November 9, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Lobbying Florida: “City: Fernandez deleted text messages to lobbyist” by Jeffrey Schweers for Tallahassee Democrat Campaign Finance Arkansas: “LR Taking Campaign Law to Court” by Chelsea Brewer for Arkansas Online Ethics “Case Is Dropped Against Activist Who Laughed at Jeff […]

November 8, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Elections New Jersey: “Phil Murphy Is Elected Governor of New Jersey, in a Lift for Democrats” by Nick Corasaniti for New York Times Virginia: “Democrat Ralph Northam Defeats Ed Gillespie in Race for Virginia Governor Closely Watched by National Parties” […]

November 7, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Lobbying Indiana: “Indiana Politicians Got Thousands in Gifts While Pushing Solar Policy” by Emily Hopkins and Sarah Bowman for Indianapolis Star Campaign Finance Colorado: “Public Financing and Lower Donation Limits for Denver Elections? Question Is Headed to Ballot – in […]

November 6, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News Roundup

Campaign Finance Maine: “Maine Ethics Commission Levies Record $500,000 Against York County Casino Campaign” by Scott Thistle for Portland Press Herald Ethics “Trump and Sessions Denied Knowing About Russian Contacts. Records Suggest Otherwise” by Michael Schmidt, Matt Apuzzo, and Scott […]

November 3, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – November 3, 2017

National: Russia-Financed Ad Linked Clinton and Satan New York Times – Cecilia Kang, Nicholas Fandos, and Mike Isaac | Published: 11/1/2017 Lawmakers released scores of political ads purchased by Russian agents on Facebook and Twitter that showed the extent of […]

National:

Russia-Financed Ad Linked Clinton and Satan
New York Times – Cecilia Kang, Nicholas Fandos, and Mike Isaac | Published: 11/1/2017

Lawmakers released scores of political ads purchased by Russian agents on Facebook and Twitter that showed the extent of the Kremlin’s attempts to polarize the American voting public on issues like race, police abuse, and religion. One account, Army of Jesus, published an illustration of an arm-wrestling match between Christ and the devil. “Satan: If I win, Clinton wins!” the headline read. The sampling of ads came during hearings with the top lawyers for Facebook, Twitter, and Google, and were intended to show the executives how pervasively Russia used their platforms to further its campaign of misinformation.

Federal:

Congress Mulls Toughening Foreign Lobbying Law
The Hill – Megan Wilson | Published: 10/31/2017

A day after former Trump campaign chairperson Paul Manafort was indicted on charges that included failing to register as a foreign agent, a top U.S. Senate Republican introduced legislation intended to stiffen enforcement of federal rules for foreign lobbyists. Sen. Chuck Grassley joined Rep. Mike Johnson to propose identical bills they said would address ambiguous requirements for those lobbying on behalf of foreign governments. That ambiguity has, over the years, led to a sharp drop in the number of registrations and the prospect of widespread abuses, they said.

Scofflaw Political Groups Are Ignoring FEC Fines
Politico – Dave Levinthal (Center for Public Integrity) | Published: 10/30/2017

More than 160 political committees and similar groups together owe the federal government more than $1.3 million worth of unpaid fines. Some of those unpaid fines amount to as little as $10 while others soar into five figures. Many cases concern all-but-forgotten also-ran political candidates, but others involve political luminaries. Super PACs and politically active nonprofits have joined the nonpayment parade of late. And there is little evidence any of that cash will soon begin to roll in. Uncooperative political committee leaders, bureaucratic bumbling, and weak enforcement efforts all contribute to election law breakers outrunning penalties.

Trump Campaign Adviser Admitted to Lying about Russian Contacts
Washington Post – Rosalind Helderman and Tom Hamburger | Published: 10/30/2017

One of President Trump’s former campaign advisers, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents who are investigating possible collusion between the campaign and the Russian government. Papadopoulos had contact with unnamed overseas professor, who told him the Russian government had “dirt” on Hillary Clinton, including thousands of her emails. The plea represents the most explicit evidence the Trump campaign was aware the Kremlin was trying to help Trump and the campaign was eager to accept that help. As part of that effort, the Russian government hacked Democratic accounts and released a trove of embarrassing emails related to Clinton’s campaign.

Under Mueller Scrutiny, Democratic Donor Tony Podesta Resigns from Lobbying Firm
New York Times – Kenneth Vogel | Published: 10/30/2017

Hours after the first indictments in the investigation into ties between President Trump’s campaign and the Russian government, Tony Podesta abruptly quit his post atop the Podesta Group, one of K Street’s top lobbying firms. The Podesta Group and another company with which it had worked, Mercury Public Affairs, were referenced, though not by name, in an indictment of two former Trump campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. No charges have been brought against Podesta or officials from his firm or Mercury. But both firms have been subpoenaed for records and testimony about their work on behalf of a client referred to them by Manafort and Gates, the European Center for a Modern Ukraine.

From the States and Municipalities:

Arkansas: State PACs Cite Confusion Over E-Filing
Arkansas Online – Michael Wickline | Published: 10/29/2017

Officials representing several PACs said that because they were confused about the effective date of a new Arkansas law requiring campaign finance reports to be filed in electronic form, they signed affidavits to declare they do not have access to the technology to meet the requirement. Meanwhile, five state elected officials filed their reports on paper without submitting the affidavit required by state law to show why they are not filing electronically. A few of them said they did not file the affidavits partly out of confusion. These five candidates are in addition to six others who did sign the exemption affidavits. Two new laws address electronic filing of the reports.

Connecticut: Tucked in Budget: Shorter leash on election watchdogs
Connecticut Post – Mark Pazniokas | Published: 10/30/2017

Connecticut lawmakers are using a bipartisan budget deal to do what they could not during the regular session: require the State Elections Enforcement Commission to dismiss complaints against candidates, including legislators, that are not resolved in one year. At the same time, lawmakers included a provision in the budget that more than doubles the maximum campaign contribution they can accept to qualify for public financing under the Citizens’ Election Program from $100 to $250, a change likely to ease their access to public dollars for their campaigns. Gov. Dannell Malloy has not yet signed the budget bill.

Florida: City Issues New Ethics Rules for Employees
Tallahassee Democrat – Jeffrey Schweers | Published: 10/30/2017

Tallahassee employees cannot accept gifts of $100 or more from contractors and suppliers with the city and must tell their supervisors each year of any outside work. The email notification of the changes was sent on the heels of an ethics workshop where the city commission adopted three provisions involving misuse of position, gifts from lobbyists, and greater financial disclosure.

Florida: Ethics Board Cites Justin Sayfie, Capitol Group for Reporting Violations
Florida Politics – Jim Rosica | Published: 10/25/2017

The Florida Commission on Ethics is moving against lobbyist Justin Sayfie and another firm for problems arising from random audits of their compensation reports. Sayfie called the problem “a simple math error.” The commission also dropped cases against three other executive-branch lobbying concerns. The ethics board said it found probable cause “to believe that the executive branch lobbying firm under-reported compensation received from a principal for the third and fourth quarters of 2015.” Once the commission finds probable cause, that finding is sent to the governor for further action. The firms can request a hearing, or the governor and Cabinet members can decide to call a hearing on their own.

Florida: Florida Politicians Become Surveillance Targets as Political Payback Rumors Swirl
Politico – Matt Dixon | Published: 10/30/2017

During the final week of the 2017 legislative session, a covert surveillance camera recorded the comings and goings of legislators and lobbyists living on the sixth floor of the Tennyson condominium near the Florida Capitol. Weeks later, in a parking lot of a restaurant in Tallahassee, Sen. Jack Latvala, a candidate for governor, was also being spied upon. Photographs show him kissing a female lobbyist. These incidents were the work of private investigators, whose research has fueled an escalating barrage of rumors about sexual harassment in Tallahassee and infidelity among state lawmakers.

Illinois: Emanuel’s Ethics Board Walks Back $2,500 Fines Against 3 Who Illegally Lobbied Him
Chicago Tribune – Bill Ruthhart | Published: 10/27/2017

In July, the Chicago Board of Ethics fined businessperson Jim Abrams, Linden Capital Partners President Tony Davis, and attorney Alan King $2,500 each after finding they failed to register as lobbyists after seeking to influence Mayor Rahm Emanuel through his personal email account. But the board has rescinded the fines. As part of the settlement, the men agreed not to lobby any city official for one year without registering and to complete a training program on the lobbying law. When large fines were levied in the first round of fines for illegally lobbying the mayor, Emanuel accused the ethics board of turning “average citizens” into lobbyists.

Massachusetts: Rare Trick Pays Off Big Time for Lobbyists
Boston Herald – Matt Stout | Published: 10/30/2017

Some of Massachusetts’ top-paid lobbyists have fattened their lucrative paychecks by working under multiple firms and in some cases, raising concerns of potential conflicts between their well-played clientele. At least three of the top 10 highest compensated lobbyists registered as working in the Capitol last year reported building a client list of at least two different lobbying firms, each pushing their total pay north of $500,000. Ethics experts cautioned that lobbyists have to tread lightly in situations involving complex bills in which clients stake out separate interests.

South Carolina: Law Provides Loophole for South Carolina Legislators to Be Paid for ‘Consulting’ Work
Charleston Post and Courier – Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) | Published: 10/29/2017

When they were in office, few knew that state Reps. Jim Harrison and Tracy Edge, both in House leadership posts, were working for Richard Quinn, one of South Carolina’s most influential political and business consultants. Between them, Edge and Harrison earned a reported $1.2 million from their secret consulting work with Quinn. They could keep the payments under wraps because, until this year, lawmakers did not have to disclose that kind of consulting work on ethics reports. But even after last year’s income disclosure law required public officials to start reporting all sources of income, much can remain hidden.

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.

November 2, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Lobbying Massachusetts: “Rare Trick Pays Off Big Time for Lobbyists” by Matt Stout for Boston Herald Campaign Finance Tennessee: “Jeremy Durham Fined $10,000 for Incorrect PAC Disclosures” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean Ethics “Trolling Trump: How viral visual taunts […]

November 1, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Lobbying “Grassley Introduces Bill to Toughen Foreign Lobbying Oversight after Manafort Indictment” by Kyle Cheney for Politico “Under Mueller Scrutiny, Democratic Donor Tony Podesta Resigns from Lobbying Firm” by Kenneth Vogel for New York Times Campaign Finance “Scofflaw Political Groups […]

October 31, 2017 • Written by George Ticoras, Esq.

Bill Introduced Banning Corporate Contributions in British Columbia’s Municipal Elections

On October 30, a bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia banning corporate and union political contributions for local elections in the Canadian province. Bill 15, Local Elections Campaign Financing Amendment Act, 2017, was introduced by Municipal […]

October 31, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Ethics Trump Campaign Adviser Admitted to Lying about Russian Contacts by Rosalind Helderman and Tom Hamburger for Washington Post Manafort Indicted on 12 Counts, Surrenders to FBI by Katie Bo Williams for The Hill How Congress Plays by Different Rules on Sexual Harassment and Misconduct by Michelle […]

October 30, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

Santa Fe City Council to hold Public Hearings on Campaign Finance and Procurement Code Bills

The Santa Fe City Council will hold a public hearing on a bill relating to campaign finance on December 13, 2017. The bill will remove public disclosure of independent expenditures for groups supporting or opposing ballot measures. On January 10, […]

October 30, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

California Governor Signs Bill to Modify Contribution Definition and Behested Payment Provisions

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 867 into law, recasting various provisions of the Political Reform Act regarding the definition of the term contribution. The law moves the behested payment reporting requirements out of the definition of contribution, and instead […]

October 30, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Ethics Justice Department Agrees to Settle Lawsuits Over IRS Scrutiny of Tea Party Groups by Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post California: Sexual Harassment Complaints Topic of California Assembly Public Hearings by Alexei Koseff for Sacramento Bee Florida: City Commissioners Nix Key Wording in Ethics Ordinance by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee […]

October 27, 2017 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – October 27, 2017

National: Black Executives Join Forces, Forming a PAC to Back Them Up New York Times – Kate Kelly | Published: 10/24/2017 Dozens of black executives and their spouses joined U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, as well as Eric […]

National:

Black Executives Join Forces, Forming a PAC to Back Them Up
New York Times – Kate Kelly | Published: 10/24/2017

Dozens of black executives and their spouses joined U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, as well as Eric Holder Jr., the former attorney general, for a private dinner in July in Bridgehampton, New York. Many attendees had long been part of an informal group of friends and associates who raised money for philanthropies or policy issues on an ad hoc basis. At the dinner, they decided it was time to use their wealth and stature in a more formal way. By early 2018, the group hopes to start a political action committee, creating a new fundraising model for corporate executives of color. The group would support candidates of any political party who fit the PAC’s agenda.

Russia’s Favored Outlet Is an Online News Giant. YouTube Helped.
New York Times – Daisuke Wakabayashi and Nicholas Confessore | Published: 10/23/2017

As investigators examine the scope and reach of Russian interference in American politics, the once-cozy relationship between RT and YouTube is drawing closer scrutiny. YouTube played a crucial role in helping build and expand RT, an organization the U.S. intelligence community has described as the Kremlin’s “principal international propaganda outlet” and a key player in Russia’s information warfare operations around the world. While Kremlin-aligned agents secretly built fake Facebook groups to foment political division and deployed hordes of Twitter bots to stoke criticism of Hillary Clinton, RT worked out in the open, bolstered by one of the largest online audiences of any news organization in the world and a prominent presence on YouTube’s search results.

Study: Despite changing demographics, the political playing field still tilts toward white men
Washington Post – Vanessa Williams | Published: 10/24/2017

Women are running for office in larger numbers in the run-up to the 2018 midterm elections, but most of them face formidable odds because of long-standing practices and attitudes that are more favorable to men. The Reflective Democracy Campaign study finds that despite the growing diversity within the U.S. population, 90 percent of elected officials, from the local to the national level, are white, and most are male. Even in some jurisdictions in which the majority of the residents are people of color, the elected leadership is dominated by whites. The report’s authors point to gatekeepers such as political parties and outside groups that provide financial and logistical support to candidates as more often working to maintain the status quo than helping to elect candidates more reflective of their communities.

Federal:

As G.O.P. Bends Toward Trump, Critics Either Give in or Give Up
New York Times – Jonathan Martin and Jeremy Peters | Published: 10/25/2017

Some observers see an existential threat to traditional Republicans as the Grand Old Party risks a longer-term transformation into the Party of Trump. President Trump’s brand of hard-edge nationalism is taking root within his adopted party, and those uneasy with grievance politics are either giving in or giving up the fight. Many of those who remain will have to accommodate the president to survive primaries from the pro-Trump right. The party establishment, Trump backers say, wants to govern as if the election never happened. “They still think the election was about Trump’s personality. It wasn’t. It was his ideas,” said Laura Ingraham, a pro-Trump talk show host.

Mueller Now Investigating Democratic Lobbyist Tony Podesta
NBC News – Tom Winter and Julia Ainsley | Published: 10/23/2017

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating lobbyist Tony Podesta and the Podesta Group. Mueller, who is leading the investigation into Russia’s attempts to meddle in the U.S. election, is reportedly probing the firm to determine whether it violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in its work for the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECMU). The non-profit ECMU was part of a public relations campaign run by former President Trump’s campaign chairperson, Paul Manafort, to support Ukraine’s reputation. Sources said the investigation into Podesta and his company began as more of a fact-finding mission about the ECMU and Manafort’s role in the campaign, but has now morphed into a criminal inquiry.

From the States and Municipalities:

Colorado: Cub Scout Is Exiled After Pressing Legislator on Guns and Race
New York Times – Christine Hauser | Published: 10/22/2017

A Cub Scout was forced out of his den after he strongly questioned a state lawmaker about her stance on gun control. Ames Mayfield, 11, was asked to leave the den, the groups Cub Scouts are organized in, after he pushed Colorado Sen. Vicki Marble about her stance on gun legislation and past comments she made about health issues among black people. Soon after the event, Marble met with the leader of the Cub Scout pack that includes Mayfield’s den. Afterward, the leader told Mayfield’s mother that he was upset over the questions on guns and Mayfield would have to leave that den.

Florida: City Manager Asked Lobbyist for Football Tickets
Tallahassee Democrat – Jeff Burlew | Published: 10/24/2017

Tallahassee City Manager Rick Fernandez asked a local lobbyist for four tickets to a Florida State University football game last year. The text exchange was delivered to the state ethics commission, which is investigating a complaint involving Fernandez. Florida’s ethics laws prohibit public officials from knowingly accepting, a gift from someone who lobbies the public official’s agency if he or she reasonably believes that the gift has a value over $100. The box seat football tickets, which had an estimated total value of about $2,000, were not included in Fernandez’s public gift disclosures. There is no indication in the texts that the city manager paid for the tickets.

Missouri: New Limits to Campaign Financing Confuse Missouri’s Political Candidates
St. Louis Public Radio – Jo Mannies | Published: 10/24/2017

Missouri candidates are grappling with the new restrictions to campaign donations mandated by Amendment 2. Voters approved the constitutional amendment in 2016, putting an end to the Missouri’s status as one of only a handful of states without donation limits. But flaws in the new system are prompting the General Assembly and political activists to seek more changes. The Missouri Ethics Commission, charged with enforcing the new law, has had its hands full. The panel has issued at least 15 different opinions addressing various provisions of Amendment 2. It is also in the middle of several lawsuits.

Montana: Donors Once Again Much More Limited in Contributions to Montana Candidates
Helena Independent Record – Amy Beth Hanson (Associated Press) | Published: 10/23/2017

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated Montana’s previous limits on the amount of money candidates can receive. In May 2016, a federal judge declared that Montana’s contribution limits were unconstitutional and voided those caps. That kicked the state back to amounts set before a 1994 initiative where voters lowered how much candidates could collect. The Ninth Circuit’s actions bring Montana back to the voter-approved limits. A summary of the court’s opinion said the panel found the limits “both justified by and adequately tailored to the state’s interest in combating quid pro quo corruption or its appearance.”

New York: Former Top Assembly Ethics Official: Position a ‘waste of money’
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 10/22/2017

In the wake of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s indictment on fraud and extortion charges, his successor embarked on what seemed like a major reform. Speaker Carl Heastie was praised for conducting a nationwide search for the leader of the newly created Assembly Office of Ethics and Compliance. In September 2015, Heastie announced that Jane Feldman, a respected former top ethics official in Colorado, would lead the office. But only a few months after taking the position, Feldman began to doubt that Heastie was serious about reform. Looking back, Feldman regards her hiring in large part as a public relations move by the legislative chamber’s leadership.

New York: Reform Group Criticizes JCOPE’s Online Lobbying Filing System
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 10/24/2017

Reinvent Albany released a report calling the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics’ (JCOPE) online lobbying filing system “antiquated and outdated.” The group says certain filings raise questions about whether information is accurately and completely reported. Former top state lobbying official David Grandeau, now a private attorney, also submitted comments on JCOPE’s proposed comprehensive lobbying regulations alleging that a number go beyond what is allowed in state law.

Pennsylvania: Irate Judge Gives Ex-Philly DA Seth Williams 5-Year Sentence in Bribery, Corruption Case
Philadelphia Inquirer – Jeremy Roebuck | Published: 10/24/2017

Former Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams, a career prosecutor who chased down municipal corruption but whose tenure was mired in a corruption scandal, was sentenced to five years in prison for accepting a bribe. “Your profound dishonesty has to be deterred,” U.S. District Court Judge Paul Diamond said before ordering that Williams be imprisoned immediately. An investigation into Williams’ financial affairs resulted in a wide-ranging indictment in which he was charged with accepting cash and gifts, fraudulently using thousands of dollars from his campaign fund for personal expenses, misusing city vehicles, and misappropriating money intended to fund his mother’s nursing home care.

South Carolina: Quinn’s State House ‘Tentacles’ Included Paying Lawmakers $1.3 Million, Judge Told
The State – John Monk | Published: 10/24/2017

For the first time, Solicitor David Pascoe laid out details of a much-rumored behind-the-scenes payoff scheme to buy influence at the South Carolina Legislature. Richard Quinn literally put lawmakers on the payroll of his consulting firm, working with now-former state Reps. Tracy Edge and Jim Harrison to peddle influence on certain legislation that would benefit his private industry clients. “[Quinn] used legislators, groomed legislators, and inspired legislators and others to violate multiple provisions of the state ethics act so they could all make money,” Pascoe told a judge.

Texas: Lawmakers Accept $1.5 Million While Passing Governor’s Agenda
Texas Monitor – Andrew McLemore | Published: 10/19/2017

During this summer’s special session of the Texas Legislature, the state’s top elected officials collected more than $1.5 million in campaign contributions. The lion’s share of those dollars went to Gov. Greg Abbott, who accepted nearly $900,000 during the two-month special session. State law prohibits campaign contributions during regular sessions but say nothing about accepting money during the special session. Some legislators see a conflict-of-interest in this practice and abstain. Most do not. Of the 183 officials involved in the legislative process, 103 reported campaign contributions during the special session.

Virginia: Ed Gillespie’s Lobbying Career Included Work for Firms with Vast Interests in Virginia
Washington Post – Beth Reinhardt | Published: 10/19/2017

If he is elected governor of Virginia, Ed Gillespie would face decisions in which the public’s interests may conflict with the interests of companies that have paid his firms millions of dollars collectively for lobbying and consulting services, and that could hire him again. Gillespie closed his consulting firm, Ed Gillespie Strategies, shortly before launching his campaign in January. The Republican nominee has no current financial interests in the companies, such as stock holdings, and he and his wife would put their personal investments in a blind trust if elected.

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.

October 26, 2017 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

Tempe to Consider Ballot Measure Restricting Dark Money

Tempe City Council will vote next month on whether to send a ballot measure to voters next March seeking tighter restrictions on independent expenditures. The Sunshine Ordinance would require groups making independent expenditures over $1,000 to disclose their organization name and source of funding. […]

Thursday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Wednesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Tuesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News Roundup

News You Can Use Digest – November 3, 2017

Thursday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Wednesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Bill Introduced Banning Corporate Contributions in British Columbia’s Municipal Elections

Tuesday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

Santa Fe City Council to hold Public Hearings on Campaign Finance and Procurement Code Bills

California Governor Signs Bill to Modify Contribution Definition and Behested Payment Provisions

Monday’s Government and Ethics News Roundup

News You Can Use Digest – October 27, 2017

Tempe to Consider Ballot Measure Restricting Dark Money

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