the basis for pursuing indictments against Trump and vigorously rejected Republican suggestions his investigations were politically motivated.

Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Gutted of Federal Funds, Votes to Dissolve

MSN – Scott Nover (Washington Post) | Published: 1/5/2026

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) board of directors voted to dissolve the organization, ending the 58-year-old agency that distributed federal funds to NPR, PBS, and more than 1,500 local public radio and television stations. The move formalizes the shutdown that began this summer after Republicans in Congress rescinded $1.1 billion in funding at President Trump’s behest. CPB leaders said they chose dissolution over maintaining a dormant organization that could become manipulated by new stewards acting without public media’s best interest at heart.

Hegseth Announces Censure and Potential Demotion of Sen. Mark Kelly

MSN – Dan Lamothe and Tara Copp (Washington Post) | Published: 1/5/2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he formally censured Sen. Mark Kelly and launched administrative proceedings against Kelly to consider whether to reduce his Navy rank in retirement, the latest twist in a dispute about the senator’s political commentary. Hegseth said as a retired Navy officer, Kelly is “still accountable to military justice,” and he repeated unfounded allegations that Kelly has made “seditious statements.” The dispute centers on a video in Kelly and five other Democrats reminded U.S. troops they can disobey illegal orders, infuriating President Donald Trump.

Trump Ends Effort to Keep National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland

MSN – Lauren Kaori Gurley and Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 12/25/2025

President Trump announced he is pulling the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, although the troops already had a limited presence because the states involved had sued to block their deployment. Troops remain on the ground in New Orleans and Memphis, with support from state officials, and in the District of Columbia, where the mayor does not have control over the National Guard. The president’s retreat follows the administration’s setbacks in lawsuits aimed at removing the National Guard from cities in blue states.

Hegseth’s Remade Press Corps Covers Venezuela Raid with Praise, Not Probing

MSN – Scott Nover and Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 1/7/2025

The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro marks the first major test for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s overhauled Pentagon press corps, a crop of right-wing influencers and media personalities that took over the coverage desks of traditional news organizations, whose journalists surrendered their Pentagon credentials months ago rather than agree to restrictions on their reporting. Mainstream journalists have continued to cover the events from the outside, though some of them say the additional challenges they face in getting answers from government leaders could erode their ability to shed light on the aftermath of Maduro’s capture.

More Than 2 Million Epstein Documents Still Unreleased, Officials Say

MSN – Kelly Kasulis Cho (Washington Post) | Published: 1/6/2026

More than 2 million documents regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein remain to be released, Justice Department officials told a federal judge, offering the most precise estimate so far of the size of the file still under review. Those reviewing the unreleased documents must determine whether each one falls under the law’s broad mandate, review the documents to redact information that could identify victims, and respond to requests from victims or their family members for additional redactions. Officials offered similar explanations for a delay in releasing all unclassified Epstein documents n December, after the Justice Department failed to meet its deadline.

Judge Orders Lindsey Halligan to Explain Why She Keeps Using US Attorney Title

MSN – Melissa Quinn (CBS News) | Published: 1/7/2026

A federal judge ordered Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to identify herself as a U.S. attorney despite a different judge finding her appointment as the top federal prosecutor in eastern Virginia was invalid. U.S. District Court Judge David Novak gave Halligan seven days to provide the basis for her use of the title and ordered her to explain why her identification as U.S. attorney “does not constitute a false or misleading statement.” U.S. District Court Judge Cameron Currie ruled in November that Halligan’s appointment as interim U.S. attorney violated the Constitution’s Appointments Clause and a federal law governing U.S. attorney vacancies

Rep. Steny Hoyer to Retire, Ending Storied Career in Elected Office

MSN – Paul Kane (Washington Post) | Published: 1/7/2026

Rep. Steny Hoyer will not run for reelection and end a nearly six-decade career in elected office that spanned his rising-star days in Maryland government to a two-decade run as the number two U.S. House Democrat. Now three years out of leadership, Hoyer remains an active legislator but feared ending up like many other elderly lawmakers, becoming physically or mentally frail in their final days in office.

The Data Center Rebellion Is Here, and It’s Reshaping the Political Landscape

MSN – Evan Halper (Washington Post) | Published: 1/6/2026

From Archibald, Pennsylvania, to Page, Arizona, technology firms are seeking to build data centers in locations that sometimes are not zoned for such heavy industrial uses, within communities that had not planned for them. These supersize data centers can use more energy than entire cities and drain local water supplies. Anger over the perceived trampling of communities by Silicon Valley has entered the national political conversation and could affect voters of all political persuasions in this year’s midterm elections.

The Supreme Court May Leave Alone the Voting Rights Act Just Long Enough to Keep the GOP from House Control in 2026

MSN – Samuel Benson and Andrew Howard (Politico) | Published: 1/8/2026

It appears Kansas will not join the parade of states engaging in mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, meaning Johnson County will remain in one congressional district. Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins told reporters he does not have the votes necessary to pass a new map over the all-but-certain veto of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

How New Protest Laws Are Impacting Political Demonstrations

MSN – Akilah Johnson (Washington Post) | Published: 1/2/2026

More than a dozen states that have cracked down on protests in recent years, passing laws that often equate political demonstrations with riots in ways that First Amendment experts say could be illegal. Since 2017, 23 states have passed at least 55 laws to address how and when people can protest. Some laws mandate at least 30 days in jail for rioting – often loosely defined as a group involved in tumultuous or potentially violent behavior – while others restrict protests on college campuses or imprison and fine people who block sidewalks, streets, and highways.

Mail-In Voting Faces New Hurdle as Postal Service Formalizes Postmark Practice

Yahoo News – Anna Liss-Roy (Washington Post) | Published: 1/3/2026

A change in how the U.S. Postal Service postmarks letters could discount the ballots of thousands of last-minute voters. Many Americans have long assumed that tax returns, ballots, and other mailed documents sent on deadline would be marked as sent the day they are dropped in a mailbox. But the Postal Service announced it was making no such guarantees about postmarks. Its new guidelines say a postmark might come days later, when mail is processed at a regional facility. Fourteen states provide a grace period allowing mail ballots to be counted if they arrive after Election Day if they are postmarked by then.

The Political Divide Over January 6 Is Only Deepening Five Years After the Deadly US Capitol Attack

Yahoo News – Annie Grayer and Marshall Cohen (CNN) | Published: 1/6/2026

Five years after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the fundamental facts of that day continue to fuel deep divisions that have created dueling political realities. The Democratic lawmakers who dedicated 18 months of their careers to the comprehensive House investigation are grappling with how the truth about President Trump’s role can break through in this current political moment, where Trump continues to claim he won the 2020 election and has taken significant steps to reward rioters and deflect blame for the attack.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Ex-Arizona Lawmaker Who Questioned Election Integrity Gets Probation for Using Forged Signatures

MSN – Jacques Billeaud (Associated Press) | Published: 1/6/2026

A former Republican lawmaker who questioned the integrity of Arizona’s elections and served as a leader for the conservative group Turning Point Action was sentenced to probation and a five-year ban on running for public office for using nominating petitions that contained forged signatures in a bid to qualify for a 2024 primary election. Austin Smith acknowledged trying to use petitions with forged signatures that he knew were false and forging a dead woman’s signature on a nominating petition.

Arkansas – Concerns Rise After Governor Appoints 2nd Lobbyist to Arkansas Board of Corrections

MSN – Andrew Mobley (KATV) | Published: 1/7/2026

Recent appointments by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to the Arkansas Board of Corrections have drawn scrutiny from a state senator and a Franklin County resident running for Senate District 26, who are concerned that half the appointees work for prominent lobbying firms. State Sen. Bryan King Senate District 26 independent candidate Adam Watson say not only do the governor’s four appointments last year to the seven-member board stack the deck in her favor as she pursues building a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County, but they also create conflicts-of-interest.

California – SF Official’s ‘Great Betrayal’ Ends in Prison for $600K Theft of City Funds

MSN – Olivia Hebert (SFGATE) | Published: 1/6/2026

A former high-ranking San Francisco city employee was sentenced to three years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple felony counts tied to a yearslong public corruption scheme that siphoned more than $627,000 from the city’s workers’ compensation system. The sentence follows Stanley Ellicott’s arrest in March 2024, when officials announced 62 felony charges tied to the scheme. At the time, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins described the case as a “great betrayal.”

California – SF Accused a Nonprofit of Corruption and Lost. Now the City Is Appealing

MSN – Michael Barba (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 1/5/2026

San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu is not giving up the legal battle he lost against a nonprofit at the center of an ethics scandal over its deep ties to a former city official. Two months after a hearing officer rejected arguments that the nonprofit Collective Impact should be barred from city funding for allegedly bribing former San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Davis, Chiu is appealing the decision.

Connecticut – Connecticut Election Regulators Face First Test of New Foreign Contribution Ban

MSN – Paul Hughes (CT Insider) | Published: 1/3/2026

A 2024 state law that prohibits foreign nationals from making political contributions or expenditures under Connecticut’s campaign finance laws is posing a novel legal question for in-house lobbyists working for foreign-owned businesses. A lobbyist for the government relations firm Gaffney Bennett and Associates petitioned the State Elections Enforcement Commission for a declaratory ruling clarifying whether state residents who are U.S. citizens and in-house lobbyists on the payroll of corporations owned by foreign parent companies can make personal contributions to Connecticut campaigns.

District of Columbia – Why D.C.’s Next Council Member Will Be Chosen by Lawmakers, Not Voters

MSN – Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) | Published: 1/7/2026

The next new member of the District of Columbia Council will not be elected by voters but will instead be selected by the council itself, in a process that has already elicited frustration from some lawmakers. Councilperson Kenyan McDuffie resigned his seat to set up a mayoral run. City law says it is up to the council to select an interim replacement, but the law is vague on exactly how lawmakers should go about choosing their new colleague.

Hawaii – $35K Mystery Payment: Bill would extend time to prosecute

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 1/8/2026

Hawaii campaign finance regulators would be given more time to investigate the case of an unnamed lawmaker who accepted $35,000 in a paper bag from a man involved in a federal bribery investigation in 2022 under a proposal expected to go before lawmakers in the upcoming session. The U.S. attorney’s office has stated the transaction was not related to the bribery investigation. But it could still be a violation of state campaign spending law.

Indiana – Indiana Employers Face Yearlong Public Works Contract Ban Under Immigrant Work Eligibility Bill

Yahoo News – Leslie Bonilla Muñiz (Indiana Capital Chronicle) | Published: 1/8/2026

A bill to close so-called loopholes in Indiana’s employment eligibility verification law could bar employers who purposefully flout the requirements from taking part in public works projects for a year. Public work project contracts entered into or renewed after June 30 would have to include a provision requiring the primary contractor and all tiers of subcontractors to enroll in E-Verify, an internet-based federal program that cross-checks a new hire’s eligibility to work in the U.S.

Maryland – Ethics Complaint Clouds Opening of Howard Office Charged with Detecting Fraud, Waste

MSN – Kiersten Hacker (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 1/7/2026

Howard County’s new Office of the Inspector General was created to detect fraud, waste, and abuse, but an ethics complaint about the selection process for its leader has some county leaders questioning the new office’s own ethics. Others say the allegations are unfounded, or “silly and desperate.” The complaint involves the process of selecting Kelly Madigan and alleges a conflict-of-interest involving Steven Quisenberry, who worked with Madigan in Baltimore County and will now lead that county’s Office of the Inspector General.

Minnesota – Walz Drops Bid for Reelection as Minn. Governor While Klobuchar Considers Run

MSN – Hannah Knowles, Dan Merica, and Theodoric Meyer (Washington Post) | Published: 1/5/2026

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he is dropping his bid for reelection, a dramatic turn for the two-term governor who now faces scrutiny over welfare fraud investigations in his state. Walz was tapped as Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024 and viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. Democrats had grown increasingly worried about Walz’s choice to seek a third term as Republicans, including President Trump, put a spotlight on the growing fraud probe.

Minnesota – ICE Shooting Reinforces Minnesota’s Grim Role as Trump’s Public Enemy No. 1

MSN – Nicholas Riccardi and Steve Karnowski (Associated Press) | Published: 1/8/2026

Federal officers have encountered opposition in nearly all the cities targeted by President Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign. But it was in Minnesota that a 37-year-old woman was shot and killed by an immigration officer. Trump has focused on several blue states in his second term, and now he has turned to Minnesota, where the killing of George Floyd and the protests it sparked stained his first presidency.

New York – Judge Disqualifies US Attorney in Albany Investigating Letitia James

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 1/8/2026

A federal judge ruled President Trump’s acting U.S. attorney in Albany is unlawfully serving in his role and tossed subpoenas his office issued as part of an investigation into actions by New York Attorney General Letitia James. The judge concluded that John Sarcone III, appointed in March as interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, had served beyond the 120-day expiration date for that position and the administration’s efforts to keep him beyond that deadline did not withstand legal scrutiny. He is the fifth Trump-appointed interim U.S. attorney who has been disqualified from serving in such a role.

North Carolina – Bob Phillips Retires from Common Cause NC, the Pro-Democracy Group He Helped Grow to Prominence

Yahoo News – Lynn Bonner (NC Newsline) | Published: 1/5/2026

For nearly a quarter century, when debates over voting laws, gerrymandering, or money in politics enveloped North Carolina, Bob Phillips has been in the thick of them. That era will end in January when Phillips retires from day-to-day advocacy work. As the leader of Common Cause North Carolina since 2001, Phillips has helped to shape anti-corruption laws and organize support for voting rights. He has worked with other groups to remove obstacles to voting and increase government transparency and try to overturn election districts they argued were unfair.

Ohio – FirstEnergy to Pay $275 Million to Ohio Customers Over HB 6 Corruption Scandal

MSN – Laura Hancock (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/7/2026

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio approved a settlement agreement to provide FirstEnergy customers $275 million in restitution after the company violated state laws in the passage of the House Bill 6, a controversial energy bill that was the largest corruption scheme in state history. Maureen Willis, agency director of the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which represents utilities customers before the commission, said the settlement provides accountability.

Ohio – Larry Householder, Matt Borges Ask US Supreme Court to Review Cases at Heart of Their HB6 Convictions

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/5/2026

Imprisoned ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio Republican Party Chairperson Matt Borges have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit two court rulings underpinning their corruption convictions in connection with the House Bill 6 bribery scandal. If successful, their requests would not only open the door to throwing out their convictions but rewrite decades-old legal precedent for what constitutes political bribery in America.

Tennessee – Judge Spares Tennessee Lawmaker Prison Time in Corruption Case Where Trump Pardoned Ex-Speaker, Aide

MSN – Jonathan Mattise (Associated Press) | Published: 1/5/2026

A federal judge reduced a prison sentence to probation for a former Tennessee lawmaker whose testimony helped convict the former state House speaker and his onetime aide of public corruption. Although her cohorts were pardoned by President Trump, ex-Rep. Robin Smith had been slated to report to prison for an eight-month sentence. But U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson reduced it to one year of probation.

Texas – 350 Texas Teachers Targeted for Posts About Charlie Kirk, Lawsuit Says

MSN – Molly Hennessy-Fiske (Washington Post) | Published: 1/6/2026

The Texas chapter of the country’s second-largest teachers union sued in federal court to block state education officials from investigating educators’ comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing last year, alleging they violated free speech protections. The lawsuit filed by the Texas American Federation of Teachers appears to be the first to challenge a state policy investigating complaints about teachers’ comments in the wake of Kirk’s shooting, in part because Texas and Florida state superintendents were the only ones to solicit such complaints.

Virginia – After Virginia Judges’ Misconduct Became Public, Lawmakers Reinstated Secrecy

Yahoo News – Ben Paviour (Virginia Mercury) | Published: 1/5/2026

At the end of every year, state agencies, boards, and commissions in Virginia churn out dozens of annual reports. Last year, one notable document was missing – the 2024 annual report from the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission (JIRC). The report for the first time contained the names and misdeeds of Virginia judges who were disciplined by the seven-member commission for violating the commonwealth’s judicial cannon. But a brief window of transparency shut last year, when lawmakers unanimously passed a bill specifying that they would be the first ones to see JIRC’s annual report and decide if it is ever made public.

Wisconsin – Judge Hannah Dugan Resigns from Court Weeks After Federal Jury Finds Her Guilty

MSN – Mary Spicuzza and John Diedrich (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) | Published: 1/3/2026

In the face of an effort to impeach her and remove her from the bench, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan announced she is resigning. The announcement came weeks after a federal jury found Dugan guilty of obstructing federal immigration agents seeking to make an arrest outside her courtroom. Dugan was found not guilty of concealing a wanted person.

Question: Do my salespeople need to be registered as lobbyists if they sell to the government?

Answer: More than half of the states consider at least some forms of selling to the government to be lobbying, so caution is definitely warranted. The states that require registration for procurement lobbying all have different approaches, so there is no one-size-fits-all response to this question.

The most important question is what engagements are considered to be procurement lobbying. Some states broadly consider any attempt to influence a contracting decision to be lobbying, and other states use an “outside of the normal procurement process” standard, meaning that registration is required for attempts to change the rules applicable to procurements, to change the substance of the RFP’s requirements, to go outside of established procedures, or to sell to high-ranking officials rather than the end users. Other states, such as Texas, require registration for procurement lobbying, but only when the contract reaches a certain value.

Once you determine your sales activities fall under the definition of lobbying, all the other concerns applicable to lobbyists apply, so your analysis is not complete. Registration thresholds and exceptions for expert testimony, for example, still need to be considered, so, if desired, you may be able to avoid registration through careful consideration of the type and extent your staff’s interactions with government.

One last key factor to consider before registering your staff is contingency fee bans, also known as success fee bans, and how they affect sales staff compensation. While many states acknowledge salespersons frequently receive sales commissions and carve out an exception for commissions paid to “bona fide” salespeople, many others view their contingency bans as applying to all lobbyists, which would prevent your staff from receiving such payments. It is always advisable to determine how you will handle staff compensation before making contacts with the government, as there will be times when it is best to avoid having your staff engage at all.

Further information about the lobbying laws in hundreds of cities, counties, and local agencies can be found in the Procurement Lobbying Compliance Laws section of the State and Federal Communications online guidebooks. Schedule your demo today – https://stateandfed.com/demo/

Q.  We have submitted a bid proposal for a contract with a state agency in Illinois. We were instructed that we must register with the Illinois State Board of Elections. Is this registration different than our existing lobbyist registration? If so, what does that mean for our company?

A. The simple answer is yes. The Illinois Procurement Code requires business entities, whose business or potential business exceeds an aggregate annual total of more than $50,000, to register with the Board of Elections and comply with the state’s Election Code. This registration must be completed prior to submitting any bid that would cause the business entity to exceed the threshold.
In addition to the business entity’s name and corporate contact information, the business entity must disclose certain affiliate entities and affiliated individuals. These affiliates include corporate parents, operating subsidiaries, operating subsidiaries of their corporate parents, persons with a significant ownership interest or distributive shares, executive employees, and spouses of any of these affiliated individuals. However, any entities or individuals prohibited by federal law from making contributions or expenditures in elections do not need to be included in the business registration.
In addition to this initial registration, the registration must be updated quarterly to account for any changes to the entities or that list of affiliates, and, if there is a bid or proposal pending, it must be updated within seven days of any changes that occur. This constant maintenance continues for up to two years following the expiration or termination of the contracts. Failure to maintain this registration could result in voiding all active contracts with the state or its agencies.
Additional requirements of the registration include providing notice to political committees in receipt of contributions from the registered entity and their affiliates, disclosures to the state agency and the Illinois Secretary of State of the register entities’ lobbying activity in the state, and certifications of your compliance with these registration requirements.
These business entity registrations are complex and contain pitfalls if not carefully and constantly maintained. So, it is important to familiarize yourself with each of these requirements and to constantly review your registration to ensure full compliance.

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Comply with state and local procurement lobbying rules. Our online guidebooks make it easy to view regulations all in one place. Learn more here.

Beginning on July 14, a new federal procurement policy regarding foreign vendors took effect.

The new policy requires all new non-defense procurements over $10,000 involving an open competition by or on behalf of any federal department or agency of Canada by a foreign supplier be limited to whether the solicitation is subject to a trade agreement between Canada and the supplier’s jurisdiction. If a supplier is from a jurisdiction that does not have a trade agreement with Canada and applies to a procurement process, it will no longer be eligible to compete, with limited exceptions. Canadian suppliers will continue to be eligible to compete for all federal procurement opportunities.

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat issued a Contracting Policy Notice on July 10 regarding the policy, entitled the Interim Policy on Reciprocal Procurement, for all departments and agencies that have delegated authority for procurement from the Minister responsible for Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Contracts and solicitations posted prior to July 14 are not subject to this new rule

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Want to keep up with lobbying, procurement, and corporate contribution compliance internationally? We have you covered. Learn more here.

The General Assembly passed House Bill 6173,  the Rhode Island Anti-Bid-Rigging Act. The act prohibits two or more persons from predetermining the winning bidder of a contract proposed, offered, or otherwise submitted for competitive bidding by a government entity. Violations of this act are a felony and can cause vendors to be subject to disbarment. The bill was signed by Gov. McKee on June 30 and is effective immediately.

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Comply with state and local procurement lobbying rules. Our online guidebooks make it easy to view regulations all in one place. Learn more here.

National/Federal

Trump Wants an Investigation of Democrats’ Fundraising. His Own Campaign Has Issues

MSN – Brian Slodysko and Steve Peoples (Associated Press) | Published: 5/27/2025

When President Trump directed his attorney general to investigate online fundraising, he cited concerns that foreigners and fraudsters were using elaborate “schemes” and “dummy accounts” to funnel illegal contributions to politicians and causes. Trump identified just one potential target: ActBlue, the Democrats’ online fundraising juggernaut, which has acknowledged receiving over 200 potentially illicit contributions last year from foreign internet addresses. Trump’s announcement contained a glaring omission – his political committees also received scores of potentially problematic contributions.

Trump’s Contract-Cutting Blitz Rattles a Once-Flourishing DC Industry

MSN – Danny Nguyen and Jessie Blaeser (Politico) | Published: 5/25/2025

A Trump administration project to revisit thousands of federal agreements is starting to sink a vast ecosystem of contractors that deploy jobs across the Washington economy. At least 2,775 out of more than 20,000 contracts for consulting and investment advice under review have been cut, worth $3.1 billion in claimed savings. But the reach of the review is nonetheless unprecedented. It has frozen hiring, triggered layoffs and sparked chaos across the consulting industry, a vast shadow workforce across Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Maryland.

Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire Independent Regulators for Now

MSN – Anne Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/22/2025

The Supreme Court refused to immediately reinstate a pair of independent regulators fired by the Trump administration, saying the president may have the power to summarily oust the board members and calling into question a legal precedent that has protected the independence of key regulatory bodies. The order did not decide the underlying merits of the case, which will continue to play out in the lower courts. But it was an endorsement of presidential authority at a time when Donald Trump is trying to seize greater control of the federal bureaucracy.

Trump Oversight Picks Include Scandal-Hit Ex-Lawmaker, Antiabortion Lawyer

MSN – Meryl Kornfield and Lisa Rein (Washington Post) | Published: 5/28/2025

After firing inspectors general at 19 agencies in an unprecedented purge, President Trump has named six replacements in recent weeks, including three with clearly partisan backgrounds. Two of those have controversial histories and two have ties to the agency they would be responsible for investigating. Government ethics experts expressed concerns about the qualifications of several of the nominees, warning the positions require independence and installing loyalists would erode public trust.

Elon Musk Leaves Trump Administration After Contentious Tenure

MSN – Niha Masih and Trisha Thadani (Washington Post) | Published: 5/29/2025

Elon Musk said he is leaving the administration after leading a contentious effort to reshape the federal bureaucracy and slash government spending. Musk said his “scheduled time” as a special government employee had come to an end. That designation, which exempts him from financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules that apply to full-time government workers, also means he is not permitted to work more than 130 days in a 365-day period.

Supreme Court Upholds Fraud Conviction of Government Contractor

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/22/2025

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a government contractor found guilty of defrauding a state transportation program designed to promote diversity. The unanimous decision reversed a trend in which the justices have pushed back on how prosecutors pursue white-collar fraud. The case involved Alpha Painting & Construction and a project manager, Stamatios Kousisis, who was convicted in 2018 and sentenced to 70 months in prison for obtaining a multimillion-dollar contract under false pretenses.

Trump Dines with Top Meme Coin Holders, Shrugging Off Ethics Concerns

MSN – Cat Zakrzewski and Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 5/22/2025

President Trump dined with the top purchasers of his meme coin at a black-tie gala, demonstrating his willingness to cross what was once seen as an ethical red line: profiting off the presidency while in office. Presidents of both parties have long granted special access to wealthy political donors and participated in private dinners to raise funds for their parties or their own campaigns. Trump’s crypto venture is different. He and his family profit personally when people buy his meme coin, and crypto transactions are often shrouded in anonymity.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – At Adjournment, Alaska Legislature Leaves Elections Overhaul, Campaign Finance Bills Undone

Alaska Public Media – James Brooks (Alaska Beacon) | Published: 5/27/2025

The Alaska Legislature adjourned its regular session without finishing work on a major elections bill or a bill reimposing limits on donations to candidates. House Bill 16, the campaign finance bill, and Senate Bill 64, the elections reform legislation, are expected to return when the Legislature resumes work in January, and they could be part of a wave of major legislation that advances through the Capitol early next year.

Arizona – AZ Campaign Finance Complaints Can Disappear After 180 Days Under New Law

USA Today – Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 5/16/2025

Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Katie Hobbs created a new timeline to resolve campaign finance complaints that are filed against them, after which the allegations are dismissed. Hobbs signed House Bill 2667 into law, which says complaints that politicians violated state campaign finance law are “deemed dismissed” if they are not resolved within 180 days after they are filed. It allows the government official who receives the complaint to extend that deadline if needed.

Connecticut – Trump Pardons ‘Humbled’ John G. Rowland, Former CT Governor

MSN – Mark Pazniokas (Connecticut Mirror) | Published: 5/28/2025

John Rowland, a twice-convicted former governor of Connecticut, said he was “humbled and appreciative” after learning he was the recipient of a pardon from President Trump. Facing impeachment and a federal investigation into bid-rigging involving gifts and favors from state contractors, Rowland resigned, pleaded guilty to a corruption charge, and was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. He was indicted a second time for soliciting congressional candidates to secretly pay him as a consultant in campaigns.

Connecticut – CT Bill Limiting Elections Watchdog Independence Gets Full Passage

MSN – Mark Pazniokas (Connecticut Mirror) | Published: 5/22/2025

Connecticut lawmakers passed a bill that places restrictions on the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC). Under the bill, the SEEC will nominate an executive director, but the choice will be subject to three layers of approval by legislators – the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee and the House and Senate. Other provisions were intended to streamline fundraising, especially for candidates who participate in the Citizens’ Election Program, which imposes spending limits in return for public financing of campaigns.

Illinois – Former ComEd Officials on Track for Sentencing After Judge, Feds Resolve Legal Challenges

WBEZ – Jon Seidel (Chicago Sun-Times) | Published: 5/28/2025

Four former Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) executives and lobbyists are on a clear path to sentencing for their conspiracy aimed at ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, despite a last-minute challenge to their convictions and President Trump’s review of a key law in the case. Madigan ally Michael McClain, former ComEd Chief Executive Officer Anne Pramaggiore, ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and onetime Chicago City Club President Jay Doherty are all set to be sentenced this summer. A jury found them guilty more than two years ago.

Illinois – Ex-Assessor’s Office Employee Gets 3 Years’ Probation in Bribery Case

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 5/27/2025

Basilio Clausen, a former Cook County assessor’s office employee, was sentenced to three years’ probation for conspiring to accept golf outings at country clubs from two businesspeople in exchange for helping reduce assessments on their properties and save thousands of dollars in taxes. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly said the “corrosive and erosive effect” of such cases increase the level of distrust in citizens. “It’s part of the sorry state of affairs we find ourselves in these days where nobody trusts government,” Kennelly said.

Kansas – Kansas Judges Order State to Pay $214K in Attorney Fees Tied to Flawed Ethics Investigations

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 5/27/2025

A judge directed the state to pay $115,700 in attorney fees to a law firm representing clients who received subpoenas amid a state investigation targeting Republican-affiliated political organizations and individuals. The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission’s probe centered on whether campaign violations occurred through coordination of election spending among individuals, political parties, and PACs. During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers revised the definition of making a “contribution in the name of another” to affirm the legality of certain campaign transactions common to Republican and Democratic operatives.

Kentucky – Secrecy Sets the Pace When It Comes to This Beshear’s Kentucky Derby Guest List

Yahoo News – Tom Loftus (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 5/27/2025

Gov. Andy Beshear refused to identify friends and political supporters who bought tickets to the Kentucky Derby made available by Churchill Downs for the governor’s entourage. The governor’s office said it has no records of who got the tickets or who was invited to a party at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort. The office referred questions to a nonprofit Beshear created to act as broker for his Derby tickets and manage the party. But First Saturday in May Inc. is not covered by the Open Records Act.

Louisiana – Louisiana Lawmakers Put Some Limits Back in Place on Gifts to Public Officials

Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 5/29/2025

Louisiana lawmakers are no longer looking to lift restrictions on gifts to elected officials and public employees. Rep. Beau Beaullieu removed language from House Bill 674 that would have allowed public servants to receive $200 worth of gifts annually. Besides the gift policy changes, the bill contains ethics law modifications that would make it harder for the state ethics board to investigate and charge people with misconduct. Beaullieu said many elected officials feel the board has been too aggressive when pursuing allegations.

Maine – Maine PACs Say Campaign Finance Lawsuit Is About Free Speech. The State Says It’s About Corruption

Yahoo News – Emily Allen (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 5/22/2025

Lawyers for two of Maine’s conservative PACs were in federal court recently, asking a judge to stop the state from enforcing a new law that caps PAC contributions at $5,000. The law was approved in a referendum last fall, but state officials agreed to delay its implementation until May 30. The plaintiffs’ attorneys argue the law is a serious threat to the First Amendment. The state’s lawyers pointed to the popularity of the new law and suggested voters are concerned with corruption.

Missouri – Ethics Panel Says Source of Funds for Mayor’s Trips Deserved More Transparency

MSN – Mike Hendricks (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/27/2025

Kansas City should amend its ethics code to address the transparency issues that arose when a nonprofit group under Mayor Quinton Lucas’s control paid for his trip to the 2023 Super Bowl, according to a new report. The Mayors Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City covered the nearly $24,000 cost of sending Lucas, an aide, and his security detail to Phoenix for the game between the Chiefs and Eagles. The Mayors Corps was under no obligation to disclose the source of its funding.

New York – Eric Adams Sues Campaign Finance Board for Denying Him Millions in Matching Funds

MSN – Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 5/27/2025

New York City Mayor Eric Adams filed a lawsuit challenging the Campaign Finance Board’s decision to deny him millions of dollars in public matching funds. The board first denied Adams matching funds in December, citing the now dismissed bribery indictment against the mayor, in addition to his team’s refusal to provide campaign finance regulators with requested information. The lawsuit argues the board adopted an illegally vague standard by saying it “had reason to believe” Adams violated state and city laws based on the indictment without offering specifics.

Ohio – House Bill 6 Was Ohio’s Biggest Public Corruption Scandal. So Why Haven’t the Laws Changed?

MSN – Anna Staver (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 5/22/2025

To prevent another scandal like House Bill 6 in Ohio, Democratic lawmakers introduced a three-part reform package. House Bill 250 would mandate the disclosure of dark money donors. A second, forthcoming bill would target petition-blocking tactics used to stifle citizen-led ballot campaigns. The third proposal would stop individuals and companies who donate to candidates from receiving state contracts.

Ohio – P.G. Sittenfeld Pardoned by President Donald Trump

MSN – Jennifer Edwards Baker (WXIX) | Published: 5/28/2025

Former Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld is one of several people recently pardoned by President Trump. Sittenfeld was sentenced to 16 months in prison after a jury convicted him on corruption-related charges of bribery and attempted extortion in 2022. SIttenfeld served about four months before an appeals court released him pending their decision on his appeal. He lost the appeal earlier this year.

Oregon – State Rep. Bobby Levy Weighs in on Bills Close to Family Business While Lawmakers Weigh Regulations

Yahoo News – Alex Baumhardt (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 5/27/2025

Although state Rep. Bobby Levy named seven businesses in the statement of economic interest she submits annually to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, she is not barred from sponsoring, testifying on or voting on bills that would directly benefit the family businesses that she receives income from. In fact, by Oregon law, Levy said she and other legislators are required to vote on bills even when they have declared a conflict-of-interest.

Rhode Island – Elections Board Prepares to Revamp R.I.’s Aging Campaign Finance Software. It Just Needs the Money.

Yahoo News – Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) | Published: 5/27/2025

Rhode Island election administrators are pushing to rejuvenate the technology used to collect and share information about campaign finance donations and spending. But the makeover to the Rhode Island Board of Elections’ Electronic Reporting and Tracking System requires extra money from state lawmakers, and how to store the last 23 years of reports from 1,300 candidates and committees in a way that people can still access and search remains in question.

Rhode Island – Rhode Island Ethics Code Gift Giving Rules Might Be Getting a Refresh

Yahoo News – Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) | Published: 5/20/2025

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission is contemplating changes to the state ethics code for the first time in over a decade. The commission voted to start the rulemaking process to explicitly ban lobbyists from giving gifts other than campaign donations to public officials, and to increase the maximum value of “insubstantial” gifts that can be accepted to account for inflation.

Texas – Once Again, Texas Legislature Unlikely to Pass Ethics Legislation This Year

MSN – Kate McGee (Texas Tribune) | Published: 5/28/2025

The Texas Legislature is on track to pass essentially no meaningful ethics legislation this year as the calendar ticks closer to the end of the session. Lawmakers filed dozens of bills that would increase transparency around spending in elections and strengthen penalties for campaign and lobbying violations. Their proposals would specify what candidates, lawmakers, and political groups need to disclose about their campaigning, streamline and clarify the ethics complaint processes, and keep up with changing technology that is increasingly used to deceive voters in elections.

Texas – Prove Citizenship to Vote? For Some Married Women, It Might Not Be So Easy.

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 5/25/2025

Some Republican-led states are moving to require voters to prove their citizenship, as Texas advances a controversial measure that could make it harder for eligible voters to get on the rolls because of changed names, mislaid paperwork, or database errors. Voting rights advocates warn the plans could prove particularly tricky for people who change their names, including women who do so when they get married or divorced, because their legal names do not match the ones on their birth certificates. Supporters call the criticism overblown, saying most Americans can readily show they are citizens.

Washington – Seattle City Council Advances on Controversial Ethics Bill

Seattle Times – David Kroman | Published: 5/23/2025

A Seattle City Council committee approved a controversial revision to the city’s ethics code, allowing members to vote on matters in which they may have a financial interest so long as they make a public disclosure. The change, recommended by the head of the city’s ethics commission, is a shift away from the current practice requiring members to recuse themselves and has stirred up the city’s politics months before several of the body’s members are up for reelection.

Campaign Finance

Connecticut: “CT Senate Moves to Curb Independence of Elections Watchdog” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

National: “Trump Wants an Investigation of Democrats’ Fundraising. His Own Campaign Has Issues” by Brian Slodysko and Steve Peoples (Associated Press) for MSN

Elections

Texas: “Prove Citizenship to Vote? For Some Married Women, It Might Not Be So Easy.” by Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire Independent Regulators for Now” by Anne Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

Missouri: “Ethics Panel Says Source of Funds for Mayor’s Trips Deserved More Transparency” by Mike Hendricks (Kansas City Star) for MSN

Ohio: “House Bill 6 Was Ohio’s Biggest Public Corruption Scandal. So Why Haven’t the Laws Changed?” by Anna Staver (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

Lobbying

Rhode Island: “Rhode Island Ethics Code Gift Giving Rules Might Be Getting a Refresh” by Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) for Yahoo News

Procurement

National: “Trump’s Contract-Cutting Blitz Rattles a Once-Flourishing DC Industry” by Danny Nguyen and Jessie Blaeser (Politico) for MSN

On April 15, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at reforming the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which are procedures guiding acquisitions across executive departments. The order, entitled Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, mandates the Administrator of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy (Administrator) take “appropriate actions to amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.”

The order also requires these actions, which must be made in the next 180 days, be taken in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the heads of federal executive branch agencies, and appropriate senior acquisition and procurement officials from agencies.

Additionally, in the next 15 days, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR must designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council. Within 20 days, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must issue a memorandum to agencies providing guidance regarding implementation of the order.

As described in a prior order issued by the president in January, this order requires that for each new regulation issued, at least 10 prior regulations be identified for elimination.

Beginning March 8, subaward reporting for U.S. Federal contracts will be enabled through SAM.gov instead of FSRS.gov.

On March 6, 2025, the federal government decommissioned The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award Reporting System (FSRS) through its FSRS.gov website. Data was able to be entered into the FSRS.gov system until the close of business on March 6. Visitors to FSRS.gov are redirected to SAM.gov/FSRS beginning March 7.

Federal Acquisition Regulation §52.204-10 requires prime contractors awarded a federal contract or order to file a FFATA sub-award report by the end of the month following the month in which the prime contractor awards any sub-contract greater than $30,000.