Following the indictment of former House Speaker Larry Householder on federal racketeering charges in the biggest bribery case in Ohio history, lawmakers are seeking to shed more light on dark money groups through legislation.

House Bill 13, entitled the Light of Day Bill, is currently in committee and requires nonprofit 501(c)(4) organizations to disclose contributions and expenditures.

These organizations currently do not have to disclose contributions and disclose limited information on expenditures on forms filed annually with the IRS.

House Bill 306, entitled the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act, was introduced this week, and requires 501(c)(4) organizations to disclose contributions and more information about the ownership of the organization.

The bill also prohibits foreign companies from making political contributions directly or indirectly through nonprofit organizations.

Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor was suspended in a process initiated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

Pastor’s suspension comes after he was arrested on federal bribery charges.

This is the first time the city of Cincinnati has used the process through the probate court.

Additionally, Pastor accepted the temporary suspension without objection.

As part of the process, Hamilton County Probate Court Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler named Cincinnati attorney Steve Goodin as Pastor’s temporary replacement.

Interim Council Member Goodin’s term began immediately after the suspension.

Goodin will continue the term until Pastor’s court case is completed or he is removed from office.

Pastor’s four-year term began in 2018 and ends at the end of 2021.

Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Pastor was arrested Tuesday by FBI agents for leading a bribery scheme involving payoffs for city development projects.

Pastor is accused of bribery, money laundering, extortion, wire fraud, theft of honest services, and conspiracy.

If convicted, he could face more than 20 years in prison.

Additionally, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley and many council members have called for Pastor to resign.

Pastor is the second council member this year charged with taking bribes from developers.

Tamaya Dennard resigned from the council in February after her arrest on fraud and bribery charges in an unrelated case.

Finally, if Pastor resigns, Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman will select his replacement.

Former Rep. Luis Arroyo resigned from House District 3 on November 1 after facing a federal bribery charge.

Prosecutors said Arroyo allegedly paid a bribe to a state senator in exchange for support of a gambling bill which would have benefited one of Arroyo’s clients.

The state constitution requires the seat to be filled by appointment within 30 days of the vacancy.

Federal Lobbyists are now required to disclose convictions for bribery, fraud, and other crimes when registering and reporting.

President Trump signed Senate Bill 2896, the “Justice Against Corruption on K Street Act of 2018” or the “JACK Act” on January 3. On December 20, 2018 the U.S. Congress passed the bill, which passed the U.S. Senate in August with unanimous consent.

The new law requires lobbyists to disclose any prior conviction for bribery, extortion, embezzlement, illegal kickbacks, tax evasion, fraud, conflicts of interest, making false statements, perjury, or money laundering.

The House voted 390-0 to pass the Senate’s bill on to President Trump.

Special elections for the 114th and 190th House Districts have been set for March 12, 2019.

The 114th District became vacant in October after the death of State Rep. Sid Michaels Kavulich, while the 190th District was vacated after Vanessa Lowery Brown was convicted in a bribery case late last year.

Candidates for the seats will be chosen by a process determined by the political parties.

Dallas City Councilman Dwaine Caraway pled guilty to federal corruption charges last Thursday and has resigned from City Council.

Caraway admitted to accepting $450,000 in bribes and kickbacks from two figures in a scandal last year that brought down a school bus agency named Dallas County Schools.

City Attorney Larry Casto told City Council a special election must be added to the November 6 election to fill the vacancy.

Lobbying

“The Lobbying Reform That Enriched Congress” by Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Arizona: “Arizona Governor Fires State’s Contract Lobbyists” by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez for Arizona Republic

Missouri: “Aldermen Vote Down Measure Banning Lobbyists on the Floor” by Rachel Lippmann for St. Louis Public Radio

Campaign Finance

“‘Feel Bern’ PAC Comes Under Scrutiny” by Megan Wilson for The Hill

Arizona: “Drive to Expand Public Campaign Financing Fizzles” by Mary Jo Pitzl for Arizona Republic

Georgia: “Atlanta City Councilman Faces Hundreds of Campaign Finance Allegations” by Maggie Lee for Creative Loafing

Ethics

Hawaii: “ACLU Lawyer to Be State Ethics Chief” by Rui Kaneya for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “Operative Tied to Cuomo Is Accused of Bribing Judge to Get Favorable Rulings” by Vivian Yee for New York Times

This week the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell, who was convicted on ethics charges in 2014.

The Court unanimously ruled the interpretation of bribery law was overly broad and making phone calls and setting up meetings did not constitute official action. McDonnell was accused of accepting more than $175,000 in gifts from a Virginia businessman wanting to do business with the commonwealth.

Some legal experts think this ruling will make it more difficult to prosecute corruption cases in the future, while others believe it fits with past rulings where courts required more than just the appearance of impropriety.

Photo of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell by Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

Florida: “Bryant Miller Olive Appeals $50 Fine – and Loses” by Jim Rosica for Florida Politics

Campaign Finance

“Study: Ordinary people struggle to use many state campaign finance websites” by Alex Koma for StateScoop

Missouri: “Four Years Later, an Ex-Politician Is Still Benefiting from His Campaign Fund” by Kevin McDermott for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

North Dakota: “Feds Dismiss Foreign Campaign Contribution Allegations against ND Politicians” by John Hageman for Grand Forks Herald

Ethics

California: “Former CalPERS Chief Sentenced to Prison in Bribery Scandal” by Dale Kasler for Sacramento Bee

Florida: “Hialeah Restaurant Owner Tried to Bribe Commissioner, State Says” by David Ovalle for Miami Herald

South Carolina: “SC Ethics Reforms Stalled after 4 Years of Debate” by Jamie Self for The State

Elections

“The Seven Broken Guardrails of Democracy” by David Frum for The Atlantic

Virginia: “Virginia at Center of Racially Charged Fight Over the Right of Felons to Vote” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg for New York Times

Lobbying

California: “California Senate Votes to Ban Private Talks at Coastal Board” by Alexei Koseff for Sacramento Bee

Rhode Island: “R.I. House Unanimously Approves Lobbying Bill with Stricter Penalties” by Jennifer Bogdan for Providence Journal

Campaign Finance

New York: “Gov. Andrew Cuomo Offers Eight Options to End LLC Campaign Cash” by Casey Seiler for Albany Times-Union

Ethics

“These States Are Stepping Up to Reform Money in Politics in 2016” by Paul Blumenthal for Huffington Post

“State Dept. Inspector General Report Sharply Criticizes Clinton’s Email Practices” by Rosalind Helderman and Tom Hamburger for Washington Post

Florida: “Facing Bribery Charges, Opa-locka Commissioner Rams SUV into Tree, Killing Himself” by Charles Rabin, Jay Weaver, David Ovalle, and Michael Sallah for Miami Herald

Elections

“This Is What the Future of American Politics Looks Like” by Michael Lind for Politico

“As Donald Trump Pushes Conspiracy Theories, Right-Wing Media Gets Its Wish” by Jonathan Martin for New York Times

Ohio: “Ohio’s Limits on Early Voting Are Discriminatory, Judge Says” by Richard Pérez-Peña for New York Times

Sen. Mike Duffy was cleared of 31 charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust on April 21, 2016. The charges stem from Duffy using Senate funds to pay for travel, housing in Ottawa, and other activities loosely tied to his work as a senator. He was also charged with soliciting a bribe from then-Prime Minster Stephen Harper’s chief of staff, Nigel Wright, in order to repay expenses ruled improper.

Following a 62-day trial, Ontario Court Justice Charles Vaillancourt dismissed 27 counts and found Duffy not guilty on the last four charges. In the 308-page decision, Vaillancourt found Duffy followed the rules of the Senate to the best of his ability, as the rules regarding legitimate expenses are vague.

Vaillancourt’s ruling also singled out Wright and other staff members in the Prime Minister’s Office for their behavior when dealing with the situation. Evidence, including emails, showed staff threatening, cajoling, and ultimately forcing Duffy to accept the money from Wright.

Had he been convicted, Duffy would have faced fines and jail time.

Photo of Sen. Mike Duffy by Ayelie on Wikimedia Commons.

State Rep. Sheldon Silver will no longer be speaker of the New York State Assembly beginning Monday, February 2, 2015. Silver was arrested on federal corruption and bribery charges earlier this month. It is not clear whether Silver is resigning voluntarily or being forced out by a vote.

Silver said, “I won’t hinder any succession process . . . [but] I will be a member of this house. I was elected by my constituents and I do not intend to resign my seat in this house.”

Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle will serve as the acting speaker until an election for a new speaker is held on February 10, 2015.

Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, speaker of the New York State Assembly, was arrested on federal corruption charges. He is accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes. Mr. Silver, a Democrat, has served as speaker for more than 20 years.

According to the New York Times, the corruption charges stem from accusations of using his position to obtain corrupt payments misrepresented as referral fees from a law firm; funneling state research funds and other benefits to a doctor who in return referred asbestos claims to the law firm where the speaker worked; and secretly helping real estate developers win tax breaks.

In New York, state legislators who are charged with crimes can continue to serve unless and until convicted of a felony, at which point the legislator must leave office.