redistricting Archives - State and Federal Communications

July 15, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: “California Limits Pay-to-Play Politics in Local Elections, but Federal Law Enables a Loophole” by Theresa Clift (Sacramento Bee) for Yahoo News National: “Influencer Running for U.S. Senate Challenges Campaign Finance Rules” by Taylor Lorenz (Washington Post) for MSN Elections National: “Shooting at […]

July 12, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – July 12, 2024

National/Federal Clinton Campaign Case to Prompt Review of Disclosure Exemption Bloomberg Law News – Mike Vilensky | Published: 7/9/2024 The FEC “acted contrary to law” in dismissing a Campaign Legal Center complaint alleging campaign finance violations by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign […]

National/Federal

Clinton Campaign Case to Prompt Review of Disclosure Exemption

Bloomberg Law News – Mike Vilensky | Published: 7/9/2024

The FEC “acted contrary to law” in dismissing a Campaign Legal Center complaint alleging campaign finance violations by Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and a PAC supporting her candidacy, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled. The complaint accused Clinton’s campaign committee of accepting millions of dollars in undisclosed coordinated contributions from Correct the Record in the form of opposition research, message development, surrogate training, video production, and press outreach.

Judge Denies Effort by Trump Co-Defendant to Have Charges Dismissed

DNyuz – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 7/6/2024

The federal judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case rejected an effort by one of his co-defendants to have the charges he is facing dismissed by claiming he was the victim of a vindictive prosecution by the government. The co-defendant, Walt Nauta, who works as a personal aide to Trump, had accused prosecutors in the office of the special counsel, Jack Smith, of unfairly indicting him because he declined to help their efforts to build a case against the former president by testifying against him in front of a grand jury.

Immunity Ruling Leaves Judge Facing Tough Calls on Trump’s Election Indictment

DNyuz – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 7/9/2024

The Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity will land back with the judge who is handling the case from which it sprang – the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan will face a daunting task. She will have to make decisions about which of the indictment’s allegations can move forward and which will have to be tossed out. The Supreme Court has held that former presidents are completely protected against accusations arising from their core constitutional duties, but that they can face prosecution for unofficial acts they took while in the White House.

Broken Records: Citizens face growing obstacles to public records, and lawmakers make it worse

Jefferson Public Radio – Daniel Walters (InvestigateWest) | Published: 7/3/2024

A rising flood of records requests – driven by partisan tensions, technological innovation, corporate data mining, and “vexatious requestors” bombarding governments – have increasingly swamped under-resourced records agencies. Across the Northwest, citizens are facing longer wait times, steep fees, and other obstacles to obtaining government records the law says they deserve. It is also happening at the federal level, with average wait times doubling in the past decade, said David Cuillier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida.

Former Social Security Watchdog Abused Her Authority, Investigation Finds

MSN – Lisa Rein (Washington Post) | Published: 7/3/2024

The Social Security Administration’s recently departed inspector general abused her authority and undermined the integrity of her office while under investigation for misconduct, a report from a committee of federal watchdogs found. Gail Ennis refused to steer clear of an inquiry into her leadership of an anti-fraud program that issued extraordinary fines on disabled and elderly people accused of disability benefit fraud, investigators found. The report said she obstructed the probe by refusing to be interviewed, ordering subordinates and witnesses to limit access to information, and at times seeking to mislead investigators.

A Billionaire Is Boosting a Major Defamation Lawsuit against Fox News

MSN – Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 7/8/2024

Smartmatic, the voting technology company enmeshed in complex defamation lawsuits against Fox News and Newsmax, has a powerful new financial ally: billionaire tech entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, who is a co-founder of LinkedIn. Hoffman’s multimillion-dollar investment is intended in part to help the company sustain its costly litigation. Smartmatic has said the two news outlets smeared it by airing bogus claims of rigged vote counting in the 2020 election.

100 Years after Gaining Citizenship, Native Americans Face Barriers to Voting

MSN – Jim Saska (Roll Call) | Published: 7/8/2024

A century ago, Congress granted citizenship to Native Americans, providing them the right to vote. A report from House Administration Committee Democrats argues the nation has failed to keep that promise of voting rights because casting a ballot is too difficult in many indigenous communities. The report takes aim at state laws that require voter identification but do not recognize tribal IDs; the failure to provide voting-related materials in indigenous languages; and electoral maps that split native communities into different districts, diluting their political strength.

Ruling Boosts Social Media Free Speech Protections, Some Say

MSN – Gopal Ratnam (Roll Call) | Published: 7/9/2024

The Supreme Court’s decision on two cases challenging social media content moderation policies could expand protections for tech platforms under the First Amendment umbrella even if Congress were to dilute other protections, according to legal experts. Companies posting user content on the internet enjoy a broad shield under Section 230 of a 1996 law. Lawmakers who want such platforms to rein in harmful content have threatened to revoke the section and force stricter moderation of what gets uploaded. But the court’s decision opens the door to broader, more fundamental cover from the First Amendment.

Bipartisan Senate Group Proposes Ban on Congressional Stock Trading

MSN – Jacob Bogage and Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2024

Members of Congress and their families would face stiff penalties for trading stocks under new legislation from a bipartisan group of senators. The bill would bar members of Congress from buying and selling stocks and certain other investments and impose similar restrictions on lawmakers’ spouses and dependent children by 2027. Lawmakers would face a fine worth their monthly salary or 10 percent of the value of each improper investment if they violated the new rules.

Political Ads on Social Media Rife with Misinformation and Scams, New Research Finds

MSN – David Klepper (Associated Press) | Published: 7/10/2024

Political advertisements on social media are one of the best ways for candidates to reach supporters and raise campaign cash. But as a new report from Syracuse University shows, weak regulations governing online ads and haphazard enforcement by tech companies also make ads a prime source for misleading information about elections and an easy way for con artists to target victims. The research examined more than 2,200 groups on Facebook or Instagram that ran ads between September and May mentioning one of the presidential candidates. Combined, the ads cost nearly $19 million and were seen more than 1 billion times.

Democratic Lawmakers Seek Criminal Investigation of Justice Thomas

MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 7/9/2024

Two Democratic U.S. senators announced they are seeking a criminal investigation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas over gifts of travel, a loan for a recreational vehicle, and other benefits he received from wealthy benefactors. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden said they sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting he appoint a special counsel to probe whether Thomas violated ethics, false statement, and tax laws.

GOP Jump-Starts 2024 Election Challenges with Trump-Inspired Lawsuits

MSN – Amy Gardner and Isaac Arnsdorf (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2024

The Republican National Committee has expanded legal challenges to voting and election procedures in key swing states since March, when presumptive nominee Donald Trump installed new party leaders with a mandate to pursue his unsubstantiated claims of widespread cheating. Critics say the challenges are legally frivolous. But the cases are dangerous nonetheless, they argue, because they are meant to further erode public confidence in elections and lay the groundwork to overturn the results if Trump loses.

Supreme Court Ethics Remain at Center Stage After Hard-Right Rulings

MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 7/5/2024

Legal experts say the Supreme Court’s recent blockbuster rulings coupled with ethics allegations against some of the justices have reinforced doubts among a large swath of the country over whether the nations’ highest court can be a neutral interpreter of the law. Gabe Roth, executive director of Fix the Court, sees the scrutiny directed at the court as a positive step. “I’ve long believed that Supreme Court justices should be treated like politicians when it comes to assessing their moral character and potential entanglements,” Roth said. “We have moved to that place, and I think that’s positive given how powerful the justices are.”

From the States and Municipalities

Arkansas – Arkansas Official Rejects Bid to Put Abortion Rights Measure on Ballot

MSN – Frances Vinall (Washington Post) | Published: 7/10/2024

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected petitions to put an abortion access measure on the ballot this fall, blaming a procedural error by the organizing group. Arkansans for Limited Government gathered more than 100,000 signatures in support of a ballot proposal to legalize abortion up to 18 weeks after fertilization, and exceptions afterward in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly, or threat of physical harm to the pregnant patient. The group has faced a significant challenge in promoting its constitutional amendment initiative in what is sometimes ranked as “the most pro-life state in America.”

California – Big LA County Reforms, Including Board of Supervisors Expansion, Clear First Hurdle

MSN – Frank Stoltze (LAist) | Published: 7/9/2024

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved forward with a wide-ranging proposal to dramatically change how county governance works. The measure would expand the board of supervisors from five to nine members and create a countywide elected executive position akin to a mayor. Another proposed reform would create an independent ethics commission designed to root out corruption by elected officials. Supervisors would need to take a final vote on the package of reforms by August 9 to get them on the November ballot.

California – California Lawmakers Enacted a Bill to Limit Local Pay-to-Play Politics. Is It Working in Sacramento?

MSN – Theresa Clift (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 7/11/2024

Alvin Cheung, a founding president of California Northstate University, last year donated $250 to Sacramento City Councilperson Mai Vang’s re-election campaign. That amount was just one dollar less than the limit that would have prohibited Vang, who was facing no challenger, from casting a vote expected later this year on whether to award the university a tax break to build a hospital. Senate Bill1439 went into effect January 1, 2023, as a way to combat “pay-to-play” politics.

California – After FBI Raids, Oakland City Council Kills Plan to Strengthen Government Watchdog

Oaklandside – Eli Wolfe | Published: 6/27/2024

The Oakland City Council defeated a modest proposal to strengthen an agency that investigates public corruption and ethics violations. The decision raised eyebrows among those witnessed the FBI raid the home of Mayor Sheng Thao and properties belonging to the city’s recycling contractor, California Waste Solutions. The council rejected a proposed ballot measure to improve the city’s Public Ethics Commission.

Colorado – Faith Winter Violated Colorado Senate Ethics Policy by Appearing to Be Intoxicated at Community Meeting, Panel Rules

Colorado Sun – Jesse Paul | Published: 7/8/2024

State Sen. Faith Winter violated the Colorado Senate’s ethics rules when she appeared to be intoxicated when attending a community meeting earlier this year in Northglenn, a legislative committee convened to investigate her conduct ruled. The Senate Committee on Ethics found that Winter, the chamber’s assistant majority leader, failed to meet the chamber’s ethics standards requiring that she promote public integrity and public confidence.

Connecticut – Did a CT Advocacy Group’s Email Violate Campaign Finance Law? SEEC Investigating

Connecticut Mirror – Andrew Brown and Ginny Monk | Published: 7/5/2024

The State Election Enforcement Commission is investigating a complaint alleging CT169Strong, an organization that has lobbied against Democratic-sponsored housing and zoning legislation in recent years, illegally assisted one of the group’s members who is running for a seat in the Connecticut Legislature. At issue is a message CT169Strong distributed in May as the group was lobbying against the so-called Work Live Ride bill, a piece of legislation that would have encouraged towns to approve more apartments near train and bus stations.

Georgia – Appeals Court Greenlights Campaign Finance Case Against Nonprofit Founded by Stacey Abrams

MSN – Robert Schmad (Daily Caller) | Published: 7/8/2024

A federal appeals court struck down an injunction blocking Georgia from enforcing a state campaign finance law against two nonprofits founded by former gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. A complaint accused the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Project Action Fund of illegally canvassing for Democratic candidates, including Abrams, during the 2018 midterm elections and failed to disclose millions of dollars in electioneering expenses.

Hawaii – Government Workers in Hawaii Get Paid Not to Work as Misconduct Investigations Drag on for Months or Years

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 7/10/2024

In Hawaii, “stay away” pay is the practice of giving public employees time off from work while they are investigated for alleged misconduct. Some 350 employees across more than two dozen state and county agencies were put on paid leave due to investigations into suspected wrongdoing from 2020 through 2023. An analysis shows paying these employees not to work cost taxpayers at least $9.5 million in that three-year period. When investigations, and therefore the paid leave, drag on for years, it can waste taxpayer dollars, cause already strained government offices to be stretched even thinner and reward bad behavior.

Hawaii – Honolulu Ethics Commission Says Number of Complaints Has Dropped

Honolulu Civil Beat – Matthew Leonard | Published: 7/8/2024

The Honolulu Ethics Commission says it cannot explain a dramatic fall in the number of complaints it received last year, but it is hopeful the decrease might be the result of more specialized training and expanded outreach. The number of ethics complaints the commission received in 2023 was the lowest since 2018, but the 160 it received in 2022 was a record. That spike could be attributed to the increased scrutiny of ethics rules following the guilty pleas of former state legislators Ty Cullen and Kalani English for taking part in a bribery scheme.

Illinois – Former GOP State Lawmaker, Candidate for Governor Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison

Northern Public Radio – Hannah Meisel (Capitol News Illinois) | Published: 7/10/2024

Former Illinois Sen. Sam McCann was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for stealing nearly $700,000 in campaign funds and attempting to conceal his theft with false reports to state election authorities. McCann pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud and one count each of money laundering and tax evasion after prosecutors had spent nearly three days presenting evidence against him at trial. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Lawless said McCann’s refusal to “accept responsibility” until the last possible moment factored into her calculation for prison time.

Illinois – Fate of ComEd Bribery Defendants Could Be in the Dark for Months

WBEZ – Jon Seidel (Chicago Sun-Times) | Published: 7/9/2024

The fate of four people convicted in one of Chicago’s biggest corruption trials will remain up in the air for at least four months as a judge considers the full effect of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that threatens the jury’s verdict. The high court ruled a law prohibiting bribery among state and local officials did not also criminalize after-the-fact rewards known as “gratuities.” The law in question is involved in five of the nine counts in the Commonwealth Edison bribery case.

Indiana – For Indiana Democrats These Days, Every Year Is a Rebuilding Year

MSN – Brittany Carloni and Kayla Dwyer (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 7/10/2024

Indiana Democrats have not won a contested statewide race since 2012, and party factions disagree about how to turn that tide: whether to run moderate or progressive candidates, and whether to focus on rural or suburban communities. In the absence of an elected statewide party leader, there is a tendency among some to blame the party chair, while his defenders argue naysayers have an outsized view of what role the party should play. The Democratic Party and its top candidates also raise far less money than they used to in Indiana.

Louisiana – Louisiana Ethics Board Faces Higher Quorum Hurdle Under New Law

Louisiana Illuminator – Julie O’Donoghue | Published: 7/8/2024

The Louisiana Board of Ethics will face challenges conducting its business over the next five months under a new state law that gives Gov. Jeff Landry more control over the body. In August, the number of members required to hold a meeting will jump from six to eight of the current 11 members. Ten of 11 board members, instead of eight, will need to be present for the board to move forward with investigations of a potential ethics violation, said Kathleen Allen, the board’s administrator. The ethics board already struggles at times to maintain a quorum under its current threshold.

Maine – The Young People Striving to Make Their Mark on Maine State Policy

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 7/8/2024

After Lianna Holden, a recent high school graduate from Lewiston, saw the devastation in her community from a mass shooting last fall, she took to the Maine Legislature to compel change. While testifying for the first time before lawmakers, Holden’s nerves were, for the most part, eclipsed by her knowledge of the legislative process. She had undergone training on grassroots lobbying, workshops on how to write testimony, and had been tracking the changing text and outcomes of gun bills and other legislation of interest to her and her classmates.

Missouri – Ozarks Nonprofits Reassert Political Neutrality After Drone Show with Campaign Message

MSN – Susan Szuch (Springfield News-Leader) | Published: 7/6/2024

A 15-minute-long drone show that included an endorsement for a Christian County Commission candidate left two nonprofits scrambling to assert their political neutrality, while highlighting a potential gray area in Missouri campaign finance law. Near the end of the display, which ran at the same time as the fireworks display, drones spelled out “VOTE JACKSON” in reference to Christian County Commissioner Bradley Jackson, who is up for re-election in November.

New Jersey – Can Pro-Trump N.J. Governor Candidate Keep His Popular Radio Show? State Just Ruled.

MSN – Brent Johnson (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 6/28/2024

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) took a wait and see approach when it comes to whether the morning radio show of gubernatorial hopeful Bill Spadea violates campaign finance law. ELEC said the show can continue, but it will keep a close watch on what the Republican candidate says on the program and could act later. The hearing addressed whether the show amounts to an in-kind campaign contribution from the station that exceeds the legal limit because of the name recognition and platform he receives.

New York – Hochul Nominates Ethics Commissioner as the Panel’s Future in Limbo

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 7/3/2024

Gov. Kathy Hochul nominated a New York City attorney to fill one of three vacant positions on the state ethics commission, even as the future of that panel remains in limbo following a recent appellate decision that found it was created in violation of New York’s constitution. Hochul’s nomination of James Caras, who last year retired from his role as special counsel to the speaker of the New York City Council, will be subject to a seven-day public comment period before being presented to a review committee comprised of New York law school deans.

New York – How a New York Democrat Lost a Progressive Ballot Line to a G.O.P. Proxy

DNyuz – Nicholas Fandos (New York Times) | Published: 7/5/2024

When Mondaire Jones, a former Democratic member of Congress running for his old House seat, broke ranks and endorsed the primary opponent of U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman in a neighboring district, his longtime allies in the left-leaning Working Families Party were furious. It cancelled plans to campaign for former Jones in his comeback bid. Then things took an even more bizarre turn. The Working Families Party held what should have been a drama-free primary, but instead of nominating the liberal Jones, voters overwhelmingly chose the unlikeliest of alternatives as their nominee: a bankrupt local businessperson propped up by Republicans.

New York – NRA’s Ex-CFO Agreed to 10-Year Not-for-Profit Ban, Still Owes $2M for Role in Lavish Spending Scheme

MSN – Michael Sisak (Associated Press) | Published: 7/9/2024

The National Rifle Association’s (NRA) former finance czar, Wilson Phillips, has been banned for a decade from managing money for any nonprofit company in New York, the state’s attorney general said. Phillips agreed to the ban after a jury found him liable in a scheme to have the gun rights organization bankroll the extravagant lifestyle of the NRA’s longtime chief executive, Wayne LaPierre. Phillips still must pay $2 million in damages to the NRA for his role in concealing and enabling LaPierre’s spending.

Ohio – Ex-Lobbyist Serving 5 Years After Conviction in FirstEnergy Bribery Trial Argues Appeal

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 7/3/2024

A former lobbyist, sentenced to five years in prison after a jury found he bribed a political operative with $15,000 for private campaign information, argued to appellate judges that he did nothing illegal. Matt Borges, once the chair of the Ohio Republican Party who later worked for FirstEnergy Solutions, told judges on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals prosecutors relied on Borges’ use of mob-like language in text messages rather than their underlying substance when they accused him of racketeering.

Oregon – Oregon Ethics Laws Don’t Bar First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson from Unpaid Work in Wife’s Administration

MSN – Jamie Goldberg (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 7/10/2024

First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson is allowed to volunteer in Gov. Tina Kotek’s office under state ethics laws as long as she does not personally benefit financially, ruled Susan Myers, executive director of the Oregon Ethics Commission. Myers provided the formal advice three months after the governor’s office asked the commission whether Kotek Wilson could develop, advise, and promote her wife’s priorities as a volunteer in the administration and whether the governor’s office could provide her with staff and resources to accomplish those goals.

South Carolina – A House Contest Where Race, Gerrymandering and the Supreme Court Loom Large

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 7/9/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court signed off on district lines in South Carolina that Republican state lawmakers said they had designed to benefit their party. The First Congressional District had previously been competitive but is now ranked solidly Republican by the Cook Political Report. The Supreme Court ruled the new district lines did not represent an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, overturning a federal three-judge panel. In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the majority had cleared the way for discrimination by giving states a green light for “using race as a short-cut to bring about partisan gains.”

Tennessee – Appeals Panel Keeps 21-Month Sentence for Ex-Tennessee Lawmaker Who Tried to Withdraw Guilty Plea

Kentucky Today – Jonathan Mattise (Associated Press) | Published: 7/9/2024

A federal appeals panel is keeping a 21-month prison sentence in place for a former Tennessee senator who tried to withdraw his guilty plea on campaign finance law violations. Former state Sen. Brian Kelsey had pleaded guilty to charges related to his attempts to funnel campaign money from his state legislative seat toward his failed 2016 congressional bid. His attorneys argued prosecutors violated the plea agreement when they said a harsher sentence could be applied after he attempted to withdraw his plea.

Tennessee – Tennessee Attorney General’s Office to Election Finance Office: We’re ‘not an investigative agency’

Tennessee Lookout – Sam Stockard | Published: 7/11/2024

Despite a major funding increase for personnel over two years, the state attorney general’s office notified the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance it is “not an investigative agency” and the agency can find other options if it is not satisfied with the length of time it takes to complete probes. Deputy Attorney General Andrew Coulam said his office is a “law firm with only three investigators” specializing in Medicaid fraud and consumer protection and might not have the staff to do campaign finance investigation in just a few months.

Texas – West Texas Pastor Who Used Illegal Donations from Churches to Campaign for Office Is Fined $3,500

MSN – Jessica Priest (Texas Tribune) | Published: 7/8/2024

A pastor who used his parish’s resources to campaign for office and several pastors from other churches who donated to him were fined after the Texas Ethics Commission determined each violated election law. Scott Beard, the pastor at Fountaingate Fellowship church who was fined $3,500, showed a “lack of good faith” in accepting the donations and in posting campaign signs on church property for his unsuccessful Abilene City Council race despite warnings against doing so, the commission found.

Vermont – New Report Shows Who Has – and Hasn’t – Turned in Latest Campaign Finance Records

VTDigger.org – Shaun Robinson | Published: 7/10/2024

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas released a set of lists naming which candidates have – and which ones have not – filed campaign finance reports with the state as of early July, a move she said would help shine a spotlight on those who are not following the rules. Candidates for the upcoming primary who did not file a July 1 report, about a third of some 300 running for state and county offices this year, are not necessarily out of compliance with state law, Copeland Hanzas said. She thinks it is likely, though, that some are.

Wisconsin – Ballot Drop Boxes Returning to Wisconsin Following Top Court Decision

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 7/5/2024

Liberals on the Wisconsin Supreme Court cleared the way for the use of absentee-ballot drop boxes, reversing a decision made by conservatives two years ago when they controlled the court. Ballot drop boxes were available for years in some Wisconsin communities, and their use was greatly expanded for the 2020 presidential election as voters turned to absentee voting because of the covid-19 pandemic. Top Wisconsin Republicans supported them at the time but turned against them after Joe Biden narrowly beat Donald Trump in the state.

July 10, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Tennessee: “Appeals Panel Keeps 21-Month Sentence for Ex-Tennessee Lawmaker Who Tried to Withdraw Guilty Plea” by Jonathan Mattise (Associated Press) for Kentucky Today Elections New York: “How a New York Democrat Lost a Progressive Ballot Line to a G.O.P. Proxy” by Nicholas […]

June 14, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – June 14, 2024

National/Federal Supreme Court Rules California Man Can’t Trademark ‘Trump Too Small’ Associated Press News – Mark Sherman | Published: 6/13/2024 The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a man who wants to trademark the suggestive phrase “Trump too small.” The justices upheld […]

National/Federal

Supreme Court Rules California Man Can’t Trademark ‘Trump Too Small’

Associated Press News – Mark Sherman | Published: 6/13/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a man who wants to trademark the suggestive phrase “Trump too small.” The justices upheld the government’s decision to deny a trademark to Steve Elster, who was seeking exclusive use of the phrase on T-shirts and other merchandise. Government officials said the phrase” could still be used, just not trademarked because Trump had not consented to its use. Elster’s lawyers argued the decision violated his free speech rights, and a federal appeals court agreed.

Republicans Challenge Party Expenditure Limits at Sixth Circuit

Courthouse News Service – Kevin Koeninger | Published: 6/12/2024

The full U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals will determine whether changes in the political landscape allow it to overrule Supreme Court precedent regarding limits on coordinated party spending in federal elections after oral arguments in the case. U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, and former Rep. Steve Chabot sued the FEC, seeking to invalidate portions of the campaign finance law that “limit a party committees’ campaign expenditures made in coordination with political candidates who are associated with the political party.” They say these spending limits violate the First Amendment.

Protesters Expected to Be Moved Away from Park Near GOP Convention

MSN – Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 6/12/2024

Protesters are no longer expected to be allowed in a large Milwaukee park near the arena where the GOP will host its July convention after a months-long pressure campaign by the party, according to a law enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter. The Secret Service is expected to expand its security perimeter around Fiserv Forum after the Republican National Committee said it would use another facility located near the park for some convention activities.

Sneakerheads in Congress Grow Their Footprint

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 6/12/2024

U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz launched the Congressional Sneaker Caucus with Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer not long after coming to Congress. For him, forming the group was a passion project. He owns more than 150 pairs of sneakers. The caucus recently held the second annual Congressional Sneaker Day. Democrats do not have a monopoly on sneaker wearing, but the gathering was a largely Democratic affair and featured heavy representation from Oregon, where Nike is headquartered.

The AI Election Is Here. Regulators Can’t Decide Whose Problem It Is.

MSN – Cristiano Lima-Strong and Eva Dou (Washington Post) | Published: 6/6/2024

The federal government is facing a dwindling window to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) on the campaign trail before the 2024 election. But a brewing turf war between federal agencies is threatening one of the most significant attempts to set new rules for the tools. The chair of the Federal Communications Commission announced a plan to require that politicians disclose AI use in TV and radio ads. But the proposal is facing opposition from a top official on the FEC, which has been considering its own new rules on AI use by campaigns.

Justice Thomas Discloses Two 2019 Trips Paid for by Harlan Crow

MSN – Ann Marimow, Justin Jouvenal, and Tobi Raji (Washington Post) | Published: 6/7/2024

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas disclosed for the first-time visits to Bali and to a private club in California in 2019 that were paid for by his friend and benefactor, billionaire Harlan Crow, according to financial disclosures released for eight of the nine justices. The required annual reports, covering activity in 2023, show three justices – Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Ketanji Brown Jackson – received six-figure book payments. Jackson also accepted four tickets worth nearly $4,000 from Beyoncé to one of her concerts.

Judge Cannon Strikes Paragraph in Trump Classified Document Indictment

MSN – Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 6/10/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon said she will delete a paragraph in the superseding indictment against Donald Trump that alleges he mishandled classified materials after he left the White House and thwarted officials’ attempts to retrieve them. The judge said prosecutors’ inclusion of paragraph 36, which alleges Trump showed a classified document in September 2021 about a military operation to someone without a security clearance, is inappropriate because it is not connected to a specific crime that Trump is accused of committing.

$800,000 Wire Transfer from Billionaire Donor to US Chamber Raises Curtain on Dark Money

MSN – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 6/11/2024

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce received a $800,000 wire transfer from billionaire donor Hank Meijer days after it endorsed his son, then-U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, in a contentious 2022 primary. Within days of the transfer, the Chamber spent $381,000 on an ad for Rep. Meijer. Because the ad does not advocate for his election or defeat, the Chamber did not have to disclose the donation from Hank Meijer. It also did not have to disclose other potential contributions behind the $1.8 million it told the FEC it spent on “electioneering communications” that cycle.

Smartmatic Seeks to Depose Four Fox Officials as Part of 2020 Lawsuit

MSN – Jeremy Barr (Washington Post) | Published: 6/10/2024

Voting technology company Smartmatic subpoenaed four Fox Corporation board members as part of its $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News over its coverage of the 2020 election. The move follows a decision earlier by a judge ordering Fox to turn over relevant documents from the board members as Smartmatic requested. Smartmatic has argued the board members are relevant to the case the company is trying to make, that executives at Fox knew claims of election fraud made by Donald Trump allies were false but did nothing to stop the network’s coverage out of a desire to protect the company’s business fortunes.

Jared Kushner Hit with New Investigation

MSN – Katherine Fung (Newsweek) | Published: 6/12/2024

Senate Democrats are launching a new investigation into the foreign payments made to Jared Kushner’s investment firm. Finance Committee Chairperson Ron Wyden said the panel would investigate the billions of dollars that Affinity Partners manages from foreign sources. Kushner started Affinity in July 2021 after leaving the White House as a senior adviser to Donald Trump. The firm quickly attracted investors from the Middle East and within weeks, landed $2 billion from the Saudi public investment fund. Affinity continues to overwhelmingly derive the majority of its funds from the Saudi Arabian government.

Porter to Propose Bills to Modernize Lobbying Database, Extend ‘Cooling-Off’ Period

The Hill – Taylor Giorno | Published: 6/11/2024

U.S. Rep. Katie Porter introduced a package of bills intended to help Congress run more efficiently and curb influence-peddling by former members of Congress and government officials. The package of five bills includes legislation to modernize the federal lobbying disclosure database and enact a blanket two-year ban on lobbying by former members of Congress, senior congressional staff, and senior executive branch officials.

‘Intimidated and Discarded’: Fired female execs go after top K Street firm

Yahoo News – Daniel Lippman and Megan Wilson (Politico) | Published: 6/9/2024

Last year, Shanti Stanton and another female senior executive at were abruptly fired in what they were told was a cost-cutting move at the K Street firm Subject Matter, now known as Avog. Stanton and Audrey Chang prepared to sue the firm for gender discrimination and a hostile work environment, among other accusations. The two women claimed they had been terminated despite being top performers at the firm. In a draft complaint, they alleged a litany of bad behavior. Steve Elmendorf, a prominent lobbyist and Democratic donor, and Paul Frick, another one of the firm’s founding partners, were named as defendants in the draft lawsuit.

How the Federal Election Commission Went from Deadlock to Deregulation

Yahoo News – Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 6/10/2024

In a series of recent decisions that are remaking the landscape of money in American politics, an ascendant new bloc of three Republicans and one Democrat on the FEC is voting together to roll back limits on how politicians, political parties, and super PACs raise and spend money. Those on both sides of the ideological divide agree on one thing: the changes amount to some of the most significant regulatory revisions since the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act was put in place two decades ago.

Justice Alito Caught on Tape Discussing How Battle for America ‘Can’t Be Compromised’

Yahoo News – Tessa Stuart and Tim Dickinson (Rolling Stone) | Published: 6/10/2024

Justice Samuel Alito spoke candidly about the ideological battle between the left and the right, discussing the difficulty of living “peacefully” with ideological opponents in the face of “fundamental” differences that “can’t be compromised.” He endorsed what his interlocutor described as a necessary fight to “return our country to a place of godliness.” Alito made these remarks in conversation at the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual dinner. His comments were recorded by Lauren Windsor, a liberal documentary filmmaker.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Mayes Investigating Hobbs After GOP Accuses Gov of ‘Pay to Play’

Arizona Mirror – Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Published: 6/7/2024

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes opened an investigation into Gov. Katie Hobbs at the request of a Republican lawmaker after a report revealed a group home business that donated to Hobbs’s campaign received rate increases. It was reported that Sunshine Residential Homes was approved for a nearly 60 percent increase in how much the state Department of Economic Security pays it. The rate increase came after Hobbs and the Democratic Party received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions from the company and its executives, including some donated after her election win.

California – Effort to Strengthen Ethics Panel Moves Toward Full San Diego City Council Vote

MSN – Jeff McDonald (San Diego Union-Tribune) | Published: 6/8/2024

An effort to boost the independence and authority of the San Diego Ethics Commission is moving forward to the city council, and potentially to voters this November. The council’s Rules Committee voted unanimously to advance a proposed charter amendment to the full council. The amendment would make sure a future city council could not do away with the panel responsible for regulating campaign finance, lobbyist disclosures, and other political activities.

California – Find Out Which Lobbying Groups Get Their Way Most Often in the California Legislature

MSN – Ryan Sabalow (CalMatters) | Published: 6/12/2024

Los Angeles and the Bay Area tend to get their way in the California Legislature. So do labor unions, social justice organizations, and defense attorneys. On the flip side, anti-tax, police, and business groups are much less successful. Those are the key findings from a data analysis of the organizations that have been most successful in passing their agendas during the current legislative session, according to CalMatters.

California – Confidential File Alleges Former Mayor Libby Schaaf Secretly Used Political Committee to Raise Money from City Contractor

MSN – Eli Wolfe (Oaklandside) | Published: 6/12/2024

The Oakland Public Ethics Commission is investigating former Mayor Libby Schaaf for secretly controlling a committee to raise money for a 2018 ballot measure. A legal analysis written by commission staff describes how Schaaf allegedly controlled a supposedly independent political committee called The Oakland Fund to raise money for Measure AA. They allege Schaaf broke the law by never disclosing her control of The Oakland Fund, as did developer Justin Orton by giving money to the campaign while his company was negotiating a business deal with the city.

Florida – Waste Management Scholarships Gifted to Cooper City Commissioner’s Twins May Violate Ethics Laws

Florida Bulldog – Dan Christensen | Published: 6/9/2024

In a recent special recognition ceremony, Cooper City Commissioner Lisa Mallozzi took the podium to hand out scholarship awards to four high school seniors provided by the city’s longtime, though recently replaced, trash hauler Waste Management. Two of the $1,250 scholarships went to Mallozzi’s twin daughters, who use their father’s last name. Acceptance of the scholarships appears to violate state law, and county and city ordinances.

Florida – Federal Judge Blocks Enforcement of Financial Disclosure Rules for Elected City Officials

MSN – Dave Berman (Florida Today) | Published: 6/11/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Melissa Damian issued a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of a state law that requires extensive financial disclosure by Florida’s mayors and city council members. A lawsuit filed by a group of city and town officials claimed the rule violates the First Amendment. Municipal officials feared the added disclosure requirement would discourage residents from running for municipal office, and potentially could create vacancies on city and town councils or commissions.

Florida – Central Florida Political Operative Admits Wrongdoing in ‘Ghost’ Candidate Scheme

MSN – Annie Martin (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 6/6/2024

Florida political operative Eric Foglesong, a key player in the 2020 scheme to use “ghost” candidates to promote Republican politicians, pleaded no contest to campaign finance related charges. As part of the plea deal, Foglesong agreed to serve five years of probation and pay $14,175. Running as a “ghost” candidate who does not actively campaign or sincerely seek election to an office is not a crime in Florida. But incorrectly reporting contributions or donating to a candidate’s campaign in someone else’s name, the crime Foglesong acknowledged, is illegal.

Florida – Appeals Court Rejects DeSantis Push for Executive Privilege

Yahoo News – Gary Fineout (Politico) | Published: 6/12/2024

A Florida appeals court refused to go along with Gov. Ron DeSantis’s argument that he can shield public records due to executive privilege, a right that had not been recognized previously under state law that could have drastically expanded the governor’s ability to keep records from the public. The panel said there were sufficient procedural reasons to dismiss the lawsuit, without considering the executive privilege argument made by the DeSantis administration and endorsed by a Circuit Court judge.

Hawaii – Maui Ethics Board Could Get Overdue Boost Through 2 Reforms Under Review

Honolulu Civil Beat – Brittany Lyte | Published: 6/7/2024

Voters could decide this November if the Maui Board of Ethics should be able to hire its own full-time staff and whether appointed members should be able to serve two consecutive terms. The Maui County Council will consider approving the two ballot measures, but they are well on their way following a council committee vote in favor of them. The proposals came from the board, which is struggling to carry out its function as the county’s ethics watchdog amid a shortage of members, funds, and other resources.

Illinois – Aldermen Advance Ethics Reforms at Center of Tiff Between Johnson Ally and Mayor’s Office

MSN – Alice Yin (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 6/6/2024

Chicago aldermen advanced an ethics ordinance that would punish lobbyists for contributions to campaigns of mayoral candidates, in another instance of the city council moving to buck Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration. The Ethics Committee unanimously approved the measure to fine or suspend lobbyists who violate a rule already codified in a 2011 executive order banning them from making campaign contributions to a mayor’s political fund. The legislation now heads to a final council vote.

Indiana – ‘This Issue Is Going to Come Back to Haunt Us.’ Ratcliff’s Biggest Bet Yet Unravels

Yahoo News – Tony Cook (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 6/7/2024

Over a quarter century, Rod Ratcliffe had perfected the art of influence at the statehouse. The casino boss was a driving force behind nearly every expansion of gambling in Indiana. But one bet would be his boldest yet. Ratcliff sold his company, Centaur, and its two horse-track casinos to Caesars Entertainment for $1.7 billion. Ratcliff created a new company called Spectacle Entertainment. It purchased two riverboat casinos with plans to move the licenses to more lucrative locations. But the investment would only pay off if Indiana lawmakers and the new governor, Eric Holcomb, allowed Ratcliff and his partners to relocate the licenses.

Kentucky – Louisville Continues to Spend Less on Ethics Enforcement Than Similar Cities

MSN – Roberto Roldan (Louisville Public Media) | Published: 6/7/2024

Louisville now asks the Ethics Commission to do more than ever before, yet the majority of its work is done by a volunteer board. In 2022, metro council put the commission in charge of ensuring people who are paid to influence local officials register as lobbyists, for example. Ethics Commission Chairperson Dee Pregliasco said as the independent oversight body has been given more responsibilities in recent years, it has not received commensurate resources.

Louisiana – Louisiana Lawmakers Refuse to Endorse Child Care as Campaign Expense

Louisiana Illuminator – Julie O’Donoghue | Published: 6/12/2024

Five years ago, the Louisiana Board of Ethics told a candidate she could use her campaign funds to cover childcare costs as long as the expense was related to her efforts to get elected. But state legislators declined to insert codify that policy this year. They scuttled Senate Bill 153, which would have ensured candidates could use campaign dollars for election-related childcare. What is a legitimate campaign expense in Louisiana has been interpreted liberally over the years. Candidates are allowed to use their funds for Mardi Gras parades, charity golf tournaments, and vehicle maintenance.

Maryland – Baltimore Sun Republishes Reports from New Owner’s TV Station

MSN – Laura Wagner (Washington Post) | Published: 6/11/2024

When David Smith bought the Baltimore Sun in January, staffers worried about how the newspaper might change under an outspoken owner who has supported conservative candidates and right-wing culture war causes. Now, journalists say stories under their names have been changed without their permission, and the Sun has been reusing reporting from one of the 185 local television stations owned by the Smith family’s Sinclair Broadcast Group. Two reporters demanded their bylines be removed from a news report after it was significantly altered without their knowledge.

Massachusetts – Bill to Allow Campaign Funds for Child Care on the Move in Mass.

Yahoo News – Michael Jonas (CommonWealth Beacon) | Published: 6/7/2024

A bill in Massachusetts would allow campaign funds to be spent on a candidate’s childcare expenses. While everything from pricey dinners to travel to far-off conferences can be paid with campaign funds under the broad definition of allowable spending that furthers a candidate’s political career, childcare was deemed to fall outside that interpretation.

Missouri – Missouri Ethics Commission Finally Has a Quorum – but Still Can’t Meet or Take Action

Yahoo News – Jason Hancock (Missouri Independent) | Published: 6/7/2024

Gov. Mike Parson appointed a fourth person to serve on the six-member Missouri Ethics Commission, providing the board with a quorum for the first time since March. But because one member has been unable to attend meetings since last fall, the commission is still one person short of being able to hold a meeting or take action on complaints. “We do have a quorum, but we don’t have four commissioners who can meet,” said Elizabeth Ziegler, director of the commission.

New York – Judge Ices Ethics Commission’s Case Against Former Senate IDC Leader

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 6/10/2024

A judge ordered the state ethics commission to halt its prosecution of former New York Sen. Jeffrey Klein, who filed a petition recently arguing the panel was formed in violation of the state constitution and lacks the authority to investigate allegations that he forcibly kissed a female staff member nine years ago. The temporary restraining order was granted by state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Marcelle, who last year ruled in favor of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo who argued the new ethics commission was unconstitutional and had no authority to investigate a $5 million deal he received for writing a book about his administration’s handling of the pandemic.

New York – A Candidate Got $162,000 in Public Money. His Secret: Fake donors.

DNyuz – Jay Root and Bianca Pallaro (New York Times) | Published: 6/10/2024

Scores of New Yorkers supposedly made small cash donations to Dao Yin, a businessperson running for the state Assembly. Despite his lack of name recognition, Yin is now one of New York’s top recipients of public matching funds – $162,800 at last count – after reporting the highest percentage of cash, the least traceable form of donation, of any state candidate who received matching funds this year. But after canvassing many of the homes associated with 55 people listed as cash donors to Yin’s campaign, the New York Times found at least 19 who said they had not contributed. Eleven others no longer lived at the addresses listed for them.

New York – Trump Meets with N.Y. Probation Officer Over Video

MSN – Mariana Alfaro and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 6/10/2024

Donald Trump met with his probation officer via a video conference call, a routine step following his conviction in the hush money trial in New York. The interview is a routine step for defendants after a guilty verdict. The probation department prepares presentencing reports for judges and is in charge of interviewing convicted felons on topics including their personal history, mental health, and the circumstances that led to the conviction.

North Carolina – Flood of Dark Money? What the New Campaign Finance Provision in NC’s Mask Bill Does

MSN – Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi and Kyle Ingram (Raleigh News & Observer) | Published: 6/12/2024

State lawmakers passed a controversial bill that would loosen regulations on the “dark money” groups that are likely to spend tens of millions of dollars in North Carolina this year. Democrats said it is a way to benefit Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the GOP candidate for governor, and allow more donations where the source of the funding is not disclosed. Republican leaders said the bill would level the playing field for the two political parties when it comes to the national groups that fund state candidates for governor and attorney general.

North Carolina – Voters Have No Right to Fair Elections, NC Lawmakers Say as They Seek to Dismiss Gerrymandering Suit

Yahoo News – Will Doran (WRAL) | Published: 6/13/2024

Lawyers for the state Legislature were in court arguing to throw out an anti-gerrymandering lawsuit that targets North Carolina’s new political maps as a violation of a constitutional guarantee of fair elections. The lawsuit argues the state constitution guarantees the right to fair elections, which these maps violate. The Republican-led Legislature argues no such right exists, since it is impossible to define what “fair” means.

Ohio – Coal Bailouts Will Have Added $500M to Ohioans’ Electric Bills by the End of 2024

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 6/7/2024

Legislation from 2019 that a federal jury found passed as part of a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme has cost Ohioans $307 million through 2023 to bail out coal-fired power plants in the state and in Indiana. By the end of this year, projections say that will reach nearly $500 million, paid through add-on charges to monthly electric bills. Despite four criminal convictions, six more indictments, and an admission of guilt by FirstEnergy for bribing the state’s top utility regulator alongside a sitting House speaker to pass the legislation, the coal bailouts codified within that legislation remain on the books.

Pennsylvania – Pa. Legislators Introduce Bills Prohibiting AI Use in Political Campaigns

Government Technology – Maia Nehm (Lancaster Online) | Published: 6/8/2024

Two newly introduced bills in the Pennsylvania Legislature would prohibit the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate candidates in campaign literature and advertising. State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick said the legislation was prompted by the use of robocalls targeting New Hampshire Democratic voters in January. Those calls featured an AI impersonation of President Biden’s voice and discouraged recipients from voting in the state’s presidential primary.

Texas – This Catholic Leader Shelters Migrants. Texas Says He Runs ‘Stash Houses.’

MSN – Arelis Hernández (Washington Post) | Published: 6/6/2024

The patriarch of Annunciation House, a faith-based network of shelters based in El Paso, Ruben Garcia has taken in tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants he calls “guests.” Working in collaboration with immigration officials, he provides them food, clothes, and a first home in the U.S., and some of his expenses are reimbursed by the federal government. It is work he sees as a religious calling – to help the most vulnerable, no matter how they arrived. But as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott clamps down on immigration, state investigators are raising questions about Garcia’s humanitarian work.

Vermont – A Lawmaker’s Bag Was Repeatedly Drenched, and Now a Colleague Faces a Probe

Seven Days – Kevin McCallum | Published: 6/7/2024

Vermont Rep. Mary Morrissey is under fire after she was allegedly caught on video surreptitiously pouring water into a fellow lawmaker’s tote bag at the statehouse. Morrissey faces an ethics investigation into whether she harassed Rep. Jim Carrol by secretly soaking his stuff several times during the recent legislative session. Rep. Angela Arsenault said she has seen a video that clearly shows Morrissey leave her committee room, walk over to a bag outside Carroll’s committee room, and dump a cup of water into it.

Vermont – 6 Bills – Tackling Municipal Ethics, Animal Welfare and More – Become Vermont Law

VTDigger.org – Emma Cotton | Published: 6/10/2024

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed bills related to animal welfare, diversity in courts, and addiction recovery support. He allowed a bill dealing with local ethics codes ethics to pass into law without his signature. House Bill 875 establishes a “municipal code of ethics” that applies to local officials such as select board members, clerks, and planning commissioners, among others. It is similar to a code of ethics for state officials that took effect two years ago.

June 7, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – June 7, 2024

National/Federal Multiple Trump Witnesses Have Received Significant Financial Benefits from His Businesses, Campaign MSN – Robert Faturechi, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 6/3/2024 Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large […]

National/Federal

Multiple Trump Witnesses Have Received Significant Financial Benefits from His Businesses, Campaign

MSN – Robert Faturechi, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 6/3/2024

Nine witnesses in the criminal cases against Donald Trump have received significant financial benefits, including large raises from his campaign, severance packages, new jobs, and a grant of shares and cash from Trump’s media company. Defense lawyers say Trump’s dual role of defendant and the boss of many of the people who are witnesses to his alleged crimes is not uncommon. Even if the perks were not intended to influence witnesses, they could prove troublesome for Trump in any future trials. Prosecutors could point to the benefits to undermine the credibility of those aides on the witness stand.

Billions in Taxpayer Dollars Now Go to Religious Schools Via Vouchers

MSN – Laura Meckler and Michelle Boorstein (Washington Post) | Published: 6/3/2024

Billions in taxpayer dollars are being used to pay tuition at religious schools throughout the country, as state voucher programs expand dramatically and the line separating public education and religion fades. School vouchers can be used at almost any private school, but most of the money is being directed to religious schools. The growth follows a string of victories in the Supreme Court and state Legislatures by religious conservatives who have campaigned to tear down what once were constitutional prohibitions against spending tax money directly on religious education.

At Center of Alito Controversy, a Flag Celebrated by Extremists

MSN – Hannah Allen (Washington Post) | Published: 6/2/2024

From the earliest days of the republic, American radicals have drawn inspiration from a white flag emblazoned with a green pine tree and the words, “An Appeal to Heaven.” Extremism monitors say the self-styled revolutionaries of today’s Christian far right are reviving the idea that drastic action is again required to save the republic, and they have adopted the flag as their own. They say the “Appeal to Heaven” banner has taken on apocalyptic overtones that are increasingly present in the centers of American power.

Lawmakers Expensed Millions in 2023 Under New Program That Doesn’t Require Receipts

MSN – Jacqueline Alemany, Clara Ence Morse, and Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) | Published: 6/4/2024

A program started last year was intended to make it easier for members of Congress to cover the cost of maintaining separate homes in the District of Columbia and their home districts. But critics argue its reliance on the honor system and lack of transparent record-keeping makes it ripe for abuse. Lawmakers were reimbursed at least $5.2 million for food and lodging while on official business in Washington. The reimbursement scheme’s lack of receipt requirements is a “ridiculous loophole,” said Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen.

Investors, Worried They Can’t Beat Lawmakers in Stock Market, Copy Them Instead

MSN – Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) | Published: 6/1/2024

Watchdog groups have long believed that some lawmakers use confidential information to make money in the stock market. Now a loose alliance of traders, analysts, and advocates is trying to let Americans mimic the trades elected officials make, offering tongue-in-cheek financial products that track purchases and sales after lawmakers disclose them. Collectively, these investment vehicles have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars. At times, congressional investigators have used them to keep tabs on suspicious trading activity.

As a Congressman Defended Trump, His 6-Year-Old Son Stole the Spotlight

MSN – Kyle Melnick (Washington Post) | Published: 6/4/2024

When U.S. Rep. John Rose approached the lectern on the House floor, he said he was going to “address the terrible precedent” set by Donald Trump’s criminal conviction. But only a few seconds into his speech, he no longer had everyone’s attention. Rose’s six-year-old son, Guy, smiled and leaned closer into C-SPAN’s camera shot while sitting behind his dad. As Rose called Trump the victim of a “politically driven” conviction, Guy stuck out his tongue with wide eyes and shook his head – a clip that has turned into a meme.

Judge Cannon Expands Hearing on Trump’s Request to Declare Special Counsel’s Appointment Invalid

MSN – Dan Berman and Katelyn Polantz (CNN) | Published: 6/5/2024

U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon is planning on holding a sprawling hearing on Donald Trump’s request to declare Jack Smith’s appointment as special counsel invalid, signaling the judge could be more willing than any other trial judge to veto the special prosecutor’s authority. Cannon said a variety of political partisans and constitutional scholars not otherwise involved with the case can join in the oral arguments on June 21.

Ethics Panel Probes Rep. Spartz Over Staff Abuse Claims

MSN – Daniel Lippman and Adam Wren (Politico) | Published: 6/4/2024

The House Committee on Ethics has made preliminary inquiries into U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz’s treatment of staff in response to multiple complaints filed about her alleged “abuse,” “general toxicity,” and “rage,” according to a current aide and a former aide who made complaints. She recently imposed pay cuts reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars for some staffers, which came amid her ongoing complaints about her staff’s performance. In April, Spartz sent a note to staffers forbidding them to talk to Politico reporters who were pursuing tips about her office.

Even as the Judicial System Finds Trump Guilty, His Attacks Take a Toll

MSN – Sarah Ellison and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 5/30/2024

Donald Trump and his team waged an all-out war against the judicial system before the expected guilty verdict in his New York trial was announced, hoping to blunt the political damage and position him as a martyr. The jury’s verdict upheld the democratic principle that no one is above the law. But amid the offensive by Trump and his allies on the legal infrastructure holding him accountable, the trial came with a substantial cost, according to those who study democracy, with the ultimate impact likely to be measured in November.

Chief Justice Robert Declines to Meet with Democrats on Court Ethics

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/30/2024

Chief Justice John Roberts turned down an invitation to meet with Senate Democrats to discuss what the lawmakers called an “ethics crisis” at the Supreme Court following reports of two politically charged flags displayed outside the homes of Justice Samuel Alito. In a letter to Sens. Dick Durbin and Sheldon Whitehouse, Roberts said such a meeting would be “inadvisable” in part because of the importance of preserving judicial independence.

PAC Run by Mark Meadows’ Wife Fined, Closing After Campaign Finance Violation

Yahoo Finance – Danielle Battaglia (Raleigh News & Observer) | Published: 5/31/2024

A PAC run by the wife of Mark Meadows, former President Trump’s last chief of staff, plans to close and faces a nearly $10,000 fine over accusations of violating federal election law. Brett Kappel, an attorney who focuses on campaign fiancé, lobbying, and government ethics law cases, said it is not unusual to see a super PAC terminate itself after paying a significant FEC penalty. “In fact, the commission sometimes makes termination a condition of settling the case for a lower penalty than the FEC would normally seek,” Kappel said.

Departing House Members Ask: ‘Why am I here?’

Yahoo News – Robert Draper (New York Times) | Published: 5/30/2024

A total of 54 U.S. House members will not be seeking another term this November. As a matter of numbers, the exodus is not history-making. What is striking are the names on the list. There are rising stars, seasoned legislators, and committee chairs. If anything, the malaise encompassing the House extends beyond those who have chosen not to serve another term. “You look around that chamber, there’s just a look of despair,” said Rep. Brian Higgins. “… I think a lot more members would be leaving if they had alternatives.”

Judge Rules Bannon Must Go to Prison by July 1 While Appealing Contempt Case

Yahoo News – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 6/6/2024

A federal judge ordered former Trump political adviser and right-wing podcaster Stephen Bannon to report to prison by July 1 to begin serving a four-month prison term for contempt of Congress after an appeals court upheld his conviction. Prosecutors had asked the judge to lift the hold on the sentence, arguing that no substantive legal questions remain over Bannon’s conviction for refusing to provide documents or testimony to a House committee probing the insurrection.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – 2 Democrats Who Yelled Were Disorderly in AZ Abortion Debate, Panel Says

Arizona Daily Star – Bob Christie (Capitol News Services) | Published: 6/4/2024

Two Democratic lawmakers who yelled at Republican House members after GOP legislators used a procedural maneuver to recess rather than allow a vote to repeal Arizona’s near-total abortion ban are guilty of disorderly conduct, the House ethics panel said. But any punishment Minority Whip Oscar De Los Santos and Rep. Analise Ortiz face for breaking internal House rules will be up to the entire House, and the report by the ethics committee did not recommend what action is merited.

Arkansas – U.S.Supreme Court Sends Arkansas Redistricting Case Back to Judges after South Carolina Ruling

Yahoo News – Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) | Published: 6/3/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court sent a lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ 2021 congressional map back to a three-judge panel, ordering it to review the suit in light of the high court’s decision against similar claims of bias in a redistricting case from South Carolina. The ruling is a setback for the lawsuit challenging the way Arkansas’ Republican Legislature redrew the lines for a Little Rock-area congressional district.

California – Ethics Probe Hangs Over Campaign to Recall Oakland Mayor as it Files Signatures

KQED – Annelise Finney | Published: 6/5/2024

As the campaign to recall Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao submitted signatures to put a recall on the ballot, the city agency tasked with enforcing campaign finance laws is investigating how the campaign handles donations. Simon Russell, the Public Ethics Commission’s enforcement chief, alleges Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao is using Foundational Oakland Unites, a recently formed nonprofit and PAC, to hide the source of some contributions.

Colorado – Campaign Finance Reform Could Be Coming Next Election Cycle

Denverite – Rebecca Tauber | Published: 6/4/2024

The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office hopes to strengthen its ability to investigate campaign finance violations and make campaign contributions more transparent in the next election cycle. The ordinance would give the office authority to dismiss uncredible complaints, among other changes. It would also standardize reporting requirements, so any group that receives at least $50 from a donor must report that donor’s name, address, and employer.

District of Columbia – D.C. Ethics Board Recommends Rudy Giuliani Be Disbarred

MSN – Alexandra Marquez (NBC News) | Published: 6/2/2024

The District of Columbia Bar’s Board on Professional Responsibility recommended Rudy Giuliani be banned from practicing law in the nation’s capital. In their report, the Board cited Giuliani’s work in Pennsylvania following the 2020 presidential election, where he sought to have the results of the election there thrown out in favor of his former client Donald Trump.

Florida – Alex Díaz de la Portilla Under Investigation for Alleged Witness Tampering in Bribery Case

Yahoo News – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 6/3/2024

Law enforcement is investigating possible witness tampering by former Miami City Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in a bribery and money laundering case against him after his former chief of staff reported he had sent her text messages about her testimony. The former City Hall staffer, Karla Fortuny, alleged in a petition that Díaz de la Portilla’s messages were “intimidating and obviously meant to tamper with my presentation of complete and truthful testimony regarding my time as an employee of the City of Miami.”

Georgia – Georgia Appeals Court Pauses Lower-Court Proceedings in Trump Election Case

MSN – Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 6/5/2024

The Georgia Court of Appeals ordered a halt to the proceedings in the election interference case against Donald Trump and eight other defendants pending the outcome of their appeal seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The order means the case will almost certainly not be scheduled for trial before the fall election or even the new year. It remains unclear if the case against the six remaining co-defendants who did not sign on to the appeal will proceed.

Illinois – Judge Tosses Out Illinois Ban on Drafting Legislative Candidates as ‘Restriction on Right to Vote’

MSN – John O’Connor (Associated Press) | Published: 6/5/2024

A judge rejected a law that Illinois Democrats adopted in May that prohibits political parties from drafting candidates when no one was on the party primary ballot. Sangamon County Circuit Judge Gail Noll ruled the law, passed to protect vulnerable Democrats in November’s general election, is unconstitutional. It improperly interferes with a person’s right to see access to the ballot and that, Noll wrote, “places a severe restriction on the fundamental right to vote.”

Kansas – Kansas Voters Have No Fundamental Constitutional Right to Vote, Supreme Court Rules

Yahoo News – Jason Alatidd and Jack Harvel (Topeka Capital-Journal) | Published: 5/31/2024

Voters have no fundamental right to vote under the bill of rights in the state constitution, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled. Because voting is not considered a fundamental right, it means that courts will not use strict scrutiny when analyzing the impact of election laws. That will make it more difficult for plaintiffs to argue that a law affecting voting is unconstitutional.

Michigan – 2024 Michigan Elections: Nessel opinion tightens financial disclosure rules

Bridge Michigan – Lauren Gibbons | Published: 6/5/2024

State elections officials can require officeholders to provide more than the bare minimum on new personal financial disclosure forms, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel determined in a formal legal opinion. Lawmakers who finalized the rules last fall extended disclosure requirements to candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and state Legislature but left what critics called loopholes allowing filers to obscure monetary values and other information about income sources, and assets held by spouses.

Michigan – Michigan Lawmaker Wants to Pay Reporters to Uncover Corruption

MSN – J.D. Davidson (Center Square) | Published: 5/30/2024

A Michigan lawmaker wants to pay reporters and news organizations to expose public corruption and save taxpayers money. Rep. Joseph Aragona developed the idea after The Detroit News recently exposed questionable spending surrounding a $20 million grant to businessperson Fay Beydoun. She was an executive committee member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Spending included a $4,500 coffee maker, $11,000 for a plane ticket, $100,000 for a sponsorship, and $9,400 for annual membership dues in the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Missouri – After Investigation, Top MO House Republican Now Faces Scathing Whistleblower Lawsuit

Yahoo News – Kacen Bayless (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/31/2024

Dana Miller, chief clerk of the Missouri House since 2018, filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging Speaker Dean Plocher and his chief of staff, Rod Jetton, retaliated against her after she reported policy violations and wastes of public money. Miller’s suit paints a damning portrait, showing the lengths that Plocher and Jetton went to allegedly threaten and retaliate against Miller and other House staffers amid a slew of scandals Plocher faced in his final session as speaker that resulted in a months-long investigation.

Nevada – A Republican Election Clerk vs. Trump Die-Hards in a World of Lies

DNyuz – Eli Saslow (New York Times) | Published: 6/6/2024

Ever since Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, his denials and distortions spread outward from the White House to even the country’s most remote places, like Esmeralda County, Nevada. Trump won the county with 82 percent of the vote despite losing Nevada. In the days after the election, some county residents parroted Trump’s talking points and brought their complaints to the monthly commissioner meetings. When County Clerk Cindy Elgan continued to stand up at each meeting to dispute and disprove those accusations, they began to blame her, too.

New Jersey – Gov. Murphy Signs Legislation That Dismantles Access to Public Records in NJ

MSN – Katie Sobko (Bergen Record) | Published: 6/5/2024

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation overhauling access to the state’s public records, likely making it harder for the public and media to access some documents, according to critics. One provision permits officials to charge commercial interests as much as twice the cost of producing records. Other language authorizes agencies to sue requesters they accuse of interrupting “government function.” The new law also ends a requirement for towns to pay attorneys’ fees in court cases they lose over records requests.

New York – How Top N.Y. Officials Helped a Lobbyist Cash in on State Government

DNyuz – Jay Root (New York Times) | Published: 6/5/2024

In the midst of the pandemic in early 2021, New York state officials were hashing out how to build a mobile app to display users’ vaccination status when an unfamiliar face suddenly started joining the conference calls. The new participant, Michael Balboni, was a former state lawmaker and more recently had been working as a lobbyist in Albany. He was also a close friend of a top official in the budget office, the agency overseeing the app’s rollout. Soon after, one of the contractors overseeing the app’s development, Deloitte Consulting, signed Balboni as a consultant, then as a lobbyist.

New York – NYC Council Eyes Stricter Fundraising Rules Amid Legal Probes into Mayor Adams’ Campaign

Gothamist – Brigid Bergin | Published: 6/5/2024

New York City Councilperson Lincoln Restler will introduce legislation to give new power and added responsibilities to the watchdog agency running the city’s public campaign finance system. Restler’s package would empower the Campaign Finance Board to withhold matching money to campaigns that do not respond to the agency’s requests for information about their donors within 30 days. Another bill would impose stiffer restrictions on how much lobbyists and other individuals listed in the city’s Doing Business Database can raise as an intermediary on behalf of a candidate.

New York – Trump Verdict Vindicates N.Y. Prosecutor Who Quietly Pursued a Risky Path

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 6/1/2024

Donald Trump was found guilty in New York on 34 counts for falsifying business records related to a hush money payment ahead of the 2016 election. Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, had weathered a tide of criticism for bringing charges against the former president. Those who know Bragg said he was undeterred by the constant political attacks and committed to pursuing a novel legal theory he believed made sense.

New York – Ethics Commission Subpoenaed Hochul Administration Over Bills Box Seats

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 5/31/2024

The New York Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government issued a subpoena to the state’s economic development agency for records related to state officials’ use of a Buffalo Bills luxury suite. Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, and others gained exclusive access to the state-owned suite. The officials brought several guests. A complaint argued attendees got premium tickets at a bargain price because of their close relationships to politicians. The complaint claimed the politicians did not have valid governmental reasons to attend the game.

Ohio – Ohio Senate Approves Fix Assuring President Biden Is on Fall Ballot

MSN – Bruce Shipkowski (Associated Press) | Published: 5/31/2024

A temporary fix allowing President Biden to appear on this fall’s ballot in Ohio cleared the Republican-dominated Legislature as it concluded a rare special session. Lawmakers also approved a ban on foreign nationals contributing to state ballot campaigns. Gov. Mike DeWine signed both bills.

Ohio – FirstEnergy, the Center Point of a Bribery Plot, Could Officially Beat the Rap This Summer

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 6/2/2024

Federal prosecutors are set to release FirstEnergy, the utility at the center of intersecting dollar bribery schemes, from a special cooperation agreement that offered prosecutors a roadmap of a compromised state government. Prosecutors charged the company with conspiracy in its efforts to bribe government officials in exchange for favorable treatment. But in exchange for FirstEnergy’s cooperation, payment of a $230 million fine, forfeiture of another roughly $7 million, some corporate reforms, and its issuance of a public statement of guilt, the government will drop that charge within 30 days of the agreement’s expiration date.

Ohio – Cleveland City Council Doubles Campaign Finance Contribution Limits, Some Residents Push Back

WVIZ – Abbey Marshall | Published: 6/3/2024

The Cleveland City Council quickly – and controversially – approved legislation that doubled campaign donation limits ahead of council elections in 2025. Those caps jumped from $1,500 to $3,000 for individuals and from $3,000 to $6,000 for PACs. Council President Blaine Griffin said it will allow candidates to tap into other sources aside from the Council Leadership Fund, a PAC controlled by Griffin that some members of the public have criticized.

Oregon – Lawmakers Approve $5 Million for Secretary of State Office to Overhaul Oregon Campaign Finance Filing System

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 5/31/2024

Lawmakers approved $5.41 million to modernize Oregon’s outdated campaign finance filing system by 2028. of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade asked for the funding after the Legislature in March passed a historic campaign finance bill that will limit the amount of money that individuals and groups can directly give to candidates.

Pennsylvania – Several Pa. House Republicans Boo Officers Who Defended Capitol on Jan. 6

MSN – Leo Sands (Washington Post) | Published: 6/6/2024

Two former law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol from rioters during the insurrection were jeered by state GOP lawmakers as they visited Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives, according to several Democratic lawmakers present. As former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and former sergeant Aquilino Gonell, both of whom were injured by rioters on January 6, were introduced, the House floor descended into chaos. Several GOP lawmakers hissed and booed, with a number of Republicans walking out in protest.

Pennsylvania – Former Philly Councilmember Bobby Henon’s Bribery Conviction Upheld by Federal Appeals Court

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck and Oona Goodin-Smith (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 5/31/2024

Former Philadelphia City Councilperson Bobby Henon’s bid to overturn his 2021 bribery conviction fell short as a federal appeals court rejected his contention that prosecutors had failed to fully prove their case. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit found jurors had been presented with enough evidence to conclude the former council majority leader sold the powers of his office to labor leader John Dougherty in exchange for a $70,000-a-year salary from his politically powerful union.

Rhode Island – R.I. Ethics Panel Rules Sen. Lawson Can Vote on Pension-Related Bills

Yahoo News – Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) | Published: 6/4/2024

One-third of Rhode Island lawmakers collect, or could eventually receive, a state pension. Yet only one, Sen. Majority Whip Valarie Lawson, consulted with the state ethics panel on whether her former teaching career and current job as president of one of the state teachers’ unions preclude her from voting on pension-related legislation. The Ethics Commission ruled she could vote, citing a clause in the ethics code letting public officials participate in actions that may benefit them personally if enough other people also receive the same benefit.

Texas – Former Houston Public Works Official Charged in Corruption Case Involving Waterline Repair Contracts

MSN – Yilun Cheng (Houston Chronicle) | Published: 6/1/2024

A former employee of Houston’s Public Works Department was arrested for allegedly taking bribes from vendors and funneling city dollars to herself through a shell company. The department first suspended Patrece Lee, a former manager of the department’s water operation, in November 2023 after a media report alerted the city of possible conflicts-of-interest in her handling of emergency contracts for water leak repairs. The internal probe later turned into a criminal investigation.

Wisconsin – Former Trump Aides Charged in Wisconsin Over 2020 Elector Plot

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 6/4/2024

Wisconsin’s attorney general filed conspiracy charges against a former aide and two attorneys who advised Donald Trump over a meeting of Republicans claiming to be the state’s 2020 presidential electors even though Trump had lost the state. The charges are the first in Wisconsin related to the meeting of electors. Prosecutors have separately charged Republicans who were involved in similar efforts in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Georgia.

June 5, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Colorado: “Campaign Finance Reform Could Be Coming Next Election Cycle” by Rebecca Tauber for Denverite Ohio: “Cleveland City Council Doubles Campaign Finance Contribution Limits, Some Residents Push Back” by Abbey Marshall for WVIZ Elections Kansas: “Kansas Voters Have No Fundamental Constitutional Right to […]

May 24, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – May 24, 2024

National/Federal With Debate Deal, Trump and Biden Sideline a Storied Campaign Institution DNyuz – Adam Nagourney (New York Times) | Published: 5/16/2024 The agreement by President Biden and Donald Trump to move ahead with two presidential debates, and sideline the Commission on […]

National/Federal

With Debate Deal, Trump and Biden Sideline a Storied Campaign Institution

DNyuz – Adam Nagourney (New York Times) | Published: 5/16/2024

The agreement by President Biden and Donald Trump to move ahead with two presidential debates, and sideline the Commission on Presidential Debates, is a debilitating and potentially fatal blow to an institution that had once been a major arbiter in presidential politics. But the roots of the commission’s decline go back at least a decade and came to a head in 2020, when the commission struggled to stage a debate with Trump and Biden during the pandemic.

Senate Democrats Open Inquiry into Trump’s $1 Billion Request of Oil Industry

DNyuz – Lisa Friedman (New York Times) | Published: 5/23/2024

Senate Democrats opened an investigation into Donald Trump’s recent meeting with oil and gas executives to determine whether Trump offered a “policies-for-money transaction” when he asked for $1 billion for his 2024 campaign so he could retake the White House and delete President Biden’s climate regulations. Trump told about 20 oil and gas executives they would save far more than $1 billion in avoided taxes and legal fees after he repealed environmental regulations, according to several people who were present.

Peter Thiel-Funded Super PAC That Backed JD Vance Didn’t Break the Law, FEC Rules

MSN – Bryan Metzger (Business Insider) | Published: 5/23/2024

The FEC dismissed a complaint that accused U.S. Sen. JD Vance’s campaign and a super PAC funded primarily by billionaire Peter Thiel of violating federal election laws. The complaint focused on the existence of an obscure website set up by the super PAC. That site contained troves of materials seemingly intended for use by Vance’s campaign and other potential supporters, including polling data, B-roll camera footage, opposition research, and other strategy documents. The complaint argued those materials were essentially an illegal contribution to Vance, given that his campaign could presumably access the materials.

Fat Leonard Bribery Cases Fall Apart Because of Prosecution Blunders

MSN – Craig Whitlock (Washington Post) | Published: 5/20/2024

Numerous Navy officers were charged with taking payoffs from Leonard Glenn Francis, a Malaysian defense contractor known as Fat Leonard. But a pattern of prosecutorial misconduct in the probe has caused several cases to unravel so far and is threatening to undermine more. The cases collapsed after defense attorneys alleged prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office in San Diego elide on flawed evidence and withheld information favorable to the defense during the 2022 bribery trial of five officers.

On the Week Trump’s Fla. Trial Was Scheduled to Start, Uncertainty and a Pretrial Hearing

MSN – David Ovalle and Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 5/22/2024

Donald Trump’s classified-documents trial was supposed to begin with jury selection this week. It is the case that Trump’s attorneys have been the most worried about, with prosecutors offering evidence a former president who is running to hold the office again took sensitive government documents from the White House and obstructed officials’ attempts to retrieve them. But U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon indefinitely postponed the trial. Instead of Trump sitting at the defense table for the first week of trial, Cannon held two hearings on long-shot requests from a Trump co-defendant to dismiss the case.

Paul Pelosi’s Attacker Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

MSN – Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 5/17/2024

David DePape, the man whose embrace of right-wing conspiracy theories led him to break into Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco home and bludgeon her 82-year-old husband, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Federal prosecutors had asked for a 40-year term, arguing the attack constituted an act of terrorism. A jury convicted DePape on federal charges of trying to kidnap the then-House speaker and assaulting Paul Pelosi because of his wife’s work in Congress.

FEC Rejects Proposal to Weaken Disclosure Laws but Agrees to Further Rulemaking

Open Secrets – Jimmy Cloutier | Published: 5/16/2024

The FEC declined to advance a temporary measure that would have made it easier for political donors to hide identifying information from the American public, but commissioners agreed to move forward in creating new rules to standardize how disclosure exemption requests are evaluated and approved. The FEC has granted exemptions when an organization or individual donor can demonstrate a “reasonable probability” the public disclosure of personal information will subject them to threats and harassment.

Another Provocative Flag Was Flown at Another Alito Home

Seattle Times – Jodi Kantor, Aric Toler, and Julie Tate (New York Times) | Published: 5/22/2024

A second flag of a type carried by rioters during the attack on the U.S. Capitol was displayed outside a house owned by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. An “Appeal to Heaven” flag was flown outside Alito’s vacation home last summer. An inverted American flag, another symbol carried by rioters, was seen at Alito’s Virginia home less than two weeks after the violence at the Capitol. The revelations prompted concerns from legal scholars and ethicists, and calls from Democratic lawmakers that Alito recuse himself from cases related to January 6.

Congress Aims to Overhaul Presidential Ethics Rules with a Plan Led by an Unlikely Pair of Lawmakers

Yahoo News – Farnoush Amiri (Associated Press) | Published: 5/22/2024

Bipartisan legislation in the House would require presidents and vice presidents to publicly disclose tax returns before, during, and after their time in the White House as Congress makes an election-year push to curb foreign influence in American politics. Democrats introduced rival legislation that would enforce the Constitution’s ban on emoluments, which prohibits a president from accepting foreign gifts and money without the permission of Congress.

Republican Chair Investigating Chamber of Commerce in Seismic K Street Shift

Yahoo News – Taylor Giorno (The Hill) | Published: 5/16/2024

A decade ago, a Republican committee chairperson investigating Washington’s biggest business advocacy organization would have been unthinkable. But times have changed. House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith demanded the U.S. Chamber of Commerce answer questions about the more than $12 million its foundation received from the Tides Foundation, a left-leaning nonprofit, between 2018 and 2022.

‘We’ll See You at Your House:’ How fear and menace are transforming politics

Yahoo News – Eileen Sullivan, Danny Hakim, and Ken Bensinger (New York Times) | Published: 5/19/2024

A steady undercurrent of violence and physical risk has become a new normal in American public life. From City Hall to Congress, public officials increasingly describe threats and harassment as a routine part of their jobs. Often masked by online anonymity and propelled by extreme political views, the barrage of menace has changed how officials do their work, terrified their families, and driven some from public life altogether. By almost all measures, the evidence of the trend is striking.

In the Aging Senate, 80-Somethings Seeking Re-Election Draw Little Criticism

Yahoo News – Kayla Guo (New York Times) | Published: 5/17/2024

While President Biden tries to assuage voter concerns about his age in a presidential race that includes the two oldest men ever to seek the White House, a couple of miles away in the U.S. Senate, the gerontocracy remains alive and well – and little commented upon. The recent news that two octogenarians – Sens. Bernie Sanders, 82, and Angus King, 80 – are each running for another six-year term generated little in the way of criticism or worry over age of the kind that Biden has faced.

From the States and Municipalities

Canada – Conservative Candidate Didn’t Register on Time as Travel Nurse Lobbyist

Yahoo News – Jacques Poitras | Published: 5/23/2024

A lobbyist and federal Conservative election candidate did not promptly report his lobbying for a company supplying travel nurses to New Brunswick’s struggling health care system. New Brunswick’s Lobbyists’ Registration Act requires a lobbyist to submit a return to the provincial integrity commissioner “within 15 days after commencing performance of an undertaking on behalf of a client.” But Brian Macdonald, who represented Canadian Health Labs in 2023, did not register as a lobbyist for the company until this year, after it made national headlines.

Arizona – Arizona Weighs When Lawyers’ Long-Shot Election Challenges Cross the Line

Arizona Mirror – Jen Fifield (Votebeat) | Published: 5/21/2024

At a state bar association event on election law, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said lawyers need to do a better job of upholding their professional standards. Election lawyers are filing too many frivolous cases “just because the plaintiffs are mad at their political opponents,” Fontes said, adding that they are endangering public faith in democracy. The rise in sanctions and disciplinary scrutiny is prompting debate about exactly when lawyers who bring election challenges are crossing the line, and whether professional standards of conduct have shifted.

Arizona – Rudy Giuliani and Other Trump Allies Plead Not Guilty in Arizona

MSN – Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 5/21/2024

Eleven Republicans who allegedly tried to deliver Arizona’s presidential electoral votes to Donald Trump after his 2020 defeat pleaded not guilty to the same nine criminal counts, which include conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. Arizona is one of four states where Republicans have been charged in the formation of an alternate slate of presidential electors falsely claiming Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

California – LA City Council Expansion, Once Hailed as Much Needed Reform, Is Dead for Now

MSN – Frank Stoltze (LAist) | Published: 5/20/2024

For years, advocates for a more democratic Los Angeles have called for expanding the size of the city council beyond the current 15 members. The idea gained momentum in 2022 after the release of secretly recorded audio that came to be known as the City Hall tapes scandal. Many proponents of council expansion hoped it would be placed on the November ballot, while the fervor for reform remained strong. That is not going to happen.

Colorado – Wolf Advocates Charged with Illegal Lobbying at State Capitol

Denver Gazette – Marianne Goodland (Colorado Politics) | Published: 5/16/2024

Complaints filed in Colorado claim Stephen Capra and his organization, Bold Visions Conservation, lobbied state legislators on behalf of a paying client without registering or disclosing the client’s identity as required by law. The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office determined Capra lobbied on behalf of Bold Visions Conservation, which pays him for his services, and should have registered as a professional lobbyist.

Connecticut – CT Supreme Court Finds Public Financing Law Restricts Free Speech

Connecticut Mirror – Mark Pazniokas | Published: 5/20/2024

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled state elections officials violated the free speech rights of two Republicans running for the state Legislature when it fined them for criticizing the Democratic governor in ads paid for by their publicly funded campaigns in 2014. At issue was whether criticism of former Gov. Dannel Malloy’s fiscal policies by former Sen. Joe Markley and then-Rep. Rob Sampson in campaign materials was intended to further their own candidacies or improperly use their public grants to undermine the governor or help his challenger, Tom Foley.

Hawaii – Not Guilty: Ex-Honolulu prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro, businessman Dennis Mitsunaga and others walk in bribery case

Honolulu Civil Beat – Chrstina Jendra | Published: 5/17/2024

A jury found longtime Honolulu prosecuting attorney Keith Kaneshiro did not conspire with Dennis Mitsunaga, the former chief executive of a prominent engineering firm, and several company employees to arrange for the prosecution of Laurel Mau, a former Mitsunaga employee. Prosecutors said Mitsunaga’s company sought to use the criminal justice system to exact revenge on Mau for suing her former employer, and Kaneshiro benefitted from some $50,000 in campaign donations.

Hawaii – Hawaii Ethics Commission Grapples with Pay-to-Play Issues

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 5/15/2024

The Hawaii Ethics Commission is trying to figure out how to wrangle two groups of people who are proving particularly challenging: high-level state employees who are politically active and legislators who have outside jobs with companies that have government business. Those were some of the issues raised in a recent media investigation that examined loopholes in Hawaii’s campaign spending laws.

Louisiana – Mayor Cantrell Takes French Quarter Resident Who Photographed Her to Court Over Stalking Claim

NOLA.com – John Simerman and Missy Wilkinson | Published: 5/21/2024

Anne Breaud photographed Mayor LaToya Cantrell sharing a meal with her bodyguard, New Orleans Police Department Officer Jeffrey Vappie, on the balcony of restaurant. That moment has since placed Breaud in the mayo”s crosshairs, the subject of a temporary restraining order filed by Cantrell that alleged Breaud had been stalking her. Breaud sent her photos of Cantrell and Vappie to the Metropolitan Crime Commission, which filed a complaint raising new questions about Vappie’s conduct with the mayor:

Montana – Montana Commissioner Opens Complaints Against AG Candidates

Yahoo News – Darrell Ehrlick (Daily Montanan) | Published: 5/16/2024

The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices accepted two complaints that center on the Republican primary race for attorney general, including one involving current state Attorney General Austin Knudsen. The Daily Montanan that an audio recording appeared to capture Knudsen calling Montana’s campaign finance laws “ridiculous” and saying he asked a friend to run against him in the partisan primary as a way to raise more money.

New Hampshire – Democratic Operative Indicted Over Biden AI Robocalls in New Hampshire

MSN – Maegan Vazquez, Meryl Kornfield, and Hayden Godfrey (Washington Post) | Published: 5/23/2024

Steve Kramer, a Democratic operative who admitted to commissioning an artificial intelligence-generated robocall of President Biden that instructed New Hampshire voters to not vote early this year, is now facing criminal charges and federal fines. New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella announced Kramer had been indicted on charges of felony voter impression and misdemeanor impersonation of a candidate. The Federal Communications Commission said it would propose fining Kramer $6 million for violating the Truth in Caller ID Act.

New Jersey – Campaign Finance Watchdog Taps Top Lawyer to Helm Agency

New Jersey Monitor – Nikita Biryukov | Published: 5/21/2024

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) appointed Amanda Haines, its acting legal director, to head the campaign finance watchdog months after the retirement of its longtime executive director. Haines, who joined ELEC in 2005 as assistant legal counsel, will be the first woman to head the commission in its 51-year history.

New Jersey – Jersey City Ed Board Approves Ethics Charges Against Member Over Pro-Palestinian Slogan. Will State End Controversy?

Newark Star Ledger – Joshua Rosario (Jersey Journal) | Published: 5/15/2024

The Jersey City school board approved ethics charges against one of its members over a controversial pro-Palestinian slogan, and now it is asking the state to decide whether it is antisemitic hate speech or a peaceful rallying cry. While dozens of speakers during the public portion of the meeting were split on the meaning and intent of “From the rivers to the sea, Palestine will be free,” most of the board agreed Trustee Younass Barkouch should not have shouted the inflammatory phrase at a school board meeting in April.

New Mexico – Disclosure Rules Unclear for Commissioners Set to Decide on O&G Wastewater Rules

Source New Mexico – Danielle Prokop | Published: 5/23/2024

Changes for rules concerning New Mexico’s oil and gas wastewater are under consideration, but questions about how the people responsible for adopting those rules, specifically their personal business dealings, have taken the debate into murky waters. Environmental groups said failures to add financial disclosures and declare alleged conflicts-of-interest threaten a potential decision about a contentious proposal to expand uses for oil and gas wastewater.

New York – BOE Mails Paper Checks to State Legislative Candidates, Delaying Matching Funds

City & State New York – Rebecca Lewis | Published: 5/21/2024

The New York State Public Campaign Finance Board approved the first round of matching funds during a meeting on May 7, with an issuance date of May 13. But many candidates were left waiting for days, in some cases nearly a week, to receive their public money. Several of those candidates were surprised to learn the reason for that delay. They were expecting direct deposit but wound up receiving a paper check in the mail for tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

New York – City Hall Aide Is Cooperating with Corruption Investigation into Adams

DNyuz – William Rashbaum, Dana Rubenstein, and Michael Rothfeld (New York Times) | Published: 5/20/2024

An aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams who served as his longtime liaison to the Turkish community has turned against him and is cooperating with the corruption investigation into Adams and his 2021 campaign. The cooperation of Rana Abbasova could represent a significant development in the broad corruption inquiry, which has focused in part on whether Adams’ campaign conspired with the Turkish government to funnel illegal foreign donations into campaign coffers, and whether Adams pressured Fire Department officials to sign off on a new high-rise Turkish consulate despite safety concerns.

New York – NYC Mayor Adams’ Involvement in Brother’s Charity Group Event Sparks Concerns Over Backdoor Donors

MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 5/22/2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams appeared at a fundraiser for a new charity that aims to provide cultural programs for disadvantaged children. Angels Helpers NYC is the brainchild of the mayor’s brother, Bernard Adams, who is being paid $10,000 annually for his work, covered by private donations to the group. Bernard Adams’ involvement in the charity, along with the mayor’s participation in the gala, raised concern among watchdogs that wealthy players in the city will see giving to Angels Helpers as a legal backdoor for currying favor with the mayor.

New York – More Adams Administration Officials in Talks to Join Ex-Chief of Staff Frank Carone’s Lobbying Firm

New York Daily News – Chris Sommerfeldt | Published: 5/17/2024

Two more senior officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration are in talks to join former chief of staff Frank Carone’s lobbying firm. If the officials come on board, Carone’s firm, which is actively lobbying both city and state government officials, will be employing five Adams administration alums.

North Carolina – GOP Candidate for NC Governor Blasts Public Spending as His Family Nonprofit Rakes in Taxpayer Funds

MSN – Brian Slodysko and Bill Barrow (Associated Press) | Published: 5/22/2024

In his bid to become North Carolina’s first Black governor, Republican Mark Robinson assails government safety net spending as a “plantation of welfare and victimhood” that has mired generations of Black people in “dependency” and poverty. But the lieutenant governor’s [political rise would not have been possible without it. Over the past decade, Robinson’s household has relied on income from Balanced Nutrition, a nonprofit founded by his wife that administered a free lunch program for children. The organization, funded entirely by taxpayers, has paid out at least $830,000 in salaries to Robinson and other members of his family.

Ohio – Ohio Lawmakers Won’t Pass Biden Ballot Fix, House Speaker Says

MSN – Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 5/21/2024

If President Biden is going to make it on the ballot in Ohio, it will not be because of the Republican-controlled state Legislature, according to House Speaker Jason Stephens. He said the push to fix the state law that is posing a barrier for the Democratic president has stalled out. “It’s a hyper political environment at this at this time of year and there are some Republicans who just didn’t want to vote on it. … I think there are other alternatives to it, so why create a stir that’s not necessary,” said Stephens.

Oregon – Republican Fundraisers Ran Afoul of Oregon Liquor Rules, Investigation Finds

MSN – Noelle Crombie (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 5/21/2024

The Columbia County Republican Central Committee violated state liquor regulations when it auctioned bottles of high-end bourbon, including Pappy Van Winkle, during fundraisers in 2022 and 2023, a state investigation found. The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission inquiry followed a media report that determined the rural political group’s Bourbon in the Barn events appeared to skirt state rules.

Oregon – Why the First Lady’s Involvement with a Big Pharmaceutical Company Is Noteworthy

Willamette Week – Nigel Jaquiss | Published: 5/22/2024

Oregon first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson arranged a meeting for representatives of Johnson & Johnson with Ebony Clarke, the state’s director of behavioral health. The Oregon Health Plan paid nearly $1.4 billion for prescription drugs last year. Gov. Tina Kotek’s staff has a rigorous process for vetting access to the governor and her top advisers. Emails show that when a request for a meeting or even a phone call comes in, there is a detailed evaluation process and often a formal memo. For the first lady, however, there was no such process.

Pennsylvania – Can Republicans Embrace Voting by Mail? Pennsylvania Offers a Test

DNyuz – Michael Wines (New York Times) | Published: 5/21/2024

Republican Party leaders in Pennsylvania have pledged to spend millions of dollars this year to promote voting by mail despite claiming for years, without evidence, that mailed votes are riddled with fraud. The national party is also pressing a pro-mail publicity campaign called “Bank Your Vote,” apparently after concluding that staking its candidates’ fates on a hefty Election Day turnout was not an optimal strategy.

Pennsylvania – Pa.’s Judges Must Reveal the Perks They Accept, but the Public Won’t Find Those Disclosures Online

Yahoo News – Angela Couloumbis (Spotlight PA) | Published: 5/20/2204

Every year, thousands of officials in state government must fill out reports by May 1 that disclose their sources of income, creditors, and business interests, as well as any gifts, hospitality, or other perks they accepted. Those reports are then made publicly searchable and available online. Pennsylvania’s judges, however, play by somewhat different rules.

South Carolina – Supreme Court Allows Disputed South Carolina Voting Map

MSN – Patrick Marley and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/23/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the use of a South Carolina congressional map that a lower court said “exiled” thousands of Black voters to carve out a district safer for a White Republican incumbent. At issue for the court was whether South Carolina’s new map, which was created by the GOP-led Legislature and moved Black voters from one district to another, was permitted to bolster the Republican majority or was an unconstitutional effort to divvy up voters by race. The conservative majority sent the case back to the lower court, giving Republicans a victory by finding it erred when it determined race predominated the map-drawing process.

Tennessee – Concerns Over Free Speech Grow as Abortion Travel Ban Heads to Tennessee Governor’s Desk

MSN – Angele Latham (Nashville Tennessean) | Published: 5/16/2024

Some free speech advocates are raising the alarm over wording in a new Tennessee bill that could potentially restrict a person’s right to speak about abortion health care. The law, passed by state lawmakers this year, makes it a felony to recruit or transport a minor for an illegal abortion without parental consent. It closely mirrors a recent law passed in Idaho, which a federal judge halted on First Amendment grounds.

Washington – Prominent Seattle Lobbying Firm Exits Bankruptcy, Cuts CEO’s Pay

Seattle Times – Jim Brunner | Published: 5/20/2024

A major Seattle lobbying and public affairs firm wrapped up its bankruptcy with a reorganization that will pay off debtors, including $6 million owed to its estranged former co-founder. Strategies 360 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November, a move prompted by a rancorous financial dispute between Chief Executive Officer Ron Dotzauer and his ex-business partner Eric Sorenson.

Washington – Tanya Woo Should Recuse from Minimum Wage Vote, Ethics Head Says

Seattle Times – David Kroman | Published: 5/20/2024

When the Seattle City Council votes on a new, lower pay standard for app-based delivery drivers, Councilperson Tanya Woo should recuse herself, said Wayne Barnett, director of the Ethics and Elections Commission The reason is that Woo’s father-in-law owns Kau Kau BBQ and uses delivery apps, giving Woo’s family a possible financial stake in the vote. “For me, that’s just too close,” Barnett said.

May 17, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – May 17, 2024

National/Federal A White-Collar Indictment Shatters a Congressman’s Blue-Collar Image DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel and Kitty Bennett (New York Times) | Published: 5/13/2024 U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar has often reminisced about growing up in Laredo, Texas, where his parents, one-time migrant workers, raised […]

National/Federal

A White-Collar Indictment Shatters a Congressman’s Blue-Collar Image

DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel and Kitty Bennett (New York Times) | Published: 5/13/2024

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar has often reminisced about growing up in Laredo, Texas, where his parents, one-time migrant workers, raised him and his seven siblings to value hard work and beware the dangers of debt. He and his wife have now been criminally charged for accepting at least $598,000 over from a Mexican bank and an oil company owned by the Azerbaijani government. Members of Congress are often invited to exclusive clubs and functions by donors, wealthy colleagues, and lobbyists. The lure can be harder to resist for the relatively small group of politicians from humble backgrounds who sometimes struggle to make ends meet.

Democrats Aim for a Breakthrough for Black Women in the Senate

DNyuz – Jonathan Weisman (New York Times) | Published: 5/16/2024

The national Democratic Party has faced criticism that it has declined to back Black women to the hilt, either in primaries or general elections, when they have run for statewide offices. Out of 75 Black women who have run or are running for the U.S Senate since 2010, 10 have secured major-party nominations. No Black woman has ever been elected governor, and out of the 28 who have run for the position since 2010, only four have become major-party nominees.

‘Mom’ Legislators See Their Numbers, Influence Grow but Barriers to Elected Office Remain

Louisiana Illuminator – States Newsroom | Published: 5/12/2024

The number of women serving in state Legislatures has more than quintupled since 1971, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. Nearly 33 percent of the 7,386 state legislative seats are occupied by 2,432 women, the center reported. The Vote Mama Foundation estimates 23 percent of lawmakers are mothers. Still, moms are struggling to get elected and remain in office. Beyond childcare, there are myriad impediments.

House Ethics Panel Probing Troy Nehls’s Campaign Rent Payments

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 5/10/2024

The House Committee on Ethics announced it would further probe allegations that U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls may have misused campaign funds for personal purposes. Despite Nehls’ campaign committee listing its headquarters as “Freedom Hall,” in Richmond, Texas, it made no rent payments to that location, which was formerly a bar and later became an Islamic center. Instead, the Office of Congressional Ethics found the campaign made more than $25,000 in rent payments to an entity known as Liberty 1776 that is owned and operated by Nehls.

Biden and Trump Agree to CNN Debate in June, ABC Faceoff in September

MSN – Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 5/15/2024

President Biden and Donald Trump agreed to a June 27 debate on CNN and a September 10 debate broadcast by ABC News, hours after Biden announced he would bypass the decades-old tradition of three fall meetings organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The first debate will be held after the expected conclusion of Trump’s New York trial. The CNN debate will be conducted without a live audience and is open to any presidential candidate who consistently polls above 15 percent in approved public surveys and is on enough state ballots to win a majority of electoral college votes.

Steve Bannon’s Bid to Undo Jan. 6 Contempt Conviction Fails

MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 5/10/2024

Former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon was rightfully convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in front of the committee that investigated the Capitol attack, an appellate court ruled. The court did not immediately order Bannon to begin serving his four-month prison sentence; instead, he has seven days to ask for reconsideration at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Bannon maintains he was following legal advice in refusing to cooperate with the committee.

Sen. Bob Menendez’s Trial, Where Gold Bars May Shine, Begins Monday

MSN – Salvador Rizzo (Washington Post) | Published: 5/12/2024

Sen. Bob Menendez is on for the second time in a decade on federal charges he used his position and influence to benefit a trio of businesspeople who were plying him with luxury gifts. Menendez’s previous corruption case featured similar bribery allegations but ended in 2017 with a deadlocked jury. This time, experts say the once-powerful chair of the Foreign Relations Committee faces a tougher task: convincing jurors he legally obtained the gold bars, cash, convertible, and other items seized from his home in 2022.

Justice Clarence Thomas Calls Criticism of Him ‘Nastiness’ and Lies’

MSN – Justin Jouvenal, Tobi Raji, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/10/2024

After facing harsh questions about his judicial decisions and acceptance of lavish gifts from a billionaire, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pushed back at his critics, saying he and his wife, Virginia Thomas, have endured “nastiness” and “lies.” Thomas’s remarks were markedly different in tone from an earlier public appearance by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who said consistency, transparency, and mutual respect are the keys to improving public trust in the judiciary.

Federal Prosecutors Reissue Criminal Charges Against Ex-Rep. Jeff Fortenberry

Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 5/9/2024

Federal prosecutors charged former U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry in the District of Columbia for allegedly lying to investigators in connection with a campaign finance probe of a foreign billionaire’s political contributions. Fortenberry was convicted of the same charges in Los Angeles in 2022, but an appeals court reversed the conviction, determining the case should have been brought in either the then-lawmaker’s Nebraska district or in Washington.

Felons or Dupes? Treatment of Trump’s Fake Electors Has Varied Wildly by State

Yahoo News – Betsy Woodruff Swan and Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 5/11/2024

Eighty-four Republicans in seven states falsely claimed to be Donald Trump’s presidential electors in December 2020. Now, dozens of them are facing criminal charges that could land them in prison for years. Dozens of others have not been charged at all. Even though the fake electors all participated in the same scheme, some have been charged as dangerous criminals while others have been treated as mere dupes. These disparities depend almost entirely on where they live.

House Ethics Panel Subpoenas DOJ for Gaetz Records

Yahoo News – Jordain Carney (Politico) | Published: 5/16/2024

The House Committee on Ethics subpoenaed the Justice Department for information tied to the panel’s ongoing investigation into U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a person familiar with the congressional investigation said. House investigators demanded documents and other records to assist with their ongoing ethics investigation into allegations that Gaetz had sexual contact with a minor. The Justice Department closed its investigation of Gaetz without filing charges.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – New EU Ethics Body Adopted – but Will Have No Investigative Powers

EUobserver – Nikolaj Nielsen | Published: 5/16/2024

A new European Union (EU) ethics body was formed to curtail scandals and keep the EU institutions free from corruption. But years of debate and opposition by some have soured its initial ambitions, leaving the body without any investigative powers. The latest iteration will not cover the European Council or the activities and officials of the member state holding the EU’s six-month rotating presidency.

Arizona – Ethics Panel Mulls GOP Complaint That Dems Committed ‘Insurrection’ by Protesting on the Floor

Arizona Mirror – Gloria Rebecca Gomez | Published: 5/15/2024

During a contentious ethics committee hearing, Republican lawmakers accused two Democrats who protested on the floor of the Arizona House after their GOP colleagues avoided repealing a century old abortion law of inciting a riot and making others fear for their safety. Committee Chairperson Joseph Chaplik dismissed arguments that the Democratic lawmakers were simply reacting passionately, saying lawmakers are passionate about many proposals and the chamber’s rules exist to bar the kind of “chaos” that occurred.

California – Ethics Reform Measure Will Go to L.A. Voters. Critics Say It’s Watered Down

MSN – Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 5/15/2024

Los Angeles voters in November will weigh in on a ballot measure that would strengthen the city’s ethics oversight after a string of scandals at City Hall. Watchdog groups were disappointed, saying the measure does not go far enough after the city council watered down a proposal that had included more sweeping changes, such as giving the volunteer Ethics Commission unilateral power to put items on the ballot.

California – California Lawmakers Keep Killing Bills by Not Voting on Them. Do the Rules Need to Change?

MSN – Ryan Sabalow (CalMatters) | Published: 5/9/2024

Not voting is a common practice for California legislators. Last year, at least 15 bills died due to lack of votes instead of lawmakers voting “no” to kill them. So far this year, at least 12 bills have died because lawmakers declined to vote. Insiders say it is a way for lawmakers to be polite to colleagues and perhaps avoid a “no” vote on their own legislation. But critics say it is also a way for lawmakers to dodge responsibility for their decisions.

Colorado – Why Pueblo’s Mayor Allowed a Lobbyist to Write an Opinion for Her (and May Do So Again)

Pueblo Chieftan – Anna Lynn Winfrey | Published: 5/16/2024

Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham submitted similar opinion pieces to two Colorado newspapers but she did not write them herself. A lobbyist working for Evraz, the company that owns Pueblo’s steel mill and is one of the city’s largest employers, penned the op-ed as part of an advocacy push to defeat some bills introduced. at the state Legislature that business leaders said could hurt Pueblo.

Florida – DeSantis Clears Some Ethics Cases After 2 Years, but Others Still Languish

MSN – Skyler Swisher (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 5/10/2024

Gov. Ron DeSantis cleared part of a backlog of ethics orders punishing the misdeeds of Florida politicians that politicians piled up over two years of inaction, but some high-profile cases are still languishing. DeSantis quietly signed 17 orders in October and November imposing fines and penalties for violations of the state’s ethics code, shortly after an Orlando Sentinel report highlighted dozens of cases awaiting his signature. The orders were only recently posted on the governor’s website.

Hawaii – New Maui Ethics Board Member Instructed Not to Participate Due to Legal Dispute

Honolulu Civil Beat – Brittany Lyte | Published: 5/8/2024

Weakened by numerous vacancies and a shortage of resources to prosecute ethics violations, Maui County’s short-handed Board of Ethics could soon get a badly needed boost from new membership. But the recent appointment of Chivo Ching-Johnson is effectively on hold pending the resolution of a legal dispute over the process by which the county selected nominees to serve on a number of boards and commissions.

Idaho – ‘We Are Paying Attention’: Idaho Secretary of State sees influx of campaign finance complaints

Idaho Capital Sun – Mia Maldonado | Published: 5/16/2024

Idaho legislative candidates have more than doubled the amount of money raised toward their campaigns than the 2022 election. With more money coming into campaigns this year, more than 60 campaign finance complaints have been filed with his office, Secretary of State Phil McGrane said. “It’s important for the public to know that we are paying attention and enforcing these rules,” he said.

Idaho – Idaho State Police Warned Media Outlet That Publishing Its Story Might Violate Idaho Law

Yahoo News – Daniel Walters (InvestigativeWest) | Published: 5/14/2024

InvestigateWest published a story about a secret recording of a nearly two-hour conversation between Idaho Rep. Heather Scott and lobbyist Maria Nate. A copy of the recording had been provided to the news outlet by a third party. InvestigateWest later got a call from Idaho State Police Detective Sean Walker, who said he believed the recording may have been made illegally. Then, he read a state law suggesting if InvestigateWest wrote about the contents of a recording it knew had been illegally made, it could violate Idaho’s communications security laws, a crime punishable by up to five years in state prison.

Illinois – Illinois Democrats’ Law Changing the Choosing of Legislative Candidates Faces GOP Opposition

MSN – John O’Connor (Associated Press) | Published: 5/8/2024

Illinois Democrats changed the way candidates for the General Assembly get on the ballot. Republicans are complaining they changed the rules mid-game. The Legislature’s majority party speedily made the change by introducing the proposal, shepherding it through votes of approval by the House and Senate, and securing the governor’s signature within 30 hours. The law, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker hailed as an ethics update, eliminates the drafting of legislative candidates by local political parties without putting them through primary elections.

Illinois – Chicago Ethics Board Wants Fines and Suspensions for Lobbyists Who Give Money to Mayoral Candidates

WBEZ – Tessa Weinberg | Published: 5/14/2024

The Chicago Board of Ethics wants a law on the books that allows it to fine and even temporarily suspend lobbyists if they contribute to a mayor’s campaign in violation of a decade-old ethics rule. The board recommended that the city council update the ethics ordinance to give enforcement teeth to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2011 executive order that bars lobbyists from donating to a mayor’s political committees.

Illinois – ‘We’re on the Friends and Family Plan Now’: New details emerge in alleged AT&T scheme to bribe House speaker

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 5/13/2024

Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza will stand trial on charges he approved a scheme to funnel payments to an associate of then-House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for the speaker’s help passing legislation important to the company. A recent court filing alleged for the first time that Madigan was directly involved in legislation that allowed companies such as AT&T to put up micro-towers on light poles and elsewhere in public rights-of-way. Madigan helped to advance the bill and helped defeat an amendment to the legislation that would have been harmful to AT&T’s interests, according to prosecutors.

Kansas – ‘I Didn’t Say It Was Valid’: Johnson County sheriff admits he didn’t have signed warrant

Yahoo News – Jonathan Shorman (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/9/2024

Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden acknowledged no judge signed off on seizing old ballots in his long-running elections investigation after he falsely said he had a “search warrant in hand.” The admission came after Hayden, a Republican in a competitive race for reelection, in April accused county Election Commissioner Fred Sherman and other officials of rushing to destroy old ballots from several past elections, suggesting they were attempting to eliminate evidence just as the sheriff was on the verge of obtaining a search warrant for them.

Louisiana – Gov. Jeff Landry, in Dispute with State Ethics Board, Might Gain More Control Over Its Members

Louisiana Illuminator – Julie O’Donoghue | Published: 5/15/2024

Gov. Jeff Landry has yet to resolve a months-long dispute with the Louisiana Board of Ethics for failing to disclose private flights he took to Hawaii on a campaign donor’s plane. Now, state lawmakers may give Landry more control over the board that seeks to discipline him. Senate Bill 497 would give the governor direct control over who fills the majority of the ethics board seats. It would go into effect August 1.

Louisiana – Supreme Court Restores Louisiana Voting Map with Majority-Black District

MSN – Patrick Marley, Justin Jouvenal, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 5/15/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court restored a congressional voting map in Louisiana that includes an additional majority-Black district, handing a victory to Democrats less than six months before the November election. The order was in response to emergency appeals filed after a federal three-judge panel in the state threw out the recently redrawn map, ruling it was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Michigan – Michigan Lawyer Seeks Ruling on Lobbyist-Gifted Tickets After News Investigation

Detroit News – Craig Mauger | Published: 5/15/2024

Michigan law bars registered lobbyists from providing legislators with gifts valued at more than $76, but The Detroit News reported lobbyists have found ways around the prohibition. One of their main strategies has been securing tickets to events for lawmakers and then asking the lawmakers, through private letters later, to reimburse the price of the tickets over $76. Bob LaBrant, the former general counsel for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, asked Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to rule on whether the system is legal.

Missouri – Missouri Ethics Agency Clears Some Officials to Spend Taxpayer Money on Election Campaigns

Yahoo News – Jonathan Shorman (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/14/2024

The Missouri Ethics Commission gave tacit approval for some public officials to spend taxpayer dollars on election campaigns, a decision spurring fears of a new “wild west” in election spending. For decades, the state has prohibited the direct use of public funds to support or oppose any ballot measure or candidate. But following a 2021 change in the law, the ethics panel is now interpreting the ban in a way that excludes fire districts, hospital districts, water districts, and other special districts that comprise some of the smallest units of government.

Montana – Knudsen Calls Laws ‘Ridiculous’ and Says He Got Opponent to Run So He Could Raise More Money

Daily Montanan – Darrell Ehrlick | Published: 5/14/2024

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said he had put a friend and fellow Republican up to running against him in his bid for re-election to raise more money and he believes state law is “ridiculous,” according to a recording that captured part of his remarks. Those remarks may have given audience members more than information about the race for the top law enforcement officer in the state. They may have provided the basis for several campaign violations.

New York – Appellate Court Sides with Cuomo, Ruling Ethics Panel Is Unconstitutional

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 5/9/2024

The Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government was created unconstitutionally, an appeals court said in a ruling in favor of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He is fighting an attempt by the agency to force him to forfeit $5 million he got for writing a book about his administration’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo’s attorneys argued since most of the appointees to the commission were nominated by the Legislature, comptroller, and attorney general, it violates the separation of powers doctrine.

North Dakota – Judge Orders Community Service, Fine for North Dakota Lawmaker Tied to Building Controversy

MSN – Jack Dura (Associated Press) | Published: 5/9/2024

North Dakota Rep. Jason Dockter was ordered to serve 250 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine after he was convicted of a misdemeanor in connection with a state-leased building he has an ownership stake in. Dockter is a co-owner of companies that own the building leased by the late Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. Dockter has denied any wrongdoing in the lease arrangement. The building drew scrutiny when Stenehjem’s successor disclosed a construction cost overrun of over $1 million incurred under Stenehjem.

Ohio – Did Jury in P.G. Sittenfeld Case Get It Wrong? Ex-Councilman Hopes Appeals Court Frees Him from Prison

WCPO – Paula Christian | Published: 5/9/2024

Attorneys for former Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld asked a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to throw out his public corruption. He is serving a 16-month sentence for bribery and attempted extortion. Sittenfeld has maintained he did nothing illegal by accepting $20,000 in campaign donations from undercover FBI agents who were posing as developers and championing their project to redevelop a blighted property into a boutique hotel because he was a pro-development politician.

Oregon – No Criminal Charges for OLCC Managers Who Set Aside Rare Bourbon for Themselves, State Says

MSN – Noelle Crombie (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 5/13/2024

The state Department of Justice said it would not pursue criminal charges against the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) director and other managers who used their positions to access prized Kentucky bourbon. The Justice Department’s investigators were not able to locate anyone who could identify specific OLCC employees who had completed particular purchases. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Udland emphasized the agency limited its review to possible crimes and did not “separately address whether the conduct of any OLCC employee violated Oregon’s civil ethics laws.”

Pennsylvania – Ousted Head of Philly Health Care Workers’ Union Charged with Stealing to Illegally Support Democratic Campaigns

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 5/14/2024

Prosecutors say Chris Woods, former head of District 1199C of the National Union of Hospital and Healthcare Employees, illegally supported candidates in Philadelphia’s 2019 Democratic primary with union funds. Woods stole more than $150,000 from his members to use in the election. He disguised the missing money as payments to renovate the bar in his union’s headquarters. Instead, grand jurors found, the funds went to pay a political consultant, who handled get-out-the-vote efforts for several candidates that Woods and his union endorsed.

Pennsylvania – Super Bowl Tickets, Luxury Resort Stay Among Perks Pa. Lawmakers Accepted in 2023

Yahoo News – Stephen Caruso and Angela Couloumbis (Spotlight PA) | Published: 5/13/2024

Pennsylvania’s gift law is one of the loosest in the country. Public officials can accept gifts of any size, as long as they report those that meet a certain threshold. The law does bar lawmakers from taking gifts if doing so will influence their votes and positions. Under both chambers’ ethics rules, lawmakers are also barred from accepting cash gifts from a lobbyist or anyone else seeking a specific legislative outcome. But watchdogs have lamented that there are few ways to enforce these rules.

Vermont – Vermont Legislature Passes Bill to Create Uniform Ethical Standards in Local Government

VTDigger.org – Shaun Robinson | Published: 5/10/2024

Vermont lawmakers passed a bill that would create new uniform ethical standards for many local government officials, a change proponents said is long overdue. It would establish a “municipal code of ethics” that is similar to one for state officials that went into effect two years ago. The new code would set baseline standards for cities, towns, and villages to adopt around conflicts-of-interest, preferential treatment, gifts, and other potential issues.

Washington – Why One Man Filed 800 Campaign Finance Complaints Against WA Candidates

Centralia Daily Chronicle – Jim Brunner (Seattle Times) | Published: 5/9/2024

Conner Edwards has filed more than 800 complaints with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) against candidates and political committees since late last year. Despite the state’s image as a leader in campaign finance transparency, he says the PDC is failing to crack down when campaigns do not file important reports detailing who is giving them money and how it is spent. PDC staff defended its work and said Edwards is making a mountainous caseload for the agency over a relative molehill of offenses by mostly small-dollar campaigns.

Washington – Ethics Commission Looks into Possible Conflict of Interest on Seattle City Council Vote

KNKX – Lilly Ana Fowler | Published: 5/14/2024

The Seattle City Council will vote on legislation that would roll back a law that mandates delivery drivers for DoorDash and other app companies make the equivalent of the city’s minimum wage. The Ethics and Elections Commission is now looking into whether city council President Sara Nelson has a conflict-of-interest. Nelson recently sold Fremont Brewing to Seattle Hospitality Group, one of the state’s largest hospitality companies.

West Virginia – Incumbent Tops Primary Candidate Who Filmed Himself in the Capitol on Jan. 6

MSN – Mariana Alfaro (Washington Post) | Published: 5/14/2024

U.S. Rep. Carol Miller won the Republican primary in West Virginia’s First Congressional District, defeating Derrick Evans, a former state lawmaker who served three months in prison after pleading guilty to a felony for participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Miller voted against certifying election results from some states on January 6, 2021.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin’s Top Court Signals It Will Reinstate Ballot Drop Boxes

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 5/13/2024

Liberals who control the Wisconsin Supreme Court signaled they were prepared to overturn a two-year-old decision that banned absentee ballot drop boxes and allow them for the 2024 election. The justices’ comments during oral arguments offered the latest sign the liberal majority is prepared to change policies that conservatives put in place during their 15 years controlling the court in one of the country’s most important swing states.

May 10, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – May 10, 2024

National/Federal Candidates for Federal Office Can Raise Unlimited Funds for Ballot Measures DNyuz – Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 5/5/2024 The FEC issued an advisory opinion allowing candidates to raise unlimited money for issue-advocacy groups working on ballot measures in […]

National/Federal

Candidates for Federal Office Can Raise Unlimited Funds for Ballot Measures

DNyuz – Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 5/5/2024

The FEC issued an advisory opinion allowing candidates to raise unlimited money for issue-advocacy groups working on ballot measures in elections in which those candidates are on the ballot. The opinion could alter the landscape in the fall in terms of the capacity that candidates aligned with these groups have to help them raise money.

Noem Dog Shooting Sparks Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus

MSN – Mia McCarthy (Politico) | Published: 5/3/2024

A bipartisan group of lawmakers launched the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus, less than a week after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s killing of her dog disgusted Democrats and Republicans alike. “Given recent dog-related news, it’s evident that both sides of the aisle reject animal cruelty and support protecting man’s best friend,” U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz said.

Congresswoman Battling Brain Disorder Delivers House Speech Using a Text-to-Voice App

MSN – Mariana Alfaro (Washington Post) | Published: 5/6/2024

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton stepped to the microphone on the House floor recently to speak about one of her latest pieces of legislation, as she has done many times before during her five years in Congress. But the voice that gave the speech was not hers – it was from a text-to-voice application, an assistive device she uses to help her navigate a degenerative brain condition with which she was diagnosed last year.

Congressman: Racist trope not ‘focal point’ of video he shared of Ole Miss counterprotesters

MSN – Maegan Vazquez and Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 5/6/2024

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins denounced racism and discrimination several days after he shared a video of counter-protesters at the University of Mississippi that included a shot of one participant making apelike gestures and noises in front of a Black woman. The move came after Collins shared a video of counter-protesters shouting down pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the campus while praising the actions as “Ole Miss taking care of business.”

Judge Indefinitely Delays Trump’s Classified Documents Trial in Florida

MSN – Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 5/7/2024

Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly mishandling classified documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them has been pushed back indefinitely, U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon ruled, increasing the chance the former president’s ongoing New York criminal trial may be the only one to happen before the November election. Cannon had originally set the trial date for late May, but that has seemed unlikely for months, with the judge still needing to make decisions on a number of key legal issues before a jury can hear the case.

Greene Booed as Republicans Turn on Her Over Bid to Oust Speaker Johnson

MSN – Paul Kane, Maegan Vazquez, Marianna Sotomayor, Mariana Alfaro, and Theodoric Meyer (Washington Post) | Published: 5/8/2024

They heckled her and shouted boos as she rose to speak, and some hissed at her – and those were the voices from the same side of the aisle as U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. She tried to oust Speaker Mike Johnson from leadership, but Republicans overwhelmingly opposed her bid. That effort proved to be the final straw for many of her GOP colleagues who have expressed a growing distaste for her antics during her three years in Congress. It even led to a rare admonishment by Donald Trump.

Rep. Henry Cuellar Accused of Taking Bribes from Azerbaijan, Mexican Bank

MSN – Perry Stein and Marianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 5/3/2024

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges in connection with a Department of Justice probe into ties between American business leaders and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. The indictment accuses Cuellar and wife Imelda Cuellar of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico from 2014 to 2021, in exchange for Rep. Cuellar advancing the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S.

Major Corporations Reluctant to Make a Splash at the 2024 Political Conventions

MSN – Amanda Terkel and Brian Schwartz (CNBC), and Natasha Korecki (NBC) | Published: 5/3/2024

Some corporations may not be sponsors at this summer’s political conventions. NBC News interviewed more than 15 major corporate fundraisers and consultants with corporate clients. Many expressed concerns over a charged political climate that they worry could backfire on their brand or where an investment would not pay off. Some said they feared being tied to Donald Trump, given the litany of criminal charges against the former president. Others said the environment is too fragile, given the unrest exploding at college campuses across the country.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Legislation to Change Alabama Ethics Law Dies in Committee

Yahoo News – Ralph Chapoco (Alabama Reflector) | Published: 5/8/2024

A push to change Alabama’s ethics laws for elected officials died in a Senate committee, with supporters saying they would try to bring legislation back next year. The bill was the latest attempt to address a series of changes made to the state’s ethics laws in 2010. The changes, pushed through by what were then new Republican majorities in the House and Senate, were touted at the time as the strongest ethics laws in the nation.

Alaska – Report: Internal emails at Alaska Permanent Fund show financial manager raising ethical concerns about fund’s vice chair

Yahoo Finance – Alex DeMarban (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 5/6/2024

A top financial manager with the $80 billion Alaska Permanent Fund in emails raised concerns about efforts by the fund’s vice chairperson to set up meetings between Permanent Fund staff and business associates or companies with ties to a company she owns. Marcus Frampton, the fund’s chief executive officer, asserts in the emails that Ellie Rubenstein, vice chair of the fund’s board of trustees, has conflicts that involve business associates with ties to Manna Tree Partners, her private equity firm.

Arizona – Arizona Legislature Challenges Campaign Spending Law in Appeals Court

Courthouse News Service – Joe Duhownik | Published: 5/7/2024

Legislative leaders appeared before the state Court of Appeals to challenge a voter-backed campaign finance disclosure law they say violates the Arizona Constitution. Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma, both Republicans, say Proposition 211 takes rulemaking authority away from the Legislature delegates too much authority to the Arizona Clean Elections Commission, an agency of the executive branch.

Arizona – In Arizona, Election Workers Trained with Deepfakes to Prepare for 2024

MSN – Sarah Ellison and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 5/8/2024

Over two days, the election workers in Arizona maneuvered through a training exercise involving the kinds of attacks generated by artificial intelligence they might face in this politically competitive state during the coming election cycle. They tackled situations that plunged them into AI-generated scenarios ranging from law enforcement operations to attempts to infiltrate technology systems.

Arizona – Dem Lawmakers Say Ethics Complaints Over Abortion Ban Repeal Outburst Should Be Thrown Out

Yahoo News – Gloria Rebecca Gomez (Arizona Mirror) | Published: 5/6/2024

The ethics complaints lodged against two Democratic lawmakers for protesting Arizona Republicans’ refusal to repeal a near-total abortion ban should be thrown out, according to the duo’s attorney. Democrats in the state House pushed for a vote to repeal the1864 law. After the GOP-majority chose instead to block that move, Democrats in the chamber erupted into shouts of “Shame!”, “Save women’s lives!” and “Blood on your hands!”, while pointing and waving at Republican lawmakers across the aisle, most of whom quickly filed out through a side door.

District of Columbia – D.C. Court Temporarily Suspends Trump Lawyer John Eastman’s Law License

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 5/4/2024

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended John Eastman’s law license after a similar decision in California, which did so over his role in a legal strategy to help Donald Trump stay in power after his 2020 election loss. Eastman also faces potential disbarment in the District of Columbia.; that challenge to his license is on hold during the California litigation.

Florida – Miami Mayor Subpoenaed to Testify in SEC’s Case Against Developer Who Paid Him

Yahoo Finance – Jay Weaver, Tess Riski, Sarah Blaskey, and Joey Flechas (Miami Herald) | Published: 5/6/2024

When the Securities and Exchange Commission sued developer Rishi Kapoor, accusing him of defrauding investors in his real estate projects, the lawsuit made no mention of his company’s consulting agreement with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. But Suarez was compelled under subpoena to give a sworn statement related to the Kapoor case. The Miami Herald has reported the mayor received a $10,000 monthly retainer and was also promised commissions if he helped woo investors, find real estate, and secure financing for Kapoor’s projects in Miami and elsewhere.

Georgia – Georgia Court to Hear Trump Appeal Seeking to Disqualify Fani Willis

MSN – Holly Bailey (Washington Post) | Published: 5/8/2024

A Georgia appellate court agreed to hear Donald Trump’s appeal of a state court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue prosecuting the election interference case against the former president and several allies, making it increasingly unlikely the case will go to trial before the November election. The timing of when the case might be taken up by the appellate court was unclear though it likely would not be until late summer at the earliest, with a ruling expected late this year or early next.

Georgia – Georgia Court Candidate Sues to Block Ethics Rules So He Can Keep Campaigning on Abortion

MSN – Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 5/6/2024

Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow, who is running for the Georgia Supreme Court, filed a federal lawsuit claiming a state agency is unconstitutionally trying to block him from talking about abortion. Among the rules the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission complaint alleges Barrow is violating is one that bars candidates from making commitments about how they will rule on issues that are likely to come before the court.

Georgia – With 2024 Presidential Contest Looming, Georgia Governor Signs New Election Changes into Law

Yahoo News – Jeff Amy and Sudhin Thanawala (Associated Press) | Published: 5/7/2024

Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation that makes additional changes to Georgia’s election laws ahead of the 2024 presidential contest in the battleground state, including defining probable causes for removing voters from the rolls when their eligibility is challenged. The bill lists death, evidence of voting or registering in another jurisdiction, a tax exemption indicating a primary residence elsewhere, or a nonresidential address as probable causes for removing voters from the rolls. Opponents said the changes would enable more baseless attacks on voters that would overwhelm election administrators and disenfranchise legitimate voters.

Hawaii – Lessons For Hawaii: Other states have strong pay-to-play laws

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 5/5/2024

Hawaii banned contractors from donating to campaigns in 2005, but media analysis found that a loophole applying that ban only to corporate entities and not officers or family members has allowed more than $24 million from people tied to contractors to flow to local campaign coffers. Recent attempts by the Legislature to close that loophole have failed, although some lawmakers and watchdog groups say they plan to examine new “pay-to-play” proposals in light of the findings.

Hawaii – Campaign Spending Commission Fines Kaniela Ing Another $18,000

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 5/8/2024

The Campaign Spending Commission fined former Hawaii Rep. Kaniela Ing $18,000 for failing to make records available to the commission and falsifying nearly two dozen campaign finance reports during his time as a state representative from 2012 to 2018. Ing was previously fined and has since paid $20,000 for campaign spending violations in 2018 over misfiled reports. These new charges stem from additional violations that commission staff say they found in Ing’s revised reports.

Louisiana – Judges Say They’ll Draw New Louisiana Election Map If Lawmakers Don’t by June 3

Yahoo News – Kevin McGill (Associated Press) | Published: 5/7/2024

A panel of federal judges who recently threw out a congressional election map giving Louisiana a second mostly Black district said the Legislature must pass a new map by June 3 or face having the panel impose one on the state. But voting rights advocates and Attorney General Liz Murrill said they would take an appeal in defense of the new map to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Maryland – Former Baltimore Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah Must Return Unspent Public Funds

MSN – Emily Opilo and Hannah Gaskill (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 5/8/2024

Baltimore mayoral candidate Thiru Vignarajah will need to return his campaign funds that were unspent at the time of his withdrawal from the race. Vignarajah, who qualified for the funds by raising small-dollar contributions from hundreds of donors, received $668,881 in public money. Questions remain however about whether the four-time candidate for public office should return all of the public money he received, not just the unspent funds.

Massachusetts – MassGOP Blasts Wu’s Holiday Party Spending: ‘Blatant disregard for public finance rules’

MSN – Gayla Cawley (Boston Herald) | Published: 5/8/2024

The Massachusetts Republican Party is calling for an investigation into Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s “clear-cut violation” of public finance rules in mixing campaign funds and City Hall resources for a private holiday party. The GOP also said campaign finance regulations prohibit elected officials from leveraging public resources for campaign endeavors, which, it asserts, the holiday party became when the mayor opted to dip into her $1.4 million campaign account.

Massachusetts – AI, Deepfakes and Political Campaigns: Mass. lawmakers look to set some rules

MSN – Kinga Borondy (Worcester Telegram & Gazette) | Published: 5/7/2024

Concern over the possible use of computer-generated images and sound recordings that could confuse and alienate voters prompted Massachusetts lawmakers to consider a bill that would require any artificial intelligence (AI)-generated campaign material to carry a warning label. The bill would ban the use of synthetic media in the 90 days preceding an election without disclosing that the material had been manipulated or generated by AI.

Massachusetts – Potential Conflicts of Interest Widespread at Mass. Special Ed Schools

WBUR – Patrick Madden | Published: 5/6/2024

Among the schools that Massachusetts approves to teach students with special needs, there are widespread potential conflicts-of-interest, from family hires to deals with board members. Of the 76 organizations, a media investigation found nearly three-quarters awarded contracts and jobs to relatives of school leaders or board members from 2019 to 2023. In some cases, the leaders or board members landed their own deals.

Minnesota – Ethics Panel Says Sen. Gruenhagen Should Be Instructed on How to Send Emails to Colleagues

MSN – Rochelle Olson (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 5/8/2024

State Sen. Glenn Gruenhagen should receive instruction by Republican leaders on how to appropriately email his colleagues, an ethics subcommittee said. Sen. Erin Maye Quade filed a complaint over a Gruenhagen email linking to a video of male to female gender-affirming surgery, saying it made her uncomfortable and violated Senate norms. In a lengthy hearing, Gruenhagen said he was trying to educate his colleagues about an upcoming bill.

Minnesota – Senate Ethics Panel Deadlocks on Mitchell Complaint; Next Meeting Will Follow June Court Date

MSN – Alex Derosier (St. Paul Pioneer Press) | Published: 5/7/2024

Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell did not answer any questions about her felony burglary charge from a Senate ethics panel with her attorney decrying the investigation as a “witch hunt.” Mitchell allegedly broke into her stepmother’s home in April. Her attorney said the criminal case should be resolved before lawmakers investigate ethics violations. Senate Republicans have been calling for Mitchell’s resignation following her arrest and filed an ethics complaint citing the felony charges.

Missouri – In This Missouri County, Republicans Go to ‘War’ Over Who Can Run as a Republican

Yahoo News – Eric Adler (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/6/2024

No one blinks when Republicans and Democrats go to battle with each other. But eyebrows and tempers rise when the fight turns inward. That is what is happening now in rural Vernon County, Missouri, where the county’s Republican Committee is headed to court against the county clerk, a Republican, over who determines who runs for office and call themselves a Republican.

Missouri – County Official Who Put Stadium Tax on Ballot Sought Suite Tickets as Talks Were in Play

Yahoo News – Mike Hendricks (Kansas City Star) | Published: 5/6/2024

As the Kansas City Royals and Jackson County began formal negotiations for taxpayer support of a $1 billion ballpark last June, the chairperson of the county Legislature asked a top team executive for a personal favor. “Hi Adam,” legislator DaRon McGee’s email began to Adam Sachs, the team’s the chief legal counsel and point man on the stadium issue. “Is it possible (to) get 4 suite tickets for Saturday’s game?”

New Hampshire – In New Hampshire Governor’s Race, Some Finance Reports Are Clearer Than Others

New Hampshire Bulletin – Ethan DeWitt | Published: 5/8/2024

New Hampshire’s online campaign finance system was designed to provide the public a clear window into who is donating to campaigns and how candidates are spending that money. The process is meant to save candidates time and effort as well, sparing them the possibility that their paper submissions are out of compliance because of small technicalities. But the system is voluntary, and most have opted to use the paper filing option. To some observers, the lack of rules around legibility incentivizes campaigns to make their filings as difficult to read as possible.

New Mexico – With City Ethics Review Underway, Critics Try to Unmask ‘Jay Baker’

Yahoo News – Carina Julig (Santa Fe New Mexican) | Published: 4/27/2024

Jay Baker is Santa Fe’s pseudonymous critic who posts on Facebook under a Guy Fawkes mask avatar. He is disliked by many, who argue Baker is a bully who slings baseless accusations against city officials and anyone else he dislikes. City Councilor Pilar Faulkner accused Baker of buying digital ads during the 2023 municipal election that lied about her and could have damaged her professional reputation as a lobbyist. Those ads are at the center of a complaint she filed with the Ethics and Campaign Review Board, which most recently met to discuss a potential investigation into Baker’s identity.

New York – Assembly’s Free Day Care for Lawmakers Reopens Quietly on Concourse

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 5/8/2024

A taxpayer-funded day care center operated by the New York Assembly majority office that provides free childcare services to a select group of Democratic lawmakers has reopened. The Albany Times Union had reported the Assembly majority’s office was operating an unlicensed day care center in the Legislative Office Building. The new facility is now licensed by the state as a “small day care center.” Attorney David Grandeau said providing taxpayer-funded childcare to a select group of lawmakers could run afoul of Public Officers Law, especially because it is being provided in a state-owned building that is staffed by Assembly employees.

New York – This Obscure N.Y. Election Law Is at the Heart of Trump’s Hush Money Trial

MSN – David Nakamura (Washington Post) | Published: 5/6/2024

An obscure New York state election law that has rarely been prosecuted over five decades has been elevated to a prominent role in Donald Trump’s criminal trial over allegedly falsifying documents related to a hush money payment during the 2016 election campaign. The law makes it a misdemeanor for two or more people to “conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means.” Trump is not being charged under that statute, which apparently has been used only a few times in cases related to state or local elections, though it is a key factor in his case.

North Carolina – NC Election Directors Grapple with Pay, Politics and More Pressure Than Ever

Yahoo News – Kyle Ingram (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 5/8/2024

Across North Carolina, 100 people are responsible for making sure every registered voter in their county has a chance to cast their ballot in every election. The position of county election director is one that has drastically increased in complexity over the years as voting, list maintenance, and campaign finance processes become highly technical endeavors subject to frequent legislative change. Since 2019, there have been 60 changes in county election directors, mostly due to retirements or resignations. For about 30 directors, 2024 will be the first time they have ever served in the position during a presidential election.

North Dakota – Jury Finds Rep. Dockter Guilty of Misdemeanor Conflict-of-Interest Charge

North Dakota Monitor – Mary Steurer | Published: 5/3/2024

A jury found a state lawmaker guilty of violating an obscure conflict-of-interest law. At issue in the case was Rep. Jason Dockter’s involvement in the lease of a Bismarck building to the attorney general’s office and the North Dakota Department of Health and his subsequent votes on agency budgets. The building deal originally came together during Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem’s tenure. The representative was friends with Stenehjem, and previously served as his campaign treasurer.

Oregon – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek Apologizes, Walks Back Plan to Expand her Wife’s Role in Administration

OPB – Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Drake | Published: 5/1/2024

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is backing off of plans to expand her wife’s role in the administration and apologizing for her handling of the subject, as mounting public scrutiny on First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson becomes an increasing threat to the governor’s policy agenda. The governor appeared to close the door on an effort public records show she has quietly pursued for months: creating a formal office for her spouse.

Pennsylvania – Pa. Game Commission Director Resigns Amid Ethics Concerns About His ‘Wellness’ Side Business

MSN – Gillian McGoldrick (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 5/4/2024

The executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission resigned following ethics concerns about a “wellness” side business the agency admitted he had been working on with other commission employees. Even before the questions about Bryan Burhans’ side business emerged, the commission had already been under scrutiny in recent years.

Pennsylvania – Group That Doesn’t Disclose Its Donors Paid $12K for Shapiro to Attend Phillies Games, Other Sporting Events

Spotlight PA – Stephen Caruso and Angela Couloumbis | Published: 5/3/2024

Gov. Josh Shapiro reported receiving $12,194.62 from Team PA on his new statement of financial interest. The nonprofit bills itself as a public-private partnership to bolster Pennsylvania’s economic development. A gubernatorial spokesperson said Team PA paid for Shapiro to attend six sporting events. The money for those tickets came from a fund that Team PA manages called Pennsylvania Growth Partnership. It is not publicly known which individuals, groups, or businesses have donated to the growth partnership fund.

Pennsylvania – Gov. Josh Shapiro Uses Pennsylvania’s State Plane Much More Than His Predecessor

Spotlight PA – Stephen Caruso | Published: 5/6/2024

Public records show the heavy use that Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration has made of the state-owned plane as he has barnstormed Pennsylvania. The aircraft has sometimes touched down in as many as seven airfields around the commonwealth in a single day. As many as two-thirds of the costs of those flights were accrued directly by the governor’s office, a dramatic increase in plane travel compared to Shapiro’s predecessor. But the administration has argued the plane connects people with their government officials.

Rhode Island – Campaign Finance Offender Lost Seven Bids for Office but Wins Mercy from Elections Panel

Yahoo News – Nancy Lavin (Rhode Island Current) | Published: 5/7/2024

A perennial candidate for state and local office will be the first offender of state campaign finance requirements to have his fines reduced. The Rhode Island Board of Elections voted to slash financial penalties owed by former candidate Daniel Grzych by nearly 90 percent. He previously owed more than $71,000 in fines for submitting late reports required during his time as a candidate. Now, Grzych owes just $6,600. The board’s decision marks the first time using a new regulation giving the elections panel more leeway to reduce fines for offenders.

May 9, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Arizona: “Arizona Legislature Challenges Campaign Spending Law in Appeals Court” by Joe Duhownik for Courthouse News Service New Hampshire: “In New Hampshire Governor’s Race, Some Finance Reports Are Clearer Than Others” by Ethan DeWitt for New Hampshire Bulletin Rhode Island: “Campaign Finance Offender […]

May 3, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – May 3, 2024

National/Federal Gateway Pundit to File for Bankruptcy Amid Election Conspiracy Lawsuits MSN – Will Sommer (Washington Post) | Published: 4/24/2024 Gateway Pundit, the popular far-right blog, is filing for bankruptcy as it faces lawsuits alleging it promoted bogus claims about the 2020 […]

National/Federal

Gateway Pundit to File for Bankruptcy Amid Election Conspiracy Lawsuits

MSN – Will Sommer (Washington Post) | Published: 4/24/2024

Gateway Pundit, the popular far-right blog, is filing for bankruptcy as it faces lawsuits alleging it promoted bogus claims about the 2020 election. Since its launch in 2004, the site has become a clearinghouse for conspiracy theories about the election, school shootings, and other topics, helping to funnel such flimsy stories from the fringes of the internet to the broader pro-Trump right thanks to its substantial audience.

Push to Restrict LGBTQ+ Rights Hits a Snag in State Legislatures

MSN – Casey Parks (Washington Post) | Published: 4/29/2024

State lawmakers introduced a record number of bills targeting gay and transgender Americans this year, but hardly any have passed, raising questions about whether the push to restrict LGBTQ++ rights is losing momentum. Similar bills sailed through state Legislatures in recent years. This year, they failed even in states where Republicans have supermajorities and governors demanded wins. Strategists on both sides say Republicans appear increasingly unwilling to stake their reelections on cultural issues. Polls have found the issues are not especially important to voters.

A Ukraine-Born Congresswoman Voted No on Aid. Her Hometown Feels Betrayed

MSN – Siobhán O’Grady, Anastacia Galouchka, and Marianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 4/25/2024

U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz grew up in a small town north of Kyiv, and later moved to America and became the first Ukrainian-born member of Congress. But after Spartz voted against a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, the esteem that locals held for her turned to anger and a sense of betrayal. Spartz’s “no” vote was the latest twist in her transformation from a pro-Ukraine advocate who toured war wreckage in her hometown to a critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in line with the Republican Party’s most right-wing camp.

Democrats, Political Figures Dogpile onto Trump VP Hopeful After Story of Animal Killings

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 4/27/2024

It does not matter if you are a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative – a growing number of elected officials and political groups all suddenly want you to know that they love their dogs. The outpouring of animal love from political social media is all in response to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who is believed to be in the running to be Donald Trump’s running mate, admitting in her forthcoming book that she killed a family dog and goat in a gravel pit with a gun on the same day.

They Staffed the Jan. 6 Committee. Threats Still Follow Them

MSN – Chris Marquette and Michael Macagnone (Roll Call) | Published: 4/30/2024

Some staff members of the now-disbanded January 6 panel in Congress say their work exposed them to threats, raised doubts about their safety, and required additional safety precautions. Their experiences, recounted in interviews, serve as an example of concerns among Capitol Hill staffers about whether their work could make them a target for political violence.

Federal Elections Regulator from Texas Has Ted Cruz Campaign Sign in Front Yard

MSN – Joseph Morton (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 5/1/2024

A recent post on X shows a campaign sign for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in the yard of FEC member Trey Trainor. Cruz is the subject of a complaint filed with the agency over more than $630,000 in advertising revenue that flowed from the senator’s podcast to a super PAC backing his reelection. The public show of support for Cruz does not violate the law, but it could raise the appearance of bias by a government regulator, campaign finance lawyer Brett Kappel said.

After Weeks of College Protests, Police Responses Ramp Up

MSN – Danielle Paquette, Hannah Natanson, Joanna Slater, and Emily Wax-Thibodeaux (Washington Post) | Published: 5/1/2024

Colleges and universities reckoned with the aftermath of major shows of police force across the country that cleared some protest encampments and emptied a Columbia University classroom building in a turning point following two weeks of contagious pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Even after a fragile calm resettled over campuses that have seen the bulk of the chaos, footage of officers in riot gear extracting students from Columbia’s Hamilton Hall sparked debates nationwide as Americans struggled to make sense of it all.

House Passes Antisemitism Bill Over Complaints from First Amendment Advocates

MSN – Abigail Hauslohner (Washington Post) | Published: 5/1/2024

The House passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which its advocates said would empower the federal government to crack down on anti-Israel protests on campuses by codifying a definition of antisemitism that encompasses not just threats against Jews, but also certain criticisms of Israel itself. The definition has drawn opposition from First Amendment advocates such as the American Civil Liberties Union and liberal Democrats, who say it veers into the realm of restricting political views.

How Online Donations Are Fueling the Election

Politico – Jessica Piper, Paula Friedrich, Anna Wiederkehr, and Madison Fernandez | Published: 4/30/2024

The ease of giving online has dramatically expanded the pool of donors in just a few election cycles and helped campaigns bring in greater hauls than ever before. As online donations ballooned in recent years, they became a majority of funds raised by congressional candidates. A new analysis shows how it has helped establish new dynamics in campaigning and fundraising.

States Move to Label Deepfake Political Ads

Roll Call – Gopal Ratnam | Published: 4/24/2024

At least 39 states are considering measures that would add transparency to artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfake ads or calls as campaigns intensify ahead of the November election. The efforts are largely focused on identifying content produced using AI as opposed to controlling that content or prohibiting its distribution, according to Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy at the Voting Rights Lab.

When Judges Get Free Trips to Luxury Resorts, Disclosure Is Spotty

Texas Public Radio – Tom Dreisbach and Carrie Johnson (NPR) | Published: 5/1/2024

Dozens of federal judges failed to fully disclose free luxury travel to judicial conferences around the world, as required by internal judiciary rules and federal ethics law, an NPR investigation found. As a result, the public remained in the dark about potential conflicts-of-interest for some of the country’s top legal officials. Many judges defend these events as helpful forums to discuss important issues, and they reject criticism that a stay at a fancy hotel could influence their decisions. Critics call them “junkets” and glorified vacations that reward ideological allies.

Government Watchdog Alleges Trump Campaign Broke the Law Trying to Hide Legal Payments

Yahoo News – Zach Anderson (USA Today) | Published: 4/25/2024

A complaint filed with the FEC alleges Donald Trump’s 2024 White House campaign and its related political committees engaged in a scheme to conceal who is being paid for much of the former president’s legal work in a possible violation of federal law. The complaint centers on a company called Red Curve Solutions, which allegedly received $7.2 million from Trump’s campaign and four other related political committees.

Rep. Golden Doubles Down on Campaign Finance Reform with New Legislation

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 5/2/2024

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden introduced six bills aimed to increase transparency and limit spending in elections. These latest proposals build on Golden’s Government Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan, an existing package of nine bills with similar objectives that he introduced or co-sponsored during the 118th Congress, though they have yet to receive votes.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – GOP Ethics Complaints Target 2 Arizona House Democrats for ‘Attempted Insurrection’

Arizona Republic – Mary Jo Pitzl | Published: 4/26/2024

Two House Democrats were hit with ethics complaints for behavior that Republicans characterized as “an attempted insurrection” in the aftermath of a debate about Arizona’s 1864 abortion law. The complaint names Reps. Oscar de los Santos and Analise Ortiz. They led fellow Democrats in chants of “shame, shame” after the House abruptly went into a recess rather than consider a motion to repeal the law. They also called out Rep. Matt Gress when he was answering questions about his attempt to get a repeal vote.

Arkansas – Gosses Sentenced in Bribery Scheme That Included Former Arkansas Lawmakers

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Ron Wood | Published: 4/29/2024

A Missouri couple was sentenced to federal prison in a Medicaid fraud scheme that saw five former Arkansas lawmakers convicted on bribery-related charges. Tommy Ray Goss, former chief financial officer of Preferred Family Healthcare, received six years in prison. Bontiea Goss, his wife and former chief operating officer of the same company, was sentenced to three years behind bars. They were ordered to jointly pay $4.35 million in forfeiture and restitution.

California – California Passed a Law to Stop ‘Pay to Play’ in Local Politics. After Two Years, Legislators Want to Gut It

CalMatters – Yue Stella Yu | Published: 5/1/2024

Described by its author as the “most significant political reform” in decades, a 2022 law designed to limit attempts by businesses and contractors to sway local elected officials with campaign contributions cleared the California Legislature without a single “no” vote. Two years later, some of the same lawmakers who backed the measure want to water it down, and they have the backing of developers and labor unions.

California – Legislative Non-Disclosure Agreement Bill Fails First Vote in California Committee

Courthouse News Service – Alan Riquelmy | Published: 4/25/2024

A bill in the California Legislature that would have banned non-disclosure agreements when crafting legislation, a response to the “Paneragate” scandal, failed to pass out of the Assembly Elections Committee. Assembly Bill 2654 would have prohibited certain people – including lobbyists, public officials, lawmakers, and employees of the governor’s office – from entering a non-disclosure agreement when drafting, negotiating, or discussing bills.

Florida – Florida’s ‘Pro-Corruption’ Ethics Bill Sits in Gubernatorial Limbo

Jacksonville Today – Casmira Harrison | Published: 5/1/2024

Florida lawmakers passed Senate Bill 7014, which would eliminate the ability of citizens to file anonymous ethics complaints against government officials. Local ethics regulators have said it would “reduce anti-corruption efforts and undermine the investigation process. Gov. Ron DeSantis has yet to act on the bill. The governor still has time to veto the bill or put the full weight of his office behind it by signing the legislation. He could just let it quietly become law. That is what Catherine Klancke, executive director of the Florida Ethics Institute, expects.

Hawaii – Ethics Chief Robert Harris: Give legislators their due, but keep pushing for more reform

Honolulu Civil Beat – Richard Wiens | Published: 4/28/2024

Robert Harris has had a front-row seat for efforts to reform government in Hawaii as executive director of the State Ethics Commission and a member of the special House commission created in response to a series of public scandals. As another legislative session winds down, Harris gave an interview on the ongoing effort to make state and local governments more transparent.

Illinois – At Secret Meeting, Right-Wing Radio Host Dan Proft Dangled $20 Million to Darren Bailey’s Governor Run

Yahoo News – Rick Pearson (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 4/29/2024

A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. If the board finds the two organizations did illegally coordinate, Proft’s organization and Bailey’s campaign could be on the hook for millions of dollars in fines. Proft has also faced criticisms and an FEC complaint over his publishing and use of a network of free “newspapers” and corresponding websites to support conservative candidates.

Indiana – ‘Wealthy Person’s Game’: Self-funders drive up the cost to win Indiana elections

MSN – Kayla Dwyer and Brittany Carloni (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 5/2/2024

This year, campaign spending has eclipsed gubernatorial primary expenditure records in Indiana by multitudes, and multiple wealthy candidates are self-funding their campaigns, both for governor and for Congress, to the tune of millions of dollars. Money has become a defining feature of this election cycle. Self-funders have risen to prominence in Indiana, a national trend that has surged dramatically in the last two decades.

Kentucky – This Oldham County Teen May Be Kentucky’s Youngest Lobbyist

Yahoo News – Krista Johnson (Louisville Courier-Journal) | Published: 5/1/2024

High school freshman Kiera Dunk has traveled to the state Capitol in Frankfort dozens of times, and her passion for advocacy led her to write her own bill – one that increased penalties for child abuse – and get it passed at age 13. She has met with some of the state’s most powerful politicians to garner their support. Dunk has successfully advocated for the passage of two bills, and she is working on a third. “She is certainly wise beyond her years – there’s a lot of lobbyists that could learn from her,” House Speaker David Osborne said.

Kentucky – Judge Reverses Ethics Charge Against Alison Lundergan Grimes

Yahoo News – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 4/29/2024

Former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes was cleared of ethics charges against her related to her access and sharing of voter data. Judge Phillp Shepherd ruled against charges brought against Grimes by the Executive Branch Ethics Commission. The commission previously fined Grimes $10,000 and reprimanded her for ordering the downloading and distribution of voter registration data from her public office while she was secretary of state.

Louisiana – Federal Judges Strike Down La. Congressional Map with Second Black-Majority District

MSN – Maegan Vazquez and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 4/30/2024

A federal three-judge panel threw out Louisiana’s recently redrawn congressional map that included an additional majority-Black district, leaving the state without a settled map just months before the November elections. The ruling is the latest in a broader set of legal challenges to electoral maps across the South. The outcome of these suits is likely to play a crucial role in deciding which party controls the House next year.

Maryland – How Publicly Financed Campaigns Are Working in Baltimore

Baltimore Banner – Adam Willis and Emily Sullivan | Published: 4/23/2024

A new public financing system for Baltimore elections is now in effect. Under the system, publicly financed candidates commit to accepting no more than $150 from any donor, well below the $6,000 limit for traditionally financed campaigns, and no contributions from PACs, corporations, and unions. The city multiplies small-dollar contributions from Baltimore residents, with smaller donations being more heavily rewarded.

Massachusetts – Massachusetts Water Employees Pay Fines for Accepting Free Ski Trips, Red Sox Tickets, Rooftop Drinks at The Envoy Hotel

Boston Herald – Rick Sobey | Published: 4/29/2024

Four water services employees in Massachusetts paid fines for accepting free ski trips, Boston Red Sox tickets, rooftop drinks at The Envoy Hotel, and other gifts, according to the State Ethics Commission. The municipal workers in Danvers, Salem, Southampton, and Sudbury admitted to violating the state’s conflict-of-interest law multiple times by accepting valuable gifts from a water meter manufacturer and its distributor. The law bans public employees from receiving anything worth $50 or more that’s given to them because of their official positions.

Massachusetts – Cape Lawmaker Repeatedly Lied to State Regulators Investigating His 2022 Election

CommonWealth Beacon – Gintautas Dumicus | Published: 4/30/2024

Massachusetts regulators found state Rep. Christopher Flanagan violated campaign finance law and lied about it to officials. The infractions stemmed from a mailer sent out to local homes, ostensibly from a group called “Conservatives for Dennis,” in support of Flanagan, a Democrat who previously chaired the Dennis Select Board. In a letter to Flanagan, Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) Director William Campbell wrote that “OCPF’s review eventually revealed that you created an alias, ‘Jeanne Louise’, to conceal your financial role in the creation of the mailer in support of your election.”

Massachusetts – Massachusetts DA Pays Ethics Fine After Car Crash Response, Promoting Campaign Donor’s Rental Apartments to Staff

MSN – Rick Sobey (Boston Herald) | Published: 5/1/2024

Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois, who reportedly sped away from an accident scene and boosted a campaign donor’s rental apartments paid a $5,000 civil penalty for violating the state’s conflict-of-interest law. Following the crash, Galibois directed his staff to issue a statement that would promote a public narrative favorable to himself. He ended up referring two of his assistant district attorney’s to the donor for the apartments last year.

Massachusetts – DA Kevin Hayden Pays $5,000 Ethics Fine Over Controversial Primary

MSN – Molly Farrar (Boston.com) | Published: 4/24/2024

Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden will pay a civil penalty of $5,000 for violating a conflict-of-interest law when his office discredited an opponent in a press statement, resulting in a political advantage, the state Ethics Commission announced. Hayden’s conflict was regarding his response to sexual assault allegations against his then-opponent for district attorney, Ricardo Arroyo.

Minnesota – DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell Returns to Capitol After Burglary Charge, Casts Votes Amid Criticism

MSN – Ryan Faircloth (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 4/29/2024

Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell returned to the statehouse and began voting for the first time since she was arrested and charged with felony first-degree burglary. Mitchell voted on motions directly related to whether she should be allowed to vote going forward. Republicans offered a motion to prohibit any member who has been charged with a crime of violence from voting on bills until the chamber’s ethics committee has weighed in on their case. They argued other Minnesotans would be put on leave from their jobs if they faced such a serious criminal charge.

Missouri – Missouri House Ethics Panel Drops Probe of Dean Plocher After Blocking Push to Release Evidence

Missouri Independent – Rudi Keller | Published: 4/29/2024

The Missouri House Ethics Committee dismissed allegations against Speaker Dean Plocher for misuse of taxpayer dollars, using his influence to push a pricey contract with a company with ties to his employer, and retaliating against staffers who raised complaints. The vote officially ended the committee’s months-long investigation into numerous scandals connected to Plocher, including revelations he received nearly $4,000 in government reimbursements for travel expenses already paid by his campaign.

New Jersey – This N.J. Agency Calls Out Political Corruption. Politicians Want More Control Over It.

MSN – Jelani Gibson and Susan Livio (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 4/26/2024

The Office of the State Comptroller, an independent government agency tasked with tracking government corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse in New Jersey, is facing organized pushback from county officials who are demanding state lawmakers rein in its authority and “bullying” tactics. The New Jersey Association of Counties sent a letter asking Senate President Nick Scutari to put the comptroller under more control and establish procedures that could challenge the agency’s findings.

New Jersey – Assembly Speaker’s Law Firm Has Made Millions Since He Took Power. Critics Cry Foul.

MSN – Riley Yates and Brent Johnson (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 4/25/2024

Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin’s law firm has seen explosive growth in the seven years since it opened its doors. Representing local governments, the firm has earned more than $38 million from public contracts since its inception, with annual revenues that now place it among New Jersey’s top law firms with public business. With the firm’s rise in revenue coinciding with Coughlin’s role as speaker, good government groups say the financial ties raise questions about whether he is profiting from his public role from municipalities seeking a friend in the speaker.

New Jersey – Elections Watchdog Asks for Daniel’s Law Tweaks, More Time to Investigate

New Jersey Monitor – Nikita Biryukov | Published: 5/1/2024

The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission recommended lawmakers provide them more time to probe violations, expand reporting requirements for independent expenditure groups, and reconcile a state law that shields some addresses from disclosure with a statute requiring they be reported. The recommendations follow the enactment of the Elections Transparency Act last year.

New York – Judge’s Contempt Punishment Takes Aim at Trump’s Tendency to Lie

DNyuz – Alan Feuer, Ben Protess, Jonah Bromwich, and William Rashbaum (New York Times) | Published: 4/30/2024

The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s criminal case in New York held him in contempt, fining the former president $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order and warning he could go to jail if he continued to attack witnesses and jurors. Judge Juan Merchan determined Trump flouted the gag order by making public statements on social media and on his campaign website in which he attacked witnesses and the jury. He ordered Trump to remove the posts. The judge’s ruling and admonition came one week after a hearing in which prosecutors had argued Trump’s statements threatened the trial.

New York – State Campaigns Are About to Rake in $100 Million of Public Funding – While Also Spending All the Private Money They Want

New York Focus – Alyssa Katz | Published: 5/1/2024

A controversial aspect of New York’s new campaign finance system is that there is no limit to how much participating campaigns can spend outside the program – so candidates can benefit from small-dollar matching and big-donor spending at once. In contrast, New York City’s public finance system imposes a strict spending cap. “You have candidates who try to exploit the campaign finance system while spending their own and independent expenditure money …, which defeats the purpose of having a democratic matching system in the first place,” said state Assemblyperson Ron Kim.

New York – Emails Reveal Top Trump Accountant Had Secret Campaign Role

Yahoo News – Roger Sollenberger (Daily Beast) | Published: 5/2/2024

The prosecution is calling witnesses in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial that can attest to Trump’s personal involvement in the underlying crime the case is built on, but one witness will not be at their disposal. Trump Organization financial controller Allen Weisselberg will not testify due to a plea agreement. But Weisselberg left behind a paper trail that could potentially incriminate Trump.

Ohio – FirstEnergy Document Trove Reveals Dark Money’s Extensive Influence Over Ohio Politics. Here’s How It Works.

MSN – Andrew Tobias (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 4/28/2024

Internal FirstEnergy documents offer a candid look at how and why operatives use anonymous political giving to influence Ohio’s elected officials. “Our preferred manner of giving is through section 501(c) groups as these are considered ‘dark money’ because they are not required to disclose where the donations come from,” then-company lobbyist Michael Dowling wrote. FirstEnergy admitted to using “dark money” groups to bribe ex-House Speaker Larry Householder and others to ensure a bill’s passage.

Oregon – Tina Kotek Staffers Raised Concerns About Using Powers, Perks of Governor’s Office for Wife, Records Show

MSN – Hillary Borrud (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 4/27/2024

Top staffers for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek expressed concerns internally in recent months over the degree to which the governor and her wife, Aimee Kotek Wilson, sought to use the perks and powers of the governor’s office to benefit the first lady. In emails, the high-level aides worried about the impact that Kotek Wilson’s growing role might have on the governors’ office budget, as well as public trust, accountability, and the success of the administration.

Oregon – Portland Shelter Operator Urban Alchemy Accused of Violating City Lobbying Rules

OPB – Alex Zielinski | Published: 5/1/2024

Urban Alchemy, the nonprofit running many of Portland’s homeless shelters, violated the city’s lobbying rules two years ago, according to an audit. Urban Alchemy spent a significant amount of money and time with officials in 2022 to convince the city that the nonprofit should run Portland’s alternative shelter sites. But auditors found it failed to register and report the lobbying activity with the city.

May 2, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: “California Passed a Law to Stop ‘Pay to Play’ in Local Politics. After Two Years, Legislators Want to Gut It” by Yue Stella Yu for CalMatters National: “Federal Elections Regulator from Texas Has Ted Cruz Campaign Sign in Front Yard” by […]

April 5, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – April 5, 2024

National/Federal From Pizzagate to the 2020 Election: Forcing liars to pay or apologize Las Vegas Sun – Elizabeth Williamson (New York Times) | Published: 4/2/2024 Michael Gottlieb, a partner at the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a former associate counsel in […]

National/Federal

From Pizzagate to the 2020 Election: Forcing liars to pay or apologize

Las Vegas Sun – Elizabeth Williamson (New York Times) | Published: 4/2/2024

Michael Gottlieb, a partner at the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a former associate counsel in the Obama White House, is at the forefront of a small but growing cadre of lawyers deploying defamation, one of the oldest areas of the law, as a weapon against a tide of political disinformation. Gottlieb has worked with Protect Democracy, a nonpartisan group that pushes for laws and policies to counter what it sees as authoritarian threats. Before the Trump era and the explosion of social media, though, such cases were virtually nonexistent.

Appeals Court Sides with Judge Who Threatened Peter Navarro with Contempt

MSN – Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

A federal appeals court rejected arguments from former Trump adviser Peter Navarro, one of a series of legal losses that has the economist facing sanction for defying court orders even as he serves a four-month prison sentence for ignoring similar demands from Congress. A judge threatened him with contempt if he did not hand over more records from his years in the Trump administration. On appeal, Navarro argued the Justice Department had no authority to enforce the Presidential Records Act. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed that claim.

How Corporate PAC Money Could End Up in the Personal Coffers of Sens. JD Vance and Markwayne Mullin

MSN – Brian Metzger (Business Insider) | Published: 3/28/2024

U.S. Sens. JD Vance and Markwayne Mullin have spent the last year using campaign cash to pay themselves back for hefty loans they sunk into their 2022 races. At the same time, they have been taking tens of thousands of dollars in corporate PAC money, some of which may be ending up directly in the senators’ bank accounts. The murky reality of both Vance’s and Mullin’s finances can be attributed in part to the work of Sen. Ted Cruz.

FEC Fines Mike Braun Senate Committee $159k for Campaign Finance Violation

MSN – Kayla Dwyer (Indianapolis Star) | Published: 3/29/2024

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s campaign owes $159,000 for violating campaign finance rules during the 2018 election, among the largest fines in the FEC’s history, ending a multi-year saga with the campaign and Braun’s former treasurer. Since 1980, only about 50 cases have warranted larger fines, but the penalty represents a small percentage of the approximately $11.5 million in campaign loans that were misreported.

Trump Special Counsel Fires Back at Cannon Order That Could Disrupt Case

MSN – Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

Special counsel Jack Smith warned the judge overseeing Donald Trump’s classified documents case she is pursuing a legal premise that “is wrong” and said he would probably appeal to a higher court if she would rule a federal records law can protect the former president from prosecution. Smith’s office pushed back against an unusual instruction from U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon, one that veteran national security lawyers and former judgers have said badly misinterprets the Presidential Records Act and laws related to classified documents.

Trump Media Stock Plunges as 2023 Truth Social Loss Put at $58 Million

MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

Donald Trump’s social media company lost more than $58 million last year, sending its stock plunging more than 21 percent only days after a highflying public debut set the company’s value at more than $8 billion. The new figures throw into stark relief the gap between Trump Media’s highly hyped investor-driven valuation on the public stock market and the reality of its business performance. They also raise questions about the possibility that Trump could use the company as a financial lifeline. Trump cannot sell his shares or use them as collateral for a loan for six months because of a provision in the company’s merger agreement.

To Comply with Court, Federal Agency Lets White People Claim Social Disadvantage

MSN – Julian Mark (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

A federal judge ordered the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to open its doors to entrepreneurs from all racial and ethnic backgrounds, ruling its presumption that minorities are inherently disadvantaged violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause. The MBDA directed its business centers to forgo racial considerations when vetting applicants. Instead, candidates must sign a form, attesting their disadvantage to certify they are “minority business enterprises.” It is the latest sign the government is untethering its definition of social disadvantage from broad racial and ethnic classifications.

Freedom Caucuses Push for Conservative State Laws, but Getting Attention Is Their Big Success

Yahoo News – Elaine Povich (Stateline) | Published: 4/2/2024

The State Freedom Caucus Network aims to push the Republican Party further to the right on issues such as immigration, voting access, and transgender restrictions. It is an outgrowth of the group in the U.S. House. The state chapters are proposing conservative legislation and slowing measures they do not like, even bills that were once considered routine and noncontroversial. Some Republicans say members of the Freedom Caucus gum up the legislative works and are more interested in publicity and grandstanding than conservative policymaking.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Alabama House Approves Legislation Overhauling State Ethics Code

Alabama Reflector – Alander Rocha | Published: 4/3/2024

The Alabama House approved a bill that would repeal the current ethics laws for public officials and employees, replace the code with tougher punishments for violations, and weaken the powers of the state Ethics Commission. House Bill 227 would raise the gift ban limit to public officials and employees to $100 per occasion and $500 per year. The legislation now goes to the Senate.

Arizona – UA President Robbins OK’d Effort to Erase Millions in Fines Against Fraudulent Online University

Yahoo News – Hannah Dreyfus and Helen Rummel (Arizona Republic) | Published: 3/27/2024

Lobbyist Richard Smotkin was ostensibly hired by the University of Arizona Foundation to help build the university’s relationship with Morocco. But behind the scenes, Smotkin worked to persuade the California attorney general to erase millions of dollars in fines against a fraudulent online school acquired by the university, documents show. While Smotkin has extensive connections in Morocco, he had another important relationship: a yearslong bond with California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

California – Former L.A. Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan Found Guilty in Sprawling City Hall Corruption Case

MSN – David Zahniser and Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 3/27/2024

A jury found Los Angeles Deputy Mayor Raymond Chan secured bribes for himself and for former city Councilperson Jose Huizar as part of a sprawling “pay-to-play” scheme. Chan was f0und guilty on all 12 counts of corruption in a case focused on financial benefits provided by real estate developers with projects in Huizar’s district. During the trial, prosecutors portrayed Chan as a crucial intermediary between Huizar, who wielded huge power over downtown development projects, and Chinese real estate developers.

Colorado – Colorado Appeals Court Upholds Fine, Requirement for ‘Dark Money’ Group to Disclose Spending

Colorado Politics – Michael Karlik | Published: 3/28/2024

Colorado’s second-highest court agreed that a group that spent $4 million backing conservative causes on the ballot in 2020 is required to disclose its contributions and spending and pay a $40,000 fine for failing to register as an advocacy group. A trial judge previously believed Unite for Colorado, which spent roughly $17 million during 2020, was not subject to the registration and disclosure requirement because its $4 million spent across multiple ballot initiatives was not substantial enough when broken down issue-by-issue.

Florida – Federal Court Upholds DeSantis-Backed Congressional Map

Yahoo News – Gary Fineout (Associated Press) | Published: 3/27/2024

A panel of federal judges upheld Florida’s congressional map, turning away a challenge that alleged it was discriminatory against Black voters after the district held by former U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat, was dismantled. The decision is a victory for Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who muscled the map through Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature. The congressional map his administration crafted ultimately resulted in Republicans gaining four seats, helping the GOP flip the House during the 2022 midterm elections.

Florida – With Abortion Ballot Question, a ‘Path to Relevance’ for Democrats in Florida?

Yahoo News – Patricia Mazzei (New York Times) | Published: 4/2/2024

Florida, once the biggest battleground in presidential politics, has become less important as its election results have trended repeatedly toward the political right. Few consider it a true swing state anymore. But three rulings from the Florida Supreme Court on abortion and marijuana may inject new life into Democratic campaigns before the general election on November 6.

Florida – Can Elected Officials Do Business with Their City? Here’s What Ethics Commission Say

Yahoo News – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/3/2024

Elected officials in Miami-Dade County can run businesses that interact with their city’s government if the scope of work is clerical in nature and does not involve advocacy, according to a draft opinion from the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. The county ethics code prohibits public officials from receiving compensation from third parties, directly or indirectly, if the compensation is related to matters where the third parties are seeking a benefit from the city.

Georgia – Georgia Lawmakers Approve New Election Rules That Could Impact 2024 Presidential Contest

Yahoo News – Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Amy (Associated Press) | Published: 3/29/2024

Georgia lawmakers approved new rules for challenging voters and qualifying for the state’s presidential ballot that could impact the 2024 presidential race in the battleground state. The bill would grant access to Georgia’s ballot to any political party that has qualified for the presidential ballot in at least 20 states or territories. The change could be a boost to independent candidates. It also spells out what constitutes “probable cause” for upholding challenges to voter eligibility.

Iowa – Republican Candidate’s Wife Sentenced to Prison for Voter Fraud

MSN – Kim Bellware (Washington Post) | Published: 4/3/2024

An Iowa woman who sought to boost her husband’s unsuccessful congressional bid in 2020 through a voter fraud scheme was sentenced by a federal judge to four months in prison in a rare case of fraudulent voting. Kim Taylor was convicted on 52 counts including fraudulent voting and providing false information in registering and voting. During the 2020 primary and general elections, federal prosecutors said, Taylor filled out voter registrations and absentee ballots for members of the Vietnamese community under the guise of offering translation help.

Kansas – Does Wichita Mayor’s Trip Abroad Fall Under City’s Ethics Policy? Here’s What We Found Out

Yahoo News – Chance Swaim (Wichita Eagle) | Published: 4/1/2024

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu’s trip to Switzerland – paid for by the Swiss government – falls in a gray area of a city council ethics policy that sought to limit gifts to elected and appointed city officials. The travel costs, which include flights, hotel stays, and dinners, are expected to far exceed the $150 gift limit council members can accept from a single source during a calendar year. But Wu says the all-expenses-paid trip is not a gift.

Kentucky – Louisville Mayor’s Wife Repeatedly Turned to City Worker for Social Media Help, Texts Show

Yahoo News – Eleanor McCrary and Josh Wood (Louisville Courier Journal) | Published: 4/2/2024

Text messages show a Communications Department staffer was frequently called upon by Rachel Greenberg, wife of Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, to assist her with her Instagram account by creating and providing content and offering advice. The texts also show Rachel Greenberg, described by the administration as a volunteer, instructed the staffer to edit posts on the mayor’s Instagram account. Two sources said the mayor’s wife had a Metro Hall office, a government email address, and gave orders to staffers. Experts said that arrangement might violate the city’s ethics rules.

Minnesota – ‘Book Senator Hoffman to speak’: DFL state senator’s consulting firm raises ethical questions

Yahoo News – Ryan Faircloth (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 4/3/2024

Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman prominently touted his political status on his personal consulting firm’s website as recently as a week ago, prompting government ethics experts to question whether he was promoting his official position for personal gain. The homepage of the website for Hoffman Strategic Advisors featured a posed photograph of the senator inside the state Capitol. Hoffman said he always considers himself a senator and had not thought about the optics of promoting his position on his personal website.

Missouri – Recall of Columbia First Ward Councilperson Nick Knoth Passes

KOMU – Hunter Walterman | Published: 4/2/2024

Columbia City Councilperson Nick Knoth was recalled over his lobbying work outside the council. Knoth was elected for a three-year term in April 2023 and took a job as a lobbyist for a trade association for real estate agents later that year. In October, a group of voters launched a campaign to recall Knoth, arguing his position amounted to a conflict-of-interest.

Nebraska – Nebraska Lawmakers Vote Against Trump-Fueled Push to Change Electoral Vote System

MSN – Patrick Svitek and Michael Scherer (Washington Post) | Published: 4/4/2024

Donald Trump’s push to get the Nebraska Legislature to change the way it awards electoral votes faced a major setback when lawmakers voted to prevent the change from being attached to an unrelated bill. Nebraska is one of only two states that divide electoral votes among statewide and congressional district winners. But Gov. Jim Pillen and Trump endorsed a proposal to return the state to a winner-take-all system.

New Jersey – New Jersey’s Unique Ballot Design Struck Down by Judge

MSN – Azi Paybarah (Washington Post) | Published: 3/29/2024

New Jersey’s unique way of displaying county-endorsed candidates on the ballot was struck down by a federal judge after a lawsuit by U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, who is running for Senate, and two other Democrats running for Congress, who called the design unfair and unconstitutional. The state’s ballot design process is unlike any other in the nation, and it allows parties to place their endorsed candidates in a specific portion of the ballot known as “the line.”

New York – Meet NYC’s New Campaign Finance Watchdog, Arriving Amid Probe into Mayor Adams’ Campaign

Gothamist – Brigid Bergin | Published: 3/27/2024

The New York City Campaign Finance Board took a reputational hit last year when then-Executive Director Beth Rotman was asked to resign over allegations of mismanagement. As the agency’s new leader, Paul S. Ryan is now responsible for charting the board’s path forward amid concerns over its oversight of campaigns, especially that of Mayor Eric Adams. “I’ve long considered this to be a model agency administering model laws for the country at a time when democracy in many places is really in crisis …,” Ryan said.

New York – Trump Ramps Up Attacks on Judges, Sparking Concerns as Criminal Trial Nears

MSN – Marianne LeVine, Clara Ence Morse, and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 4/1/2024

Donald Trump is ramping up efforts to disparage judges overseeing his criminal and civil cases, reprising a long-standing strategy and prompting growing concerns from legal experts. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s approach, part of an election-year attempt to portray the judicial system as weaponized against him, was evident in a slew of attacks. Trump’s personal attacks against the daughter of the New York judge overseeing a hush money case prompted the judge to expand an existing gag order to include his family and the district attorney’s family.

New York – How a California Billionaire Known for Auto Loans Provided Trump’s Bond

MSN – Michael Kranish and Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 4/2/2024

Donald Trump struggled to post a bond for more than $450 million to keep authorities from seizing his properties, billionaire Don Hankey and his wife started discussing a solution: Hankey’s business could cover it. But when a court reduced the bond to $175 million and Trump said he had the cash to post it himself, the matter seemed moot. Then the Trump team revived the talks and asked Hankey if he would back the new amount. Hankey agreed.

New York – Lobbyist Dating Carl Heastie Cleared to Return to Assembly – and Ethics Attorney Quits

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 3/26/2024

The lobbyist dating New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has been cleared to return to work at the Assembly. A spokesperson for the Greater New York Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust said after being barred on the advice of its former ethics lawyer, legislative and communications director Rebecca Lamorte can resume lobbying the Assembly, including Heastie’s staff, but not the speaker himself. After Lamorte was cleared to return, the former ethics attorney quit.

New York – Ex-NYPD Deputy Inspector Sentenced in Mayor Adams Campaign Straw Donor Scheme

Yahoo News – Molly Crane-Newman (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/2/2024

Dwayne Montgomery, a former New York Police Department deputy inspector who was friendly with Mayor Eric Adams, was sentenced to community service for his ringleader role in a straw donor scheme that gamed the system to boost Adams’ 2021 City Hall run and curry political favors. The cash funneled to Adams’ campaign in others’ names triggered a major injection of cash from the Campaign Finance Board that matches donations of up to $250 by eight-to-one, allowing the scheme’s architects to subvert caps on how much they could give.

North Carolina – Court Rejects Claim Challenging North Carolina Map for Diluting Black Vote

MSN – Rachel Weiner and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff (Washington Post) | Published: 3/28/2024

A federal appellate court rejected an emergency challenge to North Carolina’s Republican-drawn legislative map, all but ensuring elections will go forward this year under contested lines drawn up in 2023 that Democrats and voting rights advocates say were created to weaken Black representation. That means 2024 elections will go forward with a map experts say will help Republicans retain a supermajority in the state Legislature. The new maps are also expected to give Republicans at least three more seats in Congress.

Ohio – The Randazzler: Court records detail chummy relationship between Sam Randazzo, FirstEnergy

Yahoo News – Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 4/1/2024

Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo had a close, chummy relationship with ex-executives of FirstEnergy and its allies. For example, Randazzo texted an image of himself dressed as a superhero and surrounded by terms like “Randazzler” to some of the executives. But Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost alleges Randazzo’s sophomoric communication with FirstEnergy leaders extended beyond memes to a “pay-to-play” scheme at ratepayers’ expense.

Oklahoma – Gov. Stitt Task Force Calls for Changing Campaign Donation Limits

Yahoo News – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 4/2/2024

A task force created by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is calling for no limits on how much money state politicians can accept from individuals in campaign donations. The Governor’s Task Force on Campaign Finance and Election Threats said a change is needed to combat the impact of “dark money” groups. A candidate currently can accept $3,300 from an individual per election. Fewer than a dozen states have no limits on individual donations.

Oklahoma – Oklahoma Official with White Nationalist Ties Is Ousted in Recall Vote

Yahoo News – Brandy Zadrozny, Nnamdi Egwuonwu, and Micki Fahner (NBC News) | Published: 4/3/2024

Voters in Enid, Oklahoma, removed city Councilperson Judd Blevins over his ties to white nationalist groups. He faced the recall vote after local activists learned he had marched alongside neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 and led an Oklahoma chapter of the white nationalist group Identity Evropa. Blevins will be replaced by Cheryl Patterson, a former teacher who campaigned on a return to “normalcy” for this small city, which was divided by the furor over Blevins.

Oregon – Gov. Tina Kotek Signs Historic Campaign Finance Bill

MSN – Carlos Fuentes (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 4/3/2024

Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law a bill that will limit the amount of money that individuals and groups can contribute to campaigns starting in 2027. The law is historic for Oregon, which has seen increasingly large sums of money poured into campaigns. The bill cleared the Legislature with overwhelming support. Good government groups, labor unions, and business groups, negotiated the details of the legislation.

South Carolina – South Carolina Latest State to Use Congressional Map Deemed Illegal

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 3/28/2024

In a scenario that has played out in three states in recent years, a federal court ruled time had run out to draw a new congressional district in South Carolina and the state would have to proceed this fall with an existing election map the court had previously deemed illegal. The ruling echoes redistricting cases in other Southern states where courts found congressional maps violated the voting rights of Black voters and other people of color but allowed them to be used anyway, at least temporarily.

Texas – Texas Appeals Court Overturns Crystal Mason’s Conviction, 5-Year Sentence for Illegal Voting

MSN – Karen Brooks Harper (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/28/2024

A Texas appeals court overturned the illegal voting conviction of Crystal Mason, who was given a five-year prison sentence for casting a provisional ballot in the 2016 election while on supervised release for federal tax evasion. The court said there was no evidence Mason knew she was ineligible to vote when she cast her ballot, which is a condition that must be met to convict her of illegal voting. The case thrust Mason, who is Black, into the political fray amid a Republican-led crackdown on voter fraud, partly fueled by baseless claims of rampant illegal voting.

Texas – Texas Could Require Social Media Influencers to Disclose Paid Political Posts

MSN – Robert Downen (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/28/2024

The Texas Ethics Commission gave initial approval to a proposal that would require social media users to disclose if they are being paid to share or create political advertisements. The action comes just months after it was reported that a secretive and politically connected company called Influenceable LLC paid internet influencers to defend state Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of his impeachment trial. The proposed rule could be finalized at the commission’s next meeting in June.

Virginia – A Skill Game Company Gave a Va. Senator a $1.9K Trip. No One Will Explain It

Virginia Mercury – Graham Moomaw | Published: 4/1/2024

In 2022, Virginia Sen. Bryce Reeves disclosed a campaign finance report that skill game company Pace-O-Matic paid for a trip he took worth $1,900. Pace-O-Matic was hosting hundreds of guests in Wyoming at Cheyenne Frontier Days. But the campaign finance report gave no indication where Reeves went on the dime of a company that has lobbied the General Assembly for permission to put slot machine lookalikes in convenience stores and truck stops. Under the current rule, lawmakers cannot accept more than $108 in gifts from any single lobbying interest per calendar year, but there are several exceptions to that limit.

Washington – Washington State Legislative Maps Survive Supreme Court Appeal in Latest Battle Over Latino Voting Rights

Courthouse News Service – Kelsey Reichmann | Published: 4/2/2024

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block the use of Washington state’s new legislative district maps that give Latino voters greater representation. A Republican lawmaker and two voters asked the justices to allow the state’s 2024 election to move forward under a map that was found to have violated a section of the Voting Rights Act that prohibits race discrimination. A lower court judge recently enacted a remedial map after claims of Latino vote dilution, but the Republicans say the new map is more discriminatory than the first.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Becomes Latest State to Ban Private Funding of Elections

MSN – Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 4/2/2024

Wisconsin voters opted to ban private funding for election administration, joining more than two dozen states that have ended or limited the practice after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife spent $350 million to help local governments run elections during the coronavirus pandemic. They also approved a second proposal that limits who can perform election-related duties. Both measures were initiated by Republican state legislators.

Wisconsin – What Are Wisconsin’s Biggest Lobbying Law Violation Settlements Since 2016?

PBS Wisconsin – Hina Suzuki (The Badger Project) | Published: 3/26/2024

Wisconsin has strict lobbying laws – so strict that lobbyists are not allowed to give anything of monetary value to the politicians and government officials they lobby. If a lobbyist breaks the rules, the Wisconsin Ethics Commission will negotiate a settlement with the lobbyist or lobbying organization in lieu of civil litigation. Money received from settlements goes to the Common School Fund, the primary, and often only, funding source for school libraries in the state. The Badger Project obtained a list of the largest lobbying fines since 2016.

April 3, 2024 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Elections Georgia: “Georgia Lawmakers Approve New Election Rules That Could Impact 2024 Presidential Contest” by Sudhin Thanawala and Jeff Amy (Associated Press) for Yahoo News Ethics National: “Appeals Court Sides with Judge Who Threatened Peter Navarro with Contempt” by Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) for […]

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