Gov. Phil Bryant announced a special election will take place on September 12, 2017, to fill a vacancy in the House District 102 seat. Republican Tony Barker left the seat to become mayor of Hattiesburg.

A runoff, if necessary, will be held on October 3.

Two more special elections are expected, but are not yet scheduled, for House Districts 38 and 54.

Lobbying

Canada: “Lobby Group Asked to Stop Offering Access to Ottawa in Exchange for $10,000” by Bill Curry for Globe and Mail

Campaign Finance

New Mexico: “Supporters, Opponents Weigh in on Campaign Finance Rule Change” by Hannah Grover for Farmington Daily-Times

Ethics

“Is Donald Trump Jr.’s ‘I Love It’ Email a Smoking Gun or a Distraction?” by Marc Fisher and David Nakamura for Washington Post

“Twitter Users Blocked by Trump File Lawsuit” by Charlie Savage for New York Times

“Trump Aides Recruited Businessmen to Devise Options for Afghanistan” by Mark Lander, Eric Schmidt, and Michael Gordon for New York Times

California: “Orange County D.A. Is Investigating His Biggest Critic as Ugly Political Battle Looms” by Adam Elmahrek for Los Angeles Times

Florida: “Hallandale Commissioner Anthony Sanders Engaged in Misconduct, Inspector General Says” by Susannah Bryan for South Florida Sun Sentinel

New Jersey: “David Wildstein, a Christie Ally, Is Sentenced to Probation in Bridge Scandal” by Nick Corasaniti for New York Times

New York: “Ethics Board Nixes Barnhart Uber Complaint in Tentative Opinion” by Brian Sharp for Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

South Dakota: “Federal Prosecutors Aim to Root Out Tribal Corruption” by Mark Walker for Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Lobbying

Pennsylvania: “Convicted Ex-Lawmakers Enjoy Access as Lobbyists” by Debra Erdley and Kevin Zwick for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Campaign Finance

“Law on Foreign Campaign Money Narrow, FEC Analysis Says” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA

“D.C. Business Groups Fight Proposed Pay-to-Play Regulations” by Peter Jamison for Washington Post

North Carolina: “Lobbyist Fundraiser Invite Raises Questions” by Laura Leslie for WRAL

Virginia: “How a Shadowy Nonprofit Spent $184K in Virginia’s Governor’s Race with Almost Total Anonymity” by Graham Moomaw for Richmond Times-Dispatch

Ethics

“Trump Faces Decision on New Ethics Chief” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

“The Deep Industry Ties of Trump’s Deregulation Teams” by Danielle Ivory and Robert Faturechi for New York Times

Minnesota: “Appeals Court Upholds Conviction of Ex-New York Assemblyman” by Larry Neumeister (Associated Press) for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Elections

“Trump Voting Panel Tells States to Hold Off Sending Data While Court Weighs Privacy Impact” by Spencer Hsu for Washington Post

“Donald Trump Jr. Was Told Campaign Meeting Would Be with ‘Russian Government Attorney,’ According to Emails” by Rosalind Helderman and John Wagner for Washington Post

State and Federal Communications does all it can to give back to the community. One of the main ways we contribute is by working with the United Way. Along with the many other United Way programs we participate in, we have a yearly campaign to collect donations for its Stuff the Bus program.

The Stuff the Bus program collects school supplies for children from the Akron Public Schools. This year’s campaign runs from July 9 to September 6. There are three different ways to participate in Stuff the Bus: request a collection bin, volunteer at the Sort-a-Thon, or deliver the backpacks to the students. We are getting collection bins to gather supplies, but each part of this event is important and contributes to making it successful. The United Way will be collecting supplies from July 9 to August 18, the Sort-a-Thon takes place on August 22, and Delivery Day is September 6.

State and Federal Communications loves being a part of a program that encourages education. We want to see Akron Public Schools’ students succeed and grow into educated men and women. State and Federal Communications firmly stands behind this cause, and we really promote the message within our company and campaign to get our whole staff to participate. We are excited to Stuff the Bus this year as we have many times before!

To learn more, visit the United Way’s Stuff the Bus website.

Lobbyists have until October 1 to file their first registration and return under New Brunswick’s new lobbying law. Because of some reported difficulties in filing, Integrity Commissioner Alexandre Deschênes extended the initial July deadline for filing. “After consulting widely, it is my view that the lobby registry system needs further improvements to allow easier access for lobbyists and to be more meaningful for public inspection,” said Deschênes in a news release.

The Office of the Integrity Commissioner, an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, is responsible for administering the Lobbyists’ Registration Act.

Lobbying

California: “California Lawmakers Want Data on Lobbyists’ Race, Sexual Orientation” by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee

Pennsylvania: “House Approves Bill That Strengthens Lobbying Law” by Logan Hullinger for Altoona Mirror

Campaign Finance

New Jersey: “Last Birdsall Executive Pleads Guilty in Pay-to-Play Scheme” by Andrew Goudsward for Asbury Park Press

North Carolina: “Loophole Lets Lawmakers Take Campaign Cash with Legislation Still Pending” by Laura Leslie for WRAL

Elections

“Trump Jr. Was Told in Email of Russian Effort to Aid Campaign” by Matt Apuzzo, Jo Decker, Adam Goldman, and Maggie Haberman for New York Times

Ethics

“At Private Dinners, Pence Quietly Courts Big Donors and Corporate Executives” by Kenneth Vogel for New York Times

California: “OC Supervisors Seek More Power Over Ethics Commission, By Changing What Voters Approved” by Nick Gerda for Voice of OC

Iowa: “Trial Begins in Lawsuit Alleging Toxic ‘Boys’ Club’ at Iowa Statehouse” by Grant Rodgers for Des Moines Register

Legislative Issues

“Blue Cities Want to Make Their Own Rules. Red States Won’t Let Them.” by Emily Badger for New York Times

Texas: “Dallas Wants $8,000 Back from Philip Kingston for Missing Too Many Council Meetings” by Tristan Hallman for Dallas News

In 2015, voters in Flint, Michigan selected nine members to serve on the Flint Charter Review Commission.

Commissioners spent the last two years drafting the charter to be approved in a citywide referendum election on August 8, 2017. The proposed charter includes lobbyist registration provisions and a one-year revolving door provision for public servants.

The proposed revisions may be put up to a vote up to three times. In the event voters reject the proposed charter after three referenda, the commission is dissolved.

The Oregon Legislature adjourned July 7, three days before its July 10 constitutional deadline.

In the final days of the session, lawmakers passed a $5.3 billion package of taxes and fees to fund transportation upgrades and another bill to reduce state spending by $200 million over the next two years.

However, lawmakers failed to pass lobbying reforms introduced at the request of Gov. Kate Brown. Following a flurry of last-minute activity in the House to pass Senate Bill 43, a bill to modify Oregon’s lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, the Senate opted to let the bill die.

Lobbying

“Washington Firm Discloses Lobbying Senior Trump Officials on Macedonia” by John Hudson for BuzzFeed News

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “Ex-Arizona Attorney General Cleared in Campaign Finance Case” by Bob Christie (Associated Press) for U.S. News & World Report

Oklahoma: “Disgraced Former State Senator Paying State $112,524 for Misusing Campaign Donations for Personal Expenses” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman

Texas: “State Sues Rep. Dawnna Dukes Over Late Campaign Finance Report in 2016” by Ryan Autullo for Austin American-Statesman

Ethics

“Trump’s Son Met with Russian Lawyer After Being Promised Damaging Information on Clinton” by Jo Becker, Matt Apuzzo, and Adam Goldman for New York Times

“White House Relied Upon Dark Money Lobbyist to ‘Quarterback’ Gorsuch Confirmation” by Margaret Sassa-Hawkins and Andrew Perez for MapLight.org

“Watchdog Groups Fear for Ethics Office after Resignation” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Arizona: “Prosecutor: Gary Pierce bribery case grew from larger probe” by Jacques Billeaud (Associated Press) for Arizona Daily Star

Montana: “Legislators Face No Punishment for Ignoring Financial Disclosure Forms” by Jayme Fraser for The Missoulian

New Mexico: “Eight Judges File Recusals in Griego Case” by Andrew Oxford for Santa Fe New Mexican

Every summer State and Federal interns participate in Intern Edge, a program offered by Torchbearers and Leadership Akron. This program introduces the interns to established leaders, organizations, and groups that are making an impact in our community.

The company invests time and money to aide interns in their process of becoming community leaders and career professionals. It is important for interns to network and make connections with other young adults who are on similar paths.

During our second session, Katelynn Chilson and I joined other Intern Edge participants and raced through downtown Akron on a scavenger hunt. We were required to take as many pictures as possible in front of downtown’s most well-known spots. In order to receive credits for our finds, we had to post our pictures to our social media accounts.

This session gave us an opportunity to see some of downtown Akron’s thriving businesses and to see what downtown had to offer. It also taught us the importance of plugging in and posting to social media sites to reach larger audiences. The photos of us downtown show us learning about and connecting with the community in which we work. Search the hashtags #LAEdge2017 , #Cavs, and #CamoJama on Twitter or Instagram to see more photos of us enjoying downtown Akron.

Attending any of these events in July? State and Federal Communications will see you there!

July 10 Akron Community Foundation’s 62nd Annual Meeting, Akron, OH

July 11 NABPAC Rap Luncheon, Washington, D.C.

July 13-16 National Governors Association 2017 Annual Meeting, Providence, RI

June 20 Akron Roundtable, Akron, OH

National:

CNN Story About Source of Trump Wrestling Video Draws Backlash
New York Times – Daniel Victor | Published: 7/5/2017

A CNN story about an anonymous Reddit user who created a widely circulated video of President Trump wrestling the network’s logo to the ground has inspired multiple backlashes. Some criticized it as a form of blackmail. Others raised issues of journalism ethics over the network granting conditional anonymity to the user. The 28-second video and its source have been the subject of questions since Trump tweeted it as he continued his attacks on the news media. The tweet, which was retweeted by the official presidential account, has become Trump’s most-shared post on Twitter.

The New York Times Will Fly You Around the World for $135,000. Is That a Problem?
Washington Post – Paul Farhi | Published: 7/5/2017

The New York Times is organizing and promoting a 26-day tour of nine countries, which it calls “Around the World by Private Jet: Cultures in Transformation.” The price is $135,000 per person, and the traveling party will be joined by the newspaper’s Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, columnist Nicholas Kristoff, and publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. The trip and other Times-sponsored travel packages are a lucrative source of income at a time when news organizations are under increasing financial pressure. But the newspaper’s trips raise a question among journalism ethics experts about ethics and access: Is The Times effectively selling its journalists to private interests? Could, for example, corporate lobbyists or political operatives sign on and seek to influence coverage?

Federal:

Federal Ethics Chief Who Clashed with White House Announces He Will Step Down
Washington Post – Rosalind Helderman and Matea Gold | Published: 7/6/2017

Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Director Walter Shaub announced he is resigning. He will leave nearly six months before the end of his term to take a position with the Campaign Legal Center. Shaub repeatedly challenged the Trump administration on ethics issues. His outspokenness drew the ire of administration officials and earned him near-cult status among Trump’s opponents. Shaub said no one in the White House or the administration pushed him to leave, but he felt he had reached the limit of what he could achieve in this administration within the current ethics framework. The OGE’s chief of staff, Shelley Finlayson, is expected to assume the role of acting director, although Trump could appoint another senior OGE official to serve temporarily until he chooses a permanent replacement.

Florida Lobbyist Turning Trump Ties into Mega-Millions
Center for Public Integrity – Rachel Wilson | Published: 7/5/2017

Brian Ballard has long been a major lobbyist in Florida. Now, Ballard – a major Donald Trump fundraiser who also worked on the president’s transition – is out to prove he can translate his state-level lobbying success into policy victories for a slew of new clients in Washington, D.C. And he must ply his trade in the nation’s capital without looking as if he is selling access to a president who has promised to stand up to special interests. In just five months, Ballard Partners’ federal lobbying operation has generated nearly $4 million in current and contracted business from foreign and domestic lobbying clients. That is as much lobbying money as some established firms make in a year.

Justice Dept. Compliance Expert Whose Contract Ended Early Says Trump Conflicts Made Work Feel Hypocritical
Washington Post – Matt Zapotosky | Published: 7/3/2017

As a contractor for the U.S. Justice Department, Hui Chen would ask questions about companies’ inner workings to help determine whether they should be prosecuted for wrongdoing. But working in the Trump administration, Chen began to feel like a hypocrite. How could she ask companies about their conflicts-of-interest when the president was being sued over his? Though her contract was not up until September, Chen left the department in late June, then laid bare her reasons in a post on LinkedIn. The post drew attention because of Chen’s position and how blunt she was on the circumstances of her departure.

From the States and Municipalities:

Florida: Florida’s Departing Fiscal Watchdog Used Public Scrutiny as a Weapon
Bradenton Herald – Mary Ellen Klas (Miami Herald) | Published: 7/5/2017

Jeff Atwater, who resigned recently as Florida’s chief financial officer, knows where every penny of the state’s $83 billion budget goes. He also knows where to find the waste, and he has tried to expose it. expose it. Florida will spend more than $60 billion this year hiring outside contractors to do state work. But, as Atwater found when he took the job in 2011, state agencies often do not hold vendors accountable for the services they agreed to provide. Agencies allow them to charge for things not included in the bids, fail to recover damages when the vendor will not complete a task correctly or on time, and renew contracts when a vendor fails. “You don’t have to go far to track that back to a lobbyist who had a client,” Atwater explained.

Kansas: Kobach: Kansas won’t give Social Security info to Kobach-led voter commission at this time
Kansas City Star – Bryan Lowry | Published: 7/1/2017

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach co-chairs President Trump’s voter fraud commission, which is tasked with finding evidence to support the president’s unsubstantiated claim that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election. Kobach recently sent letters to all 50 states asking them to provide the commission with their entire voter files. The request specifically spelled out sensitive pieces of information the commission wants to obtain. As secretary of state, Kobach is tasked with supplying Kansas’s data to the Trump commission. There is just one problem: he will not be able to fully comply with his own request.

Massachusetts: Lawmakers Asked to Hit Up Lobbyists, Companies to Fund National Confab
Boston Globe – Jim O’Sullivan | Published: 6/29/2017

Massachusetts Senate Majority Leader Harriette Chandler sent an email identifying the special interests, lobbyists, and corporations that can be targeted for a solicitation appeal to help fund this summer’s National Conference of State Legislatures annual meeting in Boston. They include companies that have business before the state Legislature: retailers, banks, telecommunications firms, insurers, utilities, and a wide range of health-care providers. Organizers hope to raise roughly $2.2 million for the meeting. The document advertises special access to the week’s events for donors, and perhaps more importantly, a chance to stay on the radar of local decision-makers.

Montana: Legislature Is Rife with Conflicts of Interest – and They’re Legal
Helena Independent Record – Jayme Fraser | Published: 7/2/2017

More than a dozen state leaders said it is not unethical to bring bills that would advantage their professions or properties so long as others received the same gain and the link is openly shared. Most lauded the fact that Montana has a part-time, citizen Legislature where farmers sit on agricultural committees, lawyers craft state criminal laws, teachers tweak education policy, and business owners set industry regulations. Experience makes them experts, they say. But the Center for Public Integrity gives Montana an “F” grade for its conflict disclosure laws, which make it difficult for the public to spot self-serving votes or sanction those who enrich themselves in public office.

New Jersey: Hudson Attorney Files Ethics Complaint Against Christie Over ‘Beachgate’
Newark Star-Ledger – Michaelangelo Conte (Jersey Journal) | Published: 7/6/2017

A complaint was filed against New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, saying he used his position unethically when he and family members basked in the sun at Island Beach State Park while the public was turned away because of a state shutdown. In accordance with the Plain Language Guide to New Jersey’s Executive Branch Ethics Standards, no person of the executive branch may obtain a “special benefit” as a result of their position …,” according to the complaint filed with the State Ethics Commission by attorney Mario Blanch.

New York: A Constitutional Convention for New York? This May Be the Year
New York Times – Lisa Foderaro | Published: 7/5/2017

Every 20 years, New Yorkers have the chance to vote whether they want to hold a constitutional convention to amend, tweak, or otherwise improve the founding document of the state. For the past half-century, voters have demurred. This year, however, academics, good-government groups and others believe the outcome of the ballot question in November may be different. And it has something to do with the current occupant of the White House. “Trump’s election emphasizes how valuable it is for states to chart their own course,” said Peter Galie, a political science professor at Canisius College.

Pennsylvania: Contractor’s Criminal Record Didn’t Discourage Business with Allentown or Reading
Allentown Morning Call – Emily Opilo | Published: 6/30/2017

Mark Neisser, then president of JCA Associates, and two other employees of the engineering firm pleaded guilty in 2004 to tax offenses for failing to report about $100,000 in printing work done for New Jersey Democrats. Along with fines and probation, Neisser was barred from working at JCA. Within a year, however, he resurfaced at T&M Associates, a New Jersey engineering firm that bought out JCA. Neisser’s record apparently did not alarm Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, who accepted thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from T&M’s PAC, and raised no red flag for city officials, which awarded more than $380,000 in contracts to the firm. Neisser pleaded guilty in April to a federal corruption charge for his role in “pay-to-play” schemes in Allentown and Reading.

Texas: City OK’s Park Swings Thanks to Pint Sized Lobbyist
Fort Worth Telegram – Ann Beck | Published: 7/6/2017

When she saw that her local park did not have swings, six-year-old Maggie Fortner took matters into her own hands. She wrote a letter – in pencil and folded a half-dozen times – requesting the addition of a swing set at Donald R. Barg Park. It was mailed by Maggie’s grandmother and made its way to Matt Young, the director of parks and recreation for the city of Mansfield, who not only took notice, but action. The swings were approved and Maggie, now seven, was the guest of honor at the recent ceremony where they were opened to the public. “I’m just really excited for my swing to come, so I can swing on it every day,” Maggie said. “But I’m going to share, even with my sisters. It’s for everyone.”

Texas: Texas Supreme Court Rejects Tea Party Challenge to Campaign Finance Laws
Texas Tribune – Jim Malewitz | Published: 6/30/2017

The Texas Supreme Court upheld the state’s ban on direct corporate political donations. The Texas Democratic Party sued the King Street Patriots for violating the ban on corporate contributions by making in-kind donations to Republicans groups or causes. Democrats argued that if the group wanted to contribute to political campaigns, it should abide by disclosure rules. The justices also upheld state requirements that campaigns report contributions and expenditures, and ruled private groups can sue over alleged violations.

Vermont: Dollars Tell Only Part of Story of Pot Legalization Advocacy
VTDigger.org – Elizabeth Hewitt | Published: 7/4/2017

Despite a constant drum of advocacy on both sides of marijuana legalization in Vermont this year, lobbying reports show the sums spent were relatively modest. But the finance disclosures tell just part of the story of advocacy on the issue. The numbers on both sides added up to far less than has been spent on hot button issues in Montpelier in the past. The 2015 push to impose a sales tax on soft drinks drew more than $500,000 in spending by the American Beverage Association alone in the first quarter of the year, for instance. On the issue of marijuana, both sides claim grassroots support drives their agenda.

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

Today, Director Walter Shaub Jr. submitted his resignation from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE). Shaub, in his position at the OGE, has repeatedly questioned various possible conflicts of interests of President Trump and of members of the president’s White House staff.

Shaub will leave his position on July 19 and begin working at the Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan organization of election-law experts based in Washington, D.C. “At the Campaign Legal Center, I’ll have more freedom to push for reform. I’ll also be broadening my focus to include ethics issues at all levels of government,” Shaub told NPR.

Peter Drucker once said, “Whenever you see a successful business, someone once made a courageous decision.”

I am hardly the person who pats myself on the back about the good things happening at State and Federal Communications—I know it takes a village to make it all happen.

What I do remember is signing a document on July 1, 1993, with my former employer at State and Federal Associates to take on the operation and finances of what is now State and Federal Communications. I do recall I had an upset stomach all day…and will leave it at that because I had never entered into any business agreement prior to that day.

The time has flown…Honestly, when you do something you love to do it really is not work. We have grown and continue to grow. We are anticipating bringing on our 50th employee in the near future and acclimating the staff to FMLA.

What will we continue to do for you?

We will add more and more municipalities to our site because many of you are working with these localities to offer your services. I just returned from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and saw many of you who want to have a great relationship with the mayors.

I never saw the Grateful Dead, but I just read “Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn from the Most Iconic Band in History” by David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan. The Grateful Dead did not listen to large music producers…The band listened to its fans. We always listen to our clients. If you have a question or a suggestion, please contact us because we would not be here if we did not have great clients.

Go International. We completed a review of lobbying and political contributions in Ireland and will soon include it on our site for you to peruse. We have heard many of you are traveling to Europe and Asia and we want to be your source for how to handle international compliance issues.

Thank you for your loyalty. We appreciate and are proud of all of our clients who always want to do the next right thing in compliance.

It is summer time and we are going to attend many conferences this summer and look forward to seeing you along the way.