LobbyComply Blog

National/Federal

Cigars, Booze, Money: How a lobbying blitz made sports betting ubiquitous
Yahoo News – Eric Lipton and Kenneth Vogel (New York Times) | Published: 11/20/2022

In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the federal prohibition on sports betting was unconstitutional. Gambling companies and their allies then deployed a full court lobbying campaign to press for sports betting in state capitals, showering lawmakers with money, gifts, and visits from sports luminaries and at times using deceptive arguments to extract tax breaks and other concessions, according to a New York Times investigation. In state after state, while lobbyists cultivated friendly relationships with lawmakers and regulators, the interests of taxpayers and people at risk of gambling problems were often on the back burner.

GOP Operative Found Guilty of Funneling Russian Money to Donald Trump
MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 11/17/2022

A federal jury convicted a Republican political operative, Jesse Benton, for funneling illegal campaign contributions from a Russian national into Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Benton worked with another GOP operative to arrange for Roman Vasilenko to attend a fundraiser and take a picture with Trump. Since the event required a contribution, Vasilenko sent $100,000 to Benton’s political consulting firm, $25,000 of which Benton donated in his own name to the Trump campaign and the other $75,000 of which he pocketed.

How Carolyn Maloney’s Ticket to the Met Gala Led to an Ethics Inquiry
Yahoo News – Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) | Published: 11/21/2022

When U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney learned in 2016 that she had been dropped from the guest list for that year’s Met Gala, she evidently could not abide it. Maloney called a powerful friend and appeared to have done her own version of trying to talk her way on the list. In an investigative referral, a congressional ethics watchdog contended her cajoling – including reminding the Met “how much she does for the Met” – may have violated House ethics rules or federal laws that bar lawmakers from soliciting gifts, including invitations.

In New Special Counsel, a Prosecutor Schooled in Corruption Cases
DNyuz – Charlie Savage and Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 11/19/2022

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Jack Smith as special counsel to oversee a pair of criminal investigations involving former President Trump, thrusting him into a political firestorm that will doubtlessly accompany the job. The special counsel’s purview will include the probe of Trump’s alleged retention of highly sensitive national security secrets at his Florida estate, and aspects of the effort by Trump and his allies’ effort to subvert the 2020 election and disrupt the transition of power to President Biden. Smith has been prosecuting criminal cases, including politically charged corruption investigations involving public officials, for nearly 30 years.

Pelosi to Step Down as House Democratic Leader
Yahoo News – Sarah Wire (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/17/2022

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will not seek to lead House Democrats for another term but remain in Congress. The decision, capping a 35-year career in which Pelosi became the most powerful female member of Congress in U.S. history, followed her party’s narrow loss of the chamber in the midterm election. Pelosi is also abiding by a 2018 agreement with fellow Democrats that she would step down from leadership by the end of 2022 to make way for a new generation. Pelosi also said the attack on her husband, Paul, would be a factor in her decision.

Senior Democratic Lawmakers Demand Answers on Alleged Supreme Court Leak
MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 11/20/2022

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and Rep. Hank Johnson are demanding that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts detail what, if anything, the court has done to respond to recent allegations of a leak of the outcome of a major case the justices considered several years ago. Whitehouse and Johnson are also interested in examining claims about a concerted effort by religious conservatives to woo the justices through meals and social engagements. They made clear if the court will not investigate the alleged ethical breaches, lawmakers are likely to launch their own probe.

Trump Family’s Newest Partners: Middle Eastern governments
Yahoo News – Eric Lipton and Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 11/21/2022

The Trump Organization signed a deal with a Saudi Arabian real estate company that creates new conflict-of-interest questions for Donald Trump’s just-launched presidential campaign. The deal is for a Trump-branded hotel, villas, and a golf course as part of a $4 billion real estate project in Oman. The agreement continues a practice that had been popular for the Trump family business until Trump was elected president – selling branding rights to an overseas project in exchange for a generous licensing fee.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – APOC OKs Subpoenas for Republican Governors Association Execs in Dunleavy Coordination Case
Midnight Sun – Matt Acuña Buxton | Published: 11/18/2022

The Alaska Public Offices Commission issued subpoenas to two officials with the Republican Governors Association (RGA), Executive Director Dave Rexrode and Chief Financial Officer Erim Canligil. A complaint argues the independent expenditure group illegally coordinated with Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s campaign, violating laws intended to keep candidates separated from unlimited corporate spending.

Arkansas – Ethics Commission Reaches Settlements in Cases Involving Advocacy Group and Arkansas Legislators
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Michael Wickline | Published: 11/18/2022

The Common Ground Arkansas group founded by state Sen. Jim Hendren, along with Sen.-elect Bryan King and state Rep. Mary Bentley, have each been sanctioned with fines and public letters of caution by the Arkansas Ethics Commission. The fines range from $50 to $150. In a complaint, Sen. Trent Garner alleged Hendren, as founder and board member of Common Ground, violated state election law by engaging in expressed advocacy for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election or election of candidates.

California – Anaheim Residents Pressure City Council to Publicly Release Corruption Probe
Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 11/16/2022

Anaheim residents will get to see if their elected leaders are corrupt after they pressured the city council to commit to releasing the findings of an internal probe. The results could implicate city staff and officials themselves. It comes after revelations of an FBI probe into City Hall and former Mayor Harry Sidhu. Federal agents allege Sidhu tried ramming through the Angel Stadium land sale for $1 million in campaign support from team officials.

California – California Raises Campaign Contribution and Gift Limits for 2023-2024
Lexology – Kimberly Railey (Covington & Burling LLP) | Published: 11/18/2022

The California Fair Political Practices Commission voted to increase limits on campaign contribution and gifts to public officials. The new caps take effect on January 1, 2023.

Connecticut – After Record Spending in CT Governor Race, Questions Arise Over Future Spending by Wealthy Candidates
CT Insider – Ken Dixon | Published: 11/21/2022

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and challenger Bob Stefanowski avoided the state’s public campaign financing program in this year’s gubernatorial election, dipping into their own wealth to spend more than $30 million and raising the question of whether top of the ticket candidates will continue doing this in the future and just how wealthy someone must be to run for the state’s highest office. If the current maximum $9 million grant is not increased for governor candidates, it could subvert the purpose of the law aimed at removing lobbyist and special-interest money from statewide and General Assembly races while opening the pool of potential candidates.

Connecticut – Manager at CT State Pier Recommended Itself for $87M in Contracts
Connecticut Mirror – Andrew Brown | Published: 11/21/2022

The company hired to oversee the redevelopment of the State Pier in New London, Kiewit Corporation, recommended itself for tens of millions of dollars in subcontracts under the project, even in some cases where another construction firm submitted a lower-priced bid to the state. That arrangement is now drawing criticism from a few Connecticut lawmakers who are concerned about the potential for a conflict-of-interest. Sen. Paul Formica, who represents the district where the new pier is being built, argued it was a poor business practice to allow Kiewit to both manage the public bidding process and submit offers for work at the site.

Florida – Judge Blocks DeSantis Law on Barring ‘Woke’ Education
Yahoo News – Anthony Izaguire (Associated Press) | Published: 11/17/2022

U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker blocked a law pushed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in colleges. Walker issued a temporary injunction against the so-called Stop Woke act in a ruling that called the legislation “positively dystopian.” The law prohibits teaching that contend members of one ethnic group are inherently racist and should feel guilt for past actions committed by others. It also bars the notion that a person’s status as privileged or oppressed is necessarily determined by their race or gender, or that discrimination is acceptable to achieve diversity.

Georgia – Judge Says Georgia Law Allows Saturday Voting for Runoff
MSN – Kate Brumback and Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 11/18/2022

A judge said Georgia law allows counties to offer early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is the only possibility for Saturday voting before the runoff election between U.S. Sen Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker. Warnock’s campaign filed a lawsuit arguing that early voting should be allowed that day. They were challenging guidance by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger that said it would be illegal to hold early voting on Saturday, November 26, the day after a state holiday.

Idaho – September Special Session Leads to $24,000 in Fines Against 91 Idaho Lobbyists for Late Filings
Idaho Capital Sun – Kelcie Moseley-Morris | Published: 11/21/2022

Ninety-one lobbyists were fined for filing late reports following Idaho’s one-day special session on September 1. There are 393 registered lobbyists in Idaho, meaning about 23 percent of the registered lobbyists were fined. According to emails sent to the affected lobbyists, the report was due October 15, and a fine of $50 is assessed each day the report is late. Those fines are also applicable for campaign finance reports that candidates must file monthly according to election cycles. While 13 of the fines were $150 or less, the rest were $300 after the secretary of state’s office decided to reduce what were initially $700 to $900 fines.

Illinois – Madigan: Indicted but still pitching for (and getting) money
Chicago Sun-Times – Tim Novak and Dave McKinney | Published: 11/18/2022

Since being indicted last March as part of a wide-ranging corruption investigation, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been personally soliciting campaign contributions for his Democratic ward organization and has gotten more than $400,000 for the political fund. These contributions have helped replenish $302,000 in legal fees Madigan’s groups has spent since being subpoenaed by a federal grand jury as part of the ongoing criminal case. It is unusual to see such a large haul associated with someone in the crosshairs of federal prosecutors, someone who no longer can dole out political favors and jobs, as Madigan did for decades.

Illinois – With New Campaign Fund, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Allies Are Raising Cash Outside City Ethics Rules Limits
MSN – Gregory Pratt (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 11/21/2022

The establishment of a new independent expenditure committee in October underscores the political battle that Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s supporters are anticipating in the coming months and the loopholes that exist in campaign finance laws and city ethics rules designed to limit the influence political backers have on elected officials’ government actions. The 77 Committee, which is being run by a longtime top adviser to Lightfoot, is allowed to accept unlimited funds for her reelection, including from city contractors who are restricted under ethics rules from contributing to the mayor’s campaign or a Lightfoot-aligned PAC.

Indiana – Doctor Says She Shouldn’t Have to Turn Over Patients’ Abortion Records
MSN – Kim Bellware (Washington Post) | Published: 11/19/2022

A physician who provided an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim has asked a judge to stop the Indiana attorney general from accessing patient medical records as part of an investigation into consumer complaints her lawyers have called a “sham.” Caitlin Bernard’s lawyers said Attorney General Todd Rokita’s efforts to obtain the patient’s medical charts are a troubling violation of patient privacy that, if allowed, would shake trust in doctor-patient confidentiality. The state countered that Rokita’s office is allowed to access the records as it investigates complaints accusing Bernard of professional lapses.

Louisiana – Federal Grand Jury Probing Purchases by LaToya Cantrell’s Image Consultant
NOLA.com – David Hammer (WWL), John Simerman, and Gabriella Killett | Published: 11/17/2022

At least two New Orleans area stores have received subpoenas from a federal grand jury and been questioned by FBI agents about clothing purchases made by Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s image consultant, Tanya Haynes. Gray Sexton, the former lawyer for the Louisiana Board of Ethics Board, said such expenditures are proper under state law only if they are truly spent on consulting, not clothing. He noted a few limited exceptions to that rule, such as people who hold elected positions that might require them to wear a uniform, such as an elected police chief, might be able to tap their campaign funds.

New Jersey – Former Top Aide to NJ Senate Leader Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Wire Fraud Conspiracy
Yahoo News – Steve Janoski and Ashley Balcerzak (Bergen Record) | Published: 11/21/2022

The former chief of staff to the New Jersey Senate president pleaded guilty to tax evasion and wire fraud charges. Tony Teixeira admitted he conspired with Sean Caddle, a former Hudson County political operative, to overcharge various campaigns, PACs, and nonprofits for work done by Caddle’s consulting firm. Caddle paid a portion in cash and the rest through checks made out to Teixeira’s relatives to conceal the kickbacks. Teixeira never reported the earnings to the IRS. Caddle remains on home confinement after pleading guilty to a plot in which he hired two hitmen to kill a former friend and associate.

New York – ‘Investment in Democracy’: NY begins matching campaign donations for state candidates
Auburn Citizen – Robert Harding | Published: 11/19/2022

A new program will allow candidates for state-level offices in New York to receive public funds to match small-dollar donations. The Public Campaign Finance Board launched the matching program recently for the 2024 election cycle. Candidates for state Legislature will be the first group eligible to apply and receive matching funds. The program will be in place for statewide candidates running in the 2026 election.

New York – Manhattan Prosecutors Again Consider a Path Toward Charging Trump
MSN – Jonah Bromwich, Ben Protess, and William Rashbaum (New York Times) | Published: 11/21/2022

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has moved to jump-start its criminal investigation into Donald Trump, seeking to breathe new life into an inquiry that once seemed to have reached a dead end. Under the new district attorney, Alvin Bragg, the prosecutors have returned to the long-running investigation’s original focus: a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels, who said she had an affair with Trump. The renewed scrutiny of the hush money comes amid an intensifying swirl of legal and political drama around Trump.

Texas – Austin Candidates Say Bad Advice from City Made Them Miss Out on Election Funds
MSN – Sarah Asch (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 11/21/2022

Despite following guidance from the city clerk’s office, two Austin City Council candidates will miss out on thousands of dollars they had sought from a fund set up to help candidates pay for election activities. José Velásquez and Ryan Alter filed a lawsuit asking for a restraining order to prevent the city from distributing the funds, which they say they are entitled to receive. The money is held in the Fair Campaign Finance Fund, which was set up in 2008 for candidates who sign a pledge to limit the amount of campaign contributions they accept from special interest groups or from outside the city. A judge denied the restraining order.

Washington – Public Disclosure Commissions Fines Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich for Electioneering, Lobbying; Sheriff Vows Appeal
Spokane Spokesman-Review – Kip Hill | Published: 11/18/2022

Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich violated a pair of state laws prohibiting the use of public office for electioneering and use of public funds for indirect lobbying when he produced a YouTube video attacking Democratic lawmakers for their stance on crime, the Washington Public Disclosure Commission ruled. Knezovich was fined $300.

National/Federal

Conservative Group Pressing States to Adopt Laws Protecting Companies from ‘Political Boycotts’: Report
Yahoo News – Jared Gans (The Hill) | Published: 11/11/2022

A conservative group is planning to push state lawmakers across the country to adopt legislation to shield American companies from “political boycotts.” It was reported that the American Legislative Exchange Council will lobby legislators to back its proposal at its States and Nation Policy Summit. The plan would require all government entities to include a clause in their contracts with businesses that they will promise to not “engage in economic boycotts.” The move comes amid strong Republican pushback to financial institutions seeking to distance themselves from industries such as fossil fuels.

Departing Lawmakers Are Lining Up Cushy Lobbying Gigs
MSN – Hailey Fuchs (Politico) | Published: 11/17/2022

Departing lawmakers are cashing in on their public service in Washington, D.C. by securing high-paying jobs on K Street. Former lawmakers are prohibited from directly lobbying their onetime colleagues during a waiting period that lasts one year for House members and two years for senators. But they may begin advising clients – except for foreign entities intending to influence the government – immediately. In that capacity, they can offer guidance on the inner workings of their congressional conference and access to their list of contacts.

DHS Blocked Vital Research on Domestic Threats, Say Terrorism Experts
MSN – Hannah Allam (Washington Post) | Published: 11/15/2022

As attacks rose in 2019, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials pledged to step up their response to domestic terrorism, funding in-depth research that would help them understand the scale of the problem. But that data collection has not begun, and $10 million languishes unused. About 20 research projects faced delays because of rulings by the department’s Privacy Office that deemed them high-risk even after researchers explained the information they intended to use was available to the public. A DHS official said federal agencies are facing criticism by both major parties for their response to political violence.

Documents Show Big Foreign Government Spending at Trump Hotel
MSN – Bernard Condon (Associated Press) | Published: 11/15/2022

The Trump hotel in Washington, D.C. took in more than $750,000 from six foreign governments at sensitive moments in their U.S. relations, with guests spending as much as $10,000 per room a night, according to documents released by a congressional committee. The Trump hotel near the White House, now a Waldorf Astoria, drew criticism from the start of Trump’s presidency for taking money from Republican politicians, companies, and foreign governments eager to curry favor with him.

FEC Targets Digital Ad Disclosure
Axios – Lachlan Markey | Published: 11/10/2022

The FEC is taking a significant step towards regulating digital political ads, taking up a measure to force disclosure of paid advertising on leading social and streaming platforms. The proposed regulation would require digital ads to disclose the entity paying for them. It would also expand the types of digital ads subject to the regulations, not just traditional banner ads or videos, but also paid social media endorsements and “influencer marketing” efforts.

Feds End Ukraine-Related Foreign Lobbying Investigation into Rudy Giuliani Without Filing Charges
MSN – Kara Scannell (CNN) | Published: 11/14/2022

Federal prosecutors investigating Rudy Giuliani’s activities in Ukraine closed their probe and said no criminal charges will be brought. Prosecutors have been investigating Giuliani, the onetime personal attorney to former President Trump, for possible violations of foreign lobbying laws since early 2019. Prosecutors had examined whether Giuliani operated on behalf of Ukrainian officials when he sought the ouster of the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, while urging Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Judge Fines Trump Lawyers in Clinton Case Thrown Out in September
MSN – Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 11/11/2022

A federal judge fined lawyers for former President Trump more than $66,000 and admonished them for filing frivolous and baseless claims in Trump’s defamation case against Hillary Clinton and her allies stemming from the 2016 presidential election. The fines include a $50,000 sanction to the court and an additional $16,274.23 payment to one of the 29 defendants in the case for expenses incurred as a result of the suit, which the judge dismissed in September.

McConnell Reelected Senate GOP Leader: ‘Not going anywhere’
Yahoo News – Lisa Mascaro, Brian Slodysko, and Mary Clare Jalonick (Associated Press) | Published: 11/16/2022

Sen. Mitch McConnell was reelected as Republican leader, quashing a challenge from Sen. Rick Scott after a disappointing performance in the midterm elections that kept Democrats in control. The unrest in the Senate GOP is similar to the uproar among House Republicans in the aftermath of the midterm elections that left the party split over Donald Trump’s hold on the party. The challenge by Scott, who was urged by Trump to confront McConnell, escalated a feud between Scott, who led the Senate Republican’s campaign arm this year, and McConnell over the party’s approach to try to reclaim the majority.

Questions About Donald Trump’s Campaign Money, Answered
MSN – Fredreka Schouten (CNN) | Published: 11/15/2022

With his formal announcement of a third presidential bid, Donald Trump now will face new limits on raising and spending money ahead of the 2024 election. But election lawyers and campaign finance experts said loopholes in federal election rules, and lax enforcement by federal regulators of existing laws, still offer Trump several potential routes to capitalize on the massive fundraising operation he and his aides have built since his 2020 loss.

Republicans Narrowly Win House, Ending Full Democratic Control of Congress
MSN – Hannah Knowles, Marianna Sotomayor, and Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post) | Published: 11/16/2022

Republicans were projected to win back control of the U.S. House with a narrow majority, dealing a blow to President Biden and his agenda even as Democrats defied predictions of a rout to limit the GOP’s power. Republicans sought to harness dismay at inflation, crime, and the direction of the country. Their gains fell far short of the red wave they once envisioned, as Democrats countered with campaigns centered on abortion rights and fighting Republican extremism. The GOP gains the ability to launch investigations and block legislation.

They Rallied in D.C. on Jan. 6. Now They’ll Join Congress.
MSN – Michael Kranish (Washington Post) | Published: 11/14/2022

While the Republican Party suffered surprising losses in the midterms, including defeats of many who bought into Donald Trump’s false election claims, the arrival of freshman lawmakers in Congress who had come to Washington as pro-Trump activists on January 6, 2021, underscores the extent to which the House Republican caucus remains a haven for election deniers. At least 150 election deniers were projected to win House races, compared with the 139 who voted against certifying President Biden’s election.

Trump Wanted IRS Investigations of Foes, Top Aide Says
Yahoo News – Michael Schmidt (New York Times) | Published: 11/14/2022

While in office, former President Trump repeatedly told John Kelly, his White House chief of staff, that he wanted a number of his perceived political enemies to be investigated by the IRS, Kelly said. Kelly said Trump’s demands were part of a broader pattern of him trying to use the Justice Department and his authority as president against people who had been critical of him. Kelly said he made clear to Trump there were serious legal and ethical issues with what he wanted.

Trump, Who as President Fomented an Insurrection, Says He Is Running Again
MSN – Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post) | Published: 11/15/2022

Donald Trump, who refused to concede defeat and inspired a failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election culminating in a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, officially declared he is running to retake the White House in 2024. The announcement came in a moment of political vulnerability for Trump as voters rejected his endorsed candidates in the midterm elections. Since then, elected Republicans have blamed Trump for the party’s performance and potential rivals are already plotting to challenge him for the nomination.

Two Anonymous $425 Million Donations Give Dark Money Conservative Group a Massive Haul
MSN – Hailey Fuchs (Politico) | Published: 11/16/2022

One of the biggest conservative “dark money” organizations in the nation was boosted last year by two separate anonymous gifts, each totaling more than $425 million dollars. The money was sent to DonorsTrust, a 501(c)(3) charity that has become one of the most influential conduit of funds in Republican-leaning circles. They are among the largest ever donations to a politically connected group. Under law, the individual or individuals behind those $425 million donations were not required to be disclosed to the public. DonorsTrust did not reveal them.

U.S. Intelligence Report Says Key Gulf Ally Meddled in American Politics
MSN – John Howard (Washington Post) | Published: 11/12/2022

A classified report outlines legal and illegal efforts by United Arab Emirates (UAE) to steer U.S. foreign policy in ways favorable to the country. It reveals the UAE’s bid, spanning multiple administrations, to exploit the vulnerabilities in American governance, including its reliance on campaign contributions, susceptibility to powerful lobbying firms, and lax enforcement of disclosure laws intended to guard against interference by foreign governments. The intelligence community’s scrutiny of the UAE indicates a heightened level of concern and a departure from the laudatory way the country is discussed in public by U.S. officials.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Katie Hobbs Elected Arizona Governor, Defeating Trump-Backed Election Denier Kari Lake
MSN – Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) | Published: 11/14/2022

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, built a national profile by standing up to false claims about the 2020 presidential election, won the state’s gubernatorial election. With her win, Arizonans followed voters in other battleground states who rejected gubernatorial candidates who pushed false claims about election results. Hobbs will be the fifth female to hold the top elected office in Arizona, more than in any other state.

Arizona – Supreme Court Turns Down Arizona GOP Head’s Request to Shield Records
MSN – Robert Barnes (Washington Post) | Published: 11/14/2022

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request from Arizona Republican Party Chairperson Keli Ward to shield her phone records from the congressional committee investigating the assault on the Capitol. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had said it was proper for the committee to issue a subpoena seeking information about calls placed from Ward’s cellphone between November 2020 and January 202. Ward argued that would violate her First Amendment right to freedom of association.

California – Anaheim and Its Ex-Mayor Won’t Disclose His Emails and Texts, So We Took Them to Court
MSN – Gabriel San Román (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/16/2022

The Los Angeles Times asked a judge to compel the city of Anaheim and former Mayor Harry Sidhu to disclose records related to an FBI corruption investigation into a self-described “cabal” that allegedly ran the city. The Times is also seeking records of other city business, including any messages related to negotiations surrounding the aborted Angel Stadium sale, which collapsed after the probe became public. Sidhu, who resigned while under criminal investigation, has refused to turn over emails and text messages from personal accounts he used to conduct city business.

California – Capt. Hollywood: Who is the ex-LAPD commander who tipped off CBS to assault claim?
MSN – Richard Winton and Meg James (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/13/2022

Known around the Los Angeles Police Department as “Capt. Hollywood,” Cory Palka played the part. He was a regular at Hollywood Boulevard star dedication ceremonies and picked up a lucrative off-duty assignment as a bodyguard for CBS’ former chief, Leslie Moonves. His actions now are under scrutiny after it was revealed that five years ago, Palka tipped off CBS executives to the existence of a confidential complaint alleging Moonves sexually assaulted a co-worker. Palka, then captain of the Hollywood station, worked closely with CBS to contain the allegations.

California – Jury Finds L.A. Skyscraper Developer Paid Jose Huizar More Than $1 Million in Bribes
MSN – Michael Finnegan (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/10/2022

The development company Shen Zhen New World I was convicted of paying former Los Angeles City Council member Jose Huizar more than $1 million in bribes to win his support for a proposed skyscraper in the city. It was the second conviction of a developer accused of paying off Huizar, who left office in 2020. A federal jury found developer Dae Yong Lee guilty of paying Huizar $500,000 in cash. Huizar is scheduled to go on trial in February. From 2013 to 2018, prosecutors say, he used his city office as an extortion racket to secure more than $1.5 million in illicit payments from developers seeking city approval of projects.

California – Karen Bass Elected Mayor, Becoming First Woman to Lead L.A.
MSN – Julia Wick (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/16/2022

U.S. Rep. Karen Bass defeated Rick Caruso in the Los Angeles mayor’s race, making her the first woman and second Black Angeleno elected to lead the city. Confidence in local government is seemingly at a nadir after a series of City Hall indictments in recent years, and the release of a leaked audio recording less than a month before the election that revealed top officials making racist comments and scheming to maintain political power. The city’s first competitive mayoral race in nearly a decade was a story of contrasts, with two candidates who symbolized divergent visions of the city.

Georgia – Democrats Sue to Allow Saturday Voting in Georgia Runoff Amid Holiday Dispute
MSN – Mattherw Brown (Washington Post) | Published: 11/16/2022

Democrats are suing to force Georgia election officials to allow early voting on a Saturday ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff election on December 6. The suit comes in response to a determination by state officials that the law forbids voting right after Thanksgiving and a state holiday that once honored Robert E. Lee. The lawsuit argues that current guidance “applies only to primary and general elections, not runoffs.” The early voting period is set for November 28 through December 2, a stretch that does not include a weekend day, which voting rights advocates say makes it more difficult for some people to cast ballots.

Hawaii – County Ethics Watchdogs Need More Money to Do the Job Right, State Panel Says
Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 11/11/2022

A commission wants Hawaii’s county ethics watchdogs to have more funding to monitor, and if need be, investigate public officials after a string of public corruption cases put a spotlight on government ethics and transparency. Unlike the Honolulu Ethics Commission, with 11 full-time staff and a total budget over $650,000, the ethics boards for Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii island operate with either no funds or very little to cover travel or food expenses. Staff members are usually limited to a secretary and attorney in the county’s corporation counsel office, both of whom may have other responsibilities outside of helping the all-volunteer ethics board.

Hawaii – Hawaii Lawmakers Honored Federal Lobbyist Despite Her Conviction in a Foreign Lobbying Scandal
Honolulu Civil Beat – Nick Grube | Published: 11/14/2022

The Hawaii Senate approved an honorary certificate for businessperson Nickie Lum Davis, lauding her for her “public service and outstanding contributions to her community.” What the certificate did not mention was that Davis pleaded guilty in 2020 to federal charges and was awaiting sentencing in a criminal case. The U.S. Justice Department accused her and others of secretly lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of Chinese and Malaysian interests. Davis has submitted the certificate to a judge to bolster her character and avoid prison.

Illinois – Indicted Ald. Carrie Austin ‘Not Medically Fit’ for Trial, Her Lawyers Say Days After She Voted on City Budget
Chicago Sun-Times – Jon Seidel | Published: 11/11/2022

Lawyers for indicted Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin told a judge she is “not medically fit to stand trial” and they will seek to have her prosecution put on hold. Austin is accused of taking home improvement materials as kickbacks from a developer overseeing a $50 million development in her ward. The lawyers said Austin “cannot cooperate fully with counsel or withstand the stress of a trial.” Austin has been attending city council meetings and voting on legislation. Austin was receiving supplemental oxygen while in the council chambers recently.

Illinois – Where is Ald. Walter Burnett Jr.’s Missing $300,000 in Campaign Money?
Chicago Sun-Times – Tim Novak and Lauren FitzPatrick | Published: 11/11/2022

Since 1999, Chicago Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. reported investing $375,000 of the $4.2 million in campaign contributions he received from political supporters, but $300,000 of the invested money has disappeared from his campaign finance reports. Burnett has declined to answer reporters’ questions about his campaign reports, which he has frequently amended, some of them as many as five times. the State Board of Elections says it has known for several months that Burnett’s campaign fund stopped reporting what it has done with the invested contributions, which it is required to do under state law.

Kansas – Ex-Kansas Democratic Party Officers Disciplined for ‘Unprecedented’ Campaign Finance Errors
MSN – Andrew Bahl (Topeka Capital Journal) | Published: 11/16/2022

The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission disciplined two former state Democratic Party officers over errors in the group’s campaign finance reports that occurred over a seven-year period. Ethics officials termed the scope of the mistakes, which total over $1.5 million in expenditures and contributions that were misreported, to be “unprecedented.” Between 2009 and 2016, the party had underreported over $500,000 in contributions, as well as $507,000 in unreported expenditures, plus additional assets that were overreported.

Kansas – Legislative Veto of Regulations Amendment Fails in Closest Vote of Kansas 2022 Election
MSN – Jason Tidd (Topeka Capital-Journal) | Published: 11/16/2022

Kansas voters appear to have narrowly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have created a so-called legislative veto over administrative rules and regulations. Supporters of the amendment viewed it as a way to ensure the legislative branch, which generally delegates regulatory authority, had sufficient checks and balances over the executive branch, which typically promulgates and enforces regulations. Opponents feared the extent to which legislators, who are not typically experts on regulations, could be influenced by lobbyists or political motivations.

Kentucky – Lobbyists Who Engage Louisville Officials Must Register with City Under New Ordinance
Yahoo – Billy Kobin (Louisville Courier-Journal) | Published: 11/11/2022

A new ordinance in Louisville requires lobbyists and principles to register if they engage with public officials and file expenditure reports. It sets a $500 limit on gifts from lobbyists to candidates and officials and their families. Lobbyists may pay the cost for an official to attend certain events as long as it does not exceed $300. When he introduced the proposal, Metro Councilperson Bill Hollander said it would fix “a gaping shortfall of our ethics ordinance.”

Louisiana – NOPD Investigating Officer Frequently Inside Cantrell’s City-Owned Apartment
MSN – Lee Zurik and Dannah Kirby (WVUE) | Published: 11/9/2022

Surveillance video has led to more questions about how New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell is spending her time and taxpayer dollars. While investigating whether Cantrell was living at a city-owned apartment complex, the video showed she spent many hours inside the apartment, often during the workday, and sometimes stayed overnight. The head of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, Rafael Goyeneche, said that could be a violation of a policy that states city property is for work-related purposes and not personal benefit. The videos also show Cantrell is also spending hours there with one member of her security team.

Maryland – Carroll County Commissioners Approve Updated Ethics Rules on Financial Disclosures and Gifts
MSN – Sherry Greenfield (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 11/11/2022

The Board of Carroll County Commissioners approved new provisions in the county’s ethics ordinance to reflect changes in state law regarding gifts and financial disclosures. Commissioners have been discussing since September state law measures enacted by the General Assembly in 2021 that changed ethics law requirements for local governments.

Nevada – Democrats Keep Control of the Senate with Win in Nevada
MSN – Hannah Knowles and Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) | Published: 11/13/2022

Democrats retained control of the U.S. Senate, clinching a narrow majority as they showed strength in battleground races in a daunting midterm year that handed President Biden a major victory as he looks to his next two years in office. The final blow to Republican hopes of retaking the chamber came in Nevada, where Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto won reelection, ensuring Democrats a 50th seat, with a runoff election still to come in Georgia that could pad their slim majority.

New Mexico – NM Supreme Court Throws Out Couy Griffin’s Appeal
Source New Mexixo – Austin Fisher | Published: 11/15/2022

Former Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin failed to explain to the New Mexico Supreme Court how he would challenge his removal from elected office, so the justices threw out his appeal. A lower court ruling also barred him for life from serving in elected federal and state positions. It was the first time an elected official was unseated by court order as a result of participating in or supporting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

New York – Free Speech of Ex-State Workers Under Scrutiny in APA Case
Albany Times Union – Gwendolyn Craig (Adirondack Explorer) | Published: 11/11/2022

A retired Adirondack Park Agency staff member’s stymied attempt at submitting input this summer during the agency’s open public comment period could lead New York’s Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government to consider the matter and what it could mean for past and present state employees’ participation in solicited feedback.  APA Associate Counsel Sarah Reynolds wrote Linck that his written comments “appear to contain confidential information” and may violate post-employment restrictions. Reynolds said the agency would not consider them and referred Linck to the state ethics commission.

New York – Groups Urge State Ethics Watchdog to Probe $5M Cuomo Book Approval, Failed Policies
Spectrum News – Kate Lisa | Published: 11/14/2022

Good-government groups want New York’s new ethics commission to learn from the mistakes of its predecessor, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), which was disbanded this year. The coalition sent a letter to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, pushing it to revisit the decisions that led to the approval of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $5 million book deal and JCOPE’s policies. In September, the new commission voted to follow precedent from JCOPE when making decisions, pushing watchdogs to file a complaint. In October, the commission voted to continue any pending cases JCOPE did not finish.

New York – New York City Football Club Stadium Deal Provides Affordable Housing – and a Win for Lobbyist with Ties to Adams
MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt and Michael Gartland (New York Daily News) | Published: 11/16/2022

A $780 million soccer stadium deal in Queens approved by New York City Mayor Eric Adams was a win for one of his top political advisers, who lobbied City Hall for months on behalf of the project’s developer. Nathan Smith, a political strategist who served as a top aide in Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign, signed a lobbying contract with City Football Group to lobby the mayor’s team to develop a facility for the New York City Football Club. So far, Smith’s firm, Red Horse Strategies, has been paid $20,000 by the club’s owner.

Ohio – Jury Convicts Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen of Six Theft-Related Charges
Yahoo News – Nancy Molnar (The Times-Reporter) | Published: 11/16/2022

Dover Mayor Richard Homrighausen was convicted on theft in office and five other criminal charges. The jury found him guilty of four counts of soliciting improper compensation for taking fees for performing wedding ceremonies. He was also convicted of dereliction of duty for failing to deposit the payments in the city treasury. The theft in office conviction bars Homrighausen from holding public office for life. Authorities said Homrighausen did not claim the fees on his federal, state, or local taxes or declare the payments on financial disclosure forms.

South Dakota – Ethics Board Subpoenas DCI for Investigation Report into If Gov. Kristi Noem Misused the State Airplane
Yahoo News – Annie Todd (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) | Published: 11/14/2022

The Government Accountability Board issued a subpoena for the Division of Criminal Investigation relating to its investigation into South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s alleged personal use of the state airplane. The move comes after the Hughes County state’s attorney found there were “no facts to support a criminal prosecution under current law” and returned the complaint to the board.

Tennessee – Campaign Finance Watchdog Files Complaint Against Harwell
Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 11/15/2022

The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint against former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell claiming she violated the law by moving $47,000 in “soft money” into her failed congressional campaign this year. The complaint say Harwell appears to have broken federal rules by directing $35,000 from the Beth Harwell Committee and $12,000 from the Harwell PAC, both state accounts, into a super PAC that purchased advertising supporting her Fifth Congressional District campaign in advance of the August primary.

Texas – Texas Investigating Voting Difficulties in Houston’s Harris County
MSN – Molly Hennessey-Fiske (Washington Post) | Published: 11/16/2022

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for a criminal investigation into “widespread problems” and “allegations of improprieties” in Harris County’s election. He noted voting in the nation’s third-largest county was plagued by understaffing, broken voting machines, and paper ballot shortages, even though turnout was lower than county officials expected. Abbott and other Republicans have claimed the problem was especially acute in conservative areas, although complaints came from Democratic areas as well.

Washington DC – D.C. Housing Authority Internal Auditor Alleges Illegal Contracting
MSN – Steve Thompson (Washington Post) | Published: 11/13/2022

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) illegally contracted with a software company, spending about $1 million without competitive bidding and splitting the amount into smaller purchases to escape scrutiny from the agency’s board, according to a report by the authority’s internal auditor. The review alleges that DCHA under its previous director, Tyrone Garrett, entered the first of the “illegal contracts” in 2019. But in a more immediate concern for the agency’s board, the review also accuses DCHA’s current executive staff of improperly trying “to use emergency contracts to cover up the error of obtaining an illegal contract.”

Campaign Finance

Tennessee: “Campaign Finance Watchdog Files Complaint Against Harwell” by Sam Stockard for Tennessee Lookout

Elections

National: “Trump, Who as President Fomented an Insurrection, Says He Is Running Again” by Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “They Rallied in D.C. on Jan. 6. Now They’ll Join Congress.” by Michael Kranish (Washington Post) for MSN

Arizona: “Katie Hobbs Elected Arizona Governor, Defeating Trump-Backed Election Denier Kari Lake” by Stacey Barchenger (Arizona Republic) for MSN

Ethics

New York: “Groups Urge State Ethics Watchdog to Probe $5M Cuomo Book Approval, Failed Policies” by Kate Lisa for Spectrum News

South Dakota: “Ethics Board Subpoenas DCI for Investigation Report into If Gov. Kristi Noem Misused the State Airplane” by Annie Todd (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) for Yahoo News

Lobbying

National: “Feds End Ukraine-Related Foreign Lobbying Investigation into Rudy Giuliani Without Filing Charges” by Kara Scannell (CNN) for MSN

Procurement

Washington DC: “D.C. Housing Authority Internal Auditor Alleges Illegal Contracting” by Steve Thompson (Washington Post) for MSN

National/Federal

Democrats Buck Midterm History to Win Control of 4 States
Yahoo News – David Lieb (Associated Press) | Published: 11/9/2022

Defying historic midterm trends, Democrats wrested control of state legislative chambers away from Republicans in Michigan and Minnesota while also gaining full control of state Capitols in Maryland and Massachusetts. The Democrats’ gains gave them power to set agendas in four states that previously had politically divided governments. Only twice since 1900 had the president’s party posted a net increase in state legislative seats during a midterm election – in 1934 and in 2002, a year after the September 11 terrorist attacks.

‘Espionage Lite’ or Deal Making? Prosecutors Struggle to Draw a Line.
DNyuz – Rebecca Davis O’Brien (New York Times) | Published: 11/7/2022

Thomas Barrack, an adviser to former President Trump, was acquitted of violating federal law by acting as a foreign agent without authorization while trying to help the United Arab Emirates influence the Trump administration. The charges included acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general, a charge the Justice Department has referred to as “espionage lite,” a violation of Section 951 of the U.S. criminal code. In recent cases, the misconduct charged under the law more closely resembles lobbying, business dealings, or management consulting. “[Prosecutors] are now using the statute in this very fuzzy context of influence,” said Robert Kelner, an expert on government ethics law.

Fed Up with Political Text Messages? Read On.
Yahoo News – Natasha Singer (New York Times) | Published: 11/5/2022

In October, people in the United States received an estimated 1.29 billion political text messages, about twice as many as in April, according to an app that blocks Robocalls and spam texts. Many voters have complaints about it. Many were rife with divisive language or deceptive content. Political texting is becoming a go-to method for spreading doomsday scenarios, lies, and campaign smears. FEC rules requiring political ads on broadcast television, cable, and radio to disclose their sponsors do not apply to political text messages.

Federal PAC Supporting Ron DeSantis’ Presidential Bid Sues FEC Over List-Sharing Ruling
Open Secrets – Taylor Giorno | Published: 11/3/2022

Ready for Ron sued the FEC after the agency blocked the hybrid PAC from sharing a petition with tens of thousands of supporters and their contact information with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to encourage him to run for president in 2024. At the heart of the lawsuit is whether that list, something campaigns typically spend a lot of money compiling, is political speech or an in-kind contribution. If successful, the lawsuit could poke more holes in regulations barring coordination between super PACs and campaigns, experts said.

Former Government Officials’ Details Missing from Hundreds of Lobbying Returns
thejournal.ie – Stephen McDermott and Cormac Fitzgerald | Published: 11/9/2022

Dozens of former government officials who subsequently lobbied senior figures have incorrectly appeared as ‘ordinary; lobbyists on Ireland’s register of lobbying. An analysis found almost 400 returns on the Lobbying Register in which ex-ministers, ministerial advisers, and secretaries general were not listed as what are known as former Designated Public Officials as required by law. The incomplete entries included lobbying returns filed on behalf of multinationals such as Google, Huawei, Diageo, and Merck.

GOP Exuberance Crashed into Democratic Resistance to Defy Midterm Expectations
MSN – Dan Balz and Dan Keating (Washington Post) | Published: 11/9/2022

Few foresaw that Democrats would defy expectations of a “red wave” in the midterm elections, but the pattern of results has been a part of the country’s politics for some time, ever since Donald Trump won the White House in 2016. The forces that aligned against Trump in 2018 and 2020 were evident again on November 8. Abortion and concerns about extremism in the GOP proved as potent in energizing voters on the left as inflation, crime, and illegal immigration did in aiding Republicans. President Biden’s low approval ratings turned out to be less catastrophic for Democratic candidates than history would have suggested.

How Trump’s Bogus Election Day Claims Broke Through Facebook and Twitter Bans
MSN – Mark Scott (Politico) | Published: 11/9/2022

Donald Trump spent Election Day posting unfounded allegations on his own Truth Social platform, as well as on the encrypted messenger Telegram. Those platforms are far smaller than Facebook and Twitter, which have banned Trump, and state officials quickly debunked the claims. But his accusations boomeranged onto more mainstream platforms as candidates, high-profile influencers, and voters shared his allegations. It offers a preview of how hard it will be for even powerful platforms to contain false or misleading statements by the former president in 2024.

Investigators Search for Pricey Gifts to Trump from Foreign Leaders
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 11/4/2022

Congressional investigators are looking for dozens of pricey mementos gifted to former President Trump and his family members by foreign governments. The House Oversight Committee has asked for help in locating the items from the National Archives, which is among the agencies charged with keeping presidential gifts. The committee asked the archives to check whether the gifts are among the items transferred there from the White House at the end of Trump’s presidency as required by law. The committee is also seeking records from Trump’s team about its record keeping, a Trump adviser said.

Private Equity Firm Bets on Washington
MSN – Theodoric Meyer (Washington Post) | Published: 11/10/2022

Private equity is pouring more money into Washington, D.C., investing in a group of polling, public relations, lobbying, and political consulting firms. Seidler Equity Partners, a private equity firm based in California, has taken a minority stake in a conglomerate of 10 firms. Seidler’s investment will allow GP3 Partners to buy more companies to become a bigger player in Washington, said Darrell Lauterbach, GP3’s chief executive. K Street is highly fragmented, with hundreds of lobbying, law, communications, and political consulting firms competing for business.

Spanish Govt Proposes Rules for Lobbyists, Public Officials
Yahoo News – Associated Press | Published: 11/8/2022

Spain’s Council of Ministers introduced a bill to increase the transparency of interactions between public officials and lobbyists. Officials involved in any stage of policymaking would have to report their meetings with representatives of companies or groups that hoped to influence governmental decisions. Lobbyists would need to enroll in a new electronic registry of interest groups to carry out any encounters with any members of the government, among other provisions.

The FEC Isn’t Enforcing the Law. Does It Even Matter?
Mother Jones – Russ Choma | Published: 11/8/2022

With the three Democratic commissioners and the three Republican commissioners on the FEC deadlocked for years, the agency has failed to reach any meaningful consensus on major enforcement issues. Transparency activists are upset over the actions of the FEC’s newest Democratic member who joined the agency in August. Dara Lindenbaum has several times voted with the Republicans to dismiss enforcement cases that advocates had hoped would be pushed to the courts to decide. Lindenbaum and Republican Chairperson Allen Dickerson say that by finding a kind of bi-partisan agreement they are getting the FEC moving again.

Trump Called a Protest. No One Showed. Why GOP Efforts to Cry Foul Fizzled This Time.
MSN – Rosalind Helderman, Patrick Marley, and Tom Hamburger (Washington Post) | Published: 11/9/2022

After two years of promises from Donald Trump and his supporters they would flood polls and counting stations with partisan watchers to spot alleged fraud, after threats lodged against election workers, and after postings on internet chat groups called for violent action to stop supposed cheating, a peaceful Election Day drew high turnout and only scattered reports of problems. Election officials said they believed the relative normalcy resulted from a combination of concerted effort on the part of well-prepared poll workers and voters, as well as that some of Trump’s loudest supporters were less potent than they had claimed.

U.S. Judiciary Launches Online Database of Judges’ Financial Disclosures
Reuters – Nate Raymond | Published: 11/7/2022

Members of the public will be able to search federal judges’ financial disclosure reports detailing their assets and stock trades through a congressionally mandated online database that went live recently. The launch comes after President Biden in May signed into law a bipartisan bill that would make it easier for the public to see if a judge has a financial conflicts-of-interest warranting his or her recusal from hearing a case. The law was prompted by a Wall Street Journal report that more than 130 federal judges had failed to recuse themselves from cases involving companies in which they or their family members owned stock.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Arizona Voters Back Ballot Measure Taking Aim at ‘Dark Money’
MSN – Isaac Stanley-Becker (Washington Post) | Published: 11/9/2022

Arizona voters approved a ballot measure that aims to curb “dark money” in elections. The money is veiled because it travels through nonprofits, which are exempt under current law from disclosing their donors. Proposition 211 requires any group making independent expenditures of at least $50,000 in statewide races or $25,000 in other races to report donors contributing more than $5,000. Approval of the measure could galvanize similar efforts elsewhere, said Terry Goddard, the former Arizona attorney general who spearheaded the move to put the issue on the ballot,

California – Inside the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Corruption Investigation of Its Own Watchdogs
MSN – Michael Finnegan and Laura Nelson (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 11/3/2022

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department searched the home of county Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s after it had spent three years looking into an allegation that Kuehl, one of Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s harshest critics, had taken bribes from a friend in return for Metropolitan Transportation Authority contracts. A Los Angeles Times review of the case found it is based on the testimony of one person, a former Metro employee named Jennifer Loew, who brought her bribery complaint to at least four law enforcement agencies but found a receptive audience only at the Sheriff’s Department. The Times found no evidence to support Loew’s allegation.

California – Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts on All Counts in Santa Clara County Sheriff Corruption Trial
MSN – Robert Salonga (Bay Area News Group) | Published: 11/3/2022

A jury reached guilty verdicts on all six counts in the civil corruption trial of now-former Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith, capping a monthlong trial that Smith nearly upended with her abrupt resignation, though a judge ordered the case to continue. A grand jury’s formal accusations alleged she illicitly steered concealed-carry weapons permits to donors and supporters, undermined state gift-reporting laws, and stifled a civilian auditor’s probe into a high-profile injury case at the county jail.

Florida – Conflicts of Interest, Cronyism at SFRTA, Tri-Rail’s Operator, Amid Furtive Renewal of Costly Lobbying Contract
Florida Bulldog – Dan Christensen | Published: 11/7/2022

The governing board of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), ditched staff plans to seek bids for lobbying services and instead rehired its longtime lobbyist amid apparent cronyism, conflicts-of-interest, and possibly wasteful spending. The rehiring of lobbyist Candice Ericks, vice president of TSE Consulting, the lobbying arm of the Tripp Scott law firm, came during a March meeting. Among the SFRTA board members who voted to abandon seeking bids and renew Ericks’s expiring $246,000-a-year contract was Ericks’s own boss – Tripp Scott co-founder, fellow TSE lobbyist, and SFRTA Vice Chairperson James Scott.

Georgia – Georgia’s Senate Race Will Go to a Runoff Between Warnock and Walker
MSN – Mariana Alfaro (Washington Post) | Published: 11/9/2022

The U.S. Senate race in Georgia between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker is heading to a December 6 runoff. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the state has looked at “the outstanding vote totals and neither one would be on 50 percent,” the threshold needed for victory. Georgia is one of two states, along with Louisiana, in which runoffs are required during general elections when no candidate secures more than half the votes.

Georgia – Gingrich Ordered to Appear Before Ga. Grand Jury Probing 2020 Election
MSN – Tom Jackman (Washington Post) | Published: 11/9/2022

A Virginia judge rejected an attempt by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to evade a summons for his grand jury testimony in Georgia, where Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is investigating efforts by supporters of former President Trump to overturn the 2020 election results in that state. Gingrich’s lawyers argued the federal law that normally requires states to honor out-of-state grand jury summonses should not apply in this case because the special grand jury in Georgia lacks the power to indict. But Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Robert Smith said the law does not parse out a difference between types of grand juries.

Hawaii – Hawaii May Soon Have More Tools to Prosecute Public Corruption
Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 11/9/2022

A statewide standards commission recommended new felonies dealing with fraud, false claims, and statements that may allow state and county prosecutors to bring charges against public officials similar to those brought by federal prosecutors in a string of public corruption cases this year. The U.S. Department of Justice has brought a handful of cases dealing with bribery and other forms of public corruption in Hawaii under the broad federal crime of honest services wire fraud. “It would have been difficult if not impossible to charge those cases under the existing state laws,” Flo Nakakuni, a deputy Honolulu prosecutor.

Kentucky – Kentucky Rejects Amendment 1, in Blow to Legislature’s GOP Supermajority
MSN – Joe Sonka (Louisville Courier-Journal) | Published: 11/8/2022

Kentucky voters rejected a ballot referendum that would have amended the state constitution to allow lawmakers to call themselves into a special session, a victory for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear over the supermajority Republican Legislature. Only the governor can call legislators into a special session, during which they are only permitted to pass bills that are within the parameters set by the governor, as Beshear did in August to address flood relief.

Kentucky – ‘Shocks the Conscience.’ Panel Orders Kentucky Judge Removed Over Ethics Violations
MSN – Bill Estep (Lexington Herald Leader) | Published: 11/4/2022

A Kentucky judge committed a long list of violations that included mismanaging his courtroom, pressuring people for campaign contributions, violating people’s rights, and rigging bids for a home-detention monitoring service, a state ethics panel ruled. The Judicial Conduct Commission issued an order removing Circuit Court Judge James Jameson from office. Jameson was up for reelection, but the panel went further to say he is unfit for office in a new term as well.

Maine – Maine Gives Companies More Time to Disclose PFAS Use After Requests from Lobbying Groups
Bangor Daily News – Mehr Sher | Published: 11/7/2022

Maine lawmakers passed a law last year to require all manufacturers selling items in the state, from cars to T-shirts, to disclose whether their products contain toxic chemicals. Requiring disclosure was also a step toward Maine’s plan to prohibit the sale of products containing the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS. As the deadline to make the information public approaches, the state has been allowing national lobbying groups to delay the requirement on behalf of their members, some of whom said they did not even know they had been granted an extension.

Massachusetts – AP Sources: Justice Dept. watchdog probing Mass. US attorney
Yahoo News – Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Balsamo (Associated Press) | Published: 11/7/2022

The Justice Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation of the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, prompted by U.S. Attorney Rachel Rollins’ appearance at a political fundraiser featuring first lady Jill Biden. The inspector general’s office is focusing on Rollins’ attendance at the Democratic National Committee event in July as well as her use of her personal cellphone to conduct official business. An investigation by the department’s internal watchdog targeting one of the nation’s 93 U.S. attorneys, is highly unusual.

Massachusetts – Former State Police Union Head Dana Pullman, Lobbyist Anne Lynch Convicted of Racketeering, Fraud
MSN – Tom Matthews (MassLive) | Published: 11/3/2022

The former president of the Massachusetts State Police union, Dana Pullman, and former lobbyist Anne Lynch were convicted by a federal jury of racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice, and tax crimes. Pullman was the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) from 2012 until his resignation in 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during the same time. Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the state when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between SPAM and the state, officials said.

Michigan – Proposal 1: Michigan voters pass term limits, financial disclosure reform measure
Detroit News – Carol Thompson | Published: 11/8/2022

Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment that would require state lawmakers to disclose some information about their personal finances and relax legislative term limits. Michigan is one of few states that do not require lawmakers to disclose anything about their personal finances while in office. Proposal 1 requires legislators, the governor, secretary of state, and attorney general to file annual financial disclosure reports starting in April 2024.

New Jersey – Lawmaker Calls for Review of State Office That Prosecutes Public Corruption Cases
New Jersey Monitor – Dana DiFilippo | Published: 11/4/2022

New Jersey Joe Cryan is calling for an independent review of the state attorney general’s office of public integrity and accountability after a Bergen County judge dismissed a public corruption indictment and raised questions about the office’s ethical conduct. Cryan’s demand comes after several high-profile losses for the office, which former Attorney General Gurbir Grewal launched in 2018 to prosecute public officials and law enforcement for misconduct.

New Mexico – State Files Lawsuit Against Political Action Committee
KRQE – Curtis Segarra | Published: 11/9/2022

New Mexico’s Ethics Commission filed a lawsuit against a political advocacy group, alleging the Working Families Organization, which funded a text message campaign to influence voters, did not properly disclose who was funding the campaign. The lawsuit also alleges the group did not properly register with the New Mexico secretary of state’s office as a political committee.

New York – Trump’s Company to Get a Court Monitor, Judge Rules
MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 11/3/2022

A judge granted the New York attorney general’s request that former President Trump’s business be overseen by an independent monitor. The order requires the Trump Organization’s dealings with banks and sale of major assets be subject to supervision by a third-party expert to be named by the court. The monitor will oversee attempts to transfer assets and will screen any future reports of Trump’s net worth to financial and insurance institutions.

North Dakota – North Dakota Voters OK Term Limits for Governor, Legislators
Associated Press News – James MacPherson | Published: 11/9/2022

Voters in North Dakota approved term limits for their governor and state legislators. The ballot measure adds an article to the state constitution limiting lawmakers to eight years each in the state House and Senate. A governor could not be elected more than twice.

Ohio – Ohio County Auditor Wins Reelection Weeks Before His Corruption Trial
MSN – Erin Glynn (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 11/9/2022

An indicted county auditor in Ohio won his reelection race just weeks before he is scheduled to face trial on six charges related to public corruption. If Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds is convicted of a felony, the county Republican Party would appoint his replacement. Reynolds has pleaded not guilty and said the charges are false and politically motivated.

Oregon – NRA Committee to Be Fined for Delay in Reporting Donation to Campaign against Oregon Measure 114 Gun Control Initiative
Portland Oregonian – Maxine Bernstein | Published: 11/7/2022

The Oregon Elections Division said it will fine a National Rifle Association political committee more than $8,000 for the tardy reporting of a $25,700 donation to the campaign opposing Measure 114, a gun control ballot proposal. The NRA Oregonians for Freedom committee received the contribution from the NRA Political Victory Fund on July 29 but did not report it until November 1, far beyond the 30-day deadline.

Oregon – Oregon Voters Pass Measure 113, Punishing Lawmakers for Walkouts
Portland Oregonian – Hillary Borrud and Gosia Wozniacka | Published: 11/8/2022

Oregon lawmakers who boycott the state Capitol for an extended period to defeat legislation they oppose could now face a penalty after voters approved Measure 113. The ballot measure amends the state constitution so that going forward, any lawmaker with at least 10 unexcused absences will be disallowed from serving in the Legislature during the subsequent term. Republicans used walkouts in 2019 and 2020 to kill Democrats’ environmental reform plans and to defeat vaccine and gun regulation bills.

Pennsylvania – Kenyatta Johnson and His Wife, Dawn Chavous, Acquitted at Federal Bribery Trial
MSN – Jeremy Roebuck and Oona Goodin-Smith (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 11/2/2022

A federal jury found Philadelphia City Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson not guilty of participating in a bribery scheme that allegedly saw him accept thousands of dollars from two former nonprofit executives in exchange for political favors. Jurors also acquitted Johnson’s wife, Dawn Chavous, along with former executives at Universal Companies, Abdur Rahim Islam and Shahied Dawan. The jury rejected the government’s accusations that Johnson sold the powers of his office to the executives, who funneled their payoffs through a sham $67,000 consulting contract with Chavous.

Pennsylvania – Mistrial Declared in Trial of Nonprofit Executives Accused with Kenyatta Johnson
MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 11/7/2022

A federal judge declared a mistrial in the case of two codefendants of Philadelphia City Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson who were facing separate charges of embezzling funds and bribing a school official in Wisconsin. The decision came after one of the jurors who had been hearing the case against Rahim Islam and Shahied Dawan, former executives at the nonprofit Universal Companies, contacted COVID during the trial. Typically, that juror would have been replaced and the trial would have continued. But due to a high jury turnover rate throughout the trial, there were no alternate jurors left.

Tennessee – Nashville Council Member Faces Ethics Inquiry After Constituent’s Car Towed
MSN – Cassandra Stephenson (The Tennessean) | Published: 11/9/2022

A Nashville Councilperson Joy Styles is facing accusations she misused her authority to have a constituent’s car towed. The Metro Ethical Conduct Board reviewed a complaint against Styles and voted to hold a hearing in December to review allegations of improper use of official power. Nicole Weatherspoon, a resident of Styles’ district, filed an ethics complaint that accused Styles of improperly authorizing a company to tow Weatherspoon’s vehicle, which had a flat tire, from a public road. The complaint says a Performance Towing & Recovery employee told Weatherspoon the vehicle was towed under the authorization of “your councilwoman.”

Texas – Ads Against Abbott, Other Texas Republicans by Coulda Been Worse Test Campaign Ethics Law
MSN – Allie Morris and Robert Garrett (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 11/4/2022

The third biggest spender in Texas elections this year is a shadowy group that has not disclosed any information to the state, and is testing the limits of campaign finance law, experts said. Coulda Been Worse LLC has dumped more than $25 million into ads opposing Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republicans. Since forming out of state in late August, Coulda Been Worse has not revealed its donors or leadership. Ethics experts and open government advocates say voters deserve to know who is trying to influence elections.

Texas – Fifth Circuit Parses Texas Ban on Boycotting Israel
Courthouse News Service – Cameron Langford | Published: 11/7/2022

Palestinians started the so-called boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement to protest Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. It advocates for refraining from doing business with the Israeli government or companies that benefit from Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Texas passed an anti-BDS law but pared it down later, excluding sole proprietorships, companies with nine or less employees, and contracts under $100,000. A company sued Houston and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, seeking an injunction ordering the city to remove the clause from its contract offer and declare the law unconstitutional.

Washington DC – D.C. Elections Board Denies Silverman’s Request to Vacate Ruling on Ward 3 Poll
MSN – Michael Brice-Saddler (Washington Post) | Published: 11/4/2022

The District of Columbia Board of Elections ruled city Councilperson Elissa Silverman’s due-process rights were not violated when the Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) determined she misspent public campaign funds on polling for the Democratic primary, despite her objections about the breadth and timeline of the probe. The OCF ordered Silverman to return $62,000 for the cost of two polls she commissioned ahead of the June primary.

Wisconsin – Military Ballots in Wisconsin Will Be Counted Under Judge’s Ruling
MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 11/7/2022

A judge declined to delay or prevent the counting of military ballots in Wisconsin in a lawsuit that came after a disaffected election worker said she reached a “breaking point” and created three fake ballots to highlight flaws in the state’s voting system. Kimberly Zapata, who at the time was Milwaukee’s deputy elections director, told prosecutors she ordered the fake ballots because she was frustrated by Republicans focusing on baseless claims instead of actual weaknesses in Wisconsin’s voting procedures. Prosecutors charged Zapata with felony misconduct in office, and she was fired from her position with the city.

Campaign Finance

National: “The FEC Isn’t Enforcing the Law. Does It Even Matter?” by Russ Choma for Mother Jones

Oregon: “NRA Committee to Be Fined for Delay in Reporting Donation to Campaign against Oregon Measure 114 Gun Control Initiative” by Maxine Bernstein for Portland Oregonian

Elections

National: “Democrats Show Strength, Leaving Fight for Control of Congress Unresolved” by Hannah Knowles and Michael Scherer (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Biggest Surge of Misinformation May Arrive After Election Day, Researchers Say” by Stuart Thompson (New York Times) for Seattle Times

Ethics

National: “U.S. Judiciary Launches Online Database of Judges’ Financial Disclosures” by Nate Raymond for Reuters

Massachusetts: “AP Sources: Justice Dept. watchdog probing Mass. US attorney” by Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Balsamo (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

Wisconsin: “Military Ballots in Wisconsin Will Be Counted Under Judge’s Ruling” by Patrick Marley (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Europe: “Spanish Govt Proposes Rules for Lobbyists, Public Officials” by Associated Press for Yahoo News

Procurement

Texas: “Fifth Circuit Parses Texas Ban on Boycotting Israel” by Cameron Langford for Courthouse News Service

National/Federal

A Landmark Supreme Court Fight Over Social Media Now Looks Likely
MSN – Robert Barnes and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 9/19/2022

Conflicting lower court rulings about removing controversial material from social media platforms point toward a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether the First Amendment protects tech companies’ editorial discretion or forbids its censorship of unpopular views. The stakes are high not just for government and the companies, but because of the increasingly dominant role platforms such as Twitter and Facebook play in American democracy and elections. Social media posts have the potential to amplify disinformation or hateful speech, but removal of controversial viewpoints can stifle public discourse about important political issues.

Appeals Court: Justice Dept. can use Mar-a-Lago documents in criminal probe
MSN – Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

An appeals court sided with the Justice Department in a legal fight over classified documents seized in a court-authorized search of former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, ruling the FBI may use the documents in its ongoing criminal investigation. The decision by a three-judge panel of the appeals court marks a victory for the Justice Department in its legal battle with Trump over access to the evidence to determine if the former president or his advisers mishandled national security secrets or hid or destroyed government records.

Apple Flexes Muscle as Quiet Power Behind App Group
Yahoo News – Emily Birnbaum (Bloomberg) | Published: 9/19/2022

The APP Association brands itself as the leading voice for thousands of app developers around the world. The majority of its funding comes from Apple, however. The tech giant is not a member of the association, but it plays a dominant behind-the-scenes role shaping the group’s policy positions, according to four former App Association employees. In fact, critics note, the association’s lobbying agenda tracks closely with Apple’s even when it is at odds with app developers, the companies that make the individual games and programs that run on Apple’s iPhone and other devices.

DeSantis Draft Effort Pushes Ahead After Campaign Finance Watchdog Deadlocks
MSN – Zach Montellaro (Politico) | Published: 9/15/2022

An effort to draft Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis into the 2024 presidential race promised to proceed with an unusual attempt to boost his would-be campaign, after the FEC deadlocked on a request for guidance about whether the strategy was legal. Ready for Ron is a federal PAC that wants to build a list of up to 1 million people urging DeSantis to run. But with those names, the group wants to deliver would-be supporters’ email addresses and phone numbers to DeSantis. The FEC has said candidates can rent or buy supporter lists compiled by other groups, but they cannot accept something of such value as a gift without breaking contribution limits.

Fugitive in Massive Navy Bribery Case Caught in Venezuela
Yahoo News – Associated Press | Published: 9/22/2022

Leonard Francis, a Malaysian defense contractor nicknamed “Fat Leonard” who orchestrated one of the largest bribery scandals in U.S. military history, was arrested in Venezuela after fleeing before his sentencing. The arrest came on the eve of his scheduled sentencing in a federal court for a bribery scheme that lasted more than a decade and involved dozens of U.S. Navy officers. The U.S. government faces an uphill challenge returning the fugitive back to American soil.

Gaetz Sought Pardon Related to Justice Department Sex Trafficking Probe
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 9/17/2022

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz told a former White House aide that he was seeking a preemptive pardon from then-President Trump regarding an investigation in which he is a target, according to testimony given to the House select committee investigating the attack on the Capitol. Asked by investigators if Gaetz’s request for a pardon was in the context of the Justice Department investigation into whether he violated federal sex trafficking laws, Johnny McEntee replied, “I think that was the context, yes,” according to people familiar with the testimony.

Greg Norman Finds Friendly Faces, Harsh Criticism on Capitol Hill Trip
MSN – Rick Maese (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

As a federal antitrust case winds its way through the court system, LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman visited Capitol Hill, receiving mixed reviews from lawmakers as he tried to sell them on his breakaway tour that has upended the golf word. While some lawmakers seemed receptive to Norman, others questioned LIV Golf’s Saudi financing and said Congress should not spend time intervening in a business dispute between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. LIV Golf and seven of its golfers have sued the PGA Tour, saying it violated antitrust laws, allegations the Justice Department is also reportedly probing.

House Passes Bill to Prevent Efforts to Subvert Presidential Election Results
MSN – Amy Wang (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

The House passed an electoral reform bill that seeks to prevent presidents from trying to overturn election results through Congress, the first vote on such an effort since the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob seeking to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral win. The Presidential Election Reform Act would clearly reaffirm the vice president has no role in validating a presidential election beyond acting as a figurehead who oversees the counting process, barring that person from changing the results.

Jan. 6 Committee Reaches Deal with Ginni Thomas for an Interview
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany and Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection reached an agreement with Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, to be interviewed by the panel in coming weeks. Virginia Thomas, a longtime conservative activist, pushed lawmakers and top Republican officials to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, citing baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.

Old Money: How retirees are funding and fueling political candidates unlike ever before
Yahoo News – Madison Hall (Business Insider) | Published: 9/20/2022

Retirees are becoming one of the most powerful financial forces in politics as they spend their savings to fuel federal-level campaigns. By the 2020 election cycle, retirees accounted for more than 20 percent of contributions, amounting to more than $378 million. Retirees’ expanded influence coincides with the rapid increase in politicians fundraising by email and text message – and targeting older Americans with never-ending solicitations. Older Americans, many of whom are retired, tend to be more engaged politically and represent a larger share of each party’s base, said Sheila Krumholz, executive director at OpenSecrets.

Senate Republicans Block Bill to Require Disclosure of ‘Dark Money’ Donors
MSN – Amy Wang (Washington Post) | Published: 9/22/2022

Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have required super PACs and other groups to disclose donors who give $10,000 or more during an election cycle, a blow to Democrats’ efforts to reform campaign finance laws. Spending in election cycles by corporations and the ultrawealthy through so-called dark money groups has skyrocketed since the 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. FEC, which allowed incorporated entities and labor unions to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or attack candidates.

The ‘Cost’ of Voting in America: A look at where it’s easiest and hardest
Seattle Times – Nick Corasaniti and Allison McCann (New York Times) | Published: 9/21/2022

A new study ranks all 50 states based on the overall investment a resident must make, in time and resources, to vote. The 2022 edition of the Cost of Voting Index, a nonpartisan academic study that seeks to cut through the politics of voting access, focused on 10 categories related to voting, including registration, inconvenience, early voting, polling hours, and absentee voting.  The study’s emphasis on early-voting options meant states like Washington and Oregon, where voting is conducted entirely by mail, ended up at the top of the rankings.

TikTok to Ban Campaign Fundraising, Require Verification for Political Accounts
MSN – Gina Martinez (CBS News) | Published: 9/21/2022

TikTok announced it is banning campaign fundraising on its platform. It also announced new policies for political accounts, including “mandatory verification.” The ban will include videos asking for donations, and videos from political parties directing people to a contribution page on their website. Verification will ensure that anyone watching content belonging to a government, politician, or political party account will know that the account is “genuine” and the source is “authentic.”

Trump Adviser’s Trial May Shed Light on Foreign Influence Campaigns
MSN – Rebecca Davis O’Brien (New York Times) | Published: 9/19/2022

The trial of Thomas Barrack, an informal adviser to former President Trump accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the United Arab Emirates, could shed light on how foreign governments jockeyed for access to the Trump administration, efforts that may have created lucrative opportunities for businesspeople close to the White House. Prosecutors have accused Barrack of using his sway with Trump to advance the interests of the Emiratis and of serving as a secret back channel for communications without disclosing his efforts to the attorney general, as the government contends that he should have.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – 14 AZ Lawmakers Took 9-Day Europe Trip Sponsored in Part by Lobbyists and More Are Coming
MSN – Ray Stern (Arizona Republic) | Published: 9/18/2022

Fourteen Arizona lawmakers took a free trip to Germany recently, where they met government and business officials. Lobbyist firms and taxpayers funded the lawmakers’ expenses as part of a state House international relations program. The trip may have had trade benefits, but lawmakers should still take care to avoid the perception they are receiving gifts that could influence their policy making, said John Pelissero of the Markula Center for Applied Ethics. The number of lawmakers and that they could take their spouses seemed excessive to Pelissero, who called the trip a “junket.”

California – Former USC Dean Admits to Arranging Bribery Payment for Mark Ridley-Thomas
Yahoo News – Michael Finnegan and Matt Hamilton (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/15/2022

A former University of Southern California dean agreed to plead guilty to bribery, admitting she arranged an illicit $100,000 payment for Mark Ridley-Thomas when he was on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in return for a university contract with the county. Marilyn Flynn’s admission of guilt strikes a major blow to Ridley-Thomas, now a Los Angeles city council member who has been suspended while he defends against federal charges of bribery, fraud, and conspiracy. Flynn’s plea also reduces the likelihood that evidence related to U.S. Rep. Karen Bass, the front-runner in the race for Los Angeles mayor, would get a public airing at trial.

California – Gov. Gavin Newsom Strips Fresno County Supervisors’ Power to Draw Election Lines
Sacramento Bee – Juan Esparza Loera | Published: 9/19/2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to give redistricting duties in Fresno County to a 14-member commission. Assemblyperson Joaquín Arámbula said it was the only way to ensure the Latino community gets a fair chance at political representation after the next census. Arámbula and community organizations said county supervisors cannot be trusted to draw fair and equitable districts because supervisorial districts have changed little despite a spike in Latino population.

California – Legal Pot Spawned a Wave of Corruption, Threats and Secret Financial Deals for Politicians
MSN – Adam Elmahrek, Robert Lopez, and Ruben Vives (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/15/2022

California’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis ushered in a multibillion-dollar commercial market that officials in many small, struggling communities hoped would bring new jobs and an infusion of tax revenue. But the advent of commercial marijuana unleashed a wave of corruption that has rocked local governments across the state and left them with few effective tools to combat the problem. The industry has donated campaign money to local government officials as cannabis became a powerful special interest. Lobbyists and others say bribery and shakedowns have become so commonplace in licensing that it feels like a normal part of doing business.

California – Santa Clara Mayor Asks Newsom to Give Campaign Donor a Break
San Jose Spotlight – Joseph Geha | Published: 9/21/2022

Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor lobbied California Gov. Gavin Newsom to help a major real estate firm save money on the largest mixed-use development planned in the state, months before the developer made a six-figure donation to her campaign. Gillmor advocated that Related Companies should not be required to pay prevailing wages to workers. Related formed a local PAC to support Gillmor as she runs for reelection and funded it with $100,000. Executives from the company also donated to Gillmor’s mayoral election campaign in 2018, two years after the project was approved by the city council.

California – Trial of Corruption Case Against California Sheriff to Begin
Yahoo News – Associated Press | Published: 9/21/2022

A longtime San Francisco Bay Area sheriff is on trial on public corruption allegations involving her office’s granting of concealed-carry weapons permits and costly jail mismanagement. The unusual case against Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith is a civil process to seek removal of an elected official but is similar to a criminal case. The trial follows an investigation into allegations that Smith’s office traded concealed weapons permits for donations to her reelection campaign and mismanaged the jails, where mentally ill inmates died or were injured.

Florida – Jury Awards $3 Million to Garbage Contractor in Opa-locka Corruption Lawsuit
MSN – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 9/20/2022

A jury awarded a $3 million judgment to a garbage contractor that sued Opa-locka in 2017 alleging corruption and extortion in a city that has for years been plagued with financial and political turmoil. Jurors found the city failed to act in good faith with Universal Waste Services of Florida (UWS). Representatives of UWS made accusations of extortion against former city Commissioner Terence Pinder, who died in an apparent suicide in 2016, two days before he was scheduled to turn himself in on state bribery charges.

Florida – Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard File Class-Action Lawsuit Against DeSantis
MSN – Amy Wang (Washington Post) | Published: 9/20/2022

A group of Venezuelan migrants who were flown from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard – allegedly after being falsely promised work and other services – filed a class-action lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials who arranged the flights, saying the officials used fraud and misrepresentation to persuade them to travel across state lines. The migrants are seeking unspecified damages, as well as the cost of their legal fees, for emotional and economic harm.

Georgia – Georgia 2020 Election Inquiry May Lead to Prison Sentences, Prosecutor Says
MSN – Matthew Brown and Tom Hamburger (Washington Post) | Published: 9/15/2022

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the prosecutor investigating efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia, said her team has heard credible allegations that serious crimes have been committed and she believes some individuals may see jail time. At least 17 people have been notified they are targets of the criminal investigation, meaning they could eventually face charges. More targets will be added to the list soon, Willis said.

Georgia – Video Shows Trump Allies Handling Georgia Voting Equipment
Yahoo News – Danny Hakim, Richard Fausset, and Nick Corasaniti (New York Times) | Published: 9/20/2022

Newly released videos show allies of former President Trump and contractors who were working on his behalf handling sensitive voting equipment in a rural Georgia county weeks after the 2020 election. The footage, which was made public as part of litigation over Georgia’s voting system, raises new questions about efforts by Trump affiliates in a number of swing states to gain access to and copy sensitive election software, with the help of friendly local election administrators.

Illinois – State Sen. Emil Jones III Took Bribes from Red-Light Camera Company, Lied to Feds: Charges
WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 9/20/2022

Federal prosecutors charged Illinois Sen. Emil Jones III with three felonies, alleging he took a bribe from a firm that installed red-light cameras throughout the state and lied to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents. After being approached by a former executive for Safe Speed, the red-light company, who was cooperating with law enforcement, Jones agreed to limit the scope of his bill to study red-light cameras only in Chicago, where the firm did not operate, prosecutors say. In return, the executive agreed to pay Jones $5,000 and to provide a job to an unidentified associate of Jones.

Maryland – Opinion Says Nash’s Lobbying Violated City Ethics Ordinance
Yahoo News – Ryan Marshall (Frederick News-Post) | Published: 9/16/2022

Frederick Alderwoman Katie Nash violated the city’s ethics rules by lobbying on behalf of a firefighter union’s concerns about county emergency services coverage in the city, an Ethics Commission ruled. Nash, a lobbyist registered with the state, improperly emailed people, including coordinators for various Neighborhood Advisory Councils, encouraging them to raise concerns with the county about plans to shift coverage of paramedic services in parts of the city, according to the opinion. Nash was a paid lobbyist for the International Association of Firefighters Local 3666 when she sent out emails and press releases.

Michigan – Former Macomb Public Works Boss Marrocco Pleads Guilty in Corruption Probe
Yahoo News – Christina Hall (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 9/20/2022

Former Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco pleaded guilty to attempted extortion in federal court in a yearslong corruption probe that netted more than 20 other people. Prosecutors alleged he used an aide and others to shake down builders and contractors for donations to his fundraisers. If they did not contribute, the indictment said, Marrocco retaliated by holding up building permits, denying payment to vendors, and refusing to award contracts to firms. The charge to which he pleaded guilty carries up to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Michigan – Here’s the Punishment for Warren Councilman Who Handcuffed Woman over BLM Stickers
Yahoo News – Christina Hall (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 9/19/2022

Warren City Councilperson Edward Kabacinski pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace and was sentenced to one-year probation for his actions toward a woman at a rally for then-President Trump. Kabacinski was charged in October 2020 with assault and battery and impersonating a police officer when he chased a woman and handcuffed her after she put a Black Lives Matter sticker on a Trump sign during a protest. Kabacinski claimed he is a former military police officer and federal law allows him to detain those who breach the peace or break the law. The woman was not facing criminal charges.

New Hampshire – New Hampshire GOP Senate Nominee Abruptly Backs Off False 2020 Election Claims
MSN – Gregory Krieg and Dan Merica (CNN) | Published: 9/15/2022

U.S. Senate candidate Don Bolduc won the Republican nomination in New Hampshire after months campaigning on false claims the 2020 election was stolen from former President Trump. A little more than a day after the primary, he attempted an about-face. “I’ve come to the conclusion, and I want to be definitive on this: the election was not stolen,” Bolduc said. He is not the only GOP candidate who has tried to temper, or erase, hardline positions as the general-election environment starts to look less favorable for the party.

New Jersey – When George Gilmore’s Public Work Dried Up, an Ally Gave His Wife a Job with Engineering Firm
Yahoo News – Matt Friedman (Politico) | Published: 9/19/2022

When Ocean County Republican Party Chairperson George Gilmore was convicted on three federal tax charges in 2019, it did not just cost him his political leadership post. His work with public entities also dried up. Gilmore’s now-defunct law firm, Gilmore & Monahan, had made between $2 million and $3 million in public contracts annually between 2012 and 2018. He resigned from another job at the lobbying firm 1868 Public Affairs. But after Gilmore’s conviction, a political ally founded Morgan Municipal Services, a new division to expand the firm’s work in the public sector. It counted Gilmore’s wife as one of its three founding partners.

New Mexico – NM Senator Defends His Reputation While Policy Silences the People Accusing Him of Misconduct
Source NM – Shaun Griswold | Published: 9/19/2022

New Mexico Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto said the sexual harassment complaint filed against him is closed. But outrage continues to grow, as everyone involved calls for reform of statehouse procedures shrouded in secrecy. The lobbyist who came forward with the initial complaint says her First Amendment rights have been violated because of the confidentiality rules about who is allowed to speak about the matter publicly. After the findings in the misconduct investigation were leaked, Ivey-Soto contacted the FBI about what he says is extortion.

New York – Donald Trump, 3 of His Children Accused of Business Fraud by New York AG
MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit accusing Donald Trump, three of his grown children, and executives at his company of manipulating asset valuations to deceive lenders, insurance brokers, and tax authorities into giving them better loan and insurance policy rates and reduce their tax liability. The complaint asks the state Supreme Court to bar the former president, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump from serving as executives at any company in New York, and to bar the Trump Organization from acquiring commercial real estate or receiving loans from a New York-registered financial institution for five years.

New York – Executive Threw Hochul Fundraiser Weeks Before Landing $637M Deal
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 9/20/2022

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul maintains that when her administration paid a vendor $637 million last winter for COVID-19 tests, she was unaware the recipient was a campaign donor. Yet a month before the administration struck the deals, the company’s founder threw an in-person campaign fundraiser for Hochul. The deal was enabled by the governor’s revived suspension of competitive bidding rules for the administration’s purchase of COVID-19 supplies. Through an emergency executive order, Hochul suspended those rules four days after the fundraiser.

Oregon – Oregon’s Nonaffiliated Candidates Face Long Odds Making It onto the Ballot
Oregon Capital Chronicle – Julia Shumway | Published: 9/20/2022

Democratic and Republican candidates in Oregon pay a fee ranging from $25 to $150 and fill out a two-page form to compete in a primary. Minor party candidates are nominated separately by their parties, through conventions or party-run primaries. But non-affiliated candidates must collect petition signatures from hundreds or thousands of voters, depending on the office. Efforts to change Oregon’s election system are again afoot, with a coalition launching its petition drive for a constitutional amendment to open primaries. Nearly 41 percent of Oregon voters are ineligible to vote in primaries because they are nonaffiliated or registered with a minor party.

Oregon – Portland Elections Program Hits Council Candidate Rene Gonzalez with $77,000 Fine for Discounted Office Space
OPB – Rebecca Ellis | Published: 9/21/2022

Portland City Council hopeful Rene Gonzalez was fined for accepting and failing to report a steep discount on rent on his campaign office. The $77,000 fine, the biggest ever issued by the city’s Small Donor Elections program, stems from an unreported in-kind contribution Gonzalez is accused of accepting from the company, which is owned by Jordan Schnitzer, who personally gave $250 to Gonzalez in May. Program Director Susan Mottet said a normal tenant would have been asked to pay $6,900 per month for the over 3,000 square feet of space. Since May, Gonzalez’s campaign only had to pay $250 per month.

Pennsylvania – Philly’s Board of Ethics Voted to Close a Loophole that Super PACs Use to Get Instructions from Campaigns
MSN – Sean Collins Walsh (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 9/21/2022

The Philadelphia Board of Ethics voted to ban the strategy known as “redboxing,” in which candidates send indirect signals to independent expenditure campaigns like super PACs that can raise unlimited amounts of money but are not allowed to coordinate with campaigns. Candidates do that by publicly stating the strategic needs of their campaigns, and some in recent federal elections have put those instructions in red boxes on their campaign websites to guide super PACs buying advertisements on their behalf. The statements use lightly coded language to inform the PACs on what the campaign wants.

Pennsylvania – Skill Games Company Woos Pa. Lawmakers with Trips to Wild Wyoming Rodeo
Spotlight PA – Angela Couloumbis | Published: 9/19/2022

This past summer, a select group of Pennsylvania legislators, including House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, got to experience the Cheyenne Frontier Days, the premier summer festival in Wyoming that bills itself as the world’s largest outdoor rodeo and Western celebration, courtesy of Pace-O-Matic. The company makes skill games that currently generate millions of dollars in revenue and, in Pennsylvania, operate in a legal and regulatory gray area, one the Legislature will play a key role in defining. For some of the lawmakers, it was an all-expenses-paid experience.

South Dakota – Ethics Board Keeps ‘Action’ Secret on Complaint Against Noem
MSN – Stephen Groves (Associated Press) | Published: 9/20/2022

The Government Accountability Board will not publicly disclose the “appropriate action” it took after finding evidence South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem intervened with a state agency to influence her daughter’s application for a real estate appraiser license. The board found there was evidence Noem engaged in a conflict-of-interest and malfeasance. A lawyer hired by the board, Mark Haigh, responded to an open records request by saying the board’s response would remain “confidential.” The board has never handled such a high-profile case since its inception in 2017.

Virginia – Virginia Rule on Legislators Leaving Districts Could Add More Intrigue to 2023 Elections
Virginia Mercury – Graham Moomaw | Published: 9/22/2022

After past redistricting cycles, the number of Virginia General Assembly members having to switch districts was kept to a minimum because legislators were allowed to draw careful lines around each other’s homes to avoid doing damage to incumbents. That was not the case last year, when experts appointed by the Virginia Supreme Court effectively reset the state’s legislative maps with little regard for keeping incumbents comfortably installed in conflict-free seats. That means an unusually high number of legislators are facing the prospect of moving to position themselves for the next election cycle.

Virginia – Youngkin’s Restriction on Trans Students’ Rights Is Probably Illegal, Experts Say
MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2022

A directive from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for public schools to restrict the rights of transgender students is either unenforceable or will be struck down in court because it appears to violate both state and federal law, experts and advocates said. The model policies require schools to categorize transgender children by their “biological sex” when it comes to using the bathroom, locker room, and other facilities and participating in activities. They also bar students from adopting a new name or pronouns without parental permission.

Campaign Finance

National: “TikTok to Ban Campaign Fundraising, Require Verification for Political Accounts” by Gina Martinez (CBS News) for MSN

Elections

Oregon: “Oregon’s Nonaffiliated Candidates Face Long Odds Making It onto the Ballot” by Julia Shumway for Oregon Capital Chronicle

Ethics

National: “Appeals Court: Justice Dept. can use Mar-a-Lago documents in criminal probe” by Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) for MSN

California: “Trial of Corruption Case Against California Sheriff to Begin” by Associated Press for Yahoo News

Florida: “Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard File Class-Action Lawsuit Against DeSantis” by Amy Wang (Washington Post) for MSN

Michigan: “Former Macomb Public Works Boss Marrocco Pleads Guilty in Corruption Probe” by Christina Hall (Detroit Free Press) for Yahoo News

New York: “Trump, Company and Family Members Sued by New York AG Over Alleged Fraud Scheme” by Josh Gerstein, Erin Durkin, and Kyle Cheney (Politico) for Yahoo News

Virginia: “Youngkin’s Restriction on Trans Students’ Rights Is Probably Illegal, Experts Say” by Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) for MSN

Procurement

Florida: “Jury Awards $3 Million to Garbage Contractor in Opa-locka Corruption Lawsuit” by Tess Riski (Miami Herald) for MSN

National/Federal

‘Fat Leonard’ Goes on the Lam Weeks Before Sentencing in Navy Bribery Scandal
Portland Press Herald – María Luisa Paúl (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2022

The Malaysian defense contractor who pleaded guilty to bribing Navy officials with sex parties, fancy dinners, and alcohol in a corruption scandal has escaped just weeks before his sentencing date. Leonard Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard,” fled while under house arrest in San Diego. A search by the San Diego Regional Fugitive Task Force and Naval Criminal Investigative Service is underway, officials said. “He cut off his GPS monitoring bracelet on Sunday morning,” the U.S. Marshals Service announced. “Task Force Officers went to his residence and upon arrival noticed the house was now vacant.”

FEC Approves Rule to Remove Candidate Loan Repayment Restrictions
OpenSecrets – Taylor Giorno | Published: 9/1/2022

The FEC approved an interim final rule that removes regulations that previously restricted the repayment of personal loans candidates made to their campaigns. In May, the Supreme Court ruled that existing candidate loan repayment restrictions were unconstitutional. Under the old rules, campaigns could raise money after election day to repay candidate loans up to $250,000 up to 20 days after the election.

From Border Town to ‘Border Town,’ Bused Migrants Seek New Lives in D.C. Area
MSN – Antonio Olivo (Washington Post) | Published: 9/7/2022

More than 230 buses carrying nearly 9,400 migrants, including young children, have arrived in the District of Columbia since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began offering free passage to the city with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey following suit. Buses from Texas have also started heading to New York and Chicago. The governors are using the busloads of migrants as a political statement about what they have called lax border policies. But for many of those who have accepted the rides, any political gamesmanship has been irrelevant. The buses have turned into a welcomed opportunity for migrants to get to their preferred destinations.

House Committee Reaches Deal to get Trump Financial Records
Yahoo News – Kevin Freking (Associated Press) | Published: 9/1/2022

A U.S. House committee seeking financial records from former President Trump reached an agreement that ends litigation on the matter and requires an accounting firm to turn over some of the material. The case began in April 2019, when the House Committee on Oversight and Reform first subpoenaed records from Trump’s then-accounting firm, Mazars USA. The committee cited testimony from Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen, that it said raised questions about the president’s representation of his financial affairs when it came to seeking loans and paying taxes.

In Voter Fraud, Penalties Often Depend on Who’s Voting
Yahoo News – Michael Wines (New York Times) | Published: 9/6/2022

A review by The New York Times of some 400 voting fraud charges filed nationwide since 2017 underscores what critics of fraud crackdowns have long said: actual prosecutions are rare events and often netted people who did not realize they were breaking the law. Punishment can be wildly inconsistent. Most violations draw wrist slaps, while a few high-profile prosecutions produce draconian sentences. Penalties often fall heaviest on those least able to mount a defense. Those who are poor and Black are more likely to be sent to jail.

In Washington, Agricultural Policymakers Circulate Among Farm Bureau, USDA and Industry
Investigate Midwest – Madison McVan | Published: 8/24/2022

Reporting and more than 100 pages of emails obtained by Investigate Midwest shed light on the movement of agriculture policy leaders between government, industry, and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). Terri Moore, vice president of communications for AFBF, said Dale Moore, executive vice president of the group, and Sam Kieffer, the organization’s top lobbyist, likely had communication with Joby Young during his time at as chief of staff for the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Young took over as AFBF executive vice president following a stint at a consulting firm.

Jan. 6 Committee Asks Former Speaker Newt Gingrich to Sit for Interview
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 9/1/2022

The House select committee investigating the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol issued a request to interview former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The request cited evidence showing Gingrich was in communication with senior advisers to ex-President Trump, including Jared Kushner and Jason Miller, regarding television advertisements that amplified false claims about fraud in the 2020 election. The panel also said it obtained evidence suggesting Gingrich was involved in the fake elector plot designed to encourage Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress to affect the outcome of the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021.

Judge’s Special-Master Order a Test of Trump’s Post-White House Powers
MSN – Ann Marimow and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2022

Justice Department lawyers are weighing whether to challenge a federal judge’s uncommon order to appoint an independent reviewer, called a special master, to assess more than 11,000 documents seized by the FBI from Donald Trump’s Florida residence. At issue are untested legal questions about the extent to which assertions of executive privilege can be applied to a former president. Legal experts called U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision problematic because it upends the usual course of a criminal investigation and suggests there are different rules for a former president.

Material on Foreign Nation’s Nuclear Capabilities Seized at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
MSN – Devlin Barrett and Carol Leonnig (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2022

A document describing a foreign government’s military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities, was found by FBI agents who searched former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private club, according to people familiar with the matter, underscoring concerns among U.S. intelligence officials about classified material stashed at the Florida property. Some of the seized documents detail top-secret U.S. operations so closely guarded that many senior national security officials are kept in the dark about them.

Tory Peer Broke Lobbying Rules, Whitehall Watchdog Finds
The Guardian – Henry Dyer | Published: 9/6/2022

A Conservative hereditary peer breached lobbying rules in the United Kingdom by failing to register as a consultant lobbyist before contacting ministers on behalf of his client. The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists announced the outcome of its investigation into the Earl of Shrewsbury, whose full name is Charles Henry John Benedict Crofton Chetwynd Chetwind-Talbot, and his company Talbot Consulting. The earl remains under investigation by the House of Lords for allegedly misusing his parliamentary position to lobby for SpectrumX.

From the States and Municipalities

Arkansas – Ex-Deputy Chief of Staff for Hutchinson Asks to Rescind Registration as a Lobbyist
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Michael Wickline | Published: 9/7/2022

Bill Gossage, the former deputy chief of staff for external operations for Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, said he asked the secretary of state’s office to rescind his August registration as a registered lobbyist. Gossage is vice president of governmental affairs for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. State law bars an individual employed in the office of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, auditor, or commissioner of state lands from being eligible to be registered as a lobbyist until one year after the expiration of the individual’s employment in that office.

Florida – Jury Finds Seminole GOP Chair Guilty in ‘Ghost’ Candidate Case
Yahoo News – Annie Martin (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 9/1/2022

Seminole County Republican Party Chairperson Ben Paris was found guilty of a scheme to siphon votes from a Democrat in a Florida Senate race. Prosecutors say Jestine Iannotti ran as an independent candidate but did not campaign and had no previous political experience. Iannotti illegally accepted a $1,200 cash donation from political consultant James Foglesong. Iannoitti and Foglesong falsely used the names of others as contributors in campaign finance reports to skirt Florida laws on donations.

Georgia – Election Deniers Repeatedly Visited Ga. County Office at Center of Criminal Probe, Video Shows
Portland Press Herald – Emma Brown and Jon Swaine (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2022

Technology consultants who sought evidence that Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat was fraudulent made multiple visits to a county elections office in rural Georgia in the weeks after an alleged post-election breach of voting equipment that is the subject of a criminal investigation. Surveillance video shows the consultants, Doug Logan and Jeffrey Lenberg, made two visits in January 2021 to the elections office in Coffee County. Lenberg made an additional five visits on his own. The two men are under investigation for separate alleged breaches of voting machines in Michigan.

Georgia – Judge Again Rejects Graham Bid to Throw Out Subpoena in Atlanta-Area Trump Probe
MSN – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 9/1/2022

A federal judge for the second time rejected U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s effort to block a grand jury subpoena issued by the Atlanta-area district attorney investigating former President Trump and his allies’ effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May ruled Graham’s claim to be immune from such questioning, thanks to the protections of the so-called speech or debate clause of the Constitution is not as sweeping as he claimed it to be. The ruling sends the matter back to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Illinois – Political Operative Tied to Ald. Daniel Solis Probe Pleads Guilty to Fraud
MSN – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 9/2/2022

Roberto Caldero, a political operative at the center of the investigation into former Ald. Daniel Solis, pleaded guilty to variety of fraud schemes, including an attempt to influence a massive Chicago Public Schools janitorial contact, and using the alderman’s clout to solicit campaign cash and get a park and street renamed for a donor’s relatives. There was new mention in the plea agreement of an elected official, identified only as Public Official A, whom Caldero enlisted to pressure then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel to support the awarding of the janitorial contract to a company Caldero represented.

Indiana – Contractor Avoids Prison, Ordered to Pay Sanitary District $104K
Yahoo News – Douglas Walker (Muncie Star Press) | Published: 9/6/2022

A contractor avoided a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a fraud-related count stemming from a federal investigation of corruption in Muncie city government. But Rodney Barber was ordered to pay $104,750 in restitution to the Muncie Sanitary District (MSD). He admitted paying Phil Nichols, a former Democratic Party chairperson, $5,500 in cash in exchange for winning a contract to do work for the district. Barber also acknowledged giving MSD official Tracy Barton $5,000 in cash to “illegally contribute” to then-Mayor Dennis Tyler’s re-election campaign.

Louisiana – New Orleans’ ‘Night Mayor’ Fails to Respond to State Ethics [Board] After Trying to Rule on Conflict
LocalToday – Ben Myers (New Orleans Times-Picayune) | Published: 9/6/2022

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell named Howlin’ Wolf nightclub owner Howard Kaplan as the first director of the city’s new Office of Nighttime Economy. When Cantrell was asked about potential ethical issues in hiring a nightclub owner to manage the city’s nighttime economy, she cited a pending opinion from the Louisiana Board of Ethics to argue “there is no conflict-of-interest here.” But an ethics board attorney, Mallory Guillot, now says Kaplan has not responded to “numerous” attempts to contact him with additional questions about his dual role as city official and business owner.

Massachusetts – Maura Healey to Face Trump-Backed Republican in Deep-Blue Massachusetts
MSN – Annie Linskey and David Weigel (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2022

Maura Healey, who made history as the country’s first openly gay state attorney general, will face former state legislator Geoff Diehl, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, in the Massachusetts governor’s race this November, a contest seen by analysts as one of the best chances for Democrats to flip control of a Republican-held seat. If she prevails in the fall, Healey would be the first woman elected governor of Massachusetts. Democratic primary voters in also picked a nominee for attorney general in a race that divided the two U.S. senators and other party leaders in the state.

Michigan – Michigan Sheriff Sought to Seize Multiple Voting Machines, Records Show
Reuters – Peter Eisler and Nathan Layne | Published: 8/30/2022

A sheriff in Barry County, Michigan, already under state investigation for alleged involvement in an illegal breach of a vote-counting machine, sought warrants in July to seize other machines to prove former President Trump’s claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election, documents showed. A member of the so-called constitutional sheriffs movement, which holds sheriffs have supreme law enforcement authority within their counties, exceeding that of state and federal agencies, Leaf has appeared at events around the country organized by proponents of Trump’s rigged election claims.

Nevada – Police Arrest County Official in Reporter’s Stabbing Death
Las Vegas Review-Journal – David Ferrara, Briana Erickson, and Glenn Puit | Published: 9/7/2022

A Las Vegas-area elected official was arrested as the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a veteran newspaper reporter who had written articles exposing complaints of wrongdoing at his office. Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles was taken into custody hours after investigators served a search warrant in the criminal probe of the killing of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Jeff German. Soon after German’s investigation was published, Telles failed in his re-election bid, losing the Democratic primary in June.

New Mexico – New Mexico Bars Commissioner from Office for Insurrection
MSN – Morgan Lee (Associated Press) | Published: 9/6/2022

A New Mexico judge ordered convicted Capitol rioter Couy Griffin to be removed from his county commissioner seat, ruling the Cowboys for Trump founder’s involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection disqualified him from holding public office. Judge Francis Matthew formally labeled the Capitol attack as an insurrection and found Griffin’s involvement fell under the so-called Disqualification Clause of the 14th Amendment, which bars anyone from holding office if they took an oath to uphold the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or gave “aid or comfort” to insurrectionists.

New York – Former Trump Adviser Steve Bannon Charged with Defrauding Border Wall Donors
Yahoo News – Aaron Katersky (ABC News) | Published: 9/8/2022

Steve Bannon, a onetime political adviser to former President Trump, was charged by authorities in New York with defrauding donors to the We Build the Wall fundraising campaign for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The indictment charges Bannon and We Build the Wall itself with two counts of money laundering. There are additional felony counts of conspiracy and scheme to defraud. The state charges resemble federal charges for which Bannon received a pardon from Trump and allege Bannon and We Build the Wall defrauded 430 Manhattan-based donors out of $33,600.

New York – How a Hochul Donor Received $637M in State Payments
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 9/8/2022

Last December, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration received an offer to buy 26 million at-home coronavirus tests from a distributor that happened to be a major campaign donor to the governor. The price offered by Digital Gadgets founder Charlie Tebele was $13 per test, far steeper than what other companies were proposing for similar rapid antigen tests. Hochul’s administration had just approved a deal with another firm to buy 5 million tests for just five dollars each. Still, the Hochul administration quickly agreed to pay $338 million to Digital Gadgets at the higher per-test price.

New York – Panel Rejects 3 of the 10 Nominees to New York’s New Ethics Body
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 9/2/2022

A panel tasked with reviewing nominations to New York’s new ethics and lobbying oversight panel rejected three out of ten nominations, while confirming seven others. One of those rejected was Gary Lavine, an outspoken former commissioner on the state’s prior ethics body. the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. Lavine’s rejection appears the most likely to set up a legal battle over a key aspect of the new law that established the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government.

Ohio – Akron Organizers Turn to the Ballot Box for Civilian Oversight of Police
Ohio Capital Journal – Nick Evans | Published: 9/7/2022

A proposed ballot measure in Akron establishing civilian oversight for the police department comes on the heels of the police killing of Jayland Walker, a Black man shot nearly 50 times by Akron officers after fleeing a traffic stop. The amendment to the city charter would establish a new citizen review board with oversight of the city’s existing police auditor. The proposal also expands the auditor’s office and directs city council to spell out in statute what information the auditor can demand from the department. Organizers have turned in 7,000 petition signatures. That is more than two and a half times what they need.to get it on the November ballot.

Ohio – Redistricting: One year later, Ohio a unique, flawed case
Ohio Capital Journal – Susan Tebben | Published: 9/2/2022

One year after the saga of redistricting began, Ohio is seen as a unique case study in the legal strategies and flaws that can emerge in the process. A series of meetings of the Ohio Redistricting Commission were held, where the elected officials who constituted the commission interpreted and re-interpreted a constitutional amendment more than 70 percent of voters had approved to reform the redistricting. One year, five legislative map proposals and two congressional redraws later, the state will hold a general election in November with maps that have been ruled unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Oklahoma – Why Most Oklahoma State Legislative Races Are Uncontested
Oklahoma Watch – Keaton Ross | Published: 9/6/2022

Nearly 70 person of Oklahoma’s state legislative elections will be decided without a single vote cast in November. In 2018, nearly 75 percent of House and Senate races included candidates from at least two parties. Oklahoma now ranks among the nation’s least competitive states for legislative races. Without competitive local races, voters are more likely to become disengaged or feel alienated, studies have found. The same can happen to lawmakers who are not making their case to voters. A Georgetown University study found state legislators who run unopposed are less effective and engaged with constituents.

Oregon – Tina Kotek Wins Over Potential Rival with Embrace of Campaign Finance Changes
OPB – Dirk VanderHart | Published: 9/7/2022

Oregon gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek removed one potential obstacle in the race. In private discussions, Kotek committed to using her position to advocate for some specific campaign finance regulations if elected governor. With that commitment, and a newly added policy platform on her website, a notable competitor for left-leaning votes has now stepped down. Nathalie Paravicini, running for governor under the banners of the Oregon Progressive Party and Pacific Green Party, filed a form withdrawing her candidacy. Oregon is one of a handful of states that place no limit on how much campaigns can raise and spend.

Tennessee – Registry of Election Finance to Audit Humble for Potential Illegal Coordination with PAC-Like Group
Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 9/7/2022

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance is set to audit former state Senate candidate Gary Humble to determine whether his campaign illegally coordinated with his nonprofit organization Tennessee Stands. Registry board member Tom Lawless raised questions about Tennessee Stands, which has a 501(c)(4) federal tax status, and whether it is operating as a PAC without registering with the state. Humble is executive director of the organization, which is intertwined with his political activity.

Texas – Appeals Court Sides with Texas Ethics Commission Over Lobbying Fine Against GOP Activist Michael Quinn Sullivan
MSN – Taylor Goldenstein (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 9/1/2022

An appeals court upheld a Texas Ethics Commission fine levied against conservative activist Michael Quinn Sullivan. He registered as a lobbyist from 2001 to 2009 but did not in 2010 and 2011. The court found Sullivan, acting on behalf of Empower Texans in 2010 and 2011, had lobbied state lawmakers. The judges dismissed Sullivan’s arguments that the commission was unconstitutionally exercising both legislative and executive branch powers. They reversed the trial court’s judgment on the amount of the fine – $10,000 – saying Sullivan is owed a jury trial on that question.

Washington – Data Shows How Well Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program Is Working
Seattle Times – Gene Balk | Published: 9/2/2022

Seattle’s novel “democracy voucher” program for funding local elections is attracting attention. “… It could revolutionize local elections,” said Brian McCabe of Georgetown University, the co-author of a new study on the program. The study found the democracy voucher program does appear to be living up to its name by helping to democratize political giving in Seattle by diversifying the donor pool to better reflect the city’s population. It also found the rate of participation in the program rose most significantly among Black, Hispanic, and young voters, groups that have historically been underrepresented in the campaign finance system.

Washington – Washington State Judge Rules Facebook Violated Campaign Finance Rules
MSN – Naomi Nix (Washington Post) | Published: 9/2/2022

A judge ruled Facebook owner Meta repeatedly and intentionally violated Washington’s campaign finance law and must pay penalties. King County Superior Court Judge Douglass North said Facebook, which last year renamed itself Meta, repeatedly broke the state’s law requiring technology platforms make information about political ads available for public inspection in a “timely manner.” North also denied Meta’s attempt to invalidate the state’s decades-old law. The ruling arrives as Meta faces scrutiny over how much information it discloses about the way candidates use marketing campaigns on its networks.

Wisconsin – Ginni Thomas Pressed Wisconsin Lawmakers to Overturn Biden’s 2020 Victory
MSN – Emma Brown (Washington Post) | Published: 9/1/2022

Virginia “Ginni” Thomas, the conservative activist and wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, pressed lawmakers to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory not only in Arizona, as previously reported, but also in a second battleground state, Wisconsin, according to emails. Ginni Thomas emailed 29 Arizona lawmakers in in November and December 2020. She urged them to set aside Biden’s popular-vote victory and “choose” their own presidential electors. The new emails show she also messaged two Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin: state Sen. Kathy Bernier, then chair of the Senate elections committee, and state Rep. Gary Tauchen.

Campaign Finance

Pennsylvania: “Philly’s Board of Ethics Will Consider Banning Super PAC ‘Redboxing’ Ahead of the 2023 Mayoral Race” by Sean Collins Walsh for Philadelphia Inquirer

Washington: “‘Gold Standard’ or Unconstitutional? Facebook and Wash. State AG Spar Over Political Ad Disclosure Law” by Todd Bishop (GeekWire) for MSN

Elections

Georgia: “Georgia PSC Elections Again Delayed After High Court Ruling” by Jeff Amy (Associated Press) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Judge Signals He’s Willing to Unseal Some of Mar-a-Lago Affidavit” by Josh Dawsey and Perry Stein (Washington Post) for MSN

Arkansas: “Settlement Requires Arkansas Senator to Unblock Critics” by Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) for MSN

California: “This Former L.A. Politician Took Cash in Envelopes. Now He’s Been Fined $79,830” by David Zahniser (Los Angeles Times) for MSN

Florida: “Judge Blocks Florida’s ‘Stop Woke Act’ Restrictions for Private Companies” by Tim Craig (Washington Post) for MSN

Procurement

Texas: “One Former and One Current State Rep Are Set to Get Part of Lucrative Houston Airport Contracts” by Dylan McGuinness (Houston Chronicle) for AviationPros

National/Federal

A Right-Wing Think Tank Claimed to Be a Church. Now, Members of Congress Want to Investigate.
ProPublica – Andrew Suozzo | Published: 8/2/2022

Forty members of Congress asked the IRS and the Treasury Department to investigate what the lawmakers termed an “alarming pattern” of right-wing advocacy groups registering with the tax agency as churches, a move that allows the organizations to shield themselves from some financial reporting requirements and makes it easier to avoid audits. The representatives raised transparency concerns following a ProPublica story about the Family Research Council, a right-wing Christian think tank based in Washington, D.C., getting reclassified as a church.

Campaign Finance Watchdog Alleges WinRed Processed Billions in Political Contributions Without Disclosing Operating Expenses
OpenSecrets – Taylor Giorno | Published: 7/29/2022

Online Republican fundraising platform WinRed may have failed to fully disclose operating expenses, the Campaign Legal Center alleges in a new FEC complaint. The self-described “#1 fundraising technology used by conservatives” reported less than $2,700 in operating expenses since January 2019 despite processing over $2.8 billion in earmarked contributions, and $212 million in contribution refunds, during that period, according to the complaint.

Ex-White House Counsel Subpoenaed by Federal Grand Jury Investigating Jan. 6 Attack
ABC News – Katherine Faulders, John Santucci, and Alexander Mallin | Published: 8/2/2022

A federal grand jury subpoenaed former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone in its investigation into the assault on the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The move to subpoena Cipollone signals an even more dramatic escalation in the Justice Department’s investigation of the attack than previously known, following appearances by senior members of former Vice President Mike Pence’s staff before the grand jury.

First Jan. 6 Defendant Convicted at Trial Receives Longest Sentence of 7 Years
MSN – Spencer Hsu and Tom Jackman (Washington Post) | Published: 8/1/2022

The first U.S. Capitol riot defendant convicted at trial was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, the longest punishment handed down to date over the January6, 2021, attack on Congress. Guy Reffitt, a recruiter for the right-wing Three Percenters movement in Texas, was convicted of five felony offenses, including obstruction of Congress as it met to certify the 2020 election result, interfering with police, and carrying a firearm to a riot, and threatening his teenage son, who turned him in to the FBI.

Hot Mic Captured Gaetz Assuring Stone of Pardon, Discussing Mueller Redactions
Anchorage Daily News – John Swaine and Dalton Bennett (Washington Post) | Published: 7/30/2022

As Roger Stone prepared to stand trial in 2019, complaining he was under pressure from federal prosecutors to incriminate Donald Trump, a close ally of the president repeatedly assured Stone “the boss” would likely grant him clemency if he were convicted, a recording shows. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz predicted Stone would be found guilty at his trial but would not “do a day” in prison. Gaetz was apparently unaware they were being recorded by documentary filmmakers following Stone, whom special counsel Robert Mueller had charged with obstruction of a congressional investigation.

Jan. 6 Text Messages Wiped from Phones of Key Trump Pentagon Officials
CNN – Tierny Sneed and Zachary Cohen | Published: 8/2/2022

The Department of Defense (DOD) wiped the phones of top departing DOD and Army officials at the end of the Trump administration, deleting any texts from key witnesses to events surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol. American Oversight filed a Freedom of Information suit seeking the records from former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, former chief of staff Kash Patel, and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, among others. Miller, Patel, and McCarthy have been viewed as crucial witnesses for understanding government’s response to the assault and former President Trump’s reaction to the breach.

Justice Department Details Threats Against Election Workers
Associated Press News – Marina Villeneuve | Published: 8/3/2022

The U.S. Justice Department has charged five people for making threats of violence against election workers amid a rising wave of harassment and intimidation tied to the 2020 presidential race, a top official told the Senate Judiciary Committee. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite said the department has investigated more than 1,000 harassing and threatening messages directed at election workers. Roughly 100 of those have risen to the level of potential prosecution.

Russian National Charged with U.S. Political Influence Operation
MSN – Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 7/29/2022

Federal authorities charged a Russian man with a years-long malign influence campaign targeting American politics – alleging he used American groups in Florida, Georgia, and California to sow discord and push pro-Russia propaganda. Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, who lives in Moscow, worked for nearly eight years with Russian officials to fund and direct the U.S. groups, according to the indictment. It does not name the groups, but charges Ionov also advised the campaigns of two unidentified candidates in Florida.

Secret Service’s ‘Ludicrous’ Deletion of Jan. 6 Phone Data Baffles Experts
MSN – Drew Harwell, Will Oremus, and Joseph Menn (Washington Post) | Published: 7/29/2022

Cybersecurity experts and former government leaders are stunned by how poorly the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security handled the preservation of officials’ text messages and other data from around January 6, 2021, saying the top agencies entrusted with fighting cybercrime should never have bungled the simple task of backing up agents’ phones. Experts are divided over whether the disappearance of the phone data is a sign of incompetence, an intentional coverup, or some murky middle ground. But the failure has raised suspicions about the disposition of records whose preservation was mandated by federal law.

Several Election Deniers Backed by Trump Prevail in Hotly Contested Primaries
MSN – Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2022

Several election deniers backed by former President Trump prevailed in closely watched primaries on August 2, as a nationwide battle over the future of the GOP played out in state and federal races across five states. Primaries in these states as well as Kansas and Washington kicked off a final series of intraparty contests before the midterms that will determine control of Congress in the fall. It was unclear what the totality of the primaries would reveal about the influence of Trump and his ideas, with key contests yet to be settled.

The GOP Went to War Against Google Over Spam – and May Win
MSN – Isaac Stanley-Becker and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 7/29/2022

Many Republican lawmakers contend Google is suppressing the party’s campaign solicitations. Republicans have waged a pressure campaign that has included public Twitter offensives and private discussions with Google executives. The effort’s impact became apparent when Google asked the FEC to approve a pilot program that would exempt campaign emails from spam detection. The amount of political fundraising conducted over email and text has exploded in recent years, adding to the deluge of promotional messages swamping Americans every day. The full-court press drew on the GOP’s protest that Silicon Valley is biased against conservatives, a claim disputed by the companies.

The RNC ‘Election Integrity’ Official Appearing in DOJ’s Jan. 6 Subpoenas
MSN – Betsy Woodruff Swan (Politico) | Published: 7/30/2022

In addition to a group of former President Trump’s top lawyers, the Justice Department’s January 6 probe is also seeking communications to and from a Republican National Committee (RNC) staffer in a sensitive role. At least three witnesses in the investigation of so-called alternate electors in the 2020 election have received subpoenas demanding communications to and from Joshua Findlay, who is now the RNC’s national director for election integrity.

U.S. Sues Former Trump Aide Peter Navarro Over White House Emails
MSN – Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 8/3/2022

Peter Navarro, the former Trump economic adviser already facing trial on charges of contempt of Congress, was sued by the government over his refusal to turn over private emails he allegedly used to conduct White House business during the Trump administration. The lawsuit charges he “is wrongfully retaining Presidential records that are the property of the United States, and which constitute part of the permanent historical record of the prior administration.”

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Arizona Officials Warned Fake Electors Plan Could ‘Appear Treasonous’
MSN – Maggie Haberman and Luke Broadwater (New York Times) | Published: 8/3/2022

Two Arizona Republicans recruited by allies of former President Trump to join an effort to keep him in office after he lost the 2020 election grew so concerned about the plan that they told lawyers working on it that they feared their actions could be seen as treason, according to emails. The scheme was part of a broader plan to falsely manufacture a victory for Trump by creating fake slates of electors in battleground states who would claim he had been the true winner. Some of the lawyers who undertook the effort doubted its legality.

California – Alameda County Sued by Anti-Affirmative Action Group Over Public Contracts Policy
MSN – Joseph Geha (Bay Area News Group) | Published: 7/31/2022

Alameda County’s efforts to ensure minority-owned and women-owned businesses get a share of public construction contracts violate the U.S. and California Constitution, according to a lawsuit. Plaintiffs say the county’s Public Works Agency and its General Services Agency both oversee similar programs that “force general contractors to discriminate against subcontractors” if they are not minority owned. The programs, which push contractors working on many projects to have at least 15 percent of the work done by minority-owned businesses and at least five percent done by women-owned businesses, amount to “government-sanctioned racial discrimination.”

California – Is It Too Easy for Write-In Candidates in California Elections?
CalMatters – Sameea Kamal | Published: 7/28/2022

In California elections, it only takes a handful of signatures and votes for legislative write-in candidates to get on the November ballot. While some candidates might spend millions of dollars or months campaigning, California’s top-two primary system means that in races with only one other candidate, it is possible for a write-in candidate to sneak into second place with very little support. For the June 7 primary, state Assembly and Senate candidates needed as few as 40 people to sign nomination papers to qualify as write-in candidates. No matter how few votes they won, as long as they finished in second, they advanced to the November election.

California – L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas Sues City Hall, Seeking to Restore His Pay
MSN – David Zahniser (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 7/28/2022

Los Angeles City Councilperson Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a lawsuit seeking to have a judge strike down the city’s decision to cut off his pay while he fights federal corruption charges. In his filing, Ridley-Thomas called the decision by City Controller Ron Galperin to terminate his pay and health benefits “unauthorized, unlawful and politicized.” Ridley-Thomas said he is barred under city law from seeking outside income while he fights the charges. He also contends that Galperin’s actions violated the City Charter.

California – SF Arts Commission Director Used Grant Money for a Hawaii Vacation
San Francisco Examiner – Thomas Hughes (Bay City News Foundation) | Published: 8/2/2022

A former director of the San Francisco Arts Commission was fined $20,000 after she admitted diverting grant money to finance a personal vacation in Hawaii. The grant had been intended for a local Native and Indigenous artist and was awarded to fund a short documentary exploring pre-colonial connections across the Pacific. Instead, the money was used by former arts director Barbara Mumby-Huerta to pay travel expenses to Hawaii for herself, her daughter, and a friend, a trip in which no work was ever produced.

Connecticut – Connecticut Port Authority Reveals Which Employees Accepted Gifts
Yahoo – Greg Smith (The Day) | Published: 8/1/2022

At the request of two state senators, the Connecticut Port Authority (CPA) has released the names of its employees that improperly accepted gifts from a company vying for authority business. Former Executive Director Evan Matthews and Andrew Lavigne, the CPA’s current manager of business development and special projects, each received a $625 ticket from Seabury Maritime Capital to a May 2019 National Hockey League playoff game in Boston along with food and beverages from a restaurant.

Florida – Ethics Panel Hearing Set for Bristol City Clerk Who Allegedly Left IOUs for City Cash
Yahoo News – Karl Etters (Tallahassee Democrat) | Published: 8/1/2022

A state ethics panel found probable cause for a complaint against Bristol’s city clerk that alleges she left IOU notes for money she took from the cash drawer in City Hall. The panel recommended a formal public hearing for City Clerk Robin Hatcher. Deputy City Clerk Nichole Day said she saw Hatcher take $200 from the city’s cash drawer and replace it with a slip of paper “stating she had taken cash and would repay it later,” according to the complaint. Hatcher said she intended to donate $200 of her own money to the high school weightlifting team but didn’t have a chance to get to the bank, taking city money instead.

Florida – Florida Power & Light Operates an Exclusive, Invite-Only Lounge for Lawmakers and Lobbyists
MSN – Matt Dixon and Bruce Ritchie (Politico) | Published: 8/2/2022

Florida Power & Light operates an event space located on the third floor of the company’s Tallahassee offices. The exclusive lounge is used by company officials to host lobbyists and the lawmakers whose votes they need, according to sources. Revelations of the party space come as the utility is mired in scandals over its aggressive approach to lobbying and public advocacy. State Rep. Anna Eskamani said the energy company’s exclusive lounge raises concerns it is illicitly influencing lawmakers and violating the state’s gift ban and open meetings laws.

Florida – Intrigue Grows in Florida’s ‘Ghost’ Candidate Case as Prosecutors Seek More Info
Bradenton Herald – Ana Ceballos (Miami Herald) | Published: 7/30/2022

Prosecutors subpoenaed records related to a $600,000 money transfer between “dark money” organizations tied to an ongoing Miami-Dade County criminal case surrounding “ghost candidates” in the 2020 election. The transfer is adding a new layer of intrigue to a years-long question into who paid for thousands of political mail advertisements to promote sham no-party candidates in three contested Florida races that were key to helping solidify the Republican majority in the state Senate.

Florida – Judge Candidate Says Ivey Offered to Help Secure Appointment If She Dropped Out of Race
Yahoo News – Eric Rogers and Bobby Block (Florida Today) | Published: 8/3/2022

In the weeks since two Republican candidates said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey offered to securer them political jobs worth up to $50,000 a year if they left their races and backed his favored contenders, the election meddling controversy has widened. Now, another candidate has come forward, saying Ivey also tried to interfere in her race for county judge and offered to help secure her a spot as the county’s next state attorney if she agreed to drop out of the contest.

Georgia – Georgia Ethics Board Moves Forward Against Abrams-Linked Groups
MSN – Margaret Newkirk (Bloomberg) | Published: 8/1/2022

Georgia’s ethics commission will move ahead with a case against two groups founded by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, saying it was likely they violated campaign finance law by helping her first run for governor four years ago. The ruling paves the way for a final hearing and decision that could bring the biggest ethics fine in state history, just as the rematch between Abrams and Republican Governor Brian Kemp moves into its final three months.

Illinois – Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s Pension Payments Balloon as Judge Grants Defense Until Next Year to File Motions in Racketeering Case
MSN – Ray Long and Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 8/3/2022

As a federal judge granted a lengthy extension for Michael Madigan’s racketeering case, the former Illinois House speaker’s state pension has risen to nearly $149,000 a year, a more than $63,000 increase since he retired last year. The windfall is the result of both Madigan’s 50-plus years in the House and an often-beneficial state pension formula for lawmakers that Madigan himself helped push through. It also comes as the former lawmaker continues to battle a federal bribery-related case that will likely not see any significant court action until next year.

Illinois – Federal Lawsuit Challenges New Limits on Contributions to Illinois Judicial Candidates
MSN – Dan Petrella (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 8/3/2022

A federal lawsuit challenges the restrictions on campaign contributions to judicial candidates in Illinois on First Amendment grounds. Democrats in the Legislature passed a bill last year that bars judicial candidates from receiving campaign money from out-of-state contributors and groups that do not disclose their donors. This year, lawmakers banned donations in excess of $500,000 per election cycle from a single source to independent expenditure committees set up to support or oppose judicial candidates.

Kansas – Kansans Resoundingly Reject Amendment Aimed at Restricting Abortion Rights
MSN – Annie Gowan and Colby Itkowitz (Washington Post) | Published: 8/2/2022

Kansas voters sent a resounding message about their desire to protect abortion rights, rejecting a ballot measure in a conservative state with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten restrictions or ban the procedure outright. The results bolster Democrats’ hopes that the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade will animate their voters in an otherwise difficult election year for their party. The vote signals abortion is an energizing issue that could affect turnout in the November midterms.

Kentucky – Louisville Candidates Got New Ethics Rules. Why Weren’t They Followed?
WDRB – Marcus Green | Published: 7/29/2022

Metro Council approved sweeping changes to Louisville’s ethics rules in March, broadening what must be reported by candidates for key offices and other top elected and appointed officials. Once the ordinance took effect March 8, it gave candidates in the May primaries until April 30 to file the new financial disclosures with the city’s ethics commission. But that did not happen. The ethics commission ultimately extended the filing deadline until after the primary, a decision that made the disclosures a non-factor for voters and campaigns alike.

Louisiana – Karen Carter Peterson Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud. She Will Be Sentenced on Dec. 7
NOLA.com – Tyler Bridges and Gordon Russell | Published: 8/1/2022

Karen Carter Peterson pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding campaign donors, putting an ignominious end to a political career that saw her serve 22 years in the state Legislature and chair the Louisiana Democratic Party for nearly a decade. Prosecutors said Peterson helped herself to about $147,357 in funds that did not belong to her, from both her re-election campaigns and money given to the party. Peterson spent a “substantial amount” of that money at casinos, both “before and after her gambling addiction diagnosis,” according to court documents.

Missouri – How a Trump Endorsement Scramble in Mo. Ended in Absurdity: Vote ‘ERIC’
MSN – Michael Scherer, Ashley Parker, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 8/2/2022

With two words, Donald Trump launched a wild scramble that Republican leaders had hoped to avoid: “sometime today!” the former president wrote on Truth Social declaring his plans endorse in Missouri’s U.S. Senate primary. Trump had not yet decided which candidate to back when he published those words, according to interviews with numerous officials familiar with the chaos that ensued. So began an eight-hour deadline to win over Trump’s favor before primary day, a decision that in the mind of some Republicans could have undermined GOP hopes for taking control of the Senate this fall.

Missouri – St. Louis County Council Ethics Committee Wants Closer Look at Colleague’s Weed Work
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Joe Holleman | Published: 7/30/2022

Not only did a St. Louis County Council committee vote to delve deeper into Councilperson Lisa Clancy’s ties to the marijuana industry, it also widened its scope to include several other larger players involved. The council’s ethics committee said it wants to continue researching whether Clancy violated conflict-of-interest rules in 2019. The specific issue being examined by the committee is that Clancy was paid about $4,500 by a law firm to work on marijuana license applications at the same time she was actively working to influence the county’s zoning ordinance regulating marijuana locations.

New Mexico – Former New Mexico Cannabis Director Joins Private Firm, Raising Ethics Debate
MSN – Carlos Segarra (KRQE) | Published: 8/2/2022

After spending less than a year developing and executing the state’s cannabis rules, New Mexico’s former Cannabis Control Division (CCD) director is joining a private cannabis firm. A consultant agency, Weeds, hired Kristen Thomson, leading some to debate the ethics of the move. Weeds also hired Bobbi Martinez, the former compliance manager for the CCD.

New York – Hochul Campaign Donor Lands Multi-Billion-Dollar State Contract
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 7/31/2022

The New York Department of Health is awarding a multi-billion-dollar transportation contract to a company owned by a significant campaign donor to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was also the beneficiary of a campaign fundraiser the bidder hosted as the procurement process was nearing its conclusion. Records show Russ Maxwell spent $4,500 to pay for food, catering, and flowers for a Hochul fundraiser. He also gave Hochul an additional $10,000 that day, and his husband, Morgan McDole, gave $20,000. Maxwell donated $10,000 and McDole $20,000 to the state Democratic Party, which is closely aligned with Hochul’s campaign.

Ohio – Feds Ask Judge to Sanction Ex-Lobbyist Charged in House Bill 6 Case for Publishing Key Witness’s Personal Information Online
MSN – Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 8/2/2022

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sanction an ex-lobbyist charged with bribery in the Ohio House Bill 6 corruption case for using his legal defense website to publish the personal information of a key witness in the government’s case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Singer said Matt Borges’s website, until he removed it, contained unredacted copies of the witness’s Social-Security card, tax forms, and driver’s license. Using the pseudonym “CHS-1” to refer to the witness, Tyler Fehrman, Singer said the incident was an intentional effort by Borges to intimidate and retaliate against Fehrman by exposing him to identity theft.

Ohio – Subpoenaed State Records Detail Former Top Regulator’s Work to Protect Nuclear Bailout
Cleveland Plain Dealer – Andrew Tobias | Published: 8/1/2022

Records the FBI requested last year detail the steps a former top state official took to try to save Ohio’s nuclear bailout law after it was threatened by a federal regulatory decision. The newly released records show how then-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo traveled to meet executives with Energy Harbor, the owner of the two nuclear plants bailed out by House Bill 6. Randazzo helped set up the meeting hours after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new rule meant to discourage states from subsidizing their electricity industry, as Ohio had done with House Bill 6.

Pennsylvania – Dr. Oz’s Dark History of Promoting Companies He Was Quietly Invested In
MSN – Sam Brody (Daily Beast) | Published: 8/1/2022

Dr. Mehmet Oz built a national brand on dispensing surprising, and surprisingly simple, remedies for widespread health concerns. In one emblematic case, viewers may have surmised that Oz’s video plugging the probiotic TruBiotics was, essentially, an ad. What they were not aware of, however, is Oz was a member of the board of directors of the brand’s parent company, PanTheryx. He holds a stake in the business worth as much as $1 million. Oz is the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania – Pa. Liquor Control Board Officials Got Dibs on Pappy Van Winkle, Other High-End Bourbon Lottery Leftovers
MSN – Jan Murphy (Pennlive.com) | Published: 8/2/2022

Thousands of Pennsylvanians try their luck at entering the Liquor Control Board’s limited-release lotteries with hopes of getting the chance to buy a bottle of high-end limited quantity wine or spirits. In 2019 and 2020, though, for Liquor Control Board member Michael Negra and four of the agency’s top-level employees, luck was not needed to claim their bottle or two. Negra and the employees were given the chance to buy some of the coveted bottles left over from lotteries before the public even knew there were still bottles up for grabs. A State Ethics Commission investigation found this sharing of confidential information did not violate the law.

Texas – Aide to Houston Mayor Resigns After Reportedly Pleading Guilty to Public Corruption
Houston Public Media – Adam Zuyanich and Haya Panjwani | Published: 8/3/2022

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said neither he nor anyone on his executive staff had prior knowledge of a federal public corruption case involving one of his top aides, who pleaded guilty recently and subsequently resigned. William-Paul Thomas, who has worked as the mayor’s liaison to the city council since before Turner was elected in 2015, admitted to participating in a conspiracy to accept a cash bribe, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Texas – Texas Ethics Commission Wants Funds for Tech Upgrades after Beto O’Rourke Crashes Servers
MSN – Allie Morris (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 8/2/2022

After Beto O’Rourke’s massive fundraising report overwhelmed state servers in July, the Texas Ethics Commission wants $750,000 to upgrade its aging technology ahead of the midterm elections. Without change, the system “will likely fail again” when the next round of campaign finance reports are due in October, commission leaders warned in a letter to the Legislative Budget Board. The issue is coming to a head as campaign finance reports grow ever more voluminous, the letter said, and the commission’s decade-old servers cannot keep up.

Wisconsin – Memo Shows Wis. GOP Lawyer Privately Opposed Decertifying Biden’s 2020 Win
MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 8/2/2022

Michael Gableman, a former state Supreme Court justice hired by Republican lawmakers to probe the 2020 election, said in March that Wisconsin should take a “hard look” at canceling Joe Biden’s victory and revoking the state’s 10 electoral college votes. The comment drew applause from a packed hearing room in the state Capitol and praise from former President Trump, whose allies have called for throwing out the results in Wisconsin and other battleground states even though constitutional scholars have scoffed at the notion as absurd. But a newly unearthed memo shows Gableman soon offered a far different analysis in private.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin DOJ Probes Voter Fraud Stunt as Election Officials Debate Absentee Rules
MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 7/29/2022

With a few clicks of a mouse, a conservative activist sent Wisconsin’s elections apparatus into disarray ahead of the August 9 primary. Harry Wait said he requested absentee ballots in the names of two high-profile politicians be sent to his own address to try to show voter fraud is easy to perform. The stunt showed one person and a computer or smartphone could jolt the state’s elections system and forced officials to weigh making changes to the state’s absentee voting procedures and whether doing so would make it harder to vote. It also drew the attention of law enforcement.

Campaign Finance

National: “Campaign Finance Watchdog Alleges WinRed Processed Billions in Political Contributions Without Disclosing Operating Expenses” by Taylor Giorno for OpenSecrets

Florida: “Intrigue Grows in Florida’s ‘Ghost’ Candidate Case as Prosecutors Seek More Info” by Ana Ceballos (Miami Herald) for Bradenton Herald

Elections

Wisconsin: “Wisconsin DOJ Probes Voter Fraud Stunt as Election Officials Debate Absentee Rules” by Patrick Marley (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Hot Mic Captured Gaetz Assuring Stone of Pardon, Discussing Mueller Redactions” by John Swaine and Dalton Bennett (Washington Post) for Anchorage Daily News

Kentucky: “Louisville Candidates Got New Ethics Rules. Why Weren’t They Followed?” by Marcus Green for WDRB

Missouri: “St. Louis County Council Ethics Committee Wants Closer Look at Colleague’s Weed Work” by Joe Holleman for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ohio: “Regulators Block Deposition of FirstEnergy’s Former Ethics Chief” by Jake Zuckerman for Ohio Capital Journal

Procurement

California: “Alameda County Sued by Anti-Affirmative Action Group Over Public Contracts Policy” by Joseph Geha (Bay Area News Group) for MSN

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “AZ Secretary of State Candidate’s Nonprofit Spending Raises Questions” by Mary Jo Pitzl (Arizona Republic) for Arizona Daily News

California: “Ex-Compton Councilman Isaac Galvan, Dogged by Election-Rigging Scandal, Faces $240,000 Fine” by Gregory Yee (Los Angeles Times) for Yahoo News

Missouri: “FEC Member Pans Decision Not to Investigate Groups That Helped Elect Greitens in 2016” by Jason Hancock for Missouri Independent

Texas: “AG Ken Paxton Declines to Sue Candidates, Officials Who Owe $700K in Unpaid Campaign Violation Fines” by Taylor Goldsmith (Houston Chronicle) for MSN

Elections

National: “Little-Known Lawyer Pitched Trump on Extreme Plans to Subvert Election” by Maggie Haberman and Luke Broadwater (New York Times) for Yahoo News

Ethics

Washington: “Armed Man Arrested Outside Home of Rep. Jayapal for Alleged Death Threat” by Amy Wang (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

New York: “N.Y. Assemblyman Charles Fall’s Girlfriend Lobbied Him on Various Issues, Prompting Ethics Concerns” by Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) for MSN

Procurement

National: “Bipartisan Group Seeks to Limit Who Federal Agencies Can Contract With” by Eric Katz for Government Executive

National/Federal

A Fringe Conspiracy Theory, Fostered Online, Is Refashioned by the GOP
Hartford Courant – Nicholas Confessore and Karen Yourish (New York Times) | Published: 5/16/2022

At the extremes of American life, replacement theory – the notion that Western elites, sometimes manipulated by Jews, want to “replace” and disempower white Americans – has become an engine of racist terror, helping inspire a wave of mass shootings in recent years. But replacement theory, once confined to Reddit message boards and semi-obscure white nationalist sites, has gone mainstream. In sometimes more muted forms, the fear it crystallizes of a future America in which white people are no longer the numerical majority has become a potent force in conservative media and politics, where the theory has been borrowed and remixed to attract audiences, retweets, and small-dollar donations.

Feds Dismiss Campaign Finance Complaint Against Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert
Colorado Public Radio – Caitlyn Kim | Published: 5/16/2022

The FEC dismissed a complaint against U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert over her 2020 mileage reimbursement after the commissioners deadlocked on whether to investigate further. While the FEC’s Office of General Counsel did not find any evidence that Boebert converted campaign funds to personal use, as the complaint had alleged, it did note the “round figure of 32,000 miles driven for campaign-related purposes suggests that the assessment is a general estimate rather than one found on the kind of contemporaneous log contemplated in the Commission’s regulations.”

How Facebook Funded a Clandestine War Against Regulation
MSN – Cat Zakrzewski and Elizabeth Dwoskin (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2022

Backed by millions of dollars from Facebook-parent company Meta, the political advocacy group American Edge has launched a campaign to combat antitrust legislation in Washington, placing op-eds in regional newspapers throughout the country, commissioning studies, and collaborating with an array of partners, including minority business associations, conservative think tanks, and former national security officials. It is a playbook more common to other industries, but tech companies, under heightened scrutiny from federal regulators, are seizing on these methods.

How the Biden Administration Let Right-Wing Attacks Derail Its Disinformation Efforts
Yahoo News – Taylor Lorenz (Washington Post) | Published: 5/18/2022

On April 27, the Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of the first Disinformation Governance Board with the stated goal to “coordinate countering misinformation related to homeland security.” The Biden administration tapped Nina Jankowicz, a well-known figure in the field of fighting disinformation and extremism, as executive director. Within hours of her appointment, Jankowicz was thrust into the spotlight by the forces she dedicated her career to combating. She became a primary target on the right-wing Internet, subject to a barrage of harassment and abuse while unchecked misrepresentations of her work continue to go viral.

Jan. 6 Panel Subpoenas 5 House Republicans, Including Minority Leader
MSN – Felicia Sonmez, Jacqueline Alemany, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Mariana Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 5/12/2022

The U.S. House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on announced it subpoenaed five Republican members of Congress, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, after they refused to cooperate with the panel’s inquiry. The move marks a significant escalation in the committee’s efforts to obtain information related to lawmakers’ communications with former President Trump and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows before, during, and after the attack.

Supreme Court Agrees with Cruz, Strikes Campaign Contribution Limit
MSN – Robert Barnes (Washington Post) | Published: 5/16/2022

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled a $250,000 cap on the amount of money that candidates can be reimbursed after an election for personal loans to their own campaigns unjustifiably burdened political expression. It was the latest decision to knock out a part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and reemphasized the court’s view that many restrictions on campaign finance are unconstitutional violations of the First Amendment’s protection of speech. Justice Elena Kagan said the court was effectively abetting corruption by allowing donors to contribute to a campaign after an election in a way that benefits the candidate personally.

The Little Red Boxes Making a Mockery of Campaign Finance Laws
Yahoo News – Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 5/16/2022

Democratic candidates nationwide are pioneering new frontiers in soliciting and directing money from friendly super PACs financed by multimillionaires, billionaires, and special-interest groups. Campaign watchdogs complain the practice further blurs the lines meant to keep wealthy interests from influencing people running for office, effectively evading the strict donation limits imposed on federal candidates. The practice is both brazen and simple. To work around the prohibition on directly coordinating with super PACs, candidates are posting their instructions to them inside the red boxes on public pages that super PACs continuously monitor.

U.S. Sues to Compel Casino Mogul Steve Wynn to Register as Agent of China
MSN – Isaac Stanley-Becker and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2022

The U.S. Justice Department sued Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn to compel him to register as a foreign agent because of lobbying work it says he performed for the Chinese government during the Trump administration. The department said it had advised Wynn repeatedly over the last four years to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and is suing now because Wynn refused to do so. Though the Justice Department has ramped up efforts to criminally prosecute people who do not register as foreign agents, officials described this case as the first lawsuit of its kind in more than three decades.

Victories by Mastriano, Budd Show Potency of Trump’s False Stolen Election Claims in GOP
MSN – Annie Linskey and David Weigel (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2022

Republican candidates who sought to overturn the 2020 election won statewide primaries in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, reflecting the lingering influence in the GOP of former President Trump’s false claims the vote was rigged against him. Their primary victories came on a day when the effect of Trump and his far-right movement on the midterm elections faced its biggest test to date. Incomplete results showed Trump’s influence over the movement he started was uneven, winning some but not all the races where he backed a candidate.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Arizona Senate to Investigate Wendy Rogers Over Social Media Post on Buffalo Shooting
Yahoo News – Ray Stern (Arizona Republic) | Published: 5/16/2022

The Arizona Senate Ethics Committee will investigate a social media post from state Sen. Wendy Rogers that suggested the shooter in a mass killing in Buffalo was a federal agent and part of a conspiracy by the federal government. The committee said it will examine Rogers’ remarks “relating to the Buffalo shooting as inappropriate of an elected official with this body.” An effort to expel Rogers pushed by Democrats failed.

California – Judge Halts Angel Stadium Sale for FBI Corruption Probe of Anaheim Mayor
KABC – City News Service | Published: 5/17/2022

The city of Anaheim’s planned sale of Angel Stadium to team owner Arte Moreno’s company was halted for at least two months by an Orange County Superior Court judge, who agreed to a request by the state to pause the deal amid a federal corruption probe of Mayor Harry Sidhu. The state attorney general’s office filed the petition requesting a halt to the sale, pointing to the federal investigation that involves, in part, allegations Sidhu was trying to leverage the deal to secure campaign contributions from the Los Angeles Angels.

Colorado – Some Colorado Lobbyists Work for Both Sides at the Same Time
KUSA – Zack Newman | Published: 5/16/2022

At least 15 lobbyists and firms in Colorado have had clients on opposite of a bill at the same time in 2021 and 2022. State law requires lobbyists to tell clients about any conflicts-of-interest and bars them from engaging in “any other practice that discredits the practice of lobbying or the general assembly.” Mike Beasley, who runs 5280 Strategies, said it is “really important” to avoid conflicts-of-interest and there are practices in place to prevent them. He said his contract requires him to flag possible conflicts as far in advance as possible.

Delaware – State Auditor Loses Bid to Have Procurement Charge Dropped
MSN – Randall Chase (Associated Press) | Published: 5/17/2022

A judge refused to dismiss a criminal charge accusing Delaware’s embattled state auditor of deliberately breaking up payments for a contract she entered into with a former campaign consultant in order to avoid compliance with state procurement law. Kathleen McGuiness, who is responsible for rooting out government fraud, waste, and abuse, was indicted on felony counts of theft and witness intimidation, and misdemeanor charges of official misconduct, conflict-of-interest, and noncompliance with procurement laws. McGuiness has denied any wrongdoing.

Florida – Florida Bans Protests Outside Homes
MSN – Lindsay Bever (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2022

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to outlaw protests outside private residences, a move opponents say violates First Amendment rights. The new law will make it a misdemeanor to picket or protest outside a person’s house to “harass or disturb” that person. Violators will receive a warning, and those who do not stop may be arrested for unlawful residential picketing, a crime punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Republicans and Democrats have been debating the legality of protesting outside the private residences of U.S. Supreme Court justices, and the White House has said such protests are fine when they are peaceful.

Florida – Florida Judge Blocks DeSantis’ Congressional Redistricting Effort
MSN – Gary Fineout (Politico) | Published: 5/11/2022

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bid to remake the state’s congressional map was dealt a setback on after a state judge said he would block the plan because of the way it scattered Black voters among several districts. DeSantis personally pushed the GOP-led Legislature to approve the map, which boosts the number of Republican-held seats in the state. The map also dismantles the district held by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat. The map is facing a legal challenge by a coalition that argues it violates the state’s Fair Districts standards – voter-approved anti-gerrymandering amendments in the Florida Constitution.

Florida – Miami Heat Mayor Suarez’s Office Is Mum on Prime Courtside Seat at the Heat’s Playoff Game
MSN – Ben Carnack (Miami Herald) | Published: 5/18/2022

At a recent Miami Heat playoff game, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez was seated courtside. The county ethics code mandates that gifts exceeding $100 must be reported in quarterly financial disclosures. Former Mayor Tomás Regalado, who faced an ethics probe that dealt, in part, with Miami Heat tickets, said it is inappropriate for the current mayor to sit courtside at a playoff game, whether the ticket was gifted to Suarez or he purchased it himself.

Florida – Mystery Group Behind Ads in ’20 Central Florida Primary Must Reveal Donors, Judge Rules
The Black Chronicle – Annie Martin (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 5/12/2022

A group that sent attack ads in a state Senate primary in Florida without disclosing its donors, must reveal its contributors and make its chairperson available for a deposition, a judge ruled. Though political committees are required to list their contributions publicly, Floridians for Equality and Justice listed just one donation, a $249,925 “starting balance” from a “dark money” nonprofit organization of the same name. Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Jose Rodriguez said that records that state Sen. Annette Taddeo seeks, including bank records, exist and are in the committee’s possession.

Georgia – Georgia County Under Scrutiny After Claim of Post-Election Breach
MSN – Emma Brown and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 5/13/2022

A former elections supervisor in rural Coffee County, Georgia, told The Washington Post she opened her offices to a businessperson active in the election-denier movement to help investigate results she did not trust in the weeks after former President Trump’s 2020 defeat. Trump carried the conservative county by 40 points, but elections supervisor Misty Hampton said she remained suspicious of Joe Biden’s win in Georgia. Hampton made a video that went viral soon after the election, claiming to show Dominion Voting System machines, the ones used in her county, could be manipulated.

Georgia – Georgia’s Oxendine to Hand Over $128,000 to End Ethics Saga
WABE – Associated Press | Published: 5/12/2022

The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission agreed to drop its campaign finance case against former state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who will hand over the $128,000 remaining in his campaign fund and admit no wrongdoing. The deal ends a years-long struggle over whether Oxendine broke state law by using campaign funds to buy a house, lease luxury cars, and join a private club. Some members of commission expressed frustration that Oxendine did not admit fault in the consent order.

Georgia – Lieutenant Governor Candidate Jones Hasn’t Disclosed Flights
MSN – Associated Press | Published: 5/16/2022

A Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Georgia acknowledged he has been flying to campaign events on his family’s private plane without disclosing any donations or expenses related to the flights in campaign finance filings. A campaign spokesperson for state Sen. Burt Jones said the candidate planned to pay one lump sum after the May 24 primary for all flights taken. But state campaign finance law says candidates “must disclose (expenses made) on the campaign contribution disclosure report due for the reporting period in which the flight occurred.”

Illinois – Three-Peat: Chicago ranks no. 1 in Corruption, report finds
WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 5/11/2022

For the third year in a row, Chicago is America’s most corrupt city, and Illinois is the third-most corrupt state, according to an annual report from the University of Illinois at Chicago. The report is based on an analysis of the public corruption statistics published by the U.S. Department of Justice. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic that nearly shut down state and federal courts, 2020 was one of the most “significant” twelve months in the “startling saga of political and public corruption in Chicago and Illinois,” said the author of the report, Dick Simpson, a former Chicago City Council member.

Iowa – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to Return Illegal $50,000 PAC Campaign Contribution
MSN – Katie Akin (Des Moines Register) | Published: 5/18/2022

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller will return an illegal $50,000 campaign contribution from the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Iowa law prohibits statewide candidates from accepting donations from PACs until the regular legislative session ends and lawmakers had not adjourned when Miller accepted the donation on May 13.

Kansas – Wichita Ethics Board Members, Candidates Could Be Disqualified Under ‘Goofy’ Policy
MSN – Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 5/17/2022

Quirks in Wichita’s ethics policy threaten to further delay a board that has been dormant for more than a year, stalling any investigations of potential misconduct by city officials. One empty board seat, the ethics officer position, stands between the passage and enforcement of the city’s ethics rules. But the three finalists for the position have either dropped out of the race or face disqualification. A prohibition on “active members” of political parties and nonpartisan political organizations disqualifies two of the three finalists, one of whom already dropped out of the race. The other finalist moved out of town and is no longer interested in the position.

Maryland – Baltimore Council President Nick Mosby Violated Ethics Law by Accepting Money from City Contractors Via Legal Defense Fund, Board Rules
MSN – Emily Opilo (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 5/12/2022

Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby violated the city’s ethics ordinance by accepting money from persons doing business with the city through his legal defense fund. The ruling by the city’s Board of Ethics does not name the donors but both are considered “controlled donors” under the law, which bars elected officials from receiving contributions from such donors, solicited or otherwise. The board also concluded Mosby violated a provision of the law barring him from soliciting donations, directly or indirectly, from controlled donors.

Michigan – Feds Charge Ex-Romulus Mayor with Wire Fraud in Corruption Crackdown
Detroit News – Robert Snell | Published: 5/13/2022

Federal prosecutors charged the former mayor of Romulus with wire fraud for spending more than $15,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses. LeRoy Burcroff is the latest current or former public official charged during a more than decade-long federal assault on corruption within municipal government and organized labor around Metro Detroit. That crackdown has led to charges against more than 110 people and the convictions of the two past presidents of the United Auto Workers, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and 23 contractors and public officials in Macomb County.

Montana – State Won’t Appeal Ruling Striking Down Parts of New Law
Helena Independent Record – Seaborn Lawson | Published: 5/18/2022

The Montana attorney general’s office will not appeal a District Court ruling that found state lawmakers went to unconstitutional lengths to pass new campaigning laws. Judge Mike Menahan ruled lawmakers had added sections unrelated to the original intent of Senate Bill 319 in a late-session meeting without public participation, in violation of the Montana Constitution.

New York – Adams’ Top Aide Navigates Uncharted Path on New York Ethics Issues
Yahoo News – Sally Goldenberg and Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 5/17/2022

Attorney Frank Carone of the firm Abrams Fensterman is chief of staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. A recent public disclosure shows the firm has been actively lobbying the new mayoral administration. Carone faces numerous conflicts-of-interest as he undertakes an expansive role in City Hall. An analysis of the firm’s clients from last year found more than 40 whose financial interests are intertwined with municipal government. Abrams Fensterman’s network of clients sets up a situation with little recent precedent in New York.

New York – Corporate Campaign Donors Identify Themselves Thanks to New York Focus Nudge
New York Focus – Sam Mellins | Published: 5/12/2022

In the wake of reporting into the state Board of Election’s failure to act on possible violations of a campaign finance law meant to limit “dark money” in New York elections, the agency began enforcement in March. That yielded rapid results, recent figures show: compliance with the law’s disclosure requirements has increased more than threefold since the board acted. The law required limited liability companies (LLCs) that make political donations to submit a form listing their owners and how much of the company each one owns. But majority of donors who gave via LLCs were not aware of or simply ignored this requirement.

New York – Court Expert Draws More GOP-Friendly New York Political Maps
MSN – Michelle Price (Associated Press) | Published: 5/16/2022

A court-appointed expert released a draft of new congressional maps for New York state that are more favorable to Republicans than the original gerrymandered political maps drawn by Democrats. A New York court will take comment on the maps for two days before a final version is approved by a judge on May 20, with primary elections for congressional races and the state Senate now being held August 23. Adding to the redistricting tangle, the state’s Assembly and gubernatorial primaries are still scheduled for June 28.

Ohio – Cincinnati Launches New Office of Ethics and Good Government to Rebuild ‘Public Trust’
Spectrum News – Casey Weldon | Published: 5/14/2022

Cincinnati endured one of its most difficult periods two years ago as it watched one-third of city council arrested on federal corruption charges. Federal prosecutors accused City Hall of having a “culture of corruption.” The city has worked to help reshape that image, and one way is through the creation of the Office of Ethics and Good Government. Its job is to educate elected officials and city staff on ethics-related issues, ranging from conflicts-of-interest to campaign contributions. It also investigates suspected cases of impropriety submitted through a new hotline.

Ohio – Lawmaker Proposed $300M Handout to Nursing Homes; Then Raised $52,000 from their Liaisons
Yahoo News – Jake Zuckerman (Ohio Capital Journal) | Published: 5/12/2022

An Ohio lawmaker last year proposed allocating $300 million of federal COVID-19 relief funds, divvied up among the state’s nursing homes with no strings attached. Ten days later, Rep. Sara Carruthers received a $13,200 campaign contribution from the chief executive of a chain of 59 nursing homes, $13,200 from his business partner, and another $13,200 from the chief executive’s wife. Two weeks later, a lobbyist for an association of nursing homes that backed the bill gave her another $13,200. The four contributions together comprise nearly half of all Carruthers’ campaign fundraising in 2021.

Ohio – Leader of Columbus Green-Energy Ballot Measure Guilty of Falsifying Campaign Finance Report
Yahoo News – Bill Bush and Jordan Laird (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 5/16/2022

The man who led the failed ProEnergy Issue 7 ballot initiative last November, which Columbus leaders called a blatant effort to grab taxpayer funds, was found guilty of filing a false campaign finance record in connection with the petition drive for a similar 2019 initiative. John Clark Jr. led the petition drive to get an initiative put on the ballot that, if it had passed, would have diverted more than $50 million of city money toward vague green-energy initiatives proposed by a group that would have been in sole control of the funds.

Ohio – Medicaid Director Owned Stock in Companies She Awarded Huge Contracts
Ohio Capital Journal – Marty Schladen | Published: 5/17/2022

Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran’s ethics filings show she continued to own stock in three health care companies in 2021, the same year she negotiated and signed billion-dollar contracts with their subsidiaries. State ethics rules only require that officials such as Corcoran list all the stocks they own at least $1,000 worth of in a given year. So, it is impossible to know how heavily invested she is in those companies. Corcoran declined to file an affidavit disclosing her exact holdings in companies whose subsidiaries she was awarding contracts and she has refused to make those disclosures voluntarily.

Oregon – Rich Donors Take Major Advantage of a Loophole in Portland’s Public Campaign Financing System
OPB – Rebecca Ellis | Published: 5/12/2022

Portland’s public campaign finance program aims to reduce the influence of big money in city politics by limiting the contributions that participating candidates can accept. In return for capping donations at $250, candidates get their small donations matched nine-fold by the city. But the ability of wealthy donors to give unlimited amounts to PACs that support candidates is, this year’s election shows, a fundamental loophole in the city’s efforts to curb campaign spending and, in the process, broaden who can run for office.

South Dakota – South Dakota Report: Noem’s daughter got special treatment
MSN – Stephen Groves (Associated Press) | Published: 5/18/2022

State lawmakers unanimously approved a report finding South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s daughter got preferential treatment while she was applying for a real estate appraiser’s license in 2020. Noem has denied wrongdoing, despite holding a meeting that included her daughter, Kassidy Peters, and key decision-makers from the agency that was evaluating her application just days after the agency moved to deny her the license. After the meeting, Peters received another opportunity to demonstrate she could meet federal standards and was ultimately awarded the license.

Tennessee – Registry of Election Finance Declines to Investigate Rep. Sherrell’s Fire-Hall Checks
Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 5/19/2022

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance claimed it had been “weaponized” in a state House District race and refused to investigate a complaint that Rep. Paul Sherrell wrote checks to volunteer fire halls and asked for cash back. “What we’re being asked here is to assume that Mr. Sherrell is a crook, bottom line. We’re to assume he is conducting illegal activity …,” board member Tom Lawless said, because Sherrell bought ham breakfasts for firefighters. Nevertheless, the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance urged Sherrell to make contributions differently in the future and to document all donations.

Texas – AG Ken Paxton Refuses to Disclose His Property Addresses to the Texas Ethics Commission
MSN – Jay Root and Taylor Goldenstein (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 5/18/2022

The state police made him do it. That is the excuse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton gives on his ethics disclosures in place of revealing, as required by law, the addresses of properties he owns in Austin and College Station. “Redacted for security purposes on request of TX DPS,” Paxton has written on every form since he began work as attorney general. But nothing in the law allows him to refuse to provide the addresses, and none of the parties involved could produce any records proving such a request was ever made.

Washington – Inside the Washington Legislative Workers’ Union Push and Building Frustration with Democratic Leadership
Seattle Times – Joseph O’Sullivan | Published: 5/17/2022

Washington lawmakers passed a bill aimed at setting up a process to allow at least some legislative workers to unionize. The legislation also lifts the state’s prohibition on collective bargaining for legislative workers beginning in 2024. House Bill 2124 creates the Office of State Legislative Labor Relations to research and make recommendations to lawmakers about how staffers might unionize, and which workers might be part of that group. Lawmakers and others acknowledge they will likely need to pass another bill next year before collective bargaining begins.

Washington DC – Judges Accused of Sex Discrimination, Bullying, Internal Survey Shows
MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/16/2022

Complaints in a workplace survey conducted for the federal trial and appeals courts in the nation’s capital, an institution regarded as a steppingstone to the U.S. Supreme Court detail instances of gender discrimination, bullying, and racial insensitivity, while underscoring the power imbalance between judges with life tenure and the assistants who depend on them for career advancement. Current and former employees who acknowledged having witnessed misconduct described their reluctance to file complaints against their superiors. They cited fears of retaliation and distrust that the federal judiciary’s system for workplace accountability, which tasks judges with policing one another, ultimately would resolve their concerns.

Washington DC – Trump Sells D.C. Hotel Lease to Miami Investment Group
MSN – Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 5/11/2022

The Trump Organization completed the sale of its District of Columbia hotel lease on Pennsylvania Avenue to CGI Merchant Group and its partner Hilton Worldwide Holdings, which will operate the hotel as a Waldorf Astoria property. Calls for the lease to be revoked or for Trump to divest himself of his real estate assets grew louder after he entered office and foreign leaders, corporations, and Republican politicians booked rooms and parties at the hotel as part of their efforts to curry favor with Trump.

West Virginia – ‘Everyone Was Shocked’: How WV’s ethics laws allowed someone barred from lobbying to try to influence legislators anyway
Mountain State Spotlight – Ian Karbal | Published: 5/16/2022

The West Virginia Ethics Act bars certain public officials from lobbying for at least a year after they leave office. But as Evan Jenkins’ rapid flip from state Supreme Court justice to timber company attorney highlighted, the law leaves plenty of wiggle room. He was able to speak directly to lawmakers, as well as propose specific language to legislation, all within weeks of holding a powerful position in government.

Wisconsin – Wis. Democrats File First-of-Its-Kind Suit vs. Fake Trump Electors
MSN – Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2022

Three Democratic voters in Wisconsin, including two who served as electors for President Biden in 2020, filed suit against 10 supporters of Donald Trump in the state, arguing the group engaged in a civil conspiracy to violate state and federal law when they declared themselves presidential electors in 2020 even though Biden won the state’s popular vote. Wisconsin was one of five states won by Biden where Republican electors gathered December 14, 2020, and declared themselves “duly elected and qualified” – then sent signed certificates to Washington purporting to affirm Trump as the actual victor of their states.

Campaign Finance

Florida: “Mystery Group Behind Ads in ’20 Central Florida Primary Must Reveal Donors, Judge Rules” by Annie Martin (Orlando Sentinel) for The Black Chronicle

Ohio: “Leader of Columbus Green-Energy Ballot Measure Guilty of Falsifying Campaign Finance Report” by Bill Bush and Jordan Laird (Columbus Dispatch) for Yahoo News

Ethics

National: “How the Biden Administration Let Right-Wing Attacks Derail Its Disinformation Efforts” by Taylor Lorenz (Washington Post) for Yahoo News

California: “Judge Halts Angel Stadium Sale for FBI Corruption Probe of Anaheim Mayor” by City News Service for KABC

Florida: “Florida Bans Protests Outside Homes” by Lindsay Bever (Washington Post) for MSN

Kansas: “Wichita Ethics Board Members, Candidates Could Be Disqualified Under ‘Goofy’ Policy” by Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) for MSN

South Dakota: “South Dakota Report: Noem’s daughter got special treatment” by Stephen Groves (Associated Press) for MSN

Texas: “AG Ken Paxton Refuses to Disclose His Property Addresses to the Texas Ethics Commission” by Jay Root and Taylor Goldenstein (Houston Chronicle) for MSN

Lobbying

National: “U.S. Sues to Compel Casino Mogul Steve Wynn to Register as Agent of China” by Isaac Stanley-Becker and Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) for MSN

Procurement

Delaware: “State Auditor Loses Bid to Have Procurement Charge Dropped” by Randall Chase (Associated Press) for MSN