On July 28, proposals to reform federal lobbying laws were issued by an American Bar Association task force. The proposals include requiring lobbyists to register if they make more than one lobbying contact, receive more than $2,500 in compensation, or make expenditures of more than $10,000 per quarter and spend 12 hours or more per quarter conducting lobbying activity.

Other suggested requirements include disclosing the names of individuals providing “support for lobbying through strategic planning, public communications and polling operations.”

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of Rep. Chaka Fattah on several charges including bribery; conspiracy to commit wire, honest services, bank, and mail fraud; and money laundering. The Philadelphia congressman is accused of misappropriating federal grant money, arranging a federal grant in lieu of a payment to a political consultant, and other acts such as using the money to pay off his son’s student loans.

The indictment also includes four members of Rep. Fattah’s campaign and congressional staffs.

The congressman has served 11 terms and is the ranking member on the Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee.

Mainers for Accountable Elections, an activist group advocating for stricter campaign finance law, has developed a ballot measure to be considered by voters in the November 2015 election. The measure proposes to establish gubernatorial transition committees to help finance a governor-elect’s inauguration; increase penalties for late filings and certain other campaign finance violations; and require independent expenditure communications to include a conspicuous statement listing the top three funders of the communication.

The measure also proposes several amendments to the Maine Clean Election Act related to public funding for candidates. The most ambitious section of the measure proposes to require lawmakers to eliminate $6 million in corporate tax breaks in order to fund the expansion of the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.

The measure will appear as “Question 1” on the November 2015 ballot.

Gov. Jay Nixon has set the special election date for three vacant seats in the General Assembly. The 29th District, 36th District, and the 89th District special elections will be held on November 3, 2015.

Rep. Noel Torpey resigned from his 29th District seat to take a job as a lobbyist. Rep. Kevin McManus resigned from his 36th District seat following his election to the City Council of Kansas City. Rep. John Diehl Jr. resigned from his 89th District seat after admitting to inappropriate texts with an intern.

Campaign Finance

Maine: “Clean Election Referendum Includes Call to End $6 Million in Maine Corporate Tax Breaks” by Steve Mistler for Portland Press Herald

Missouri: “Missouri’s ‘Wild West’ Campaign-Finance Rules Are Making Candidates Look Terrible” by Karyn Bruggeman for National Journal

Wisconsin: “Emails Show Contact between GAB Head and IRS Mostly Personal in Nature” by Andrew Beckett for Wisconsin Radio Network

Ethics

Florida: “Former Lt. Gov. Carroll Admits Breaking Ethics Law” by Michael Auslen (Tampa Bay Times) for Miami Herald

Hawaii: “Honolulu Ethics Commission Loosens News Media Policy” by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat

New Jersey: “Christie Has Made Habit of Appointing High School Friends” by Jill Colvin (Associated Press) for Raleigh News & Observer

New York: “New Hire for Ethics Board Attacked” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times Union

Elections

“As the G.O.P. Base Clamors for Confrontation, Candidates Oblige” by Jackie Chalmes for New York Times

“Are Voters Ready to Cast a Vote Against the Supreme Court?” by Greg Stohr for Bloomberg.com

On July 27, 2015, a jury found state Rep. Steve Kraus guilty of fifth-degree felony theft. Under Ohio law, Kraus was automatically removed from his seat in the Ohio House upon his conviction.

Kraus, who also works as an auctioneer and real estate agent, was accused of removing items from the home of an elderly woman. He asserted he had been granted permission to enter the home and it was his fiduciary duty to remove the items.

However, the woman’s real estate agent stated Kraus was only given permission to enter the garage to photograph an antique car.

Kraus faces up to 12 months in prison. The sentencing will be held on August 21.

Photo of Steve Kraus courtesy of the Ohio House of Representatives website.

A voter initiative is being developed in Orange County, California, to create a county ethics commission. The commission would enforce campaign finance limits for countywide offices as well as public ethics, including gifts and conflicts of interest.

The commission would also have a hotline where citizens could provide tips regarding ethics issues and would have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents.

If the initiative qualifies, it would appear on the November 2016 ballot. A version of the proposed initiative is available here.

Another New York state senator has been convicted of a felony, thereby losing his Senate seat. Democrat John L. Sampson was convicted of obstructing justice in connection with his efforts to avoid a federal investigation into alleged embezzlement of state funds.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not yet set a date for a special election to fill Sampson’s seat; however, it is anticipated the special election will coincide with the regularly scheduled November general election, where Thomas Libous’s Senate seat will also be on the ballot.

Libous was convicted of a felony surrounding allegations he lied to federal agents.

Photo of John L. Sampson courtesy of the New York Senate website.

A Missouri state senator accused of sexually harassing an intern has resigned.

Sen. Paul LeVota denies he made any unwanted advances, but wants to spare his family and the Senate the “process of dealing with the veracity of false allegations and character assassination against me.”

A Senate investigation was conducted, but the report drew no conclusions. However, a report by the University of Central Missouri, where the intern was a student, concluded there was evidence supporting the allegations.

LeVota’s resignation is effective August 23.

Photo of Sen. Paul LeVota courtesy of the Missouri Senate website.

The city of Montgomery, Alabama, in cooperation with the Secretary of State’s office, will pilot a live electronic balloting system for overseas military and civilian voters in the upcoming municipal election on August 25, 2015.

The electronic voting system will allow citizens of Montgomery living overseas an opportunity to vote in the municipal election.

This pilot project is a test of the electronic balloting system being developed throughout the state of Alabama for military and civilian voters who are out of the country during an election.

Lobbying

Arkansas: “Ethics Panel Reaffirms Past Ruling on Ticket Sales to Legislators” by John Lyon (Arkansas News Bureau) for Arkansas News

Ohio: “City Council Officials Got Box Seats at Ohio State Game” by Lucas Sullivan for Columbus Dispatch

Campaign Finance

“Chamber Gearing Up to Take Out GOP Incumbents” by Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for Politico

Arizona: “Election Director Threatens Lawsuits against ‘Dark Money’ Watchdogs” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Service) for Arizona Daily Sun

Nevada: “Nevada Lobbyists Spend Record Amount on Legislators” by Sandra Chereb for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Pennsylvania: “Documents Show Pennsylvania GOP’s Courtship of Gas Industry” by Rich Lord for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ethics

Florida: “Ethics Board Facing Criticism from Amendment Backers” by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee Democrat

Mississippi: “Sources: FBI probing Pickering campaign funds” by Geoff Pender for Jackson Clarion-Ledger

Missouri: “Missouri Senator Resigns Seat, Continues to Deny Allegations He Sexually Harassed Interns” by Alex Stuckey for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

New York: “John Sampson, New York State Senator, Is Guilty on Some Federal Charges” by Stephanie Clifford for New York Times

Lobbying

Colorado: “Colorado Senator Says He Has No Records on His Lobbyist-Written Elderly Care Bill” by Arthur Kane for Colorado Watchdog

Campaign Finance

“D.N.C. Lifts Ban on Convention Fundraising” by Maggie Haberman for New York Times

Rhode Island: “R.I. Board of Elections Drops Fines in 208 Cases” by Jennifer Bogdan for Providence Journal

Ethics

“Criminal Inquiry Is Sought in Clinton Email Account” by Michael Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo for New York Times

“Drug Companies Pushed From Far and Wide to Explain High Prices” by Andrew Pollack for New York Times

District of Columbia: “New Details Emerge about Metro Contract That Raised Ethical Questions” by Lori Aratani for Washington Post

Hawaii: “Hawaii’s Student Travel Still Up in the Air as Free Trips Debated” by Ian Lind for Honolulu Civil Beat

New Jersey: “N.J. Lawmaker Plans Bill Curbing Governors Use of Public Funds for Out-of-State Trip Expenses” by Melissa Hayes for Bergen Record

Texas: “Appeals Court Rejects One Count in Perry Indictment” by Patrick Svitek for Texas Tribune

State Rep. Mike Barbieri is resigning from the Delaware House of Representatives effective August 3, 2015. He will become the new director of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in the state Department of Health and Social Services.

A special election to fill his18th District seat must be held 30 to 45 days from the date of vacancy; however, a date has not yet been set. Barbieri’s legislative aide, David Bentz, has already announced his candidacy for the pending election.

A special election will be set for November 3, 2015 to fill the vacant House seat of District 122.

Ben Harbin left the post on July 7 to take a job with a lobbying firm.

Gov. Nathan Deal will issue the formal writ for the election in September, 60 days prior to election day.