Campaign Finance

National: “Kicking and Screaming Toward Senate 2.0” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call

Maine: “Maine Ethics Panel Sharply Cuts Payments to Publicly Financed Candidates” by Michael Shepherd for Bangor Daily News

Maine: “Major Political Donors Must Disclose Sources Under New Maine Law” by The Associated Press for Maine Public Radio

Minnesota: “Meet the Donors Who Give to Both DFL and GOP Candidates in Minnesota” by Peter Callaghan and Greta Kaul for Minnesota Post

Ohio: “Mike DeWine, Richard Cordray Donors Got Big Contracts from Ohio Attorney General’s Office” by James McNair (Ohio Center for Investigative Journalism) for Cincinnati Enquier

Ohio: “Appeals Court Says Ohio’s Rules on Judicial Campaigns Are Constitutional” by Eric Heisig for Cleveland Plain Dealer

Elections

National: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: The Democrat who challenged her party’s establishment – and won” by David Weigel for Washington Post

Ethics

New Hampshire: “Hassan Intern Caught on Video Swearing at Trump Won’t Be Fired” by Paul Feely and David Solomon for Manchester Union Leader

Missouri: “Klahr Leaving Ethics for Veterans Commission” by Bob Watson for News Tribune

Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Watchdog Agency Accuses Legislators of Starving It” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman

Lobbying

National: “Who Should File as a Foreign Agent Is a Tough One to Figure Out” by Ken Doyle for Bloomberg Government

Redistricting

Virginia: “Court Rules Virginia Legislative Districts Unconstitutional” by Denise Lavoie and Alan Suderman (Associated Press) for Seattle Times

Campaign Finance

Maryland: “Baltimore City Council Backs Public Financing of Campaigns” by Luke Broadwater for Baltimore Sun

Elections

National: “Special Counsel Obtains Trump Ally Erik Prince’s Phones, Computer” by James Gordon Meek for ABC News

Ethics

National: “The Latest Sign of Political Divide: Shaming and shunning public officials” by Mary Jordan (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Trump Business Dealings Raise ‘Serious Concerns,’ Ethics Office Says” by Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) for Denton Chronicle

California: “California Lawmakers Approve Revamp of Sex Misconduct Policy” by Kathleen Ronayne (Associated Press) for Sacramento Bee

Florida: “Opa-locka Fixer Dante Starks Pleads Guilty, May Implicate Top Politicians” by Jay Weaver for Miami Herald

West Virginia: “House Votes to Consider Impeachment of Loughry, Possibly Other Supreme Court Justices” by Chris Dickerson for West Virginia Record

Lobbying

National: “Money-Laundering Charge Against Manafort Advances” by Britain Eakin for Courthouse News Service

National: “New Emails Suggest Scott Pruitt Discussed Hiring a Friend of Lobbyist Landlord” by Lisa Friedman and Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) for MSN

Kentucky: “Kentucky Reviewing State Contract after Bribery Trial” by Adam Beam (Associated Press) for Bowling Green Daily News

Redistricting

North Carolina: “Supreme Court Sends NC Partisan Gerrymander Case Back for More Arguments” by Anne Blythe for Raleigh News and Observer

Campaign Finance

National: Corporate Political Disclosure Moves Firmly into Mainstream by Brian Croce for Pensions & Investments

Ethics

National: New Emails Suggest Scott Pruitt Discussed Hiring a Friend of Lobbyist Landlord by Lisa Friedman and Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) for MSN

Colorado: Ethics Board Asks Councilman to Pull Bill That Could Allow Expensive Gifts Within City by Ben Markus for Colorado Public Radio

Connecticut: Legislative Leader Slipped Amendment into Bill to Help UConn Coach Edsall’s Son Keep Job by Dave Altimari for Hartford Courant

Florida: Ethics Board Member: Report shows top-down ethical ignorance at City Hall by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

Missouri: Leader of House Review of Greitens to File Ethics Complaint by Summer Ballentine (Associated Press) for Albany Times Union

Lobbying

National: Opioid Bills Could Net Millions for Companies by Adam Cancryn for Politico

Redistricting

Texas: Supreme Court Upholds Texas Voting Maps That Were Called Discriminatory by Adam Liptak (New York Times) for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elections

National: “Trump Associate Roger Stone Reveals New Contact with Russian National during 2016 Campaign” by Manuel Roig-Franzia and Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Ethics

National: “Facebook’s New Political Algorithms Increase Tension with Publishers” by Ben Sisario (New York Times) for WRAL

National: “For Pruitt Aides, the Boss’s Personal Life Was Part of the Job” by Eric Lipton, Steve Eder, Lisa Friedman, and Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) for WRAL

California: “ACLU Suit Targets Law That Bars Horn Honking at Protests” by Teri Figueroa for San Diego Union Tribune

New York: “SUNY Poly Chief’s Corruption Trial Will Shine Harsh Light on Cuomo Upstate Development Efforts” by Stephen Rex Brown for New York Daily News

South Carolina: “An Unintentional Facebook ‘Like’ Shakes the South Carolina Governor’s Race” by Andy Shain for Charleston Post and Courier

Lobbying

National: “Pence Turns VP’s Office into Gateway for Lobbyists to Influence the Trump Administration” by Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey, and Anu Narayanswami (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle

Arkansas: “Legislator-Graft Case Spotlights Arkansas Ethics-Law Flaws” by Doug Thompson for Arkansas Online

Florida: “Skybox Hopping, Connections with Adam Corey Draw Elected Officials into Ethics Report” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

Texas: “Council Approves Changes to Anti-Lobbying Ordinance” by Jack Craver for Austin Monitor

Redistricting

National: “Supreme Court Punts on Two Cases Regarding Partisan Election Districts” by Richard Wolf for USA Today

Campaign Finance

Colorado: “Federal Judge Finds Portions of Colorado’s Campaign Finance Complaint Process Are Unconstitutional in Ruling Likely to Prompt Big Change” by Jesse Paul for Denver Post

North Carolina: “Digital Ad Disclosure Bill Squeaks Past Key House Panel” by Laura Leslie for WRAL

Elections

National: “Republican Voters Embrace Trump-Style Candidates” by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns (New York Times) for WRAL

California: “Radical Plan to Split California Into Three States Earns Spot on November Ballot” by John Myers for Los Angeles Times

Ethics

National: “EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Tapped Aide, Donors to Help Wife Land Job at Conservative Group” by Juliet Eilperin, Josh Dawsey, Brady Dennis, and Shawn Boburg (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune

Florida: “Ethics Commission: Fernandez misused position to get FSU tickets, catering discount” by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee Democrat

New York: “Ex-Lawmaker Pleads Guilty to Misusing Superstorm Sandy Funds” by Associated Press for New York Daily News

Lobbying

Canada: “Lobbying Czar Calls for Federal Investment after 10 Years of Stagnant Funding” by Teresa Wright (Canadian Press) for CTV News

Florida: “Lobbyists Face New Requirements at Citizens” by Jim Turner (News Service of Florida) for WPEC

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Amendment to State Redistricting Bill May Scuttle” by Liz Navratil, Gillian McGoldrick, and Jonathan Lai for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Campaign Finance

National: “Watchdog Sues Paul Ryan-Aligned Dark Money Group” by Maggie Severns for Poltico

Ohio: “Lack of Campaign Fundraising Caps, Tracking Issues at City Hall Raise Concerns” by Doug Caruso and Rick Rouan for Columbus Dispatch

Rhode Island: “Mattiello Is Ordered to Repay $72K to Leadership PAC” by Katherine Gregg for Providence Journal

Tennessee: “Tennessee Lawmakers Still ‘Double-Dipping’ After Warning from Campaign Finance Official” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean

Wisconsin: “Want to Give Digital Currency to a Political Campaign? State Ethics Panel Mulls If and How” by Mark Sommerhauser for Wisconsin State Journal

Ethics

National: “Mulvaney, Watchdog Bureau’s Leader, Advises Bankers on Ways to Curtail Agency” by Glenn Thrush for New York Times

New Jersey: “Video Shows Port Authority Commissioner Telling Cops: ‘You may shut the f— up!’” by Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger

Lobbying

National: “Skadden Lawyer Craig Leaves Firm After Inquiry on Ukraine Report” by Greg Farrell for Bloomberg.com

Kentucky: “Metro Council Member Doubles as Lobbyist in Frankfort” by Joe Sonka for Insider Louisville

Redistricting

National: “Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Texas Redistricting” by Rafael Bernal for The Hill

Elections

National: “Manafort Associate Had Russian Intelligence Ties During 2016 Campaign, Prosecutors Say” by Spencer Hsu and Rosalind Helderman for Washington Post

Ethics

National: “D.C., Maryland May Proceed with Lawsuit Alleging Trump Violated Emoluments Clauses” by David Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell for Washington Post

National: “Trump’s Lawyer Raised Prospect of Pardons for Flynn and Manafort as Special Counsel Closed In” by Michael Schmidt, Jo Becker, Mark Mazzetti, Maggie Haberman, and Adam Goldman for New York Times

Canada: “Canadian MPs Accepted $620K Worth of Free Travel from Third Parties, Foreign Entities in 2017” by John Paul Tasker for CBC News

West Virginia: “Justice Signs Bill Expanding State Ethics Act” by Jake Zuckerman for Charleston Gazette-Mail

Wyoming: “Casper Leaders Plan to Repeal and Replace Ethical Code for Public Servants” by Katie King for Casper Star-Tribune

Lobbying

National: “Rep. Didn’t Report $50K in Donations as Registered Lobbyist” by Julie Carr Smyth (Associated Press) for Cleveland Plain Dealer

South Carolina: “Emails: Santee Cooper lobbyists tried to thwart governor’s plans to sell utility” by Avery Wilks for The State

Redistricting

National: “Supreme Court Again Weighs Voting Maps Warped by Politics” by Adam Liptak for New York Times

Campaign Finance

California: “Californians Appointed to State Posts Could Soon Be Barred from Writing Checks to Lawmakers Who Vote on Their Nomination” by Patrick McGreevy for Los Angeles Times

Nevada: “Lack of Transparency Questioned in Campaign Theft by DA’s Aide” by Jeff German and David Ferrara for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Ohio: “Ohio’s Campaign-Finance Laws for Judges Debated at Sixth Circuit” by Kevin Koeninger for Courthouse News Service

Elections

National: “There’s Never Been a Native American Congresswoman. That Could Change in 2018.” by Julie Turkewitz for New York Times

Kansas: “Kansas Voting Trial Over. One More Court Day, a Contempt Hearing, Ahead for Kobach” by Bryan Lowry for Kansas City Star

Ethics

Florida: “Voters Could Get Say on Government Ethics” by News Service of Florida for Orlando Sentinel

Maryland: “Md. House Approves Overhaul of Anti-Harassment Policy; Fate in Senate Unclear” by Ovetta Wiggins and Rachel Carson for Washington Post

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Supreme Court Refuses to Stop New Congressional Maps in Pennsylvania” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

Campaign Finance

Alaska: “Group Picks Alaska to Challenge Unlimited Campaign Donations” by Becky Bohrer (Associated Press) for Bristol Herald-Courier

Connecticut: “An Unlikely Rebuke of the General Assembly Over Election Laws” by Mark Pazniokas for Connecticut Mirror

Texas: “Anti-Abortion Group Deletes State Senator’s Video After Questions of Legality Raised” by Patrick Svitek and Jay Root for Texas Tribune

Ethics

National: “First-Class Travel Distinguishes Scott Pruitt’s EPA Tenure” by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis for Washington Post

National: “#MeToo Movement Lawmaker Investigated for Sexual Misconduct Allegations” by Carla Marinucci for Politico

California: “California Legislative Staff Get Whistleblower Protections” by Kathleen Ronayne (Associated Press) for KPCC

Canada: “Ethics Czar Calls for Tougher Sanctions for Breaking Conflict of Interest Laws” by Beatrice Britnoff for iPolitics.ca

Oregon: “Kruse to Resign after Finding of Groping, Unwanted Touching at Oregon Capitol” by Gordon Friedman for Portland Oregonian

South Carolina: “Former S.C. House Majority Leader Rick Quinn Gets Probation in Misconduct Case” by Andrew Knapp and Glenn Smith for Charleston Post and Courier

Tennessee: “Mayor Megan Barry Affair: Ethics complaint alleges improper influence, prompts new probe” by Dave Boucher and Nate Rau for The Tennessean

Legislative Issues

Colorado: “If You Can Pay $250, Colorado Lawmakers May Let You Skip Security at State Capitol” by John Frank for Denver Post

Lobbying

Florida: “Scott Maddox Never Registered as Waste Pro Lobbyist” by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee Democrat

North Dakota: “Amid Backlash, Gov. Burgum Reimburses Xcel Energy $37,000 for Super Bowl Tickets” by John Hageman for Grand Forks Herald

Oklahoma: “New Lobbying Rule Gets Mixed Review from Lawmakers and Those Who Try to Influence Them” by Barbara Hoberock for Tulsa World

South Carolina: “Utility Watchdog Asks SCANA and Dominion How Much They Are Spending on Lobbying, Advertising” by Andrew Brown for Charleston Post and Courier

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Pa. GOP Proposes a New Congressional Map. Democrats Say It’s Still Gerrymandered” by Liz Navratil, Jonathan Tamari, and Jonathan Lai for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Campaign Finance

California: “Peskin Wants Big Political Donors to Disclose Investments” by Joshua Sabatini for San Francisco Examiner

District of Columbia: “D.C. Council Approves Fair Elections Act” by Julia Airey for Washington Times

Elections

National: “Hero or Hired Gun? How a British Former Spy Became a Flash Point in the Russia Investigation.” by Tom Hamburger and Rosalind Helderman for Washington Post

Ethics

Nebraska: “Is the Time Right for an Ethics Board in the Nebraska Legislature?” by Jo Anne Young for Lincoln Journal Star

New York: “State Senate’s New Sexual Harassment Policy Draws Criticism” by Rachel Silberstein for Gotham Gazette

Oregon: “Report Finds Kruse Groped Women at Oregon Capitol, Misbehavior Escalated after Warnings” by Gordon Friedman for Portland Oregonian

South Carolina: “S.C. House Ethics Committee Warns Legislators Don’t Use Campaign Cash to Defend Misconduct Allegations” by Seanna Adcox for Charleston Post and Courier

Tennessee: “Mayor Barry Recommended City Job for Daughter of Officer with Whom She Had Affair” by Anita Wadhwani for The Tennessean

Lobbying

California: “California Lobbyists Could Receive a Four-Year Ban for Sexual Harassment Under New Legislation” by John Myers for Los Angeles Times

Missouri: “Senators Propose Limiting Gifts from Lobbyists to $40 a Day” by Marshall Griffin for St. Louis Public Radio

Canada: “Democracy Watch Asks Court to Force Lobbying Commissioner to Investigate Aga Khan” by Elizabeth Thompson for CBC

Redistricting

North Carolina: “Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Stanford Professor’s Election Districts for Wake and Mecklenburg” by Anne Blythe for Raleigh News and Observer

Campaign Finance

Virginia: “Dozens of Virginia Churches Have Been Donating Cash to Campaigns for Years, Despite Law” by Bill Bartell for The Virginian-Pilot

Elections

Florida: “Judge Strikes Down Florida’s System for Denying Felons’ Voting Rights” by Steve Bousquet for Tampa Bay Times

Ethics

Florida: “Tallahassee Commission Adopts Broad New Ethics Rules” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat

Massachusetts: “Hefner Had Access to Rosenberg’s E-mails” by Yvonne Abraham for Boston Globe

South Carolina: “SC Special Prosecutor Wants to Toss Out Quinn’s Guilty Plea If He Won’t Admit Crime” by John Monk for The State

Tennessee: “Mayor Megan Barry Potentially Violated Her Own Ethics Rules During Affair with Officer, Experts Say” by Adam Tamburin (USA Today) for The Tennessean

Lobbying

California: “Oakland Asks District Attorney to Investigate Alleged Bribes by Cannabis Lobbyist” by Darwin BondGraham for East Bay Times

Redistricting

National: “Opponents of Gerrymandering Keep Winning, But It Might Not Affect 2018” by Robert Barnes for Washington Post

National: “In Blow to GOP, U.S. Supreme Court to Allow Pennsylvania Redistricting” by Jonathan Lai and Liz Navratil for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Campaign Finance

Alabama: “Attorney General’s Office Appears to Be Investigating Campaign Finance Documents” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser

Elections

Pennsylvania: “Bob Brady Is Not Running for Reelection” by Holly Otterbein, Chris Brennan, and Claudia Vargas for Philadelphia Inquirer

Ethics

Federal: “Revolving Door Between Trump Pentagon, Contractors Spins Faster” by Sam Skolnik for Bloomberg Government

Arizona: “Arizona House Expels Yuma Rep. Don Shooter After Sexual-Harassment Findings” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

District of Columbia: “D.C. Will Not Reappoint Open Government Watchdog Who Ruled Against City” by Peter Jamison for Washington Post

West Virginia: “Ethics Commission OKs Tourism Contract with Justice’s Greenbrier Resort” by Phil Kabler for Charleston Gazette-Mail

Lobbying

Florida: “Lobbyist Accuses Legislator of Retaliation Over His Role in Sexual Harassment Case” by Mary Ellen Klas for Miami Herald

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Sen. Scarnati Refuses Pa. Supreme Court Order to Turn Over Map Data in Gerrymander Case” by Jonathan Lai for Philadelphia Inquirer

Ethics

Federal: “In Shocking Move, Feds Drop All Charges Against Bob Menendez” by Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star Ledger

Federal: “CDC Director Resigns Because of Conflicts Over Financial Interests” by Lena Sun for Washington Post

National: “Clinton Says She Regrets Not Firing Aide Accused of Sexual Harassment During 2008 Campaign” by John Wagner for Washington Post

Arizona: “Investigation Concludes Rep. Shooter Violated Sexual Harassment Rules Multiple Times” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Sun

North Dakota: “Proposed Ballot Measure Filed by North Dakotans for Public Integrity” by Staff for Bismarck Tribune

South Carolina: “Former Environmental Director Joins S.C. Water Utility Just Months After Leaving State Payroll” by Andrew Brown for Charleston Post and Courier

Virginia: “Facing New Scrutiny, Powerful Utility Turns to Old Friends” by Alan Suderman (Associated Press) for Fredericksburg.com

Lobbying

National: “Lobbying’s Top 50 Pour $540M Into Influence Campaigns” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Illinois: “IG Office: Sex harassment legislation needs teeth for lobbyists” by Maximilian Kwiatkowski for State Journal-Register

Redistricting

National: “Just How Bad is Partisan Gerrymandering? Ask the Mapmakers.” by Michael Wines for New York Times

Campaign Finance

National: “Alleged Payment to Porn Star Was Illegal Donation to Trump Campaign, Watchdog Says” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

New York: “Vance Bans Donations from Lawyers with Pending Cases” by James McKinley Jr. for New York Times

Ethics

National: “Trump Business Ethics Pledges Left Plenty of Room for Profiting” by The Associated Press for Tampa Bay Times

Federal: “Justice Department Says It Will Retry Sen. Robert Menendez Following Mistrial on Bribery Charges” by Devlin Barrett and Ed O’Keefe for Washington Post

California: “Group That First Raised Sexual Harassment Issues in Sacramento Now Has an App to Report Misconduct” by Jazmine Ulloa for Los Angeles Times

Wyoming: “As Reports of Sexual Harassment Spike, Wyoming’s Legislature Looks to Rewrite Policy” by Arno Rosenfeld for Casper Star-Tribune

Legislative Issues

Wisconsin: “Senate Votes to Force Out State Ethics and Elections Leaders” by Mark Sommerhauser for Wisconsin State Journal

Lobbying

Canada: “Six-Fold Increase in Senate Lobbying Under Trudeau, with Independents Taking Most Meetings” by Marie-Danielle Smith for National Post

Redistricting

Pennsylvania: “Pa. Supreme Court Strikes Down Congressional Map as Unconstitutional, Orders Change Before May Primary” by Jonathan Lai, Liz Navratil, and Angela Couloumbis for Philadelphia Inquirer