Campaign Finance

New Jersey: “Why Donations to NJ Political Campaigns from Public Contractors Nosedived in 10-Year Span” by Terrence McDonald (Bergen Record) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “Court Rules in Favor of City in Darlene Harris Campaign Finance Suit” by Mick Stinelli for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ethics

National: “Justice Dept. Will Not Pursue Charges Against Sen. Richard Burr Over Stock Sales at Outset of Pandemic” by Matt Zapotosky and Felicia Sonmez (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Trump Revokes Administration Ethics Rules on His Way Out the Door” by Tamara Keith for National Public Radio

National: “Democrats Seek Momentum for Voting, Political Money Overhaul” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN

Ohio: “Cleveland State Lets Cuyahoga County’s Former HR Chief Apply for Job 10 Months Late, Then Hires Him While on Probation for Corruption-Related Charges” by Courtney Astolfi (Cleveland Plain Dealer) for MSN

West Virginia: “With Death of Judge, Governor Will Now Appoint Judge in Line to Hear Residency Case Against Him” by Joe Severino for Charleston Gazette-Mail

Lobbying

North Dakota: “Bipartisan Bill Proposes Taxpayers Pay for Lawmakers’ Meals” by James MacPherson (Associated Press) for New Haven Register

Wisconsin: “New Health Official Isn’t Saying Whether She Will Avoid Conflicts with Former Lobbying Clients” by Patrick Marley (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) for MSN

Campaign Finance

National: “Trump Raises More Than $150 Million Appealing to False Election Claims” by Josh Dawsey and Michelle Yee He Lee (Washington Post) for MSN

New Jersey: “Christie’s 2013 Campaign Hasn’t Paid Off $1M in Debt to 2 Firms” by Matt Friedman for Politico

Elections

National: “20 Days of Fantasy and Failure: Inside Trump’s quest to overturn the election” by Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Trump Era Court Battles Weaken Congressional Power” by Todd Ruger for Roll Call

California: “San Francisco Public Utilities Commission GM Harlan Kelly Charged with Fraud as Part of Corruption Scheme” by Staff for KPIX

California: “Raymond Chan, Former L.A. Deputy Mayor, Charged in Federal City Hall Corruption Case” by David Zahniser and Joel Rubin for Los Angeles Times

Hawaii: “Ex-Hawaii Prosecutor, Police Chief Get Prison for Corruption” by Jennifer Sinco Kelleher (Associated Press) for Yahoo News

Ohio: “Watchdog Group Aims to Turn Lights Back on with Open Records” by Farnoush Amiri (Associated Press) for The Record-Herald

Pennsylvania: “Ex-State Lawmaker Found Guilty in Bribery Case Loses Appeal of Her Convictions, Probation Sentence” by Matt Miller for PennLive.com

Gov. Brad Little stated Wednesday he will call the part-time Legislature back into a special session during the week of August 24 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The special session could include how to conduct the November general election amid the pandemic.

Also a topic of discussion is legislation creating a liability shield for protection against lawsuits during declared emergencies such as the pandemic.

How a special session would work during the pandemic and how much it would cost is unclear.

Lawmakers would have to be in the Statehouse in Boise for their votes to count.

Campaign Finance

National: “Buttigieg and Super PAC Improperly Coordinated on Nevada Ads, Watchdog Group Says” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post) for Greenwich Time

Kentucky: “Prosecutors Contend Lexington Executive Lied About Campaign Donations as Trial Opens” by Beth Musgrave for Lexington Herald-Leader

Elections

National: “Trump Campaign Hires Alum of Controversial Data Company” by Alex Isenstadt for Politico

North Carolina: “Another Court Blocks NC Voter ID Law, Citing ‘Racially Discriminatory Intent’” by Will Doran for Raleigh News and Observer

Tennessee: “Proposal Would Overhaul Blocked Tennessee Voter Signup Law” by Kimberlee Kruesi for AP News

Ethics

National: “Bloomberg Would Sell Business Interests If Elected President” by Kathleen Ronayne for AP News

Lobbying

National: “President Pardons Ex-GSA, OMB Official” by Tom Shoop for Government Executive

Michigan: “Ballot Language Approved for Proposal to ‘Change the Culture’ of Lobbying in Michigan” by Malachi Barrett for MLive.com

Campaign Finance

Montana: “Campaign Contribution Limits Go Up in Montana” by Holly Michels for The Missoulian

Washington: “Food-Makers Fight Record Fine in Washington GMO Case” by Don Jenkins for Capital Press

Elections

National: “DNC Raises Threshold to Make November Debate Stage” by Zach Montellaro for Politico

Ethics

National: “Pelosi Announces Impeachment Inquiry, Says Trump’s Courting of Foreign Political Help Is a ‘Betrayal of National Security’” by Rachael Bade, Mike DeBonis, and Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post) for MSN

Florida: “Shiver’s Checkered Past Includes Role as FBI Informant in Opa-locka Corruption Case” by Jay Weaver for Miami Herald

Michigan: “Ex-Detroit Official Sent to Prison in Demolition Scandal” by Robert Snell for Detroit News

Nebraska: “Prosecutors Drop 1 Charge Against UNL Researcher Accused of Defacing Republicans’ Signs, Office Door” by Rick Ruggles for Omaha World-Herald

Virginia: “Virginia Senator Says She Never OK’d Ad Vowing to ‘Shoot Down’ Anti-Gun” by Laura Vozzella (Washington Post) for Connecticut Post

Lobbying

Arkansas: “Lobbyist Fined $50 Over Late Reports” by Staff for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

The first regular session of the 121st Indiana General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday, April 24.

The legislative session lasted 112 days, with adjournment coming five days before the statutory April 29 deadline.

During the last day of the session, legislators approved more than three dozen bills including a two-year state budget.

Additionally, the legislature passed a gaming bill that legalizes sports wagering.

The second regular session of the 121st General Assembly is scheduled to convene on January 2, 2020.

An organization day scheduled for November 9, 2019.

A special election will take place on November 5 to fill vacancies in House Districts 99 and 158.

Rep. Jean Evans resigned from District 99 to become executive director of the Missouri Republican Party.

Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick left District 158 to serve as state treasurer.

On Tuesday, the Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board proposed changes to expand the city’s ethics code.

The proposal expands the Board’s jurisdiction to procurement employees and individuals required to file state financial disclosures.

Additionally, the proposal increases the fines faced by lobbyists to $1,000 for the first intentional violation, and prohibits covered individuals from accepting or soliciting all gifts regardless of value from vendors and lobbyists.

The draft ordinance will head to the city commission for final approval later this spring.

Former Attorney General Terry Goddard launched an effort to prohibit the use of dark money in political campaigns.

The proposed constitutional amendment, called The Voters Right to Know Act, seeks to require anyone spending at least $5,000 to influence the outcome of an Arizona election to disclose the original source of the money.

The disclosure requirement would apply to both state and local elections in Arizona.

In order for the proposal to appear on the ballot in the 2020 general election, the campaign committee behind the citizen initiative will need close to half a million signatures.

Last year, the same campaign committee missed qualification for the ballot by just over 2,000 signatures.

The amendment would require the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to enforce the new campaign finance disclosure rules and exempt the commission’s anti-dark money rules from oversight by the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council.

The proposal coincides with current Attorney General Mark Brnovich investigating whether Tempe’s ordinance banning dark money violates a law passed last year banning cities from enacting their own dark money disclosure regulations.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced a special election for May 7, to fill a state representative vacancy in House District 130.

The seat became vacant following the passing of State Rep. Ezequiel Santiago on March 15.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Santiago’s term through 2020.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich will soon rule on whether cities can impose restrictions on dark money in local campaigns.

Sen. Vince Leach alleged Tempe violated a state law prohibiting local governments from requiring tax-exempt organizations from registering as political committees in 2017 by passing a voter approved ordinance banning dark money contributions.

The law allowing a legislator to demand an attorney general to investigate complaints applies only to ordinances, regulations or other official action adopted or taken by the governing board of a county, city or town.

It is unclear if the authority extends to this voter-approved measure referred to the ballot by Tempe City Council.

Tempe’s dark money ordinance was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2017, as constitutionally required, but he noted it may soon be superseded by state law.

The ordinance in question requires any group spending more than $1,000 during an election cycle to disclose the original source of contributions.

The Office of the Attorney General has 30 days to decide if the complaint has merit.

The New Mexico Legislature adjourned sine die on March 16, 2019.

House Bill 668, relating to the State Ethics Commission Act, was passed by the Legislature on the final day of the session.

The bill creates the new independent ethics commission demanded by voters in the November 2018 election.

The new commission will oversee state public officials and employees and give the commission investigative powers over ethics violations.

The bill is awaiting the governor’s signature. If signed, sections one through eight and 34 of the bill will become effective July 1, 2019.

The remaining sections will become effective on January 1, 2020.

Act A22-0442, which included the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Amendment Act of 2018, passed congressional review.

The Act expands the scope of procurement lobbying in the District of Columbia to include action by an executive agency or official in the executive branch to contract, grant or procure goods or services.

The lobbyist reporting periods change from semi-annual to quarterly reporting in January 2019.

Additional registration requirements were added including the precise description of the subject matter, including any bill, proposed resolution, contract, or other legislation of all writing or oral communications related to lobbying activities conducted with an executive or legislative member or official’s staff.

Campaign Finance

National: Political Nonprofits Seek Answers After Court Decision Targeting ‘Dark Money’ by Michelle Ye Hee Lee for Washington Post

Ethics

National: Senate Judiciary Panel’s Top Democrat Calls for Delay in Kavanaugh Hearing After New Allegation by Karoun Demirjian, Amy Gardner, and Seung Min Kim (Washington Post) for MSN

National: Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment by Adam Goldman and Michael Schmidt (New York Times) for MSN

Iowa: Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Flights on Private Jets Not Improper, Ethics Panel Rules by David Pitt (Associated Press) for Des Moines Register

Missouri: Missouri Proposal to Reform Ethics Laws Is Back on the Ballot After Court Ruling by Alison Kite for Kansas City Star

New York: Percoco Sentenced to Six Years for Corruption by Robert Gavin for Albany Times Union

Lobbying

Canada: Ethics Committee Launches Review of Federal Lobbying and Conflict-of-Interest Laws by Bill Curry for The Globe and Mail

Alabama: Reform Panel to Vote on Changes to Alabama Ethics Law by Mike Cason for AL.com