Campaign Finance Washington: “Seattle Council Sends Democracy Voucher Renewal to August Ballot” by David Kroman for Seattle Times Elections North Carolina: “North Carolina Judges Weigh GOP Law Shifting Election Board Control Away from Democratic Governor” by Gary Robertson (Associated Press) for MSN Ethics Colorado: “Bill to Add Colorado School Board and Special Districts to Ethics Commission Will Cost $120,000 Annually” by Marianne Goodland for Colorado Politics National: “Watchdog Agency Tells Fired Workers They Have No Legal Basis for Complaints” by Meryl Kornfield (Washington Post) for MSN National: “Two Major Law Firms Urge Judges to Permanently Block Trump’s Executive Orders” by Eric Tucker (Associated Press) for MSN Idaho: “Woman Seeks $5M in Damages After Removal from GOP Town Hall for Heckling” by Daniel Wu (Washington Post) for MSN Mississippi: “House Speaker Jason White, Staff Treated to Super Bowl by Gambling Giant Pushing for Legalized Betting” by Michael Goldberg and Taylor Vance for Mississippi Today National: “Jury Finds New York Times Didn’t Defame Sarah Palin” by Corinne Ramey and Isabella Simonetti (Wall Street Journal) for MSN

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce is hosting staff from the Office of the Legislative Inspector General for a training session open to government affairs professionals on JLEC filing and lobbying requirements. The in-person session is from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, April 25, at the Ohio Chamber Office in Columbus, Ohio. Although registration is not required, notify Tony Long if planning to attend at tlong@ohiochamber.com.

Campaign Finance

Missouri: “Missouri Campaign Watchdog Is Once Again Unable to Function Due to Vacancies” by Rebecca Rivas (Missouri Independent) for Yahoo News

Ethics

Arizona: “Cannabis Company Alleges Gov. Hobbs’ Aide Improperly Intervened in Marijuana License Case” by Kiera Riley for Arizona Capitol Times

National: “Wife of Former Senator Bob Menendez Found Guilty in Corruption Case” by Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Politically Connected Firms Benefit from Trump Tariff Exemptions Amid Secrecy, Confusion” by Robert Faturechi (ProPublica) for MSN

National: “The Supreme Court Could Be Poised to Hobble the Trump Resistance” by Hassan Ali Kanu and Erica Orden (Politico) for MSN

National: “The Top Producer at ’60 Minutes’ Has Quit. He Says He Can No Longer Run the Show as He Always Has” by David Bauder (Associated Press) for MSN

New Jersey: “Racketeering Charges Against George Norcross Should Be Reinstated, N.J. Prosecutors Tell Appeals Court” by Andrew Seidman (Philadelphia Inquirer) for MSN

New York: “Federal Prosecutors in Eric Adams Case Resign After Being Put on Administrative Leave” by Erica Orden (Politico) for MSN

The Miami City Commission announced the date for a special election following the death of Commissioner Manolo Reyes. The date of the District 4 election has been set for June 3. The winner of the election will serve the rest of Reyes’ term ending in 2027.

Campaign Finance

North Dakota: “North Dakota House Passes Campaign Finance Bill Changing Deadlines, Donor Disclosures” by Grant Coursey (Bismarck Tribune) for Fargo Forum

Ethics

California: “Another Top Staffer Quits Oakland Public Ethics Commission” by Eli Wolfe (Oaklandside) for MSN

Hawaii: “Hawai’i County Moves to Adopt Nepotism Rules for Government Employees” by Chad Blair for Honolulu Civil Beat

Nevada: “Nevada Lawmakers Often Fail to Disclose Rental Property Income, Point to Confusing Forms” by Tabitha Mueller and Eric Neugeboren for Nevada Independent

Ohio: “Ethics Probe Set Stage for Kenni Burns’ Firing as Kent State Football Coach, with Independent Firm uncovering $100K Loan from Booster” by Tyler Carey (WKYC) for MSN

Oregon: “Former OLCC Execs Agree to Ethics Fines for Diverting Pappy Van Winkle” by Noelle Crombie (Portland Oregonian) for MSN

Tennessee: “Corruption Trial of Ex-House Speaker Casada, Aide Cothren Starts This Week. What to Know” by Evan Mealins (Nashville Tennessean) for Yahoo News

Legislative Issues

Washington: “As in D.C., a Fight Breaks Out in Washington State Over Who Gets Access to Lawmakers” by Daniel Walters (InvestigateWest) for Spokane Public Radio

Ethics California: “Former L.A. Councilmember Kevin de León Faces Ethics Fine for Voting on Issues in Which He Had a Financial Stake” by Ben Poston (Los Angeles Times) for MSN National: “After Harvard, Liberal Donors and Groups Fear New Scrutiny from Trump” by Theodore Schleifer and Lisa Friedman (New York Times) for DNyuz National: “Appeals Court Panel Hears Arguments on AP’s Access to White House” by Hassan Ali Kanu (Politico) for MSN National: “DOJ Questions Science Journal About Bias, Triggering Free Speech Concerns” by Mark Johnson (Washington Post) for MSN Florida: “Man Detained in Florida on Immigration Hold Despite Being Citizen, Lawyer Says” by Vivian Ho (Washington Post) for MSN North Dakota: “Ethics Commissioners Say Bill Would Impose an Arbitrary Cutoff for Investigations” by Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) for Yahoo News Legislative Issues Maine: “Judge Denies Laurel Libby’s Request to Immediately Restore Her Right to Vote in Maine House” by Rachel Ohm (Portland Press Herald) for Yahoo News Wisconsin: “Wisconsin Governor Can Lock in 400-Year School Funding Increase Using a Veto, Court Says” by Scott Bauer (Associated Press) for MSN

National/Federal

Greene Bought Market Dip Before Trump Paused Tariffs, Profiting from the Rally

DNyuz – Annie Karni (New York Times) | Published: 4/14/2025

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disclosed she purchased between tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of stock on April 8 and 9, the day before and the day of President Trump’s announcement that he was pausing a sweeping set of global tariffs, a pivot that sent the stock market soaring out of a sizable slump. The report came as Democrats in Congress have demanded investigations of whether the president’s moves on trade might have been aimed at manipulating the market and giving his allies a lucrative opportunity for insider trading.

At the Supreme Court, the Trump Agenda Is Always an ‘Emergency’

DNyuz – Abbie VanSickle (New York Times) | Published: 4/10/2025

The Trump administration has in recent weeks asked the Supreme Court to allow it to end birthright citizenship, to freeze more than a billion dollars in foreign aid, and to permit the deportation of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador without due process. In each case, the administration told the justices the request was an emergency. Traditionally reserved for clearly urgent matters, most often requests for stays of execution for people sentenced to death, they are now the favored path to challenge so-called nationwide injunctions, where a single federal judge issues a ruling that affects not only the parties to a case but the entire nation.

House Passes Voter Registration Bill That Would Require Proof of Citizenship

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 4/10/2025

House Republicans passed legislation aimed at stopping noncitizens from voting in federal elections, a priority pursued by President Trump. Known as the SAVE Act, it would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Democrats have railed against the bill, particularly its limits on acceptable forms of identification, which they say would make it difficult for married women who have changed their last names to register. The real goal, some Democrats say, is to disenfranchise Americans.

Amid Trump’s Pause on Foreign Bribery Cases, One Involving a Company His Allies Targeted Will Proceed

MSN – Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 4/12/2025

President Trump has paused enforcement of an anti-corruption statute barring U.S. companies from bribing foreign officials, but the Justice Department said recently it will move forward on one pending case involving an old target of the president and his allies. Government lawyers said they intend to continue their prosecution of two executives at the voting machine company Smartmatic who were charged last year in an alleged bribery scheme involving payoffs to win business in the Philippines.

Some DOGE Staffers Hold High-Powered Jobs at Multiple Federal Agencies

MSN – Faiz Siddiqui and Jacob Bogage (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

Some Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff members have jobs in as many as seven federal offices. The unorthodox practice affords trusted acolytes of Elon Musk authority across broad swaths of government, as well as access to an array of confidential information. Because their jobs are embedded within agencies, the DOGE staffers have far more influence than those who might have worked collaboratively across government before, and their positions raise the possibility that even if Musk leaves government service at the end of May, as he has suggested, his allies will still have power, potentially for years to come.

‘Nothing But a Pattern’: Ethics advocates alarmed by delay for House watchdog

MSN – Justin Papp (Roll Call) | Published: 4/14/2025

More than three months into the 119th Congress, House leaders have not yet appointed board members of the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), hamstringing the ethics office and its mission. Failure to appoint the board of the OCC, an independent, nonpartisan office that reviews allegations of misconduct against House lawmakers and staff, is alarming on its own, according to some transparency advocates. But they also see a larger trend during the second administration of Donald Trump, as other ethics and accountability bodies come under fire.

Harvard Hit with $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze After Rejecting Trump’s Demands

MSN – Susan Svrluga (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The Trump administration announced it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the school rejected demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions. The administration’s demands are part of a crackdown on what it calls rampant antisemitism and leftist ideology on college campuses. The university was the first to formally push back against the government’s efforts to force change in higher education.

DNC Leader Announces Plans to Primary Members of His Own Party

MSN – Dylan Wells (Washington Post) | Published: 4/15/2025

A group dedicated to electing young progressives co-founded by David Hogg, the vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, is launching a $20 million effort to primary “out-of-touch, ineffective” incumbent House Democrats. Leaders We Deserve, the organization founded by Hogg and Kevin Lata, who was the campaign manager for the first Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, will target representatives they do not view as meeting the moment in an effort to force generational change in the Democratic Party.

Justice Department Must Provide Details of Attempts to Return Illegally Deported Man, Judge Says

MSN – Steve Thompson and Katie Mettler (Washington Post) | Published: 4/15/2025

A federal judge said she will require the Trump administration to produce records and sworn answers about the U.S. government’s attempts, or lack thereof, to return a Maryland resident who was apprehended by immigration authorities and illegally sent to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The decision from U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, where she left open the possibility of a contempt ruling against the Trump administration, marks another escalation in the legal showdown with the White House.

Judge Boasberg to Launch Contempt Proceedings into Trump Administration

MSN – Marianne LeVine, Spencer Hsu, Salvador Rizzo, and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2025

Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg said he would launch proceedings to determine whether any Trump administration officials defied his order not to remove Venezuelan migrants from the country based on the wartime Alien Enemies Act and should face criminal contempt charges. Boasberg’s order is the latest development in a broader showdown between the administration and the federal judiciary, which has blocked or slowed many of the White House’s far-reaching actions.

Rubio Shuts State Dept. Foreign Disinformation Office, Citing Censorship

MSN – Adam Taylor (Washington Post) | Published: 4/16/2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio the State Department is closing an office designed to counter foreign disinformation, saying the effort had “spent millions of dollars to actively silence and censor the voices of Americans.” The closure of the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office marks a win for conservatives who claimed they were targeted by government-sponsored disinformation efforts.

White House Starting New Media Policy Sharply Curtailing Wire Service Access

MSN – David Bauder (Associated Press) | Published: 4/16/2025

The Associated Press (AP) says a new White House media policy violates a court order by giving the administration sole discretion over who gets to question President Trump, and the news agency asked a federal judge to enforce that order. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden said the White House had violated the AP’s free speech by banning it from certain presidential events because Trump disagreed with the outlet’s decision not to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

Supreme Court Will Review Trump’s Attempt to Ban Birthright Citizenship

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 4/17/2025

The Supreme Court said it will review President Trump’s attempt to ban automatic U.S. citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants and foreign visitors, scheduling a special court session for May 15. The administration had asked the justices to lift or narrow nationwide orders blocking Trump’s birthright citizenship executive action, which Democratic-led states and immigrant advocacy organizations say is at odds with past court rulings and the Constitution.

Sarah Palin, New York Times to Face Off in Defamation Retrial

Yahoo News – Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) | Published: 4/10/2025

Sarah Palin and the New York Times are headed back to a courtroom where the former Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate will try convincing a second jury the newspaper defamed her in an editorial about gun control. Palin lost her first trial against the Times and former editorial page editor James Bennet in 2022. But last August, an appeals court found the verdict tainted by several rulings by the presiding judge and ordered a retrial.

From the States and Municipalities

Canada – Former Ontario Mayor Dubbed ‘Mr. X’ Banned from Lobbying Province for 2 Years

Yahoo News – Adam Carter (CBC) | Published: 4/17/2025

Former Clarington Mayor John Mutton, who Ontario’s integrity commissioner identified as “Mr. X” in a scathing report about the removal of land from the Greenbelt, was banned from lobbying the provincial government for two years. “Mr. Mutton’s several failures to register, use of contingency fees, and disregard of the conflict-of-interest prohibition undermine the [law’s] purpose of transparency and public confidence in the independence of public sector decision making,” says a report from Integrity Commissioner J. David Wake.

California – SF Will Let Nonprofits Report Less About Themselves Due to Fears of Political Attacks

KQED – Katie DeBenedetti | Published: 4/15/2025

San Francisco supervisors voted unanimously to ease easing financial reporting requirements for city-funded nonprofits. The changes are intended to protect employees at nonprofits, particularly those who serve the LGBTQIA+ community and survivors of domestic violence. One government ethics expert worried that rolling back the disclosures could make the city more vulnerable to financial mismanagement, an issue that has plagued its departments and nonprofits for years.

California – California’s Lieutenant Governor Leases Offices to the State. What If She’s Elected Governor?

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 4/11/2025

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who earns millions of dollars annually from extensive property investments, says she will put some of her holdings into a blind trust if she is elected governor of California. Her portfolio includes downtown Sacramento office buildings that rent to dozens of organizations with business before the state and at least three state agencies. Which of those assets would be transferred to the blind trust and how Kounalakis would determine what constitutes a conflict of interest, however, remains unclear.

California – Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to Close in Aftermath of Corruption Probes

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 4/15/2025

Anaheim’s Chamber of Commerce, an organization deeply involved in one of Orange County’s largest corruption scandals, will be closing at the end of April. The closure comes roughly three years after the Chamber’s former chief executive officer, Todd Ament, pleaded to federal criminal charges after FBI agents described him as the ringleader of a group of powerful insiders who controlled public affairs and policymaking through elected officials at City Hall.

Connecticut – Ex-Bridgeport BOE Member’s Lie to Grand Jury Involved 2018 Campaign Event at Dolphin’s Cove: Records

Middletown Press – Jarrod Wardwell | Published: 4/13/2025

Former Bridgeport Board of Education Chairperson Jessica Martinez admitted she lied on the witness stand as she testified about allegedly illegal campaign activity at the former Dolphin’s Cove restaurant, court records show. Martinez was the treasurer of Dennis Bradley’s 2018 state Senate campaign. A grand jury found the Dolphin’s Cove event, which was omitted from the campaign’s financial disclosures, raised nearly $6,000 for the campaign and would have disqualified them from later earning over $84,000 in matching funds from the state.

Florida – Here’s Where $10 Million Donation to DeSantis’ Hope Florida Effort Went

MSN – Lawrence Mower and Alexandra Glorioso (Tampa Bay Times) | Published: 4/11/2025

Part of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s crusade to defeat a Florida recreational cannabis ballot measure received $10 million from two groups that got money from a nonprofit associated with first lady Casey DeSantis’s community-based assistance program. The payments raise questions about whether the administration steered Medicaid dollars through Casey DeSantis’s key initiative to a political campaign.

Florida – State Workers Who Solicit Campaign Cash Could Face Criminal Charges Under Florida Bill

MSN – Ana Ceballos and Romy Ellenboge (Miami Herald) | Published: 4/14/2025

DeSantis administration employees who solicit money for campaigns or campaign for issues while they are supposed to be doing their jobs could face criminal penalties under a proposal moving in the Florida House. The bill appears to take aim at staffers in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration who reportedly solicited political contributions for his presidential bid and have asked state lobbyists to commit money to a political committee as first lady Casey DeSantis considers a run for governor in 2026.

Georgia – 2 Protesters at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall Are Subdued with Stun Guns

DNyuz – Maya Miller (New York Times) | Published: 4/15/2025

A town hall for U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene outside of Atlanta quickly deteriorated into chaos. Greene, a loyal ally of President Trump, started to speak when a man in the crowd stood up and started yelling, booing and jeering at her. Several police officers grabbed the man and dragged him out of the room. Police officers escorted at least six people from the room. Three people, including the two who were subdued with stun guns, were arrested.

Hawaii – Honolulu Director’s Free Trip to Poland Raises Ethics Questions

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 4/14/2025

A company that just signed a no-bid contract with Honolulu’s motor vehicle office is hoping to send the agency’s director on an all-expenses-paid trip to Gdańsk, Poland in May. Thales Group offered to cover the flight, hotel, meals, and other related costs – a $5,000 value – for Department of Customer Services Director Kim Hashiro to visit their facility. Honolulu Ethics Commission guidelines prohibit officials with authority over contracts from accepting gifts from contractors, and a city council resolution forbids them from accepting any gift that could, in fact or appearance, impair their judgment.

Hawaii – Hawai’I Lawmakers Appear Poised to Crack Down on Pay-To-Play Politics

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 4/11/2025

Hawaii lawmakers are working to outlaw political donations from people who win government contracts. But key supporters of the legislation still need to come to an agreement on critical points including how contractors and nonprofit organizations will have to report who their officers and close family members are and whether that information will be kept secret from the public.

Illinois – Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Resistance to Ethics Reforms Draws Criticism

Yahoo News – Jake Sheridan (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 4/13/2025

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson unsuccessfully resisted efforts to codify old rules banning lobbyists from donating to mayoral candidates. He criticized Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s report that he mishandled gifts and is fighting her again as she alleges his Law Department hinders investigations. Witzburg said Johnson’s pattern of resistance amounts to “brick walls” at each step in her attempts at ethics reform. The mayor appears to feel unfairly attacked by the reform bids, many of which he has argued should be broadened to also target the city council or are bad policy.

Maine – Trump Administration to Pull Maine K-12 Funding Over Trans Athletes Dispute

MSN – Brianna Tucker (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The Trump administration announced it would pull all federal education funding from Maine after state officials said they would not comply with demands from the administration to ban transgender athletes from participation in women’s sports, which could slash millions of dollars in federal funding from K-12 schools in the state. The move marks a major and retaliatory step forward in how far the administration is willing to go to force state governments to adhere to executive orders.

Massachusetts – Cape Cod State Rep. Accused of Stealing from Former Employer to Fund Campaign Expenses, Psychic Services

MSN – Abby Patkin (Boston.com) | Published: 4/11/2025

Massachusetts Rep. Christopher Flanagan was arrested following his indictment on wire fraud and falsification of records charges. Federal prosecutors allege Flanagan stole $36,000 from his former employer, the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, and used the money to pay for campaign expenses, credit card bills, menswear, and psychic services.

Minnesota – Champion Directed Public Funds to Another Nonprofit He Later Did Legal Work For, Records Show

Yahoo News – Christopher Ingraham (Minnesota Reformer) | Published: 4/11/2025

Minnesota Senate President Bobby Joe Champion recently stepped down from the ethics subcommittee after it was reported he steered millions of dollars in public funds to a legal client. Champion maintains the work was pro-bono, and it concluded before the start of the legislative session during which he spearheaded $3 million in state grants to a nonprofit run by that client. Court records indicate McAfee was not the only legal client to benefit from Champion’s grantmaking.

Montana – Bill to Streamline Legislator-to-Lobbyist ‘Revolving Door’ Voted Down in Montana House

Longview News-Journal – Seaborn Larson (Montana State News Bureau) | Published: 4/11/2025

The Montana House rejected Senate Bill 222, which would have repealed a two-year waiting period state law during which legislators and other public employees are prohibited from becoming lobbyists. Supporters of the bill said the two-year window prevents effective lawmakers who are no longer permitted to run because of term limits from continuing their good work as lobbyists. Opponents contended the buffer is important to keep legislators and government employees from setting up their own windfall from public office.

Nevada – Ethics Panel Rejects Settlement for Nevada Energy Director Over Free VGK Tickets

Las Vegas Review-Journal – Mary Hynes | Published: 4/16/2025

The Nevada Commission on Ethics rejected an agreement that would have resolved a complaint against Dwayne McClinton, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy, with commissioners saying they want disciplinary action to include a fine. The complaint stated McClinton accepted free Las Vegas Golden Knights tickets and solicited other perks while negotiating a potential taxpayer-funded sponsorship deal with the National Hockey League franchise.

Nevada – Secretary of State’s Bill Would Allow Some Personal Use of Campaign Funds

Yahoo News – Dana Gentry (Nevada Current) | Published: 4/11/2025

A campaign finance measure championed by Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar seeks to make running for office financially feasible for more individuals by allowing campaign contributions to be spent for some personal uses. The current prohibition deters some individuals from serving in low-paying positions such as state legislator, which pays $130 a day for the first 60 days of the 120-day session, plus per diem amounts for travel and expenses.

New Jersey – Gottheimer Funnels $10 Million from Congressional Campaign into Group Supporting Bid for Gov

MSN – Madison Fernandez (Politico) | Published: 4/16/2025

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s congressional campaign has sent close to $10 million to a super PAC supporting his bid for governor. Gottheimer had more than $20 million in his congressional campaign coffers when he announced his gubernatorial run in November. But that money cannot be transferred directly to his state campaign for governor, raising questions about how his congressional fund would be used to help it.

New Mexico – Lujan Grisham Nixes Lobbying Transparency Bill

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 4/14/2025

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham vetoed House Bill 143, which would have required lobbyists to publicly report the bills they are working to support or defeat during the legislative session. Lobbyists said they had concerns about the viability of a requirement in the bill that they file reports within 48 hours of lobbying activity.

New York – NYCHA Paid Out Millions to Bribe-Paying Contractors Implicated in Corruption Takedown

The City – Greg Smith | Published: 4/16/2025

One year after a sweeping corruption takedown at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), there have been 64 convictions out of the 70 housing authority employees arrested on charges of taking cash bribes to hand out contracts to vendors performing public housing repairs. On the other side of the corrupt transactions, it is a different story. Since the big sweep in February. 2024, NYCHA has awarded hundreds of contracts worth a total of $7.8 million to eight companies whose operators have publicly confessed to participating in the decade-long bribery conspiracy.

New York – NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Andrew Cuomo Denied $2.5 Million in Public Matching Funds Over Missing Information

Yahoo News – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 4/15/2025

The New York City Campaign Finance Board denied mayoral race front-runner Andrew Cuomo more than $2.5 million in public matching funds, dealing an unexpected and significant blow to his campaign. The board voted to deny the former governor the critical funds because his campaign had failed to furnish some identifying information about the donors whose contributions it had hoped to match.

North Carolina – North Carolina Supreme Court Rules Most Challenged Ballots Must Stay in Election Count

Yahoo News – Gary Robertson (Associated Press) | Published: 4/11/2025

The North Carolina Supreme Court said tens of thousands of cast ballots challenged by the trailing candidate in November’s unresolved election for a seat on the court must remain in the election count. But a majority of justices, all registered Republicans, let stand a lower court’s determinations that additional ballots from two other categories Associate Justice Allison Riggs contested were wrongly allowed in the tally. The Supreme Court’s order is not expected to fully resolve the close race.

North Dakota – North Dakota House Removes New Ethics Commission Position from Budget, Adds 6-Month Deadline

Yahoo News – Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 4/14/2025

The North Dakota House voted to give the state’s Ethics Commission a six-month deadline to resolve complaints while also removing a new position approved by the Senate. The amended bill will head to the Senate for a concurrence vote before it can go to Gov. Kelly Armstrong. Rep. Mike Nathe, who brought the amendments, he believes some North Dakotans are “weaponizing” the commission to lodge frivolous complaints against public officials that can drag on indefinitely. The commission has some complaints that are more than two years old.

Ohio – HBO’s ‘The Dark Money Game’ Spotlights FirstEnergy’s Corruption as Trump Revives Federal Coal Plant Bailout the Utility Once Lobbied For

Energy and Policy Institute – Dave Anderson | Published: 4/16/2025

The premiere of HBO’s new documentary “The Dark Money Game” shines a spotlight on FirstEnergy’s bribes-for-bailouts scheme in Ohio days after President Trump revived a failed push to use federal emergency powers to bail out coal-fired power plants that FirstEnergy lobbied for extensively during Trump’s first term. “Ohio Confidential,” the first film in director Alex Gibney’s two-part documentary series about money in American politics, examines the federal racketeering investigation that exposed how FirstEnergy secretly paid millions of dollars in bribes to influence former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

Pennsylvania – Man Charged with Arson at Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Denied Bail

MSN – Justine McDaniel, Amber Ferguson, and Annabelle Timsit (Washington Post) | Published: 4/14/2025

The man charged with setting fire to the official residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told authorities he walked more than an hour from his home, carrying beer bottles filled with gasoline, before scaling a fence, breaking into the mansion, and setting a room ablaze. Police accused Cody Balmer of seeking to harm Shapiro – he allegedly told police he planned to beat the governor with a hammer if he encountered him – and his family. He was denied bail at an arraignment.

Texas – A Texas Republican Benefited from Out-of-State Donors. Now He Wants to Limit Their Impact

MSN – Nolan McCaskill (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 4/10/2025

Texas soon could impose limits on out-of-state political contributions under a bill filed by former House Speaker Dade Phelan. Texas only has campaign donation limits for judges and judicial candidates in nonfederal races, allowing unlimited sums of money to flow into the campaign coffers of state candidates from donors nationwide.

FLORIDA: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the date for the special election to replace Sen. Geraldine Thompson who died seven months ago. The primary will be on June 24, and the general election will be held on September 2.  One of the candidates vying for the position is State Rep. LaVon Bracy-Davis, who announced her resignation from the House, effective September 1.

Lawmakers passed a bill prohibiting a political action committee from accepting a contribution or expenditure from a foreign national, as defined by federal law. House Bill 1467 also amends reporting requirements by requiring affirmations of compliance. The bill also prohibits a foreign national from soliciting or directing a contribution or expenditure by another person to influence an election on a public question. The bill becomes effective July 1.

Campaign Finance

Florida: “State Workers Who Solicit Campaign Cash Could Face Criminal Charges Under Florida Bill” by Ana Ceballos and Romy Ellenboge (Miami Herald) for MSN

New Jersey: “Gottheimer Funnels $10 Million from Congressional Campaign into Group Supporting Bid for Gov” by Madison Fernandez (Politico) for MSN

Elections

National: “DNC Leader Announces Plans to Primary Members of His Own Party” by Dylan Wells (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

California: “SF Will Let Nonprofits Report Less About Themselves Due to Fears of Political Attacks” by Katie DeBenedetti for KQED

California: “Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to Close in Aftermath of Corruption Probes” by Hosam Elattar for Voice of OC

National: “Justice Department Must Provide Details of Attempts to Return Illegally Deported Man, Judge Says” by Steve Thompson and Katie Mettler (Washington Post) for MSN

Georgia: “2 Protesters at Marjorie Taylor Greene Town Hall Are Subdued with Stun Guns” by Maya Miller (New York Times) for DNyuz

Hawaii: “Honolulu Director’s Free Trip to Poland Raises Ethics Questions” by Christina Jedra for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “NYCHA Paid Out Millions to Bribe-Paying Contractors Implicated in Corruption Takedown” by Greg Smith for The City

On April 15, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at reforming the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which are procedures guiding acquisitions across executive departments. The order, entitled Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, mandates the Administrator of the Office of Federal Public Procurement Policy (Administrator) take “appropriate actions to amend the FAR to ensure that it contains only provisions that are required by statute or that are otherwise necessary to support simplicity and usability, strengthen the efficacy of the procurement system, or protect economic or national security interests.”

The order also requires these actions, which must be made in the next 180 days, be taken in coordination with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), the heads of federal executive branch agencies, and appropriate senior acquisition and procurement officials from agencies.

Additionally, in the next 15 days, each agency exercising procurement authority pursuant to the FAR must designate a senior acquisition or procurement official to work with the Administrator and the FAR Council. Within 20 days, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget must issue a memorandum to agencies providing guidance regarding implementation of the order.

As described in a prior order issued by the president in January, this order requires that for each new regulation issued, at least 10 prior regulations be identified for elimination.

The Commission on Lobbying and Ethics in Government (COELIG) released their report of preliminary lobbying data from 2024. Lobbying spending was up over 4.5% from 2023, with a preliminary total of $377 million spent in 2024. The number of lobbying filings increased almost 6% from 2023. The top three subjects lobbied included miscellaneous business, appropriations, and health.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced a new sample donor response form for contributions made by limited liability companies (LLCs).

Committees are required to report certain attribution information for contributions from LLCs. To assist committees and encourage compliance the FEC adopted the new sample donor response form, which was announced on April 16.

The form will help satisfy a committee requirement to show its “best efforts” to obtain, maintain, and submit information mandated by law. By requesting completion of the sample form by the donor following the receipt of the contribution, a committee is in a stronger position to be in compliance.

Current regulations require LLCs provide accurate and complete attribution information to the recipient committee at the time that a contribution is made. The LLC must also affirm to the recipient committee that the LLC is eligible to make the contribution.

Campaign Finance

Connecticut: “Ex-Bridgeport BOE Member’s Lie to Grand Jury Involved 2018 Campaign Event at Dolphin’s Cove: Records” by Jarrod Wardwell for Middletown Press

New York: “NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Andrew Cuomo Denied $2.5 Million in Public Matching Funds Over Missing Information” by Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) for Yahoo News

Ethics

National: “‘Nothing But a Pattern’: Ethics advocates alarmed by delay for House watchdog” by Justin Papp (Roll Call) for MSN

National: “Harvard Hit with $2.2 Billion Funding Freeze After Rejecting Trump’s Demands” by Susan Svrluga (Washington Post) for MSN

Maine: “Trump Administration to Pull Maine K-12 Funding Over Trans Athletes Dispute” by Brianna Tucker (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Greene Bought Market Dip Before Trump Paused Tariffs, Profiting from the Rally” by Annie Karni (New York Times) for DNyuz

North Dakota: “North Dakota House Removes New Ethics Commission Position from Budget, Adds 6-Month Deadline” by Mary Steuer (North Dakota Monitor) for Yahoo News

Pennsylvania: “Man Charged with Arson at Pennsylvania Governor’s Mansion Denied Bail” by Justine McDaniel, Amber Ferguson, and Annabelle Timsit (Washington Post) for MSN