Lobbying

“Wave of Lobbyist Deregistrations in Trump Orbit After Announcement of New Policy” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

Campaign Finance

“Ackman’s Fund Asks SEC for Exemption After Campaign Donation” by Svea Herbst-Bayliss for Reuters

“Trump to Accept Inauguration Funds from Corporations and Big Donors” by Nicholas Fandos for The New York Times

Michigan: “Rizzo Expands Empire After Pumping Cash into Campaigns” by Robert Snell and Michael Gerstein for Detroit News

Minnesota: “Obscure Party Funds Become Minnesota Campaign Cash Magnets” by Brian Bakst for Minnesota Public Radio

Ethics

“Trump’s Twitter Addiction Could Reshape the Presidency” by Eli Stokols for Politico

“Trump Announces He Will Leave Business ‘in Total’ – Leaving Open How He Will Avoid Conflicts of Interest” by Drew Harwell for The Washington Post

Elections

“Anti-Trump Forces Launch Attack on Electoral College” by Kyle Cheney for Politico

North Carolina: “In North Carolina, No End in Sight to Governor’s Race” by Richard Fausset for The New York Times

Legislative Issues

“Nancy Pelosi Chosen Again as House Democratic Leader – But Tally Suggests Deep Division” by Paul Kane and Ed O’Keefe for The Washington Post

On November 29, 2016, Daniel Horwitz’s departure as the chairman of the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) was announced at a panel meeting.

Horwitz has been a member of JCOPE since 2011 and the chairman since 2013. A replacement for Horwitz has not been appointed, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo is currently vetting candidates for the position.

Campaign Compliance Assistant Becky Campbell, starring as Santa’s elf, showed up at the State and Federal Communications staff meeting to wish Elizabeth Bartz and the staff “Happy Holidays.” Enjoy!

Lobbying

“How Exactly Do You ‘Drain the Swamp’? Here Are 4 Ways It Could Be Done.” by Catherine Ho for The Washington Post

Campaign Finance

“Justin Trudeau Faces Criticism Over Fund-Raisers in Canada” by Ian Austen for The New York Times

Ethics

“News Outlets Rethink Usage of the Term ‘Alt-Right’” by Sydney Ember for The New York Times

“The Controversial Legal Theory That Could Get Trump Sued” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

“Trump Names White House Counsel as Potential Conflicts Loom” by Jennifer Jacobs and Toluse Olorunippa for Bloomberg.com

Alabama: “Bodyguard: Alabama governor spent anti-terror funds on staff” by Tim Lockette for The Anniston Star

Missouri: “Could 2017 Be The Year That Ethics Reform Takes Hold in Missouri?” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Elections

“How Stable Are Democracies? ‘Warning Signs Are Flashing Red’” by Amanda Taub for The New York Times

“Trump’s Baseless Assertions of Voter Fraud Called ‘Stunning’” by Andrew Restuccia for Politico

“For Trump Son-in-Law and Confidant Jared Kushner, a Long History of Fierce Loyalty” by Shawn Boberg for The Washington Post

Lobbying

“Trump’s Lobbying Ban Might Actually Make Corruption Worse” by Tim LaPira and Herschel Thomas for Washington Post

Florida: “A Liberal Leader from Tallahassee’s Past Praises GOP Speaker’s Call for Change” by Steve Bousquet for Tampa Bay Times

New York: “Emails Released by Mayor de Blasio’s Office Detail Reliance on Outside ‘Agents’” by J. David Goodman for New York Times

Oklahoma: “Gov. Mary Fallin Used Private Email to Set Up Meeting with Lobbyist” by Phil Cross for KOKH

Campaign Finance

District of Columbia: “D.C. Council to Debate Emergency Legislation on Campaign Finance Reform” by Jasper Scherer for Washington Post

Virginia: “Special Interests Spend Millions to Pay Virginia Legislators’ Bills” by Dave Ress for The Daily Press

Ethics

Iowa: “Daugaard Favors Repeal of New Ethics Law” by James Nord (Associated Press) for Rapid City Journal

Elections

“Clinton Campaign Will Participate in Wisconsin Recount, with an Eye on ‘Outside Interference,’ Lawyer Says” by Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post

“Donald Trump’s Early Backers in State Government May See Rewards” by Monica Davey for New York Times

Legislative Issues

Maine: “Maine Lawmakers Say Trips at Taxpayer Expense Are Vital” by Scott Thistle for Portland Press Herald

D.C. Council Member Kenyan McDuffie announced his plan to introduce emergency legislation to ban contributions to political action committees during non-election years.

There are currently other bills pending before the council that also seek to close this same campaign finance loophole, but they only had their first public hearings Nov. 16 and are unlikely to pass before the start of 2017.

McDuffie’s emergency bill would bypass many of the steps ordinarily required.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives cancelled a non-voting session day scheduled for Nov. 22, 2016, effectively ending the 2015-2016 legislative session.

Adjournment sine die does not technically take place until Nov. 30; however, both chambers have completed their work. Lawmakers will reconvene for the next legislative session on Jan. 3, 2017.

A group of Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit in state court Wednesday, Nov. 23, to block the government ethics overhaul recently approved by voters.

The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Initiated Measure 22, which became effective last week restricting campaign contributions and gifts from lobbyists. Gov. Dennis Daugaard says he supports repeal of the measure and he will not include money in his budget for the public campaign finance system called for by the new law.

Lobby Comply Blog will return on Monday, November 28, 2016. Enjoy your holiday!

Both chambers of the Florida Legislature held organizational sessions yesterday, Nov. 22, 2016. Agenda items included selection of House and Senate leadership, administering the oath of office for new members and approving the rules governing the upcoming session.

Newly minted Speaker Richard Corcoran’s agenda to reduce the influence of lobbyists will take effect during the next session through the approved House Rules. Among the changes, lobbyists are now required to disclose the issues they are lobbying by filing an electronic notice of appearance; former members of the Legislature are prohibited from lobbying the House for six years; and no member of the House may accept private plane travel from a lobbyist or a corporation employing lobbyists.

The Senate also passed its rules but did not make such sweeping changes.

The 2016 election was about a lot more than just a battle between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Across the country, states asked voters to consider a variety of ballot measures, including a few campaign finance issues. At the 2016 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) State Vote seminar held in Washington, D.C., Wendy Underhill recapped a number of those issues and the decisions that voters made on Nov. 8.

Both California and Washington held votes related to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United vs. FEC. Voters approved ballot measures that urged government leaders to use their power to work to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling, possibly through a constitutional amendment, if possible.

In Missouri, voters approved an initiative establishing limits on campaign contributions to candidates for state or judicial office; while in South Dakota, voters approved an initiative to create a publicly funded campaign finance program and an ethics commission.

For more from the NCSL State Vote seminar you can view some of the presentation slides here. To see a list of ballot measure election results of interest to government relations professionals, take a look at our 2016 election dashboard.

Yesterday, Gov. Pat McCrory formally requested a recount in his race for governor against Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper.

Cooper has already declared victory, but with the race within 10,000 votes, McCrory is not conceding and there is no answer to when the race will officially end. This week, the head of the conservative group Civitas Institute filed a federal lawsuit to block the counting of votes cast using same-day registration on Election Day. McCrory has also filed challenges in many counties alleging voter fraud, claiming ballots were cast by dead people and felons.

Lobbying

Indiana: “Holcomb Transition Team Enjoys Pacers Game at Team’s Expense” by Leslie Weidenbener for Indianapolis Business Journal

Oregon: “Governor’s Respected Energy Chief to Step Down, Partly Because of Lobbyist Influence” by Scott Thistle and Tux Turkel for Portland Press Herald

Campaign Finance

“FEC Questions Trump Donations Worth $1.3M” by Mark Hensch for The Hill

New York: “City Council Hears Legislative Package on Conflicts of Interest and Campaign Finance” by Samar Khursid for Gotham Gazette

Washington: “GMO Labeling Supporters Fined $320K Over Campaign Disclosure” by the Associated Press for KOMO

Ethics

“Trump Drops Threat of New Hillary Clinton Investigation” by Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear for The New York Times

“Trump Foundation Admits to Violating Ban on ‘Self-Dealing’’ New Filing to IRS Shows” by David Fahrenthold for The Washington Post

Missouri: “Columbia Lawmaker Proposes Ethics Bills in Response to Greitens’ Campaign Promises” by Brittany Ruess for Columbia Daily Tribune

New York: “Percoco, Kaloyeros, Six Others Indicted” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

Pennsylvania: “Pittsburgh’s Revamped Ethics Board Up, Running” by Bob Bauder for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Elections

North Carolina: “North Carolina Governor Alleges Voter Fraud in Bid to Hang On” by Elena Schneider for Politico

Wisconsin: “Many in Milwaukee Neighborhood Didn’t Vote – and Don’t Regret It” by Sabrina Tavernise for The New York Times

Redistricting

Wisconsin: “Judges Find Wisconsin Redistricting Unfairly Favored Republicans” by Michael Wines for The New York Times

On Nov. 17, California’s Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) approved regulations to make biennial cost of living adjustments to campaign contribution and gift limits that will apply from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2018.

The newly amended regulations change the gift limit from $460 to $470 and makes increases to campaign contribution limits.