LobbyComply Blog

Q: I want to sell my company’s product to a state or local government entity. Do I need to register as a lobbyist?

A: Jurisdictions approach the issue of procurement lobbying differently and registration requirements can vary widely from one jurisdiction to the next.

Some jurisdictions completely exempt procurement activities from their definition of lobbying. For example, in Maine, registration is not required for procurement-related activities because those activities are not considered lobbying. On the other hand, jurisdictions like Idaho require registration for procurement-related activities, subject only to the state’s general registration threshold.

To complicate matters further, some jurisdictions set different registration thresholds for procurement lobbying activities than they do for other lobbying activities. In Florida, for example, employees engaged in procurement activities on behalf of their employer are required to register as executive branch lobbyists if they lobby to procure a contract with a value of more than $20,000.

Additionally, even if a state’s law doesn’t cover a particular procurement activity, local entities and municipalities may have more stringent registration requirements that do reach your contemplated activities. Certain hospital systems and school districts in Florida, for example, require representatives of companies hoping to do business with them to register as lobbyists prior to meeting with them to discuss potential procurement opportunities.

Though sales teams often function separately from government affairs teams, if your company is selling to a governmental entity, you should carefully consider whether any lobbying laws will apply to your procurement efforts.

More information about procurement lobbying requirements can easily be found on our website in the Registration section of the Procurement Lobbying Compliance Guidebook.

National/Federal

Luxury Spending, Internal Strife Leave NRA Staggering Into 2024 Election

Anchorage Daily News – Beth Reinhard and Sylvia Foster-Frau (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2024

In 2016, the National Rifle Association (NRA) endorsed helped catapult Donald Trump to the White House with $31 million in campaign spending. But as Trump stages his comeback, the NRA has tumbled from power. Internal feuds, corruption allegations, and an onslaught of litigation have ravaged the group’s finances and public image. Longtime chief executive Wayne LaPierre stepped down on the eve of a civil corruption trial, with prosecutors claiming he and other NRA leaders cheated donors by squandering millions on personal expenses.

In More Places This Year, People Can Vote in Their First Language

Center for Public Integrity – Katherine Hapgood | Published: 2/2/2024

A larger swath of the country will have access to translated ballots this year than in any prior presidential election. Under federal Voting Rights Act requirements, 331 voting areas in 30 states must provide language access to more than 24 million voters with limited English proficiency. But voter rights activists say the newest numbers, based on U.S. Census Bureau data, represent an undercount.

The Wild Probe into Investors of DWAC, Trump Media’s Proposed Merger Ally

MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 2/3/2024

In October 2021, Donald Trump announced that his media company, the owner of the platform Truth Social, had closed a merger with a “special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)” that would deliver to his firm $300 million toward his promise of giving “a voice to all.” By then, however, the insider trading by investors in the SPAC, Digital World Acquisition, had already begun. Digital World’s chief executive, Patrick Orlando, had been telling investors privately for months that he had been talking with Trump about the deal, filings assert, a violation of federal securities law.

Oversight Board Rebukes Meta’s Policies After Altered Biden Video Spreads

MSN – Naomi Nix (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2024

Meta was criticized by a company-funded oversight board for its “incoherent” and “confusing” policies on manipulated media after an altered video of President Biden spread on Facebook. The company opted not to remove the video, which had been edited to show Biden appearing to touch his granddaughter inappropriately. The board upheld the decision to leave the video in place but called on the company to clarify its policies amid widespread concerns about the risks of artificial intelligence.

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Claim of Absolute Immunity

MSN – Alan Feuer and Charlie Savage (New York Times) | Published: 2/6/2024

A federal appeals court rejected former President Donald Trump’s claim that he was immune to charges of plotting to subvert the results of the 2020 election, ruling he must go to trial on a criminal indictment accusing him of seeking to overturn his loss to President Biden. The panel’s ruling signaled an important moment in American jurisprudence, answering a question that had never been addressed by an appeals court: can former presidents escape being held accountable by the criminal justice system for things they did while in office?

DOJ Report on Biden Classified Documents Coming Soon; No Criminal Charges

MSN – Devlin Barrett and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 2/6/2024

The Justice Department is preparing to release a special counsel report that is critical of President Biden and his aides for mishandling classified documents in Biden’s private home and former office, but prosecutors do not plan to pursue criminal charges in the case. Based on what is publicly known about the two classified documents probes, the investigation of Donald Trump seems significantly different from the Biden investigation.

In Stunning Vote, House Republicans Fail to Impeach Secretary Mayorkas

MSN – Jacqueline Alemany, Amy Wang, Marianna Sotomayor, and Paul Kane (Washington Post) | Published: 2/6/2024

A House GOP effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas failed as three Republicans joined Democrats in voting against what would have been the second-ever impeachment of a Cabinet official. Democrats have decried the process as a sham, with only two hearings that featured no fact witnesses or testimony from the secretary. Even if the measure had passed, Mayorkas was unlikely to have been convicted in a trial in the Democratic-led Senate.

Lawmakers Clash Over ‘Zuckerbucks’ and How to Stop Private Election Funding

MSN – Jim Saska (Roll Call) | Published: 2/7/2024

A recent House Administration Committee hearing on private donations helping to fund the administration of elections was contentious. The hearing centered on grants the Center for Tech and Civic Life and related groups provided to state and local election offices in 2020. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife donated more than $300 million to the effort. Private funding is now banned or limited in 27 states.

The Evolving Watchdog Group Behind the Ballot Challenge to Trump

Seattle Times – Kenneth Vogel (New York Times) | Published: 2/7/2024

Since it was founded in 2002, the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has been caught in a tug of war between Democratic donors who wanted it to wage political warfare and less partisan supporters who wanted to expose corruption and ethical lapses regardless of party. Donald Trump’s emergence as a political force changed the equation. During his presidency, CREW was able to satisfy both sides of the internal debate by training its sights almost entirely on him and his allies as they flouted ethics rules.

Special Counsel Questioned Witnesses About 2 Rooms FBI Didn’t Search Inside Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Residence: Sources

Yahoo News – Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine, and Alexander Mallin (ABC News) | Published: 2/1/2024

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has questioned several witnesses about a closet and a “hidden room” inside Donald Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago that the FBI did not check while searching the estate in August 2022, sources said. The line of questioning suggests that long after the FBI seized dozens of boxes and more than 100 documents marked classified from Mar-a-Lago, Smith’s team was trying to determine if there might still be more classified material there.

Cast as Criminals, America’s Librarians Rally to Their Own Defense

Yahoo News – Elizabeth Williamson (New York Times) | Published: 2/3/2024

As America’s libraries have become noisy and sometimes dangerous new battlegrounds in the nation’s culture wars, librarians and their allies have moved from the stacks to the front lines. People who normally preside over hushed sanctuaries are now battling groups that demand the mass removal of books and seek to control library governance. Last year, more than 150 bills in 35 states aimed to restrict access to library materials, and to punish library workers who do not comply.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – ‘Issue of Transparency’: Arizona Coyotes’ land interest raises ethics flags for Gov. Katie Hobbs

MSN – Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 2/6/2024

After voters rejected the Arizona Coyotes’ plans to build a hockey arena and entertainment district in Tempe, the team’s chief executive officer, Xavier Gutierrez, met with Gov. Katie Hobbs. That June meeting came weeks before an application was filed to buy trust land from the Arizona State Land Department under Hobbs’ oversight. Two months later, schedules show Gutierrez had another meeting in the governor’s office. That time, Gutierrez was to meet with Hobbs’ chief of staff, Chad Campbell, a former lobbyist for the Coyotes and whose consulting firm worked on the team’s Tempe campaign before Campbell joined the Hobbs administration.

Arizona – AZ Democrat Accuses Fellow Latina Lawmakers of ‘False Imprisonment’ Over Political Differences

MSN – Ray Stern (Arizona Republic) | Published: 2/8/2024

Arizona Rep. Lydia Hernandez is accusing fellow Democratic Latino caucus members of holding her hostage in her office for more than an hour last year over political differences. Hernandez also tried to lodge a criminal complaint in January with Department of Public Safety troopers at the Capitol about the incident, which she claims occurred after weeks of bullying, bigotry, and ageism by several Democratic lawmakers.

Arizona – Why Arizonans Can’t See Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Fundraising Numbers, but Can See Others

Yahoo News – Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 2/2/2024

According to Arizona law, officeholders serving four-year terms who will run for a second term do not have to make details of their campaign finances public for three years. Prior to 2016, candidates and officeholders were required to make public reports at least every year. Under the law, Gov. Katie Hobbs does not have to publicly detail the money flowing to and from her main campaign bank account until January 2026, when she would face reelection. That leaves Arizonans in the dark for all of 2023, 2024, and 2025 as Hobbs has continued fundraising.

California – A Bill for Every Problem? Why California Lawmakers Introduce Longshots

CalMatters – Sameea Kamal | Published: 2/6/2024

It is common practice for California legislators on both sides of the aisle to author bills to make a political statement. Besides bills that are just political statements, dozens of others do not make it into law because they duplicate existing laws or are deemed “solutions in search of a problem.” Party leaders and committee chairpersons might be hard-pressed to block bill introductions.

Colorado – Supreme Court Sounds Broadly Skeptical of Efforts to Kick Trump Off Ballot over Capitol Attack

Associated Press News – Mark Sherman | Published: 2/8/2024

The Supreme Court sounded broadly skeptical of efforts to kick former President Trump off the 2024 ballot. Both conservative and liberal justices raised questions of whether Trump can be disqualified from being president again because of his efforts to undo his loss in the 2020 election, ending with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The primary concern was whether Congress must act before states can invoke a constitutional provision  that was adopted after the Civil War to prevent former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office again.

Florida – Florida Ethics Board Plans Hearing in Miami Mayor’s Gift Case, Tosses Second Complaint

Yahoo News – Sarah Blaskey (Miami Herald) | Published: 2/1/2024

The Florida Commission on Ethics dismissed a complaint against Miami Mayor Francis Suarez that raised concerns over his use of city police officers as his private security while traveling the country campaigning for president last year. Suarez is still the subject of a second, ongoing inquiry by the commission into his attendance at high-priced sporting events. Ethics officials recently completed their months-long investigation, and a hearing date is expected to be set in regarding that case.

Florida – Government Watchdogs Warn Florida Legislation Would Have Chilling Effect in Ethics Cases

Yahoo News – Ana Ceballos and Joey Flechas (Miami Herald) | Published: 2/2/2024

As local ethics investigators dig into government scandals in Miami, state lawmakers are proposing changes that could reign them in by removing their ability to launch their own investigations into alleged public corruption and ethical violations. The Florida Senate passed a broad ethics package that would bar local ethics panels across the state from investigating misconduct by public officials unless someone with personal knowledge of wrongdoing is willing to identify themselves by name and file a complaint under oath.

Georgia – Larry David Breaks Georgia’s Voting Law in ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

DNyuz – Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) | Published: 2/5/2024

Television comedies like “Veep” and “Parks and Recreation” have poked fun at the absurdities of national and local politics, but it is rare for them to zero in on the fine print of laws passed by state Legislatures. So, it was surprising that the end of the season premiere of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” took aim at the major voting law Georgia passed in 2021. It highlights a provision that bars third-party groups or anyone else who is not an election worker from providing food and water to voters waiting in line within a 150-foot radius of a polling place.

Illinois – Day in Court Postponed for Former Lawmaker Who Checked into Hospital on Eve of Corruption Trial

Capitol News Illinois – Hannah Meisel | Published: 2/7/2024

On what was supposed to be the third day of the corruption trial of former Illinois Sen. Sam McCann, the onetime third-party candidate for governor instead video-conferenced into U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless’ courtroom from his hospital bed. McCann had checked himself into Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis after feeling unwell. McCann allegedly “engaged in a scheme to convert more than $200,000 in contributions and donations made to his campaign committees to pay himself and make personal purchases,” prosecutors allege.

Illinois – Ex-State Legislator Going on Trial on Tax Counts Stemming from Madigan Probe

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/5/2026

Former Illinois Rep. Annazette Collins’ trial on federal tax charges began nearly three years after she was indicted amid the investigation into an alleged scheme by Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan. Collins, who worked as a ComEd lobbyist after her career in Springfield ended, faces charges alleging she underreported income and failed to file federal income tax returns for her lobbying and consulting firm.

Iowa – Founder of Group That Opposes Book Bans Files Ethics Complaint Against Iowa Lawmaker

Yahoo News – Chris Higgins (Des Moines Register) | Published: 2/2/2024

Sara Hayden Parris, president of Annie’s Foundation, a group that draws attention to book bans and hands out free copies of books that have been challenged or removed from libraries, filed an ethics complaint against state Rep. Jeff Shipley alleging defamation. Hayden Parris alleges Shipley broke the House ethics code and used social media to defame her and falsely accuse her of breaking the law by giving obscene material to children. Her complaint refers to a back-and-forth thread they had on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Louisiana – Campaign Cash Covers Louisiana Officials Tabs at Washington Mardi Gras

Louisiana Illuminator – Julie O’Donoghue | Published: 2/5/2024

Each year, thousands of Louisiana residents kick off carnival season at one of the state’s premiere annual political events, Washington Mardi Gras. The four-day festival features a formal ball, industry group luncheons, panel discussions, fundraisers, and plenty of parties thrown by the politically connected. Private businesses the government regulates are among the most visible sponsors of the event. Louisiana elected officials and candidates spent a total of $605,000 from their campaign accounts and PACs on the 2023 celebration.

Maryland – Baltimore Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah Could Access Up to $1.7M in Public Money for Campaign

Yahoo News – Emily Opilo (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 2/5/2024

In his previous three bids for office, Baltimore mayoral candidate Thiru Vignarajah has run financially competitive campaigns, some costing upward of $1 million, fueled by donations from some of the region’s most well-funded business executives and community leaders. In 2024, Vignarajah hopes to harness hundreds of thousands of dollars in public money – potentially up to $1.7 million – to help pay for his campaign.

Michigan – Bipartisan Bills Extending FOIA to the Governor and State Lawmakers Gets Senate Hearing

Michigan Advance – Anna Liz Nichols | Published: 2/7/2024

Michigan is one of only two states that broadly exempt the governor’s office and Legislature from Freedom of Information Act requests. New legislation would remedy that, allowing residents and journalists to seek out records to increase accountability in government. But the legislation’s bipartisan sponsors reviewed various special exemptions that will be afforded to the governor’s office, lieutenant governor’s office, and Legislature outside of exemptions made for other elected officials and state agencies.

New Hampshire – New Hampshire Opens Criminal Probe into AI Calls Impersonating Biden

MSN – Cat Zakrzewski and Pranshu Verma (Washington Post) | Published: 2/6/2024

New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella announced a criminal investigation into Life Corp., a Texas-based company that was allegedly behind thousands of AI-generated calls impersonating President Biden in the run-up to the state’s primary elections. A multistate task force is also preparing for potential civil litigation against the company. Formella said the actions were intended to serve notice that New Hampshire and other states will take action if they use AI to interfere in elections.

New York – Scores of N.Y. Public Housing Workers Charged in Record Corruption Case

DNyuz – Jesse McKinley, Mihir Zaveri, and Corey Kilgannon (New York Times) | Published: 2/6/2024

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan unsealed bribery and extortion charges against 70 current and former employees of the New York City Housing Authority, a sweeping indictment for a troubled organization. In describing the scheme, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said dozens of employees, including superintendents and assistant superintendents, had taken more than $2 million in bribes from contractors seeking to do work at apartment buildings throughout the city’s five boroughs.

New York – Donors to Adams’ 2025 Campaign Say They Were Secretly Reimbursed Thousands of Dollars

The City – George Joseph (The Guardian), April Xu (Documented), Yoav Gonen, Bianca Pallaro, and Haidee Chu | Published: 2/1/2024

Three donors to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ 2025 re-election campaign recounted in interviews how they, and in two cases their spouses, were reimbursed for a total of more than $10,000 by hotel and construction executives in violation of state law. Suspicions of so-called straw donations spurred an indictment of a fundraising group involved in Adams’ 2021 race, which has led to two guilty pleas, and are part of a federal probe into whether they have been used to veil illegal contributions from the Turkish government.

New York – Eric Adams’ Former NYPD Colleague Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating Straw Donations

Yahoo News – Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/5/2024

A former colleague of New York City Mayor Eric Adams pleaded guilty to orchestrating a straw donor scheme that allegedly funneled tens of thousands of dollars to Adams’ 2021 campaign. Dwayne Montgomery, whose career in the police department overlapped that of Adams, pleaded guilty to one conspiracy charge. That accusation was one of several included in the original indictment that detailed a scheme to funnel illegal contributions to Adams’ run for office with the hope of reaping kickbacks.

North Dakota – North Dakota Lawmakers Scarcely Declare Conflicts of Interest

North Dakota Monitor – Mary Steurer | Published: 2/5/2024

North Dakota lawmakers are required to speak out if they believe they have a personal or private interest in the outcome of a bill, a policy intended to prevent officials from using their positions for their own personal gain. But conflict declarations are extremely rare. State lawmakers claimed conflicts on bills just three times in 2023.

Ohio – Battle Over the Ohio House: Speaker could be saddled with convicted Householder’s $1.6M debt

MSN – Jake Zuckerman and Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/7/2024

A legal fight over a $1.6 million lease backed by ex-Speaker Larry Householder’s political operation could reverberate in the expensive political battle for control of the Ohio House next year. Just before Householder’s 2020 arrest, his political operation signed a lease for an entire floor of the Chase Tower overlooking the statehouse campus. A slew of criminal convictions scuttled whatever Householder planned with the lease. Now the property managers say they are owed $1.6 million, and they want to collect from current Speaker Jason Stephens’ political arm as he fights to keep control of the chamber.

Ohio – Voting Amendment Backers Accuse Dave Yost of ‘Shameful Abuse of Power’ in New Lawsuit

MSN – Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/2/2024

Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would expand state voting laws have sued Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost for refusing to sign off on proposed petition language for the amendment due to its proposed title. The lawsuit asks the state Supreme Court to force Yost to approve the petition language, saying the attorney general’s office only has legal authority to determine whether it accurately summarizes the proposal, not to comment on the title, much less reject the proposal over it.

Oregon – Republican Senators Who Walked Out of Oregon Legislature Can’t Seek Reelection, State Supreme Court Rules

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 2/1/2024

The Oregon Supreme Court said 10 state senators who staged a walkout last year to stall bills on abortion, transgender health care, and gun rights cannot run for reelection. The ruling upholds the secretary of state’s decision to disqualify the senators under a voter-approved measure aimed at stopping such boycotts. Measure 113 amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences. Oregon is one of four states that requires a two-thirds majority in the Legislature to meet a quorum.

Pennsylvania – Philly Sheriff’s Campaign Takes Down Bogus ‘News’ Stories Posted to Site That Were Generated by AI

Yahoo News – Maryclaire Dale and Ali Swenson (Associated Press) | Published: 2/5/2024

The campaign team behind Philadelphia’s embattled sheriff acknowledged that a series of positive “news” stories posted to their site were generated by ChatGPT. It came after a Philadelphia Inquirer story reported that local news outlets could not find the stories in their archives. Experts say this type of misinformation can erode public trust and threaten democracy. Bilal’s campaign said the stories were based on real events.

Rhode Island – Records Show ‘Not Adequate’ Vetting of R.I. Ethics Commission Appointee

MSN – Edward Fitzpatrick (Boston Globe) | Published: 2/1/2024

A public records request showed no sign that Rhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee’s staff knew about the sexual harassment complaints made by six women against state Ethics Commission nominee Bryant Da Cruz until minutes after his appointment was announced. Emails and text messages regarding McKee’s ill-fated choice for the commission last November show the main question raised was whether Da Cruz could serve on the panel while working as a federal political coordinator for the National Association of Realtors.

South Dakota – South Dakota Apologizes to Transgender Advocacy Group, Will Pay $300K Over Cancelled Contract

Yahoo News – Lauren Sforza (The Hill) | Published: 2/7/2024

South Dakota will pay $300,000 and has apologized to a transgender advocacy group after the state cancelled a contract with the organization. The Transformation Project alleged its contract became a “political liability” after a conservative outlet brought it and one of the group’s planned events to Gov. Kristi Noem’s attention. The group alleged its contract was “abruptly terminated” in December 2022 “based purely on national politics.”

Tennessee – Tennessee’s Legislature Can’t Move Past the Bitter Clashes of 2023

DNyuz – Emily Cochrane (New York Times) | Published: 2/2/2024

Tennessee House Republicans in 2023 expelled state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for leading a gun control protest on the chamber floor, and festering tensions are surfacing even before lawmakers tackle the major work of the 2024 session. With their supermajority, Republicans can easily swat away Democratic objections to their agenda. That ironclad grip has pushed both Democrats and activists to turn to more aggressive tactics to draw attention to their positions.

Texas – When Mental Health Treatment Becomes a Political Identity

DNyuz – J. David Goodman (New York Times) | Published: 2/6/2024

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has spoken openly and often about her mental health, making her struggle with depression an increasingly central part of her political identity. Hidalgo has added her name to a growing list of politicians who have chosen to be public about their mental health. But the approach remains politically risky. Consultants still point to U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton, whose history of mental health treatment doomed his prospects as a vice-presidential running mate in 1972.

Texas – Texas AG’s Pursuit of Transgender Medical Records Stirs Privacy Concerns

MSN – Molly Hennessy-Fiske (Washington Post) | Published: 2/2/2024

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is using an exception in federal medical-privacy law to demand records from health-care providers far beyond his state’s borders – any hospitals, clinics, and practices that may have treated transgender youth from Texas. The aggressive attack on the LGBTQ community is one that legal experts say could pose a threat to medical privacy for all.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Supreme Court Grants Ballot Access to Presidential Candidate Dean Phillips

MSN – Jessie Opoien (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) | Published: 2/2/2024

Democratic presidential candidate Dean Phillips earned a place on Wisconsin’s primary ballot, the state Supreme Court decided. The court ruled unanimously that the state’s Presidential Preference Selection Committee failed to demonstrate it exercised discretion in keeping Phillips off the ballot. Phillips has challenged similar decisions in Florida and North Carolina.

National/Federal

Billionaires Wanted to Save the News Industry. They’re Losing a Fortune.

DNyuz – Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson (New York Times) | Published: 1/18/2024

There is an old saying about the news business: If you want to make a small fortune, start with a large one. As the prospects for news publishers waned in the last decade, billionaires swooped in to buy some of the country’s most fabled brands. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, bought The Washington Post in 2013 for about $250 million, for example. But it increasingly appears that the billionaires are struggling just like nearly everyone else.

No Labels Sued by New York Donors Claiming ‘Bait and Switch’

DNyuz – Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 1/23/2024

Two members of the powerful Durst real estate family in New York sued the centrist group No Labels, accusing it of pulling a “bait and switch” by seeking donations for a bipartisan governing group and then moving to fund a third-party presidential candidacy. The lawsuit seeks damages and reimbursements after the Dursts donated $145,000 years ago, when No Labels was founded on the promise of finding governing solutions.

Once Professor and Student, These Lawmakers Are Out to Protect Journalists’ Secret Sources

MSN – Megan Mineiro (Roll Call) | Published: 1/19/2024

Bipartisan legislation to protect journalists from government surveillance passed the U.S. House recently. The Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act would block federal law enforcement agencies from subpoenaing journalists’ emails, phone records, recordings, and photographs to nail down the identity of confidential sources in their reporting. It includes tailored exceptions for terrorism or threats of imminent violence or harm.

These Lawmakers Are Still Invested in Banning Congressional Stock Trades

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 1/18/2024

Scrutiny of members’ trading has been building since the pandemic, when some lawmakers raised eyebrows by selling stocks soon before the market crashed. That prompted investigations from the Department of Justice, though no charges were filed. Reports from the media followed, highlighting a litany of questionable deals coming from the Capitol. Advocates say a ban on individual trades would curb worries about conflicts-of-interest and insider trading in Congress. But lack of buy-in from leadership has been a sticking point.

Here’s How ChatGPT Maker OpenAI Plans to Deter Election Misinformation in 2024

MSN – Ali Swenson (Associated Press) | Published: 1/16/2024

ChatGPT maker OpenAI outlined a plan to prevent its tools from being used to spread election misinformation as voters in more than 50 countries prepare to cast their ballots in national elections this year. It will ban people from using its technology to create chatbots that impersonate real candidates or governments, to misrepresent how voting works, or to discourage people from voting. It said until more research can be done on the persuasive power of its technology, it will not allow its users to build applications for the purposes of campaigning or lobbying.

Lobbying Spending by Top Interest Groups Dipped Amid 2023 Gridlock

MSN – Caitlin Reilly (Roll Call) | Published: 1/24/2024

A year of gridlock amid divided government and Republican infighting on Capitol Hill drove down spending by the biggest interest groups by about 13 percent in 2023 from the previous year. Tax policy, artificial intelligence, and China, along with perennial issues like health care and defense, drove interest and revenue on K Street last year, lobbyists said. Those trends are expected to hold this year.

How Many of Your State’s Lawmakers Are Women? If You Live in the Southeast, It Could Be Just 1 in 5.

ProPublica – Jennifer Berry Hawes | Published: 1/11/2022

The United States saw a record number of women elected to statehouses last year. Nationally, one-third of legislators are women, the most in history. In recent years, three states – Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado – achieved parity. But much of the Southeast lags far behind. Women constitute fewer than one in five state lawmakers across much of the region. This leaves large majorities of men controlling policy, including laws that most impact women, at a time when the U.S. Supreme Court is sending more power to statehouses.

‘We Don’t Have a Clear Path to Victory’: DeSantis exits presidential race

Yahoo News – Gary Fineout and Alez Isenstadt (Politico) | Published: 1/21/2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis ended his presidential campaign after he was unable to convince Republicans to set aside their allegiance to the man who helped his own political career. DeSantis’s run came to a halt following a dispiriting second-place finish in Iowa, a state where he and allies poured millions of dollars into an aggressive get-out-the-vote effort that featured the governor visiting all 99 counties. He spent week after week in the state instead of establishing a presence in other early voting states like New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Pro-Biden PAC Launches $1 Million Campaign to Pay Social Media Influencers

Yahoo News – Rebecca Kern (Politico) | Published: 1/23/2024

Priorities USA, a super PAC supporting President Biden, is spending $1 million for its first-ever “creator” program, enlisting about 150 influencers to post on social media in the 2024 election cycle. The effort is part of a larger Democratic strategy to lure young voters in battleground states. Priorities USA plans to transition all its spending to digital communications in 2024 and sees the influencer campaign as key to reaching people who do not see typical campaign ads on television.

Appeals Court Declines Further Review of Trump Jan. 6 Gag Order

Yahoo News – Rebecca Beitsch and Zach Schonfeld (The Hill) | Published: 1/23/2024

A federal appeals court declined an effort by Donald Trump to have his challenge to a gag order in his election interference case heard by the full court, teeing up a likely U.S. Supreme Court battle over restrictions to his speech. A three-judge panel of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals had largely upheld a lower court ruling restricting Trump’s speech in the case.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Arizona GOP Lawmaker Targets ‘Conflict of Interest’ in Donations to City Bond Projects

KJZZ – Wayne Schutsky | Published: 1/19/2024

Arizona Rep. Laurin Hendrix is pushing a bill that would bar construction companies that donate to local bond elections from then benefitting from the array of city projects funded by those bonds, a move that could drain hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the campaigns that push for passage of those bonds every election cycle. In the lead up to those elections, voters are often inundated with advertising and marketing efforts backed by local politicians and PACs that support passage of the bond questions. A lot of the money that pays for those efforts come from businesses or individuals with ties to the construction industry.

Arizona – Arizona Republican Party Chair Resigns After Kari Lake Recording Is Made Public

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 1/24/2024

Arizona Republican Party Chairperson Jeff DeWit announced his resignation after a recording was made public that appeared to show him attempting to entice Kari Lake to sit out the 2024 election for the state’s U.S. Senate seat. The recording and DeWit’s resignation mark major challenges for a state GOP struggling to bounce back from years of tough election losses. What happens politically in Arizona, a swing state, could have broader consequences for both the presidency and the Senate majority in 2024.

California – She Went to Prison for Bribing Nuru with a Rolex. Now She Has to Pay S.F. $750,000

MSN – St. John Barned-Smith (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 1/23/2024

Businessperson Florence Kong has already spent a year in prison for pleading guilty to bribing Mohammed Nuru with a Rolex watch and other gifts and lying to FBI agents about her relationship with the former head of San Francisco’s Public Works Department. Now she is on the hook to pay the city $750,000 to resolve civil penalties related to the matter, according to a settlement proposal.

California – SoCalGas Billed Customers Millions to Fight Clean Energy, The Bee Found. This Bill Could Stop That

MSN – Ari Plachta (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 1/17/2024

New legislation in California strengthens laws that prevent energy utilities from passing on the costs of lobbying to their customers. It comes in response to a media investigation that found the nation’s largest gas provider, Southern California Gas Company, booked at least $36 million to ratepayers since 2019 to oppose clean energy policies. The bill explicitly defines “political influence activity,” prevents the use of customer money for membership dues to trade groups, and requires utilities to disclose whether advertising campaigns are paid for by customers or shareholders.

California – OC Supervisor Quietly Routed Millions More to His Daughter’s Group

MSN – Nick Gerda (LAist) | Published: 1/22/2024

Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do directed an additional $6.2 million in taxpayer dollars to his 22-year-old daughter’s nonprofit group. Records show a total of $13.5 million in county funding that Do is now known to have played a major role awarding to Viet America Society since late 2020, all without publicly disclosing the relationship. The newly discovered grants were awarded by Do to his daughter Rhiannon Do’s nonprofit outside of public meetings. Details of these grants were also not included in public meeting agendas.

California – OC Board of Supervisors Deadlock on Conflict of Interest, Discretionary Spending Policy Updates

Orange County Register – Destiny Torres | Published: 1/23/2024

Orange County supervisors deadlocked on a proposal to require leaders and their top staffers to broaden the instances involving family connections that would require disclosure when approving contracts or spending money. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento proposed the reform following reports that Supervisor Andrew Do voted for subcontracts with the Warner Wellness Center, a mental health program, without publicly disclosing that his daughter was part of the organization’s leadership.

Colorado – Embattled Colorado House Republican Leader Resigns Leadership Role in Fallout of Drunken Driving Arrest

MSN – Seth Klamann (Denver Post) | Published: 1/24/2024

State Rep. Mike Lynch, the embattled Colorado House Republican and congressional candidate whose 2022 drunken driving arrest was revealed recently, said he was stepping down as minority leader. Lynch’s position as the top Republican in the House has been on the brink of collapse for several days amid fallout from the news about his arrest.

Connecticut – Conn. Mayor Wins Do-Over Race After GOP Seized on Democratic Ballot-Stuffing

MSN – Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (Washington Post) | Published: 1/25/2024

A Connecticut mayor whose September primary election win was invalidated after ballot-fraud allegations won a do-over primary, months after his case became a flash point in conservative arguments about debunked theories of voter fraud. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, whose supporters allegedly stuffed absentee ballots on his behalf in September, won reelection over John Gomes in the primary held on January 23.

Florida – Lubby Navarro Had Other Jobs. At Least One of Them Is Probing Her Spending After Her Arrest

MSN – David Goodhue (Miami Herald) | Published: 1/24/2024

Lubby Navarro, the former Miami-Dade County School Board member accused of stealing more than $100,000 from taxpayers by way of her district-issued credit cards, is under investigation by a hospital chain that put her on unpaid leave after she was arrested. Yanet Obarrio Sanchez, a spokesperson for the South Broward Hospital District, where Navarro works as a registered lobbyist, said an internal investigation was launched “as a standard protocol” right after Navarro’s arrest.

Florida – Split City Council Approves Legislation in Reaction to Deegan Using Single Source Contract

Yahoo News – David Bauerlein (Florida Times Union) | Published: 1/25/2024

Any future no-bid selection of a firm to do lobbying or grant writing for Jacksonville will have to get city council approval, a reaction to Mayor Donna Deegan awarding a contract to a campaign supporter. The bill was filed after Deegan awarded a $300,000 no-bid contract to Langton Consulting to do federal lobbying, grant writing, and public policy development. The city did not invite proposals from any other firm.

Georgia – Georgia Secretary of State Says It’s Unconstitutional for Board to Oversee Him, but Lawmakers Differ

Yahoo News – Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 1/24/2024

An attempt to state that Georgia’s State Election Board has the legal power to investigate Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s handling of elections blossomed into a constitutional showdown, with a lawyer for Raffensperger saying board members cannot legally oversee him. But the Senate Ethics Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 358. The proposal would remove Raffensperger from his nonvoting post on the board, allow the board to hire election investigators instead of solely relying on those working for Raffensperger, and clearly give the board power to investigate the secretary of state.

Illinois – Paul Vallas Facing $10,500 Fine from City’s Ethics Board

Yahoo News – A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/24/2024

Recent mayoral runner-up Paul Vallas is being fined $10,500 for violating Chicago’s campaign finance law. In November, the Board of Ethics found probable cause that Vallas, who lost to Brandon Johnson in the April 2023 runoff election, violated a rule that limits campaign contributions from entities doing business with the city.

Kentucky – Why Are KY Legislators Fleeing Frankfort? Blame Trump, Low Pay and Nasty Politics

MSN – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 1/25/2024

Seventeen senators and representatives in Kentucky are not seeking reelection this year. The numbers are growing relative to years past. Virtually all the elected officials in Frankfort will tell you that serving in the Kentucky General Assembly is an honor and a privilege. But is it a good job?

Kentucky – How Much Could Be Spent on Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg’s Ethics Complaint Defense?

Yahoo News – Josh Wood and Eleanor McCrary (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 1/24/2024

Outside counsel hired to defend Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg against an ethics complaint signed a contract to receive up to $25,000 in city funds for their services but the actual cost passed on to taxpayers could be much higher. Jefferson County Attorney’s Office spokesperson Josh Abner said the office does not limit the amount it spends on legal representation, despite the ordinance.

Louisiana – Louisiana Legislature Approves New Congressional Map with Second Majority-Black District

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 1/19/2024

The Louisiana Legislature approved a new congressional map that includes two majority-Black districts after being ordered to do so by a federal court that found the existing map illegally diminished Black voting power. Previously, Black voters in Louisiana had a majority in just one of the state’s six congressional districts, despite making up nearly a third of the statewide population.

Minnesota – You Might Be a Lobbyist Now

Minnesota Reformer – Madison McVan | Published: 1/19/2024

A change to the lobbying law in Minnesota is expected to mandate a bevy of new people register as lobbyists under the rule’s wide umbrella, said Jeff Sigurdson, executive director of the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board. Now, anyone making or spending more than $3,000 to influence decisions by governmental bodies across the state must register. The new law applies to all the state’s political subdivisions. Previously, lobbying rules did not apply to local governments except those in the Twin Cities metro area.

New Hampshire – Trump Beats Haley Decisively in N.H., Closing in on Nomination

MSN – Isaac Arnsdorf, Colby Itkowitz, Sabrina Rodriguez, and Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) | Published: 1/23/2024

Donald Trump marched closer to the Republican nomination for president by defeating Nikki Haley in New Hampshire’s primary. Trump’s victory dealt another blow to critics in his party who saw the vote as perhaps the last best chance to stop or slow him. Haley’s strength with independents exposed weaknesses for Trump in a potential rematch with President Biden, as moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents sent a message that the party’s internal divisions will not disappear quickly.

New Mexico – Leader of New State Office Faces Ethics Complaint Over Lobbying Request

Yahoo News – Daniel Chacón (Santa Fe New Mexican) | Published: 1/22/2024

Beth Gillia, head of the New Mexico Office of Family Representation and Advocacy, is facing an ethics complaint after using her government email to encourage employees to lobby legislators on the office’s behalf but without specifically instructing them to disclose their roles. Maralyn Beck, founder of the New Mexico Child First Network, said she will be filing a formal complaint with the State Ethics Commission and sharing her concerns with members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee.

New Mexico – Changes to New Mexico Employees’ and Politicians’ Anti-Corruption Law Clear First Committee

Yahoo News – Robert Nott (Santa Fe New Mexican) | Published: 1/24/2024

Public employees and elected officials could find themselves facing fines of up to $10,000 if they violate the state’s Governmental Conduct Act under a new bill that cleared its first committee. House Bill 8 would not only raise the ceiling for fines but provide more clarity regarding prohibited activities under the law.

New York – State GOP Officials Took Trip Backed by Chinese Communist Party

Albany Times Union – Raga Justin | Published: 1/21/2024

Four members of the New York Assembly traveled to China in December. The group that funded the trip, the American Chinese Commerce Association, has been described as linked to an arm of the Chinese Communist Party known as the “united front work” department. According to U.S. security agencies, united front work seeks to influence American individuals and institutions, especially state-level lawmakers, through various overtures that include sponsored trips to meet Chinese officials.

North Carolina – NC Confidential: Keeping voters in dark about campaign finance probes

Carolina Public Press – Mehr Shur | Published: 1/22/2024

Campaign finance investigations are confidential in North Carolina. While candidates are innocent until proven otherwise, the confidentiality provision passed by state lawmakers in 2018 can also keep voters from making informed decisions, according to ethics experts. The public is barred from finding out any details about a complaint or an ongoing State Board of Elections investigation and can only have access to information once an investigation has concluded and it proceeds to a hearing.

North Carolina – From Lobbying to Congress? NC Candidate’s Fundraiser Draws Questions About His Support

Yahoo News – Danielle Battaglia (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 1/24/2024

When a lawmaker leaves office, there is a good chance they will become a lobbyist. Sometimes, though, the “revolving door” swings in the other direction. Addison McDowell resigned as a lobbyist on December 13, the same day he announced he would run for Congress. McDowell, a former lobbyist for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, highlighted his ties to the people he lobbied when he announced a January 30 fundraiser that is being hosted by some of the biggest names in North Carolina politics, including both lawmakers and lobbyists.

Ohio – Trans Candidates Face Challenges to Get on Ohio Ballots Over ‘Deadnames’

MSN – Anumita Kaur (Washington Post) | Published: 1/22/2024

Vanessa Joy is one of three transgender women whose candidacies for Ohio House seats have been challenged under a little-known state law that requires disclosure of previous legal names on election documents. While the law is not new, some advocates fear it is being used to hinder transgender candidates, and regardless of intent, it has ensnared several such contenders this election cycle in Ohio, raising concerns that trans candidates elsewhere might face similar hurdles when running for public office.

Oklahoma – New Ethics Commission Director Gets Guardian System Extended for 2024 Election

NonDoc – Tres Savage | Published: 1/22/2024

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s new director said its Guardian System, a database used for reporting and tracking campaign financial information and lobbyist registrations, will be extended through February 2025. The Guardian System had been scheduled to lose functionality after July 1 because a software and services firm decided to shelve the underlying software used to operate Oklahoma’s reporting system.

Oregon – Oregon Voters Likely to Decide on Dueling Campaign Finance Measures This Fall

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 1/24/2024

Gov. Tina Kotek said campaign finance limits will not come up this legislative session, so Oregon voters will almost certainly decide the issue through a ballot measure in November. Voters will likely face two similar-looking measures, each of which would limit how much individuals and groups can donate to candidates. But one of the proposed measures, backed by labor unions, contains several loopholes that would allow unions to continue pouring millions of dollars into campaigns.

Rhode Island – R.I. Ethics Commission Dismisses Complaint Against Governor McKee

MSN – Edward Fitzpatrick (Boston Globe) | Published: 1/23/2024

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint filed against Gov. Dan McKee alleging he violated state ethics law after a lobbyist picked up a tab for lunch. The state Republican Party accused McKee of participating in a “pay-to-play political culture” by accepting a lunch with a lobbyist and executives from a Philadelphia firm, Scout Ltd., who were seeking $55 million to redevelop the Cranston Street Armory.

South Carolina – How Nikki Haley’s Lean Years Led Her into an Ethical Thicket

Seattle Times – Sharon LaFraniere and Alexandra Berzon (New York Times) | Published: 1/21/2024

Nikki Haley had been serving in the South Carolina Legislature for less than two years when she applied for a job as an accounting clerk at Wilbur Smith Associates, an engineering and design firm with state contracts. Because of her wide-ranging network. The firm put Haley on a retainer, asking her to scout out new business. That contract, and a subsequent, more lucrative one as a fundraiser for a hospital in her home county, allowed Haley to triple her income in three years. But they also led her into an ethical gray area that tarnished her first term as governor.

Tennessee – Campaign Finance Exec: Former Sen. Kelsey can’t use PAC funds on legal fees

Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 1/24/2024

Bill Young, executive director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance, advised former state Sen. Brian Kelsey he cannot use his PAC to pay attorneys as he tries to reverse a conviction for violating federal campaign finance law. Kelsey transferred $196,833 from his state campaign account to his Red State PAC last summer.

Tennessee – Tennessee Will No Longer Pursue Nearly a Million Dollars in Unpaid Fines Against Former Candidates

WTVF – Jennifer Kraus | Published: 1/24/2024

Over the last 30 years, hundreds of fines for campaign finance violations, totaling more than $2.5 million, have never been paid in Tennessee. Now the state has decided to no longer pursue nearly $1 million of those fines. Bill Young, executive director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance, said when he took the job in 2019, he discovered unpaid fines dated back to 1991. So last year, the Legislature agreed to update the law to allow the bureau to declare certain fines “uncollectible.”

Washington – The Failed Promise of Independent Election Mapmaking

MSN – Marilyn Thompson (ProPublica) | Published: 1/17/2024

In most states, lawmakers draw new districts every 10 years to accommodate changes in population and ethnic makeup. They are usually exercises of raw political power allowing lawmakers to, in essence, choose their voters instead of the other way around. As the nation grapples with ever-more-aggressive battles over access to voting, a review of what unfolded in Washington state shows that independent commissions, still reformers’ best hope for fixing this problem nationwide, have not always succeeded in taking this central democratic function out of politicians’ hands.

National/Federal

Democrats Set Ambitious Spending Plan for State Legislative Races

DNyuz – Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) | Published: 1/10/2024

The Democratic Party’s organization that focuses on state legislative races is planning its largest campaign budget ever as it seeks to flip five chambers in three critical swing states, as well as defend three recently earned majorities. The budget – at least $60 million – underscores the importance of state Legislatures. Once dismissed as mere policy laboratories, they have become arbiters of many of the nation’s most pressing political debates.

State Legislators, Wary of Deceptive Election Ads, Tighten A.I. Rules

DNyuz – David Chen (New York Times) | Published: 1/11/2024

Alarmed by the increasing sophistication of what can be false or highly misleading political ads generated by artificial intelligence, state lawmakers are scrambling to draft bills to regulate them. To avoid First Amendment challenges, most lawmakers have focused on requiring those who make, produce, or disseminate the ads disclose the deceptive ads were produced by artificial intelligence. The broad goal, legislators said, was to prevent what has already happened elsewhere, especially in some elections overseas.

Special Counsel Probe Uncovers New Details About Trump’s Inaction on Jan. 6: Sources

MSN – Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine, Alexander Mallin, and Will Steakin (ABC News) | Published: 1/7/2024

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team has uncovered previously undisclosed details about former President Trump’s refusal to help stop the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol as he sat watching television inside the White House. Many of the details come from the questioning of Trump’s former deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino. New information also comes from interviews with other White House advisers and top lawyers who previously declined to answer questions about Trump’s own statements and demeanor on January 6, 2021.

Violent Political Threats Surge as 2024 Begins, Haunting American Democracy

MSN – Sarah Ellison, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 1/9/2024

Violent threats and acts of intimidation have defined the lives of various government officials since the 2020 election. Now they are casting a shadow over the 2024 campaign as Americans prepare to vote in the primary season. Those on the receiving end span the range of the country’s democratic system, including members of Congress, state officials, local leaders, and judges. While some are prominent, others have relatively low-profile roles. The intensity has accelerated in recent weeks.

Most Jan. 6 Defendants Get Time Behind Bars, but Less Than U.S. Seeks

MSN – Tom Jackman and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 1/5/2024

Three years after the U.S. Capitol attack, federal judges in Washington have sentenced more than half of the roughly 1,200 people charged in the largest investigation in U.S. history and have handed down lighter punishments for January 6 assault convictions compared with similar assault cases nationally. Judges have ordered prison time for nearly every defendant convicted of a felony and some jail time to about half of those convicted of misdemeanors.

Wayne LaPierre Resigns from N.R.A. with Trial Set to Open

MSN – Danny Hakim (New York Times) | Published: 1/5/2024

On the eve of a legal battle in New York, Wayne LaPierre said he would step down as the longtime chief of the National Rifle Association (NRA). He has led the NRA, once one of the nation’s most prominent lobbying organizations, for more than three decades. LaPierre played a leading role in transforming gun culture in America, but the last half decade of his tenure was marred by scandals and internal upheaval. In recent years, the group has been in a tailspin.

Judges Skeptical That Trump Is Immune from Jan. 6 Prosecution

MSN – Rachel Weiner, Spencer Hsu, Perry Stein, and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 1/9/2024

A panel of three federal appellate judges expressed skepticism about Donald Trump’s claim to sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution and concerns about its implications, suggesting it would allow a future president to have a political rival assassinated by the military without repercussions. Trump argues he cannot be tried for trying to overturn the 2020 election results because he was acquitted by the Senate of inciting the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. James Pearce, a Justice Department attorney, called that “an extraordinarily frightening” proposition.

Vocal Anti-Trump Candidate Chris Christie Exits Presidential Race with Hot Mic Moment

NPR – Jeongyoon Han | Published: 1/10/2024

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ended his presidential campaign after his criticism of Donald Trump’s leadership and role in the Republican Party proved to diverge too far from where the GOP currently stands. His announcement was somewhat overshadowed by a hot mic moment ahead of a town hall. Christie’s mic went live as he was speaking about his presidential rivals. Of Haley, he praised her for “punching above her weight” but said “she’s going to get smoked.” On Ron DeSantis, he said the Florida governor “is petrified” before his mic was abruptly cut.

The Changing Congressional Map Is Shifting the Fight for Control of the House

Politico – Zach Montellaro | Published: 1/8/2024

The partisan tilt of a handful of districts could still change dramatically before voters even go to the polls this year, shifting who has the upper hand in the battle for control the U.S. House. Republicans hold just a three-seat majority and various congressional maps across the country have already been redrawn since the midterms thanks to drawn-out court battles, some of which have yet to be resolved.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Alaska Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Fined Over $94K for Campaign Ethics Violations

Anchorage Daily News – Iris Samuels | Published: 1/4/2024

Supporters of an effort to repeal the state’s ranked choice voting system were fined more than $94,000 after the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) found campaign finance violations. APOC said Anchorage pastor Art Mathias and groups he founded funneled most of their funding through a tax-exempt church and inaccurately reporting their funding. The fines come a month before the deadline for opponents of Alaska’s voting system to submit at least 26,000 signatures from voters as they seek to put the question of repealing the state’s system on the 2024 ballot.

California – Burger Chain Manager Fined for Using ‘Straw Donors’ to Back Ex-Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s 2018 Campaign

MSN – Keri Blakinger (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 1/10/2024

Manuel Gomez, a burger chain manager, will admit guilt on 10 counts of campaign money laundering and pay a $50,000 fine for using straw donors to contribute to former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s campaign, according to a settlement with the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Records show Villanueva, his 2018 campaign, and his then-campaign treasurer agreed to pay a total of $7,500 for violating reporting requirements and failing to return some of the money.

California – San Jose Bans ‘Foreign-Influenced Corporations’ from Political Donations

San Jose Spotlight – Jana Kadah | Published: 1/10/2024

The San Jose City Council passed an ordinance that prohibits “foreign-influenced corporations” from donating in city races. It will go into effect in 30 days, just one month before the March 5 primary elections. Federal and state laws already prohibit foreign individuals from making contributions or independent expenditures to candidates. But foreign companies with domestic subsidiaries can contribute as long as the donations are made by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

California – DWP Board Members Held Private Contract Talks with Vendor, Prompting Ethics Questions

Yahoo News – Dakota Smith and Richard Winton (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 1/5/2024

Two members of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commission privately discussed a contract with executives of a cybersecurity company, an exchange that is raising concerns from ethics experts. Then-commission President Mel Levine and then-Vice President Cynthia McClain-Hill held a phone call in 2019 with two executives to walk them through the utility’s plans to award them a contract. The city’s ethics law bars commissioners from privately participating in the review or negotiation of contracts they will vote on. The commission’s rules also bar commissioners from having private discussions about bids with vendors.

Colorado – Supreme Court Says It Will Decide If Trump Qualifies for Colorado Ballot

MSN – Ann Marimow and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 1/6/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider whether Donald Trump should be disqualified from the primary ballot in Colorado. The state Supreme Court disqualified the Republican front-runner, finding he engaged in an insurrection before and during the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The announcement puts the justices in a pivotal position with echoes of the court’s involvement in the 2000 election, when its decision assured victory for George W. Bush, polarized the nation and damaged the court’s reputation as an independent institution.

Florida – Court Sends Case of Prosecutor Suspended by DeSantis Back to Trial Judge Over First Amendment Issues

Associated Press News – Curt Anderson | Published: 1/10/2024

A Democratic prosecutor suspended by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will get another chance to show his political advocacy was protected by the First Amendment and could not be the basis for his removal, a federal appeals court panel ruled. The ruling sends the case involving ex-prosecutor Andrew Warren back to a trial judge to determine if the governor’s suspension was improperly focused on statements Warren signed opposing certain legislation to criminalize abortion and gender care.

Florida – Florida GOP Ousts Chairman Under Investigation for Alleged Rape

MSN – Lori Rozsa (Washington Post) | Published: 1/8/2024

The Republican Party of Florida removed its chairperson, Christian Ziegler, from his job as in the midst of a sexual assault investigation. Ziegler is accused of raping a woman who had previously engaged in a tryst with him and his wife, Bridget. Christian Ziegler rejects the allegations. Sarasota police are investigating the incident but have not yet filed charges. Bridget Ziegler is a co-founder of the far-right group Moms for Liberty. As a Sarasota County school board member, she has pushed an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.

Georgia – Who Will Investigate One of Georgia’s Most Ambitious Politicians in the Trump Case?

DNyuz – Richard Fausset (New York Times) | Published: 1/4/2024

Since the indictment of Donald Trump and his allies on election interference charges in Georgia, a question has gone unanswered: would criminal charges also be coming for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. He was one of the 16 Republicans who acted as fake electors to overturn Trump’s 2020 defeat. Three of them are charged with felonies. But a judge blocked the Fulton County district attorney who led the investigation from developing a case against Jones, citing a conflict-of-interest because she had headlined a fundraiser for a Democratic who became his rival in the lieutenant governor’s race.

Georgia – Trump Claims Immunity from Prosecution in Georgia Election Case

MSN – Holly Bailey (Washington Post) | Published: 1/8/2024

Donald Trump urged a judge to dismiss charges he illegally conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia, claiming his alleged actions were at the “heart” of his sworn responsibilities as president and he is immune from criminal prosecution. The arguments from Steve Sadow, an Atlanta attorney representing Trump in the Georgia case, largely echo immunity claims made by the former president’s defense team in the separate federal election interference case against him.

Hawaii – Full Public Financing of Elections Is Being Revived at Hawaii Legislature

Honolulu Civil Beat – Chad Blair | Published: 1/11/2024

Hawaii Sen. Karl Rhoads will resurrect a bill that would establish a comprehensive public campaign financing system intended to attract a more diverse pool of candidates. It would give grants to qualifying candidates who are able to demonstrate sufficient support from voters. In states that have similar programs such as Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona, the systems increase the diversity of candidates, in particular drawing people who are younger and from less traditional backgrounds.

Illinois – Ed Burke Is Still in Line for Millions in Payouts from Pension, Campaign Funds After Corruption Conviction

Chicago Sun-Times – Mitchell Armentrout and Tim Novack | Published: 1/5/2024

Under Illinois law, former Ald. Edward Burke is likely to be stripped of the $8,027-a-month city pension he started collecting last May on the day after ending his record 54-year reign in the Chicago City Council. But he will get at least the more than $540,000 he paid into the fund. The disgraced former council member is in line for a more substantial payout from his campaign fund, which he can use to pay himself or his family members almost $2.5 million, no questions asked, thanks to a loophole in state campaign finance law.

Illinois – City Council Ethics Package Could Face Uphill Fight Without Johnson in the Lead

MSN – A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 1/7/2024

In the wake of former Ald. Edward Burke’s racketeering conviction, his onetime colleagues on the Chicago City Council are faced with the choice of whether to hold themselves to tougher ethical standards. They are largely weighing that decision without input from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who, unlike his predecessor, is taking a hands-off approach to anti-corruption reforms. The fresh debate is spurred by a slew of new recommendations from the Board of Ethics tightening rules for city contractors, campaign fundraising, and advertising that a key committee chairman pledged to take up in the new year.

Kansas – New Wichita City Council Member Moves to Undo Ban on Corporate Political Donations

Yahoo News – Matthew Kelly (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 1/9/2024

The Wichita City Council will vote on an ordinance that would undo the ban on corporate political donations in municipal enacted recently. The ordinance passed on January 2 passed in former Mayor Brandon Whipple’s last meeting on the job. Whipple declared an emergency before the vote, allowing the council to finalize the reform immediately and forgo the standard second reading that would have otherwise been required.

Kentucky – Weddle Blames Beshear Fundraiser for Letting Him Make Illegal Political Contributions

Kentucky Lantern – Tom Loftus | Published: 1/9/2024

London Mayor Randall Weddle says he told a fundraiser for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection in late 2022 that he planned to make political contributions of others on his credit card, but instead of being warned such a move would be illegal, the fundraiser told Weddle, “Okay sounds great.” The Registry of Election Finance filed a complaint against Weddle for violating a law that prohibits a person from making a campaign donation in the name of another.

Louisiana – Newly Sworn In, Louisiana’s Governor Calls for Special Session to Draw New Congressional Map

ABC News – Sara Cline (Associated Press) | Published: 1/8/2024

In his first hours in office, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry called a special session on redistricting, giving lawmakers the opportunity to draw and replace the state’s current congressional map a federal judge said violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting the power of Black voters. But the session looks to go beyond just tackling Louisiana’s congressional map, with the governor issuing a list of other issues to address, including redrawing state Supreme Court districts and moving away from Louisiana’s current open primary election system to a closed one.

Louisiana – Council Looks to Clean Up New Orleans’ Procurement Process Following Scathing IG Report

MSN – David Jones (WVUE) | Published: 1/9/2024

Two months after a scathing report from the inspector general, a New Orleans City Council member is looking to clean up the city’s procurement process for the awarding of contracts by introducing three pieces of new legislation. The report concerned alleged bid-rigging in the procurement process for the now-abandoned “Smart Cities” project. It says two city employees might have violated state ethics law in awarding a contract for the project.

Massachusetts – Liberal Group Files Challenge to Remove Trump from Massachusetts Primary Ballot

MSN – Matt Stoudt (Boston Globe) | Published: 1/5/2024

A labor lawyer and a liberal group filed a challenge seeking to remove Donald Trump from Massachusetts’ Republican presidential primary ballot, echoing arguments in other states that the former president is ineligible to serve in the White House under the Constitution’s insurrection clause. Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin has argued even if Trump is found guilty of inciting an insurrection and is therefore ineligible to serve as president, he can still be on the ballot in Massachusetts.

Michigan – Michigan Republicans Hold Disputed Vote to Remove Party Leader

Yahoo News – Nick Corasaniti and Neil Vigdor (New York Times) | Published: 1/6/2024

Simmering tensions within the Michigan Republican Party boiled over with some party officials voting to remove their embattled chairperson, Kristina Karamo, in a contentious proceeding that she and other state Republicans argued was illegitimate. The showdown, which occurred at a meeting held by a breakaway faction of the state party, now appears likely to wind up in court.

Minnesota – All-Female City Council Marks a ‘Turning Point’ for a Twin City

DNyuz – Remy Tumin (New York Times) | Published: 1/10/2024

St. Paul, Minnesota, is believed to be among the largest cities in the country to have the distinction of having an all-female City Council. But the firsts do not stop there: all seven council members are under 40 years old, and six are women of color, making it the youngest and most racially diverse council in the city’s history. Although the new makeup of the council may surprise some, several demographic shifts in St. Paul over the past few decades helped pave the way for this moment.

Missouri – Missouri Defends Lobbying Waiting Period for Lawmakers at Eighth Circuit

Courthouse News Service – Joe Harris | Published: 1/9/2024

A federal appeals court heard arguments challenging a voter-approved, two-year waiting period between serving in the Missouri Legislature and accepting payment for lobbying services. The plaintiffs claim the law violates their right to free speech. Jason Lewis of the Missouri attorney general’s office argued the General Assembly has the right to restrict employment.

New Jersey – N.J. Moving to Change Ethics Laws for Cannabis, Which Could Help Top Democrat

MSN – Jelani Gibson (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 1/7/2024

A new bill would potentially help the vice chairperson of New Jersey’s State Democratic Committee, Peg Schaffer, to stay within the cannabis industry as the party’s chair continues to function as a lobbyist on behalf of well-financed companies. Schaffer recently accepted a board position at the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. She is the president and managing principal of a law firm. Schaffer’s job at the authority holds the risk of running afoul of the state’s conflict-of-interest laws when it comes to representing cannabis applicants.

New York – N.Y. Seeks $370 Million in Trump Fraud Trial Instead of $250 Million

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 1/5/2024

New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking a $370 million penalty against Donald Trump and his company instead of the $250 million the state sought when it filed a civil fraud lawsuit in 2022. The filing was the first time James has publicly cited a specific higher penalty than what was included in the original lawsuit. The company was accused of purposely misleading lenders and insurance companies about Trump’s net worth by up to $2.2 billion per year from 2011 to 2021 to get better terms in business deals.

North Dakota – North Dakota Ethics Commission Sees Uptick in Complaints

North Dakota Monitor – Mary Steuer | Published: 1/8/2024

Complaints to the North Dakota Ethics Commission have been on the rise since late 2022, though in most cases, state law requires filings to be kept confidential unless the commission determines them to be substantiated. Twenty-four of 45 complaints were dismissed upon initial review. One reason why so many complaints were dismissed is because the commission has very limited jurisdiction.

Ohio – Ginther’s Public Service Director Leaving for New Job

MSN – Bill Bush (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 1/5/2024

Jennifer Gallagher is resigning as director of the Columbus Department of Public Service is resigning. Emails released by the city attorney’s office Friday suggest Gallagher remains the subject of an investigation launched by the Ohio Ethics Commission in 2022. A complaint concerns a $480,000 contract Gallagher’s department awarded to a firm that employed her husband. Ohio law generally prohibits public officials from awarding or influencing contracts in which a family member has an interest.

Ohio – Transgender Ohio House Hopeful Appeals Disqualification for Not Listing Birth Name on Paperwork

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 1/4/2024

A transgender woman running for an Ohio House seat has been disqualified for failing to disclose her former name on petitions circulated to voters, in violation of a seldom-enforced state law. Stark County election officials informed Vanessa Joy that she was not eligible to be on the ballot despite having collected the signatures necessary to run. Officials said Joy violated a law requiring candidates for public office to list any name changes over the previous five years on their signature petitions.

Ohio – Voting, Disability Rights Advocates Claim Ohio Photo Voter ID Law Violates Federal Disabilities Law

Ohio Capital Journal – Nick Evans | Published: 1/5/2024

Starting last year, Ohioans had to present a photo ID to cast a vote. The new law also reduced the number of days available for early voting and for returning absentee ballots. Now, the League of Women Voters is challenging the law over a different set of provisions. It imposes a limited list of individuals “authorized” to return absentee ballots on behalf of someone else. A lawsuit contends that restrictive list violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by imposing “extreme burdens to vote that voters without disabilities will never face.”

Rhode Island – Ethics Complaint Against Shekarchi Over 2017 Wedding Farm Bill Dismissed. Here’s Why

Yahoo News – Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) | Published: 1/9/2024

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission cleared House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi of conflict-of- interest accusations brought by the state Republican Party over his vote seven years ago for a bill that sought to legalize weddings on large farms. The commission found there was no probable cause that Shekarchi violated the ethics code to benefit a campaign donor.

South Dakota – South Dakota Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Lawmaker Conflict of Interest

Yahoo News – Annie Todd (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) | Published: 1/8/2024

The South Dakota Supreme Court heard lawyers from the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office, and the Legislature make a case as to why the justices should issue an opinion more clearly defining what a conflict-of-interest is within the state constitution. Attorneys took questions from the justices related to whether establishing a new standard in the law would be enough to accurately define what is a direct or indirect conflict-of-interest when a lawmaker votes on bills for funding state government and its operations.

Texas – Former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores Accused of Cribbing Others’ Pictures of Mexican Food as Her Own Cooking

Texas Tribune – Robert Downen | Published: 1/3/2024

In a bizarre micro-scandal that some have dubbed “GrubGate,” a former member of Congress who is running for her old seat in South Texas, Mayra Flores, is being accused of routinely stealing photos of Mexican food from other social media accounts and passing them off as her own cooking. That prompted the website Current Revolt to dig further into Flores’ social media accounts, where they found numerous other posts in which she used others’ photos of campfire cooking or homemade tortillas to illustrate her own idyllic life on a ranch.

Vermont – Vermont Senate Beefs Up Financial Disclosure Requirements in Response to VTDigger Reporting

VTDigger.org – Paul Heinz | Published: 1/4/2024

The Vermont Senate voted to mandate its own members publicly disclose additional information about their personal finances and potential conflicts-of-interest. VTDigger had documented how difficult it was for Vermonters to obtain information about their legislators and how little was revealed by mandatory disclosure forms. After VTDigger published the first story in the series last April, the Senate moved to post members’ financial disclosure forms online for the first time.

Wyoming – New Rules Would Allow Ousting Wyoming Legislators Accused or Convicted of Felonies

Cowboy State Daily – Leo Wolfson | Published: 1/9/2024

A new slate of proposed ethics complaint rules for the Wyoming Legislature would allow for the expulsion of members who are accused or convicted of felonies as private citizens, in and outside of the legislative session. The proposed rules adopt a clear procedure for the House speaker or Senate president to more quickly dismiss frivolous complaints as a way to mitigate the potential of the complaint process being weaponized.

Campaign Finance

Kansas: “New Wichita City Council Member Moves to Undo Ban on Corporate Political Donations” by Matthew Kelly (Wichita Eagle) for Yahoo News

Kentucky: “Weddle Blames Beshear Fundraiser for Letting Him Make Illegal Political Contributions” by Tom Loftus for Kentucky Lantern

Elections

National: “Vocal Anti-Trump Candidate Chris Christie Exits Presidential Race with Hot Mic Moment” by Jeongyoon Han for NPR

Georgia: “Trump Claims Immunity from Prosecution in Georgia Election Case” by Holly Bailey (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Democrats Set Ambitious Spending Plan for State Legislative Races” by Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) for DNyuz

Ethics

National: “Violent Political Threats Surge as 2024 Begins, Haunting American Democracy” by Sarah Ellison, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Minnesota: “All-Female City Council Marks a ‘Turning Point’ for a Twin City” by Remy Tumin (New York Times) for DNyuz

Wyoming: “New Rules Would Allow Ousting Wyoming Legislators Accused or Convicted of Felonies” by Leo Wolfson for Cowboy State Daily

Procurement

Louisiana: “Council Looks to Clean Up New Orleans’ Procurement Process Following Scathing IG Report” by David Jones (WVUE) for MSN

National/Federal

Kevin McCarthy Uses PAC to Lavish Cash on High-End Resorts, Private Jets and Fine Dining

MSN – Paul Pringle and Adam Elmahrek (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 12/7/2023

As her exits Congress two months after his historic ouster as House speaker, political obituaries tout Kevin McCarthy’s skills as a prolific fundraiser on behalf of Republican candidates. Also setting him apart from other congressional leaders was his roughly decade-long pattern of using his Majority Committee PAC to spend lavishly on hotels, private jets, and fine dining establishments, according to a Los Angeles Times analysis. From 2012 through last June, McCarthy’s PAC shelled out more than $1 million on hotels, private air travel, and eateries.

Trump Gag Order Reinstated but Narrowed in Jan. 6 Case

MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 12/8/2023

A federal appeals court narrowed an order limiting what Donald Trump can say about people involved in the criminal case alleging he tried to subvert the 2020 election results, saying he cannot talk about witnesses’ involvement or single out other individuals in ways likely to interfere with the case. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan had prohibited him from “targeting” any individuals involved in the case involved in the case. The judges said “targeting” was too broad a prohibition on Trump and could be “chilling speech” unlikely to have any impact on the case.

House Ethics Committee Requests Interview with Witness in Gaetz Probe

MSN – Paula Reid and Annie Grayer (CNN) | Published: 12/7/2023

The House ethics committee reached out to at least one witness as part of its investigation into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz to schedule an interview in the coming weeks, the latest sign the once dormant probe remains open. The Justice Department in February informed Gaetz’s lawyers it would not bring criminal charges against the Florida Republican after a yearslong sex-trafficking investigation. Gaetz has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Dictator-for-a-Day? Scholars Say Trump Can Do Damage Without Being One.

MSN – Sarah Ellison (Washington Post) | Published: 12/11/2023

For autocracy scholars and constitutional law experts, Donald Trump’s statements about being a dictator for a day if he is elected again raised alarms that he had thought carefully about how to consolidate the levers of power should he return to office in ways that eluded him in his first four years in the White House. Scholars say even without violating the letter of the law, Trump would have access to broad powers granted to him as chief of the executive branch. He does not need to become a dictator to subvert democracy, they say: he can simply use the tools of democracy to do so.

As Advertisers Flee Musk’s X, Democrats Splurge on Political Ads

MSN – Cristiano Lima and Aaron Schaffer (Washington Post) | Published: 12/11/2023

Advertisers are fleeing Elon Musk’s X amid rising concerns the social media site and its owner are amplifying antisemitic and hateful material. But an unlikely group of holdouts has continued to pump ad dollars into the embattled platform: Democrats running for office. Democrats have spent over a million dollars to run thousands of political ads on X since the platform lifted its ban on such messages earlier this year.

Supreme Court Will Consider Fast-Tracking Trump Appeal in D.C. Trial

MSN – Devlin Barrett, Perry Stein, Robert Barnes, and Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 12/11/2023

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider special counsel Jack Smith’s request to fast-track consideration of Donald Trump’s claim he is immune from prosecution for alleged election obstruction in 2020, intensifying the legal jockeying over whether Trump’s criminal trial will stay on schedule for early next year. The response by the Supreme Court came hours after Smith’s office filed its request seeking to essentially leapfrog an appeals court process that Trump has already started but which could take months to resolve.

DeSantis’ Campaign and Allied Super PAC Face New Concerns About Legal Conflicts, AP Sources Say

MSN – Steve Peoples and Thomas Beaumont (Associated Press) | Published: 12/12/2023

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis works to project strength in the Republican presidential primaries and cut into Donald Trump’s huge lead, DeSantis’s expansive political machine is facing leadership challenges, stagnant polling numbers, and new concerns about potential legal conflicts. There has been concern in recent weeks among some within DeSantis’s operation that interactions between his campaign and his network of outside groups are blurring the lines of what is legally permissible.

Still Lacking Evidence, House GOP Votes to Formalize Biden Impeachment Inquiry

MSN – Jaqueline Alemany and Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 12/13/2023

House Republicans voted to formally authorize an impeachment inquiry against President Biden to strengthen their oversight powers as GOP lawmakers continue to investigate the Biden family’s finances. The foundation of the impeachment inquiry rests on an unsubstantiated allegation that has become the linchpin of conspiracy theories and false claims regarding the Biden family’s purported corrupt and criminal conduct.

A ‘Black Hole’ Exists in State Lobbying Disclosures: Report

Yahoo News – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 12/13/2023

A report commissioned by Public Citizen found 98 percent of S&P 500 companies do not provide their investors with state-specific data on lobbying activity. Since 2010, investors have filed 576 shareholder resolutions requesting more details on how much companies spend on lobbying activities and oversight of those activities, the report found. The only S&P 500 company that disclosed material risk connected to lobbying on its annual report to investors was FirstEnergy, which was wrapped up in a recent scandal that thrust this issue into the spotlight.

Supreme Court Will Review Scope of Obstruction Law That Trump Is Charged with Breaking

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 12/13/2023

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up a case that could derail hundreds of January 6 felony prosecutions and could also deal a blow to special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of Donald Trump. The case, arising from the prosecution of a defendant accused of pushing against police and inflaming a mob attempting to breach the Capitol, calls into question prosecutors’ handling of an Enron-era obstruction law to punish those who stormed Congress.

Kansas Republican Watkins, Ousted Amid Voter Fraud Charges, Returns to Congress as Lobbyist

Yahoo News – Daniel Desrochers (Kansas City Star) | Published: 12/11/2023

Former Rep. Steve Watkins is back in the U.S. Capitol, this time as a lobbyist. He waited more than two years after leaving office before registering as a lobbyist. Watkins entered a diversion agreement on three felony charges for voting in the wrong city council race in Topeka’s 2019 municipal election. A little less than a year after admitting guilt, Watkins registered a company called Huxley Rock LLC. Huxley Rock is a one-man firm. Watkins’ LinkedIn page says it specializes in business and political consulting.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Alaska Campaign Watchdog Rules Anti-Ranked Choice Group Can Continue Gathering Signatures

Yahoo News – Iris Samuels (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 12/7/2023

An anti-ranked choice voting ballot group will be allowed to continue operating with no immediate consequences for alleged campaign finance violations after a decision by the Alaska Public Offices Commission. The commission considered whether to expedite the adjudication of a complaint alleging the ballot group was helped by an Anchorage church, in violation of the law, as the group works to repeal Alaska’s voting system. By the time the commission rules on whether the law was violated, the group’s work will be done.

Arizona – Phoenix Approves Ethics Commission After 6 Years and on the Fourth Attempt

MSN – Sam Kmack (Arizona Republic) | Published: 12/13/2023

The Phoenix City Council approved the creation of ethics commission after spending six years trying and failing to convene the group, which will now independently investigate complaints of ethical violations against elected officials and other city leaders. Such groups exist in almost every other sizable city in the country, said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. But since 2017, Phoenix has struggled to put the commission together thanks to consistent objections from officials on both sides of the isle.

Arizona – Arizona GOP Leaders Sued to Stop ‘Dark Money’ Transparency. A Judge Will Rule by Year’s End

Yahoo News – Mary Joe Pitzl (Arizona Republic) | Published: 12/13/2023

A judge said he will rule by December 29 in a case challenging the constitutionality of a voter-approved law on campaign finance transparency. Attorneys representing Republican legislative leaders are asking Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan to issue a preliminary injunction to block the law. It requires disclosure of major donors to campaigns that until now has been able to mask their contributors by creating a class of nonprofit organizations that do not have to name their donors.

California – How Well Is Your Legislator Representing You?

CalMatters – Sameea Kamal | Published: 12/10/2023

Despite the hundreds of laws that legislators pass each year, many Californians are not always aware of what their representatives do, or how their decisions impact their lives. Their job description is modeled after what federal lawmakers do, in response to specific needs, or based on how legislators interpret the principles of representation. Given the lack of strict requirement, how do we measure how well a lawmaker is performing?

Colorado – Lawyer on Denver Health Board Says He’s Stopped Lobbying for Tobacco Giant Altria After Getting a Call to Resign

Colorado Public Radio – John Daley | Published: 12/13/2023

Denver updated its application for those who want to sit on one of the city’s 130 boards and commissions. The application now includes questions that ask applicants if they are a registered lobbyist and if they would have a conflict-of-interest in their new position. The change was a request from the city council to add transparency after some members thought there was not enough when the former mayor appointed a lobbyist whose clients included a tobacco company to the board of Denver Health.

Florida – DeSantis Staffers Blocked Release of Travel Records, Whistleblower Says

MSN – Beth Reinhard (Washington Post) | Published: 12/13/2023

During a meeting, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials said some of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s travel records should be released, but the governor’s aides overruled them, citing a new state law that restricts access to those records. The dispute escalated into a major battle over the law limiting disclosure of DeSantis’s travel activities and information about his state taxpayer-funded security detail as he crisscrosses the country seeking the Republican presidential nomination. The FDLE is tasked with protecting and transporting the governor and maintaining his travel records.

Florida – A Report Rips Disney for Freebies to Its Local Board. It Omits Gifts to Top Florida Politicians.

NBC News – Noah Pransky and Alec Hernández | Published: 12/7/2023

A war of words – and regulations – escalated when a board, hand-picked by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, endorsed an audit alleging Disney World for decades used free park perks to improperly influence public officials and employees tasked with the oversight of the park. The audit claimed Disney gave complimentary annual passes and steep discounts to the public employees, calling the perks “akin to bribes.”

Florida – Howland Files Legislation for Certain No-Bid Contracts to Go Through Jacksonville City Council

Yahoo News – Hanna Holthaus (Florida Times-Union) | Published: 12/11/2023

New legislation could bring an end to no-bid lobbying contracts in Jacksonville city government. The city council’s finance committee criticized the $300,000 federal grant writing and lobbying contract to Langton Consulting, owned by Mayor Donna Deegan supporters, because the administration offered it directly without shopping for other bids. Committee Chairperson Nick Howland asked the administration to drop the contract and filed a bill to require all future state and federal lobbying and grant writing contracts to be approved by city council.

Georgia – Georgia Libertarians Fight Two-Party Campaign Finance Law at 11th Circuit

Courthouse News Service – Kayla Goggin | Published: 12/13/2023

An appeals court will decide whether to give the Libertarian Party of Georgia another chance at pursuing its challenge to a campaign finance law that allows some candidates to accept unlimited campaign contributions, a fundraising advantage the party says benefits Republican and Democratic hopefuls over third-party contenders. The lawsuit claims the act unfairly allows Republican and Democratic candidates to create special leadership committees to accept campaign contributions over the typical limits.

Georgia – Giuliani Could Pay Millions as Ga. Election Worker Defamation Trial Starts

MSN – Spencer Hsu and Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 12/10/2023

Former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani could be on the hook for up to $43.5 million in damages as a defamation lawsuit filed against him by two Georgia election workers goes to trial. The showdown between the financially strapped Giuliani and the two temporary poll workers he baselessly accused of ballot tampering in 2020 will highlight a major court battle over false claims that became central to former President Trump’s efforts to stay in power and is now at the heart of two criminal cases against him.

Illinois – Four Years Later, City Council Finally Poised to Extend Lobbyist Requirements to Nonprofits

Chicago Sun-Times – Fran Spielman | Published: 12/11/2023

Chicago is finally getting around to broadening the definition of registered lobbyists to include nonprofits, but only after softening the blow to avoid tying their hands with costly red tape. The city council’s Committee on Ethics and Government Oversight passed a revised ordinance that calls for Chicago to join New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Philadelphia in requiring nonprofit lobbyists to register and file regular reports with the Board of Ethics.

Illinois – Board of Ethics Finds Probable Cause Four Lobbyists Improperly Donated to Johnson

MSN – A.D. Quig (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 12/13/2023

The Chicago Board of Ethics found two registered lobbyists appeared to violate an executive order by giving money to Mayor Brandon Johnson. The violations do not carry a penalty for the mayor but could mean those lobbyists lose their ability to work at City Hall. Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel in 2011 signed the orders barring donations from city contractors and lobbyists, which will remain in place until a future mayor rescinds them.

Iowa – Iowa Lawmaker Calls for Gov. Kim Reynolds to Remove Satanic Display from Capitol

MSN – Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez and Noelle Alviz-Gransee (Des Moines Register) | Published: 12/11/2023

A satanic display placed in the Iowa Capitol is unconstitutional, said Rep. Brad Sherman, who is calling on Gov. Kim Reynolds to order its removal. But other Republican legislators say they would oppose the government limiting freedom of speech in reaction to the display, which will be in place for a total of two weeks.

Maine – Anti-Super PAC Campaign Says They Have Enough Signatures to Get on the Maine Ballot

Maine Beacon – Dan Neuman | Published: 12/7/2023

A ballot campaign led by activist Lawrence Lessig to limit contributions to super PACs says it has collected enough signatures to qualify for the Maine ballot in 2024. Super PACs differ from traditional PACs in that they give corporations the ability to make unlimited contributions. Maine Citizens to End Super PACs, the group behind the ballot question, argues that if successful, the initiative would cap donations to super PACs at $5,000, all but eliminating their effectiveness.

Maine – Maine Media Groups, Utilities Challenge New Law on Foreign Spending on Referendums

Portland Press Herald – Rachel Ohm | Published: 12/12/2023

Maine’s two largest power companies and groups representing media outlets filed separate federal lawsuits challenging a state law passed by voters in November to ban foreign governments and affiliated organizations from spending money on state and local referendum campaigns. The measure is largely a response to foreign government spending in the referendum campaign two years ago over the future of a planned electricity corridor in western Maine.

Massachusetts – Brookline School Officials Violated Massachusetts Campaign Finance Laws by Sending Emails About Tax Increases

MSN – James Vaznis (Boston Globe) | Published: 12/9/2023

Tucked inside various newsletters to parents in Brookline last spring were appeals from school administrators to support property tax hikes at the ballot box for the school budget, accompanied by warnings about devastating cuts if the votes failed. Brookline officials got their way at the ballot box, but repeatedly broke the state’s campaign finance law by sending out the emails to influence the vote, according to an investigation by the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Michigan – Records: Michigan senator helped steer $25M Clare grant now under investigation

Bridge Michigan – Jonathan Oosting and Mike Wilkinson | Published: 12/13/2023

A state senator and a lobbyist intervened to help a former legislative staffer obtain a $25 million grant that is now under investigation by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for possible prosecution. Records shed new light on how a no-bid contract was awarded to a nonprofit created and run by Dave Coker, who once worked for them-House Speaker Jason Wentworth. State Sen. Rick Outman acknowledged he phoned state health officials on behalf of the project, but maintained he had no idea that Coker would benefit.

Michigan – Whitmer Signs Bills Criminalizing Election Official Intimidation, Curbing AI in Campaigns

Detroit News – Beth LeBlanc | Published: 11/30/2023

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed nearly 20 bills that will create penalties for intimidating an election worker, solidify the process for presidential electors, change the way young people register to vote, and put restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in campaign ads. Bill sponsors described the legislation as a way to button up state laws in the wake of controversy over the 2020 presidential election.

Michigan – Whitmer Signs Bills Implementing Proposal 1

MSN – Clara Hendrickson (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 12/9/2023

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills implementing requirements for top state officials and lawmakers to report information about their finances after voters approved a constitutional amendment mandating the disclosures. The bills go beyond Proposal 1, subjecting candidates for office to financial reporting requirements, for instance. But they do not go as far as some Democratic lawmakers and transparency advocates had hoped.

Nevada – Lombardo Spurned Ethics Commissioner’s Reapplication Ahead of Major Vote, Emails Show

Nevada Independent – Tabitha Mueller | Published: 12/13/2023

Days before a Nevada Commission on Ethics on a potential $1.6 million fine for using his sheriff’s badge and uniform during his 2022 campaign for governor, Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed two new members to the eight-member board, both of whom later voted against fining or censuring the governor. Emails indicate Lombardo made the new appointments despite a former Republican commissioner expressing interest in serving another term.

New Jersey – Judge Throws Out Suit That Tried to Block Changes to NJ Campaign Finance Law

Yahoo News – Ashley Balcerzak (Bergen Record) | Published: 12/11/2023

A state judge dismissed a lawsuit that  the former leader of New Jersey’s campaign finance watchdog agency filed against Gov. Phil Murphy seeking to overturn a controversial new law revamping campaign finance rules. It was the second of two lawsuits filed by Jeff Brindle, the former executive director of the Election Law Enforcement Commission. The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Brindle cannot file the same lawsuit again.

New York – Hochul Vetoes Lobbying Loophole Bill After Chief Judge Battle

Albany Times Union – Joshua Solomon | Published: 12/10/2023

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed bipartisan legislation intended to close a loophole in lobbying laws that was exposed during a political battle over her initial, and failed, nomination of a new chief judge of the Court of Appeals. The efforts to influence the selection of the state’s top judge had centered on Hochul’s efforts to install Justice Hector LaSalle as the top jurist on the state’s highest court. The nomination triggered well-funded efforts to influence the Legislature’s decision on LaSalle’s appointment, revealing a gap in state law that allows unregistered lobbying in judicial nominations and other top state offices.

New York – New York High Court Allows State Democrats Chance to Alter Congressional Maps

MSN – Maegan Vazquez and Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 12/12/2023

The New York State Court of Appeals granted Democrats who control the state Legislature a chance to approve a new set of congressional district lines, effectively throwing out a map that led to several Republican victories in 2022 House races. The ruling could be consequential in determining which party controls the House during the next Congress. In 2022, Republicans flipped four districts in New York, giving them a razor-thin majority in the House.

New York – Appeals Court Denies Trump’s ‘Presidential Immunity’ Argument in Defamation Lawsuit

MSN – Philip Marcelo (Associated Press) | Published: 12/13/2023

A federal appeals court ruled Donald Trump gave up his right to argue presidential immunity protects him from being held liable for statements he made in 2019 when he denied he raped advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. A three-judge panel upheld a lower court’s ruling that Trump had effectively waived the immunity defense by not raising it when Carroll first filed a defamation lawsuit against him four years ago.

Oklahoma – Okla. Ethics Commission Names New Executive Director

NonDoc – Michael McNutt | Published: 12/7/2023

Lee Anne Bruce Boone was named as the new executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. She will start her duties on January 4, succeeding Ashley Kemp. Commission Chairperson Jarred Brejcha said Boone’s leadership skills stood out among the 14 applicants for the post. All the applicants were from Oklahoma.

Oregon – ‘Thank God They Walked Out’: Oregon’s partisan divide highlights heightened animosity in statehouses

Yahoo News – Paul Demko (Politico) | Published: 12/13/2023

Ten Oregon Republican state senators may face the end of their legislative careers for a six-week legislative walkout aimed at thwarting what they see as a radical Democratic agenda. The lawmakers are banned from running for reelection for accumulating at least 10 unexcused absences during this year’s legislative session. It is arguably the most glaring example of how Washington’s toxic partisan culture is increasingly infecting statehouses across the country.

Pennsylvania – The Philly Ethics Board Dropped Its Case Against the ‘Super PAC’ That Backed Mayoral Candidate Jeff Brown

MSN – Sean Collins Walsh (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 12/11/2023

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics dropped its lawsuit against the super PAC that supported Jeff Brown’s unsuccessful run for mayor, ending a legal saga that shook up the election and contributed to Brown’s fifth-place finish in the Democratic primary. The board announced it will instead focus on revising the campaign finance regulations that were at the center of the dispute.

Texas – Supreme Court Allows Texas Voting Map Challenged by Civil Rights Advocates

MSN – Robert Barnes and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 12/12/2023

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed a local Texas election to go forward under a map that a lower court had found diluted the votes of Black and Latino residents. The order came in response to a challenge from civil rights advocates opposed to the voting districts in Galveston County. While the case involves the boundaries in just one locality, it could have broader implications for challenges to election maps and the protection of voting rights nationwide.

Washington – WA GOP Fights Secretary of State’s Effort to Track Election Misinformation

Seattle Times – Jim Brunner | Published: 12/11/2023

An effort by Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs to track and refute viral online misinformation about elections has prompted objections from the state Republican Party. The state GOP recently filed a formal complaint with the Executive Ethics Board, accusing Hobbs of violating the constitution and his oath of office by hiring a firm to scour social media for harmful “narratives and threats” about Washington elections officials and voting.

Campaign Finance Massachusetts: “Brookline School Officials Violated Massachusetts Campaign Finance Laws by Sending Emails About Tax Increases” by James Vaznis (Boston Globe) for MSN Elections Michigan: “Whitmer Signs Bills Criminalizing Election Official Intimidation, Curbing AI in Campaigns” by Beth LeBlanc for Detroit News National: “As Advertisers Flee Musk’s X, Democrats Splurge on Political Ads” by Cristiano Lima and Aaron Schaffer (Washington Post) for MSN Washington: “WA GOP Fights Secretary of State’s Effort to Track Election Misinformation” by Jim Brunner for Seattle Times Ethics National: “Dictator-for-a-Day? Scholars Say Trump Can Do Damage Without Being One.” by Sarah Ellison (Washington Post) for MSN Legislative Issues California: “How Well Is Your Legislator Representing You?” by Sameea Kamal for CalMatters Lobbying National: “Kansas Republican Watkins, Ousted Amid Voter Fraud Charges, Returns to Congress as Lobbyist” by Daniel Desrochers (Kansas City Star) for Yahoo News Procurement Florida: “Howland Files Legislation for Certain No-Bid Contracts to Go Through Jacksonville City Council” by Hanna Holthaus (Florida Times-Union) for Yahoo News

Campaign Finance Delaware: “How Hall-Long’s Refusal to Release Audit Findings Sparked Elections Reform Talks” by Amanda Fries (Delaware News Journal) for Yahoo News National: “Ex-Fundraiser for George Santos Pleads Guilty to Posing as Congressional Aide to Raise Campaign Cash” by Dave Collins for Associated Press News Elections Georgia: “Ex-Trump Allies Detail Efforts to Overturn Election in Georgia Plea Videos” by Amy Gardner and Holly Bailey (Washington Post) for MSN National: “Democrats Plan to Spend Millions to Weaken Republican Supermajorities” by Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) for DNyuz Ethics Florida: “Mayor Suarez’s Secret Side Gigs Included Advising Associates of Kremlin-Linked Oligarch” by Shirsho Dasgupta (Miami Herald) for Yahoo News National: “Trump Compares Political Opponents to ‘Vermin’ Who He Will ‘Root Out,’ Alarming Historians” by Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa for ABC News Lobbying National: “‘Curveball Like No Other:’ Johnson’s rise has K Street trying to keep up” by Caitlin Reilly (Roll Call) for MSN Procurement Illinois: “Clout-Heavy Contractor Linked to Federal Investigations at City Hall and in the Suburbs” by Jason Meisner, A.D. Quig, Sarah Freishtat, and Gregory Pratt (Chicago Tribune) for MSN

National/Federal

Meadows Granted Immunity, Tells Smith He Warned Trump About 2020 Claims: Sources

ABC News – Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine, and Alexander Mallin | Published: 10/24/2023

Former President Trump’s final chief of staff in the White House, Mark Meadows, has spoken with special counsel Jack Smith’s team at least three times this year, including once before a federal grand jury, which came only after Smith granted Meadows immunity to testify under oath, according to sources familiar with the matter. The sources said Meadows informed Smith’s team that he repeatedly told Trump in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election that the allegations of significant voting fraud coming to them were baseless.

An Unsanctioned Coterie of Pro-Israel Quasi-Lobbyists Has Descended on D.C.

MSN – Hailey Fuchs and Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 10/22/2023

An ad hoc group of donors, activists, and allies have moved swiftly to help Israel. They have leveraged their political clout, their relationships with lawmakers, and their fundraising networks to do so. Their goal is to shape how elected officials in the U.S. react to the crisis. But their work also underscores how much of the political fight around the nascent war is being done on the fly; and how much is being waged in unconventional theaters: college campuses, corporate boardrooms, K Street offices. and Capitol Hill restaurants.

New House Speaker Mike Johnson Faces Herculean Task of Uniting Republicans

MSN – Marianna Sotomayor, Amy Wang, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Theodoric Meyer, and Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

Rep. Mike Johnson, a lesser-known conservative who has been a devoted follower of former President Trump was elected as speaker of the House, reopening the chamber for legislative business after a 21-day paralysis because the fractious Republican conference could not coalesce around a single nominee. Johnson now faces the herculean task of uniting a deeply ideologically fractured conference that is tasked with averting a government shutdown in less than a month, sending supplemental aid to Israel and other foreign countries, and passing reauthorization bills before the end of the year.

Special Counsel Urges Judge to Crack Down Further on Trump’s Comments

MSN – Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

Special counsel Jack Smith argued that recent comments by Donald Trump show not only that a federal gag order should be reimposed, but the court should weigh stricter sanctions, including sending him to jail, if he keeps talking about witnesses in his case. The filing was one of four made by the special counsel’s office on a range of legal issues in preparation for Trump’s planned trial on charges he conspired to obstruct Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Trump’s public statements attacking prosecutors, court personnel, and others have raised alarms among judges who worry such broadsides might inspire someone to commit violence.

Clarence Thomas’s RV Loan Was Forgiven, Senate Committee Report Says

MSN – Robert Barnes and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Ron Wyden called on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to tell the panel whether he declared more than $250,000 of loan forgiveness on his tax filings. Wyden released a report that details a loan Thomas received from a friend, Anthony Welters, to buy a luxury Prevost Marathon motor coach in 1999. The report said Thomas made some interest payments on the $267,230 loan, but it was declared settled by Welters in 2008 without Thomas repaying a substantial portion, or perhaps any, of the principal.

Congressman Charged with Pulling False Fire Alarm in House Building

MSN – Peter Hermann and Clarence Williams (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

Rep. Jamaal Bowman was criminally charged with pulling a false fire alarm that forced the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building as lawmakers scrambled to avert a government shutdown. Bowman was charged in a judicial summons, meaning he was not arrested. In an affidavit filed in court, authorities allege Bowman tried to open an emergency door and, when that failed, pulled a fire alarm and walked away and did not report his actions to police.

Elon Musk’s X Removes New York Times’ Verification Badge

MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 10/19/2023

The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, removed the gold “verified” badge from the New York Times’ account amid ongoing complaints about the news organization from X owner Elon Musk. The badge was the only symbol distinguishing the Times’ 55-million-follower account from impostors amid two major global conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. The move further extends Musk’s attempts to use the social media company he bought with claims of defending free speech to undercut news organizations he dislikes.

Lawsuit Aims to Slam Shut Loophole That Lets Political Parties Skirt Campaign Finance Law

MSN – Kathleen Culliton (Raw Story) | Published: 10/23/2023

A loophole that allows political parties to bypass campaign finance limits now faces a new legal challenge from watchdog groups in Washington D.C. The Campaign Legal Center and OpenSecrets filed a lawsuit against the FEC, which they hope will create new disclosure rules for national political party committee accounts. The loophole links back to the 2014 “Cromnibus” and an amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act that allows parties to draw funds from “special purpose accounts,” according to the complaint.

Trump Files New Challenges to Federal Election Obstruction Case in D.C.

MSN – Spencer Hsu and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 10/24/2023

Donald Trump launched a multipronged legal attack on his federal prosecution for allegedly subverting the results of the 2020 election, saying his actions were protected by the First Amendment as political speech and arguing he cannot be tried in criminal court for trying to block Joe Biden’s victory after being impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate. While aspects of Trump’s case raise historic legal questions, the motions are fairly typical for criminal defendants trying to challenge the legal sufficiency of the charges against them.

Top Groups’ Lobbying Spending Drops in Divided Congress

MSN – Caitlin Reilly (Roll Call) | Published: 10/23/2023

Total spending on lobbying by the biggest interest groups fell in the first three quarters of 2023 compared to last year amid partisan gridlock in a divided Congress. The dip came as the steady clip of major laws that moved through the last Congress slowed to a trickle this session with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans the House, where GOP leadership has struggled to maintain control of its conference.

How Ron DeSantis’ Super PAC Is Taking Financial Pressure Off His Campaign

NBC News – Alec Hernández and Bridget Bowman | Published: 10/20/2023

With three months to go until the first contest of the Republican nominating race, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to lean heavily on Never Back Down for support across the early states, and his most recent campaign finance report demonstrates how the super PAC has helped cover costs that otherwise might have drained DeSantis’s own campaign treasury. Beyond playing an extensive role in the governor’s campaign schedule and travel, the super PAC is also responsible for a large door-knocking operation in Iowa and running a slew of voter coalitions supporting DeSantis.

Appeals Court Upholds Broad Use of Obstruction Law That Prosecutors Have Deployed Against Trump

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 10/20/2023

Federal prosecutors avoided an appeals court ruling that could have upended their criminal prosecution of Donald Trump, but the legal battle will continue over a federal obstruction statute that has become a cornerstone of cases stemming from the storming of the Capitol. A panel of the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals ruled there are numerous ways for the government to prove January 6 defendants acted “corruptly” when seeking to obstruct Congress’ proceedings. A ruling that narrowly construed the meaning of “corruptly” could have derailed the prosecution of Trump on an obstruction charge.

Supreme Court to Decide if Biden Admin Illegally Bullied Social Media into Censoring Content

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney and Rebecca Kern (Politico) | Published: 10/20/2023

The Supreme Court will determine whether the Biden administration violated the Constitution when it pressured technology companies to remove from their platforms what federal officials said was false or misleading content about the 2020 election and Covid-19. In taking the case, the justices also blocked the lower court’s injunction that would have barred many types of contact between federal officials and the social media giants. The action means administration officials can keep contacting social media companies for now while the justices weigh the case.

From the States and Municipalities

California – Sacramento Ethics Commission Dismisses Campaign Contribution Complaint after Investigation

Capital Public Radio – Kristin Lam | Published: 10/25/2023

The Sacramento Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint against mayoral candidate Flojuane Cofer and found she did not violate a campaign fundraising rule. Voting unanimously, the commission disagreed with part of an independent evaluator’s recommendation on how to deal with the complaint. The investigator found the city’s campaign contribution rules surrounding off-year elections are confusing.

California – Is Anaheim’s Fall of Reform Going to Freeze Over?

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 10/25/2023

Anaheim’s elected officials continue a rollout of reform proposals, but it is unclear how many overhauls will be made to a City Hall hit with one of the biggest corruption scandals in Orange County history. It comes as some Disney-backed city council members question if reforms are needed, like bolstering whistleblower protections, consequences for misconduct by elected officials, decreasing the city manager’s purchasing power, and overhauling lobbyist rules. The discussions come months after independent investigators alleged the city was essentially controlled by lobbyists and Disneyland resort interests.

Colorado – A New Law Has Stricter Regulations for Campaign Finance. What Does That Mean for Pueblo?

Pueblo Chieftan – Anna Lynn Winfrey | Published: 10/23/2023

A new law in Colorado imposes new requirements for how long campaign finance records are kept and sets contribution limits for municipal races. But as a home rule city, Pueblo has the jurisdiction to craft its own regulation on campaign finance. Because of the expected timing of a mayoral runoff race in January, after the bill goes into effect, the city council is expected to vote soon on an ordinance that would effectively freeze the current rules in place. Councilors could adopt more stringent requirements later, if desired.

Florida – Mayor Donna Deegan Approves No-Bid Contract for a Firm That Backed Her Campaign

MSN – David Bauerlein (Florida Times-Union) | Published: 10/24/2023

A company whose owner hosted a campaign event for Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan in January won a no-bid contract worth $300,000 for federal grant-writing, lobbying, and policy development after the city determined no other firm in the nation could provide all those services. The city typically requires competitive bidding, but the Professional Services Evaluation Committee recommended Deegan approve the one-year contract to Langton Consulting without seeking proposals from any other firms.

Florida – Florida Rule Would Limit Talk of ‘Social Issues’ at Public Universities

Yahoo News – Divya Kumar (Tampa Bay Times) | Published: 10/23/2023

A proposed regulation aimed at restricting diversity programs and social activism at Florida’s public universities has stirred confusion, with some saying its broadly worded passages could limit free speech. The regulation, when approved, will determine how the state enforces the law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that seeks to gut diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at colleges and universities.

Florida – Florida Ethics Panel Says County Commissioner Steele Can Resume Lobbying for Municipalities

Yahoo News – Dave Berman (Florida Today) | Published: 10/24/2023

Brevard County Commissioner Jason Steele was given the green light to resume his lobbying work. including for municipalities within the county, while he continues to serve as commissioner. The Florida Commission on Ethics approved an advisory opinion from its legal staff that said there currently is nothing illegal about Steele lobbying on behalf of clients, as long as he does not lobby before the county commission and does not use nonpublic information he obtained as a commissioner for his lobbying work.

Georgia – Trump Co-Defendant Kenneth Chesebro Pleads Guilty in Georgia Election Case

MSN – Holly Bailey and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 10/20/2023

Kenneth Chesebro, a former lawyer for Donald Trump’s campaign, pleaded guilty to illegally conspiring to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia, striking a deal in which he will avoid jail time and agreed to provide evidence that could implicate other defendants, including Trump himself. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to file false documents. The charge relates to his role organizing slates of pro-Trump electors to meet in seven states where Joe Biden had won.

Georgia – Jenna Ellis Becomes Latest Trump Lawyer to Plead Guilty Over Efforts to Overturn Georgia’s Election

Yahoo News – Will Weissert and Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 10/24/2023

Attorney and conservative media figure Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty to a felony charge over efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. Ellis, the fourth defendant in the case to enter into a plea deal, was a vocal part of Trump’s reelection campaign in the last presidential cycle and was charged alongside the Republican former president and 17 others. Ellis pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings. She had been facing charges of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer, both felonies.

Hawaii – Hawaii Budget Director’s Conflict of Interest: He owns HECO stock

Honolulu Civil Beat – Stewart Yerton | Published: 10/26/2023

Hawaii’s state budget and finance director is facing an ethical dilemma as Gov. Josh Green’s administration works to establish a fund for victims of the Maui wildfires. Luis Salaveria, who is playing a role in planning the fund that would benefit Hawaiian Electric Industries, also owns Hawaiian Electric stock. That should disqualify Salaveria from taking any official action that could affect the company, according to the state ethics code. But what, if anything, Salaveria plans to do to address the situation is unclear.

Hawaii – Hawaii Bribery Scandal Casts a Shadow Over Lahaina’s Ruins

Yahoo News – Blaze Lovell (New York Times) | Published: 10/25/2023

As Maui County recovers from the devastating wildfires that killed at least 99 people, millions of dollars will be spent on rebuilding critical infrastructure using a flawed contract-monitoring system that is marred by bribery and a lack of competition. A recent bribery case prompted some county officials to begin phasing out the use of sole-source contracts, but the practice is still in use in the county. That very little has changed since the bribery scandal was revealed could leave the door open for some contractors to take advantage of the disaster or for government money to be wasted.

Illinois – Illinois Lawmakers Banned Campaign Contributions from Red-Light Camera Companies – Then Accepted Them

Illinois Public Radio – Robert Herguth (Chicago Sun-Times) | Published: 10/20/2023

In May, the General Assembly passed a bill to ban campaign contributions from the red-light camera industry that has been embroiled in a bribery scandal still unfolding in federal court. Among those backing the bill was Illinois Senate President Don Harmon. Less than six weeks later, his campaign accounts accepted two contributions totaling $5,000 from Redspeed Illinois, a contractor operating red-light cameras in a number of Chicago-area municipalities. Bernadette Matthews, executive director of the state elections board, said the new law does not include penalties for violators.

Kentucky – Louisville Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini Found in Violation of Ethics Rules

MSN – Eleanor McCrary (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 10/19/2023

Louisville Metro’s Ethics Commission found Councilperson Anthony Piagentini in violation of six ethics rules after he was accused of using his city position to land a $40 million grant for the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, which then hired him. The commission also unanimously voted to recommend to the Metro Council that he be removed from his seat, but that decision ultimately lies with his 25 peers. Piagentini also received a penalty of $500 per violation.

Louisiana – Supreme Court Agrees with Delay on Drawing New Louisiana Congressional Map

MSN – Robert Barnes (Washington Post) | Published: 10/19/2023

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with a delay on proceedings that could lead to creating a second congressional district in Louisiana where Black voters make up a large-enough share of the electorate to have a significant chance of electing their preferred candidate. The justices rejected requests by Black voters challenging a map passed by the state’s Republican-led Legislature to allow a lower court judge to proceed in coming up with a new map. The order indicates that once litigation over the issue is completed, the Legislature might get a chance to draw a revised map.

Maine – Inside Poland Spring’s Hidden Attack on Water Rules It Didn’t Like

Yahoo News – Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) | Published: 10/24/2023

When Maine lawmakers tried to rein in large-scale access to the state’s freshwater this year, the effort initially gained momentum. Then a Wall Street-backed giant called BlueTriton stepped in. Americans today buy more bottled water than any other packaged drink, and BlueTriton owns many of the nation’s biggest brands. Maine’s bill threatened the company’s access to the groundwater it bottles and sells. The legislation had already gotten a majority vote on the committee and was headed toward the full Legislature, when a lobbyist for BlueTriton proposed an amendment that would eviscerate the entire bill.

Massachusetts – Ryan and Stephanie Fattman Agree to Record Fines to Settle Campaign Finance Cases

Yahoo News – Kinga Borondy (Worcester Telegram & Gazette) | Published: 10/24/2023

The Massachusetts attorney general’s office reached a settlement with stated Sen. Ryan Fattman; his wife, Worcester Registrar of Probate Stephanie Fattman; and members of their campaign committees in the three-year probe into campaign finance irregularities. The settlements to be paid total hundreds of thousands of dollars, the largest amounts ever paid by candidate committees to the state to resolve cases.

Michigan – Financial Disclosures Proposed for Michigan Politicians Are ‘Pretty Weak,’ Advocates Say

MLive – Simon Schuster | Published: 10/25/2023

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a package of legislation that details what state elected officials must include in Michigan’s first-ever financial disclosures. The legislation, while bringing specificity to some areas 2022’s Proposal 1 left vague, also leaves gaps in reporting, exempting public officials from having to disclose some of the very financial benefits that roiled state government in recent scandals. Nicholas Pigeon, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, called the bills “a mixed bag … that is pretty weak compared to the rest of the country.”

Michigan – After Campaign Finance Complaint Against Fouts, City Attorney Files Against Council Foes

MSN – Christina Hall (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 10/25/2023

The Warren city attorney filed state campaign finance complaints against three city council members for comments they made during a council meeting using city equipment, which was broadcast live and is on video on the city’s website. The complaints come days after the secretary of state’s office determined Mayor Jim Fouts may have violated the law by endorsing candidates during his State of the City address.

Missouri – Records Show Missouri House Speaker Charged State for Travel Already Paid for By His Campaign

Missouri Independent – Jason Hancock | Published: 10/23/2023

Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher filed an expense report to be reimbursed for a $1,199.60 plane ticket to the 2023 Uniform Law Commission conference. The House ultimately agreed to pay him the money. But the cost of the ticket did not come out of Plocher’s bank account. It came out of his campaign. Seven months earlier, “Plusher for Missouri” reported paying $1,199.60 for airfare to Hawaii for the conference. A review of Plocher’s expense reports over the years shows the Hawaii expense was not an isolated event.

New Hampshire – Breaking with Longstanding Tradition, Biden Won’t Appear on New Hampshire’s Primary Ballot

Yahoo News – Francesca Chambers (USA Today) | Published: 10/24/2023

President Joe Biden’s name will not be on the New Hampshire primary ballot. Biden has been tussling with the state for nearly a year over its historically early primary date and will not make the trip to Concord to file. In a break with centuries-old tradition, the incumbent president will not appear on the state’s Democratic primary ballot at all, with the national party pledging to discipline candidates who compete in unsanctioned primaries like the one New Hampshire plans to hold.

New Jersey – ‘Phantom Candidates’ in Tough N.J. Legislative Elections? Republicans Call for Investigation.

MSN – Brent Johnson (New Jersey Advance Media) | Published: 10/23/2023

Allegations about a “dark money” group pushing “phantom candidates” have invaded a pair of tense races for the New Jersey Legislature. Republican candidates in the second and fourth districts, two of the most competitive in this year’s elections, have asked top law enforcement officials to investigate a new nonprofit group with a Queens address that sent out campaign mailers to voters urging them to support independent or third-party “conservative” candidates.

New York – ‘A Well-Thought-Out Scheme’: Orange County lawmakers claim corruption with county’s contracts with IT company

Albany Times Union – Lana Bellamy | Published: 10/26/2023

New York Sen. James Skoufis alleges the Orange County government entered into illegal contracts with an information technology company in order to enrich the family of a top-ranking county official, and county administrators have attempted to cover up a larger corruption scheme. Skoufis laid out the case that contracts between the county and StarCIO totaling $823,000 were illegally procured and inflated to enrich Isaac Sacolick, the company’s proprietor and the brother-in-law of county Human Resources Commissioner Langdon Chapman.

New York – Judge Fines Trump $10,000 for Second Violation of New York Gag Order

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

A New York judge fined Donald Trump $10,000 for violating a gag order in a business-fraud lawsuit and warned the former president the penalties will only get worse if he keeps breaking the rules set for the civil trial, in which he is accused of falsely inflating his property values. The five-figure fine came after New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron unexpectedly called Trump to the witness stand to explain, under oath, a comment he made outside the courtroom earlier in the day.

New York – Adams Campaign Contributors Plead Guilty to Straw Donor Conspiracy Charge

The City – George Joseph | Published: 10/24/2023

Shahid and Yahya Mushtaq, two brothers who run a construction company in Queens, each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge stemming from a straw donor scheme that aimed to generate illicit public matching funds for Eric Adams’ successful 2021 mayoral campaign. The brothers’ plea deals require them both to pay a $500 fine and complete 35 hours of community service.

New York – Who Paid for Gov. Hochul’s Israel Trip? Her Office Won’t Say.

The Gothamist – Jon Campbell | Published: 10/25/2023

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office will not say who pledged to pay for the governor’s recent visit to Israel, an arrangement the state’s ethics board has not yet approved, despite her trip to the Middle East last week. Hochul spent two days in Israel amid its war with Hamas, touring the country and meeting with dignitaries, along with victims and their families. Gubernatorial spokesperson Avi Small said the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government is still “in the final stages of reviewing this arrangement to ensure it fully complies with state ethics law.”

North Carolina – N.C. Republicans Pass Redistricting Map Expected to Flip 3 House Seats

MSN – Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (Washington Post) | Published: 10/25/2023

The North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval to new congressional and state legislative district maps that would empower the state Republican Party for years to come. North Carolina’s 14 congressional seats are now evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The new map would probably flip at least three of those seats to the GOP. Proponents say they are allowed to draw maps that favor political parties because of recent court precedent, and Republicans have the power to do so because they won more seats in both chambers of the Legislature.

Ohio – Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Quietly Ordered Purge of Thousands of Inactive Voters Last Month

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 10/24/2023

Thousands of inactive Ohio voters were purged from the state’s voter rolls in September at the direction of Secretary of State Frank LaRose after some voters had already begun casting ballots in the November election. LaRose maintains he issued the directive because he’s required by federal and state election law to set rules and timelines for maintaining accurate voter registration lists. But a state lawmaker asked why he did not delay it until after the general election, as he did earlier ahead of the August special election on a proposed constitutional amendment to make it harder to pass future amendments.

Ohio – Mayor Pureval Removed from Cincinnati Southern Railway Campaign Ads After Conflict of Interest Questions

WCPO – Taylor Weiter and Dan Monk | Published: 10/19/2023

Commercials promoting the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway no longer feature Mayor Aftab Pureval after a media investigation found connections between campaigns for the sale and Pureval’s re-election. Building Cincinnati’s Future and Friends of Aftab Pureval, the mayor’s re-election campaign, share the same treasurer, Jens Sutmoller.

Oklahoma – Phantom Attack Ads Target Oklahoma Candidate, Connected to Nationwide Dark Money Network

MSN – Clifton Adcock (The Frontier) | Published: 10/24/2023

Common Sense Conservatives spent money on a direct mail advertisement this fall against Baptist minister Dusty Deevers in a Republican primary for a seat in the Oklahoma Senate. Records show Common Sense Conservatives is one small piece of a larger, nationwide “dark money” network that conducts most of its operations out of Ohio, has been involved in numerous federal and state-level campaigns in other states including Oklahoma, and has ties to at least one bogus charity.

Elections

National: “Meadows Granted Immunity, Tells Smith He Warned Trump About 2020 Claims: Sources” by Katherine Faulders, Mike Levine, and Alexander Mallin for ABC News

New Hampshire: “Breaking with Longstanding Tradition, Biden Won’t Appear on New Hampshire’s Primary Ballot” by Francesca Chambers (USA Today) for Yahoo News

Ohio: “Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Quietly Ordered Purge of Thousands of Inactive Voters Last Month” by Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

Ethics

California: “Is Anaheim’s Fall of Reform Going to Freeze Over?” by Hosam Elattar for Voice of OC

Michigan: “Financial Disclosures Proposed for Michigan Politicians Are ‘Pretty Weak,’ Advocates Say” by Simon Schuster for MLive

Legislative Issues

National: “New House Speaker Mike Johnson Faces Herculean Task of Uniting Republicans” by Marianna Sotomayor, Amy Wang, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Theodoric Meyer, and Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

National: “An Unsanctioned Coterie of Pro-Israel Quasi-Lobbyists Has Descended on D.C.” by Hailey Fuchs and Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) for MSN

Florida: “Florida Ethics Panel Says County Commissioner Steele Can Resume Lobbying for Municipalities” by Dave Berman (Florida Today) for Yahoo News

Procurement

Florida: “Mayor Donna Deegan Approves No-Bid Contract for a Firm That Backed Her Campaign” by David Bauerlein (Florida Times-Union) for MSN

Hawaii: “Hawaii Bribery Scandal Casts a Shadow Over Lahaina’s Ruins” by Blaze Lovell (New York Times) for Yahoo News

Elections Texas: “Judge Calls New Texas Election Law Unconstitutional but State Says It Will Appeal Ruling” by Juan Lozano (Associated Press) for MSN Ethics California: “Proposed Anaheim Reforms Sputter as City Council Disputes Corruption Probe Findings” by Hosam Elattar for Voice of OC Illinois: “Former Ald. Brookins Won’t Have to Pay $5,000 For Violating Ethics Ordinance After Lawsuit Against Ethics Board Is Dismissed” by Heather Cherone for WTTW National: “‘Biased.’ ‘Corrupt.’ ‘Deranged.’ Trump’s Taunts Test Limits of Release.” by Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, and Alan Feuer (New York Times) for Buffalo News Virginia: “State Senator Seeks to Lease Land to Dominion for Wind Turbine Project; Ethics Council OKs Move” by Stacy Parker (Virginian-Pilot) for MSN Wisconsin: “Report on Anti-Gay Slur Could Put Local News Site Out of Business” by Jeremy Peters (New York Times) for Yahoo News Lobbying California: “BART President Fined for Failing to Register as San Francisco Bike Lobbyist” by Eddie Sun for San Francisco Standard Procurement South Dakota: “Gov. Noem Orders State Contracts to Include New ‘Conflict of Interest’ Clause” by Annie Todd (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) for Yahoo News

Campaign Finance National: “Sam Bankman-Fried Donated Millions to ‘Weed Out Anti-Crypto’ Politicians, New Evidence Says” by Peter Syme for Business Insider Oregon: “With New Secretary of State, Oregonians Will Get Greater Transparency on Campaign Finance Violations” by Nigel Jaquiss for Willamette Weekly Elections California: “Big Business Is Using the Popular Vote to Bypass California Law” by Jeremy White for Politico Ethics National: “What Judicial Ethics Rules Say About Clarence Thomas’ Lifestyle Bankrolled by His Friends” by Tierny Sneed (CNN) for MSN Florida: “Florida Ethics Chairman Took a New Job That May Create a $400K Ethical Conflict” by Romy Ellenbogen (Miami Herald) for Yahoo News New York: “Judge in Donald Trump’s Hush-Money Case Denies Bias Claim, Won’t Step Aside” by Michael Sisak (Associated Press) for MSN Lobbying Florida: “State Appeals Lobbying Decision” by Jim Saunders (News Service of Florida) for Citrus County Chronicle Procurement New Mexico: “Ethics Commission Reverses Governor’s Decision to Redo Medicaid Contracts” by Daniel Chacón for Santa Fe New Mexican

National/Federal

FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Still Slapped with Campaign Finance Charge, Prosecutors Say

ABC News – Aaron Katersky and Max Zahn | Published: 8/8/2023

Federal prosecutors signaled their intention to hold cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried accountable for alleged campaign finance violations despite dropping the charge on a technicality. Prosecutors accused Bankman-Fried of seeking influence in Washington and in state capitals by improperly using customer and investor money to make political donations.

Special Counsel Got a Search Warrant for Twitter to Turn Over Info on Trump’s Account, Documents Say

Associated Press News – Alanna Durkin Richer | Published: 8/9/2023

Special counsel Jack Smith’s team obtained a search warrant in January for records related to Donald Trump’s Twitter account, and a judge levied a $350,000 fine on the company for missing the deadline to comply. Smith’s team repeatedly mentioned Trump’s tweets in an indictment that charges the former president with conspiring to subvert the will of voters and cling to power after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden.

From Right-Hand Man to Critical Witness: Pence at heart of Trump prosecution

DNyuz – Shane Goldmacher, Maggie Astor, and Luke Broadwater (New York Times) | Published: 8/7/2023

Former Vice President Mike Pence’s transformation from Donald Trump’s most loyal lieutenant to an indispensable, if reluctant, witness for his prosecution became clear when he emerged as perhaps the central character in an indictment accusing the former president of a criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election. The indictment revealed Pence kept contemporaneous notes on the tumultuous period leading up to January 6, 2021. “You’re too honest,” Trump berated Pence as he refused to go along with the election plot, according to the indictment.

Judge Asks Prosecutors to Justify Use of 2 Grand Juries in Trump Documents Case

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 8/7/2023

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon asked prosecutors to explain the use of grand juries in Florida and Washington in the classified documents case against Donald Trump even though charges were filed in South Florida. For many months, prosecutors questioned witnesses in the Florida case before a federal grand jury in Washington. The proceedings yielded much of the evidence at the crux of the case. But in May, the grand jury activity appeared to continue in Miami. Ultimately, prosecutors filed charges in a West Palm Beach courthouse in the same district as Miami and the area where Trump’s home is located.

New PAC Aims to Elect Young Progressives Running for State Offices, Congress

MSN – Sabrina Rodriguez (Washington Post) | Published: 8/9/2023

A co-founder of March for Our Lives and the campaign manager who helped elect the first Gen Z member of Congress are teaming up to launch a new organization focused on getting more young progressives elected to office, primarily focusing on state lawmakers. Leaders We Deserve aims to help young people running for state Legislatures and Congress by providing candidates they endorse with the campaign knowledge – from fundraising to networking – and money to win.

DeSantis Replaces 2024 Campaign Manager in Continued Shakeup

MSN – Steve Contorno and Kit Maher (CNN) | Published: 8/8/2023

Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced campaign manager Generra Peck, ending speculation about her future leading his struggling White House bid and continuing a shakeup of his presidential campaign. In her place, DeSantis chose James Uthmeier, the chief of staff for his gubernatorial office, a trusted adviser known in Florida as an enforcer of DeSantis’s agenda. The latest move reflects a campaign still grasping for solutions to build support and recapture momentum of when DeSantis was surging after a dominant performance in his gubernatorial reelection.

FEC Commissioner Trey Trainor Cleared of Ethics Violation After Insider Reporting Spurred Investigation

MSN – Madison Hall (Business Insider) | Published: 8/8/2023

The FEC’s inspector general found Commissioner Trey Trainor did not commit any ethics violations after he participated in an “election integrity” event where he was labeled as a member of the “Trump Elections Team.” The inspector general said while it may appear he acted improperly, his billing was written without his knowledge, undermining “any appearance of impropriety.” The report notes Trainor and his counsel refused to cooperate with the government’s investigation.

DeSantis Super PAC Shares Cost for Private Air Travel in Unusual Deal

MSN – Michael Scherer and Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post) | Published: 8/5/2023

A super PAC funding much of Ron DeSantis’s presidential effort has become a joint investor with his campaign in a private transportation management company that provides lower-cost airplane leases for the Florida governor. The unusual agreement, which allows both the DeSantis campaign and the Never Back Down to lease planes in a larger volume at lower market rates, is another way DeSantis and his allies have found to use unlimited donations to help cover the cost of activities historically borne directly by official campaigns.

‘Fake’ Elector Plot Raised Concerns Over Legal Peril, Indictment Shows

MSN – Amy Gardner, Patrick Marley, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 8/7/2023

Donald Trump’s defenders have long insisted his false elector scheme was legal because the slates met as mere placeholders, to be activated only if the campaign won in court. Prosecutors now charge that Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and others intended all along to use the electors to falsely claim the outcome of the election was in doubt, facilitating an effort to obstruct the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in Congress on January 6, 2021. Especially important may be the experience in Pennsylvania, where new interviews reveal the extent of discomfort with the plan by Trump electors.

Fight Over Trump Jan. 6 Secrecy Order Marks Start of Race to Trial

MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 8/7/2023

A federal judge ordered a hearing over prosecutors’ demand that former President Trump keep government evidence turned over in his criminal election interference case secret until trial, as the two sides clashed anew over whether permitting Trump to discuss the case would taint potential jurors or intimidate witnesses. Prosecutors said they wanted to turn over evidence to speed the defense’s trial preparations but were concerned about Trump’s history of posting on social media about “witnesses, judges, attorneys and others” associated with cases against him.

Supreme Court Struggling to Agree on Ethics Policy, Justice Kagan Says

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2023

Justice Elena Kagan said the Supreme Court, which has faced criticism over lavish, undisclosed free travel by some of her colleagues, is struggling to devise an ethics policy despite continued discussion. The criticism stems from expensive trips taken years ago by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito Jr. underwritten by wealthy business executives and not disclosed in required annual financial reports. Kagan provided fresh insight into the struggle to craft a policy distinct from the ethics code that applies to other federal judges.

Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The other billionaires who have treated the Supreme Court justice to luxury travel

ProPublica – Brett Murphy and Alex Mierjeski | Published: 8/10/2023

During Clarence Thomas’s three decades on the Supreme Court, a cadre of industry titans and ultrawealthy executives have treated him to vacations aboard their yachts, ushered him into the premium suites at sporting events, and sent their private jets to fetch him – including, on more than one occasion, an entire 737. It is a stream of luxury that is both more extensive and from a wider circle than has been previously understood.

Once Rare, Impeachments and Censures Have Become the Norm in Congress

Seattle Times – Carl Hulse (New York Times) | Published: 8/8/2023

Proposals to censure lawmakers and impeach members of the Biden administration are piling up quickly in the U.S. House in an illustration of how once-solemn acts are becoming almost routine as the two parties seize on these procedures as part of their political combat. The proliferation of censures and cries for impeachment is troubling to some who see it as a threat to the standing of the institution as well as diminishing the weight such punishments are supposed to carry. Censure is the congressional penalty just below expulsion.

Trading Places: More lawmakers are swapping political parties

Yahoo News – Liz Champion (Politico) | Published: 8/9/2023

Ten state lawmakers nationwide switched parties in 2023. That includes six who jumped from one of the major parties to the other. In 2022, by contrast, just two state lawmakers changed affiliation between the Democrats and Republicans. The uptick in party transitions this year speaks to the growing polarization and party feuding inside state Capitols. In some states that saw allegiance flips, it had huge bearing on what legislation passed.

DeSantis, with a Subtle Maneuver, Hides His Small-Dollar Donations

Yahoo News – Rebecca Davis O’Brien and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 8/9/2023

When WinRed, the company that processes nearly all online Republican campaign contributions, recently released its trove of donor data for the first half of the year, contributions were conspicuously absent for one presidential candidate: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. It was no technical glitch. The DeSantis campaign worked with WinRed in a way that prevented the disclosure of donor information, ensuring the campaign’s small donors would remain anonymous.

Clarence Thomas’ $267,230 RV and the Friend Who Financed It

Yahoo News – Jo Becker and Julie Tate (New York Times) | Published: 8/5/2023

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’s Prevost Marathon cost $267,230, according to title history records. Thomas, who has told friends how he scrimped and saved to afford the motor coach, did not buy it on his own. In fact, the purchase was underwritten, at least in part, by Anthony Welters, a close friend who made his fortune in the health care industry. He provided Thomas with financing that experts said a bank would have been unlikely to extend, not only because Thomas was already carrying a lot of debt, but because the Marathon brand’s high level of customization makes its used motor coaches difficult to value.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Top Alaska Officials Facing Ethics Complaints Could Get State Representation Under Proposed Rules

Anchorage Daily News – Becky Bohrer (Associated Press) | Published: 8/3/2023

The Alaska Department of Law is proposing rules that would allow the state to represent a governor, lieutenant governor, or attorney general in complaints against them alleging ethics violations. Currently, they must hire outside attorneys to represent them in such matters. Under the proposed rules, those officeholders could decline representation by the department and hire their own attorneys if they wished.

Arizona – ‘It’s Underway’: Probe begins into $24K mailer deal at Maricopa County Democratic Party

MSN – Mary Jo Pitzl (Arizona Republic) | Published: 8/7/2023

The interim director of the Maricopa County Democratic Party said he launched an investigation into the party’s handling of a $24,000 business deal that has led to accusations of cronyism, altered postal records, and cover-ups. The deal appeared to be intended to benefit the former executive director’s fiancé. The party spent $24,480 for a mass mailing before the November 2022 election. But the mailer never reached the mailboxes of the 118,000 Democrats for whom it was intended, and the money was only refunded months later, after the party’s attorneys demanded repayment.

California – Mayor Aitken Announces Reforms Anaheim City Council Will Start Considering

MSN – Michael Slaton (Orange County Register) | Published: 8/8/2023

Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken announced her plans for the city council to start discussing several new reforms in the wake of the release of an independent investigation into corruption at City Hall, including several changes focused on transparency. “The release of last week’s independent report confirmed the wrongdoing that many suspected was going on for years,” Aitken said in a news release. “… Restoring transparency and public confidence will take time, and reforms will likely come in stages.”

California – Investigators Allege Pattern of Lobbyists Potentially Violating Anaheim Disclosure Rules

MSN – Michael Slaton and Tony Saavedra (Orange County Register) | Published: 8/2/2023

Independent investigators hired by Anaheim said they found numerous potential violations of the city’s lobbying laws in the last decade, in what they described as a “pattern of behavior” by lobbyists. A report on corruption highlighted former Mayor Curt Pringle and Jeff Flint, the former chief executive of Core Strategic Group, saying they failed to report their lobbying activity to the city clerk, which investigators said was potentially a crime of perjury. To combat the issues described in their report, investigators recommended Anaheim create a city ombudsman/ethics officer, whose duties would include monitoring the lobbying reports submitted.

California – San Jose Grants Few Former Employees Lobbying Exemptions

San Jose Spotlight – Jana Kadah | Published: 8/4/2023

In San Jose, when you leave a job working for the city you are barred from lobbying anyone at City Hall for at least two years. But a handful of ex-employees are exceptions to the rule. The latest example is Allie Hughes, a former staffer for San Jose Councilperson David Cohen. She recently left the city to work as a lobbyist for Canyon Snow Consulting. City Attorney Nora Frimann recommended the exemption, citing Hughes’ limited time with the city.

Florida – Florida Says AP Psychology Doesn’t Violate the Law, After All

MSN – Laura Meckler (Washington Post) | Published: 8/9/2023

After days of confusion, the Florida education commissioner said high schools may teach Advanced Placement Psychology without running afoul of Florida law, including material on sexual orientation and gender identity. Commissioner Manny Díaz Jr. had told districts previously that the class could be offered, but only if material on those topics was excluded. Large school districts across Florida responded by dropping the course and began a stressful process of quickly preparing instructors to teach new curriculum.

Florida – Former Kissimmee Commissioner, County Commission Candidate Sentenced for Campaign Finance Violations

Yahoo News – Charles Frazier (WFTV) | Published: 8/9/2023

A former Kissimmee city commissioner who was accused of entering a 2022 race for the Osceola County Commission as a “ghost candidate” was sentenced to jail for campaign finance violations. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, their investigation into Carlos Irizarry’s campaign began when they were notified of allegations that he was offered money to enter the race only to affect the outcome by taking votes from opposing candidate Jackie Espinosa.

Florida – Federal Judge Rules That Ban on Lobbying by Elected Officials Violates Free Speech

Yahoo News – Mary Ellen Klas (Miami Herald) | Published: 8/9/2023

A federal judge struck down a Florida law that restricted state and local officials lobbying other government bodies while in office. U.S. District Court Judge Beth Bloom sided with officials who argued the language in a 2018 ballot measure was too broad and poorly defined to comply with First Amendment protections on free speech. Bloom left intact another portion of the law that bans elected and appointed government officials from lobbying the agencies they represented for six years after leaving them.

Illinois – Former Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes Heading to Trial on Charges He Lied to Federal Grand Jury Investigating His Boss

MSN – Jason Meisner and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 8/6/2023

As the federal investigation into then-House Speaker Michael Madigan was heating up two years ago, prosecutors assured Tim Mapes, Madigan’s onetime chief of staff, would not be charged as long as he told the truth to a grand jury. But prosecutors allege Mapes lied repeatedly in his testimony in an ill-fated attempt to protect his longtime boss. Now, Mapes, a key member of Madigan’s inner circle, is on trial on perjury charges. His indictment marked an intriguing power play by the U.S. attorney’s office in what has become one of the biggest political corruption scandals in state history.

Kansas – Kansas Commerce Deputy’s Lucrative Contract May Trigger Stronger Conflict of Interest Laws

Yahoo News – Jason Alatidd (Topeka Capital-Journal) | Published: 8/3/2023

A Kansas lawmaker wants to rewrite conflict-of-interest laws in response to a state employee bidding on and winning a consulting contract. Paul Hughes, the former Commerce Department deputy secretary, formed Catapult Kansas while still employed by the state. He then bid on a consulting contract – he was the only bidder – and was awarded the contract for $180,000 a year.

Maine – Ballot Question Seeks to Ban Foreign Spending

The Center Square – Christian Wade | Published: 8/3/2023

Maine voters will have a say in whether foreign corporations should be allowed to spend money to sway the outcome. Supporters say the ballot question is aimed at eliminating a loophole in state law that allows foreign governments to spend money on referendum campaigns. Foreign entities cannot contribute to political candidates under both federal and state election laws.

Michigan – Pro-Trump Attorney Is Third Indicted in Michigan Vote Machine Probe

Bridge Michigan – Jonathan Oosting | Published: 8/3/2023

Stefanie Lambert Junttila, a pro-Trump attorney who challenged 2020 election results across the country, was charged with four felonies stemming from an alleged plot to illegally access Michigan voting machines. Lambert Junttila is the third suspect indicted by a grand jury in special prosecutor D.J. Hilson’s probe of the alleged tampering scheme. Matthew DePerno, the 2020 Republican nominee for state attorney general, was charged along with former state Rep. Daire Rendon.

Mississippi – Treasurer for Chris McDaniel Lt. Gov. Campaign Under Investigation by MS Attorney General

Yahoo News – Wicker Perlis (Jackson Clarion-Ledger) | Published: 8/4/2023

The treasurer for the lieutenant governor campaign of state Sen. Chris McDaniel is under investigation by the office of Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch. A press release did not mention the McDaniel campaign directly, naming Thomas Datwyler, a Wisconsin-based political consultant who serves as the campaign treasurer, and Invest in Mississippi, a PAC Datwyler created in July. It is against the law for campaigns and PACs to coordinate or communicate with each other.

Nevada – Lombardo to Appeal Ethics Board Decision

MSN – Taylor Avery (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 8/9/2023

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo plans to appeal a recent state ethics board decision that found he violated the law by using his sheriff’s badge and uniform during his campaign for governor. Ethics Commission members voted to fine Lombardo $20,000 and censure him for four violations of state law barring the use of government time, property, or equipment for personal use.

New Jersey – It Was $10K in a Paper Bag. But Was It a Bribe Under the Law? It Sure Was, Says N.J.’s Top Court.

MSN – Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 8/7/2023

The New Jersey Supreme Court said candidates who do not hold elected office can be charged under the state’s public official bribery laws. The court sided with state officials by ruling candidates do not need to win elections to be subject to the “plain words” of the bribery statute. The law was challenged by Jason O’Donnell, a former state lawmaker and candidate for mayor of Bayonne, who allegedly accepted $10,000 in cash from an individual in exchange for the promise to appoint them as tax counsel for the city.

New York – Hochul’s Husband Is Leaving Delaware North

Albany Times Union – Joshua Solomon | Published: 8/4/2023

William Hochul Jr., New York’s first gentleman, is departing his position as senior vice president and general counsel at Delaware North, a job that had led to a number of thorny issues for the governor. Hiswork at the high-powered gaming company has led to Gov. Kathy Hochul to recuse herself from matters that veer too close to that sector, including recent negotiations with the Seneca Nation over a contentious gaming compact.

New York – The Secret Hand Behind the Women Who Stood by Cuomo? His Sister.

MSN – Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) | Published: 8/7/2023

We Decide New York, a small but devoted group of mostly older women, banded together online to defend then-Gov Andrew Cuomo from a cascade of sexual misconduct claims that led to his resignation in August 2021. But it turns out the group’s online activity had secretly been ordered by someone even closer to the former governor’s cause: Madeline Cuomo, his sister. Documents give unusual insight into how far members of one of America’s most storied political families were willing to go to rehabilitate a fallen scion and humiliate those they believed had wronged him.

New York – Former De Blasio NYPD Security Chief Howard Redmond Pleads Guilty of Obstructing DOI Probe

MSN – Molly Crane-Newman, Graham Rayman, and Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 8/9/2023

Howard Redmond, who as an New York City Police Department inspector who oversaw for Mayor Bill de Blasio and his family’s around-the-clock security, pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from his work for City Hall. Assistant District Attorney Samantha Dworken said Redmond admitted to ignoring investigators and then hiding and deleting evidence. The two-year probe found de Blasio’s bodyguards operated like glorified chauffeurs, flying in the face of city ethics laws barring public servants from using city resources for personal benefit.

Ohio – Democrats May Embrace Abortion Rights Even More Tightly After Ohio Win

MSN – Toluse Olorunnipa, Rachel Roubein, and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 8/9/2023

Ohio voters rejected a ballot measure that would have made it more difficult to amend the state constitution ahead of a November vote to ensure access to abortion. The issue of abortion has become a rare consistent source of electoral victories for Democrats over the past year. The result in Ohio, coming after voters in other Republican-leaning states like Kentucky and Kansas also rejected GOP efforts to restrict abortion, underscores how the issue has already reshaped the political landscape for 2024, Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said.

Ohio – Money Paid, Favors Done. Messages Detail Relationship Between Ohio Regulator and Energy Executives

Ohio Capital Journal – Marty Schladen | Published: 8/8/2023

In early 2019, news of financial ties between FirstEnergy and the man incoming-Gov. Mike DeWine named to lead the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio began to spread. As it did, FirstEnergy’s top executives feared they would not have a regulator they could control, according to court documents. As it happened, the nominee, Sam Randazzo, ended up being appointed to the commission after being paid $4.3 million by FirstEnergy. He proceeded to help draft a law providing the utility with a $1.3 billion bailout.

Oregon – Impeachment, Elected Official Pay, Ranked-Choice Voting: Lawmakers left big questions to voters

Oregon Capital Chronicle – Julia Shumway | Published: 8/7/2023

Oregon lawmakers will ask voters to weigh in on big questions in 2024, including how voting will work, whether lawmakers should be able to impeach top officials, and whether elected officials should receive raises. Before the legislative session ended in June, lawmakers voted to send three proposed laws to voters on their November 2024 ballots. More referrals could be coming. A majority of Democratic legislators support an effort to change quorum requirements for the House and Senate to prevent future walkouts like the one that just stalled the Legislature for six weeks.

Tennessee – Tennessee Lawmakers Expelled by GOP Win Back State House Seats

MSN – Andrew Jeong (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2023

Two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the state Legislature in April over their participation in a gun-control protest won back their seats. Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones easily defeated their Republican opponents in districts that lean Democratic. Pearson won more than 90 percent of the votes. Jones received more than 75 percent.

Tennessee – Lawsuit Accuses Tennessee of ‘Racially Discriminatory’ Redistricting

MSN – Meagan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 8/10/2023

A coalition of civil rights organizations and Tennessee residents filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s recently enacted congressional and state Senate redistricting plans, asserting the state violated the U.S. Constitution by diluting the voting power of African Americans and other voters of color in the state. The plaintiffs argue the plan unfairly fractured the power of Black voters and other minority voters in the Nashville and Memphis areas.

Texas – Austin City Council Member’s Husband Named to Ethics Commission That Oversees the Council

MSN – Ella McCarthy (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 8/5/2023

A recent appointee to the Austin Ethics Review Commission is married to a current city council member. The commission conducts hearings and makes rulings on complaints alleging violations of the provisions within the commission’s jurisdiction, including complaint against city council members. Mayor Kirk Watson does not believe there are any legal or ethical concerns with the appointment, and Councilperson Paige Ellis and Espinoza feel their marriage will not affect Espinoza’s actions on the commission.

Elections

National: “DeSantis Replaces 2024 Campaign Manager in Continued Shakeup” by Steve Contorno and Kit Maher (CNN) for MSN

Ohio: “Ohio Voters Reject Higher Bar for Altering Constitution, a Win for Abortion Rights Supporters” by Patrick Marley and Rachel Roubein (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

California: “Mayor Aitken Announces Reforms Anaheim City Council Will Start Considering” by Michael Slaton (Orange County Register) for MSN

National: “Supreme Court Struggling to Agree on Ethics Policy, Justice Kagan Says” by Ann Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “FEC Commissioner Trey Trainor Cleared of Ethics Violation After Insider Reporting Spurred Investigation” by Madison Hall (Business Insider) for MSN

New York: “The Secret Hand Behind the Women Who Stood by Cuomo? His Sister.” by Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) for MSN

Legislative Issues

National: “Once Rare, Impeachments and Censures Have Become the Norm in Congress” by Carl Hulse (New York Times) for Seattle Times

Procurement

Kansas: “Kansas Commerce Deputy’s Lucrative Contract May Trigger Stronger Conflict of Interest Laws” by Jason Alatidd (Topeka Capital-Journal) for Yahoo News