September 11, 2012 •
Tuesday News Roundup
Take a look at these lobbying, campaign finance, and social media articles:
Lobbying
“ALEC Finds New Friends” by Janie Lorber in Roll Call.
Arizona: “Ex-Fiesta Bowl lobbyist takes plea deal in probe” by Craig Harris in the Arizona Republic.
Campaign Finance
“Appeals court upholds Illinois campaign disclosure law” by Nate Raymond (Reuters) in the Chicago Tribune.
Minnesota: “Minnesota to keep enforcing campaign disclosure law; federal judge called part of it ‘onerous’” by Martiga Lohn (Associated Press) in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
“Nonstop Fundraising Stretch Starts” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.
“Rahm Emanuel suspends super PAC fundraising” by Kenneth P. Vogel in Politico.
“Shop Talk: Celebrating Campaign Women” by Kyle Trygstad in Roll Call.
“Look-alike sites funnel big money to mystery PAC” by Shaqne Goldmacher in NextGov.
“Corporate Contributions and Disclosure” editorial in the New York Times.
Social Media
“Twitter adopts new targeting method for advertisers” by Steve Friess in Politico.
“Cementing social media’s place in the campaign world” in Campaigns & Elections.
“Social-Media Insights Inspired By Barack Obama, America’s First Truly Social President” by Amber Mac in Fast Company.
“Nine Tech Tips for Starting a New Government Job” by Mark Micheli in Government Executive.
“Social Media Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Government Career” by Mark Malseed in OhMyGov!
September 10, 2012 •
Ask the Experts – Election Year Compliance
Here is your chance to “Ask the Experts” at State and Federal Communications, Inc.
Q. Are there any additional compliance requirements of which to be aware because this is a Presidential election year?
A. In a word, no. However, given the substantial increase in federal, state, and local contributions, it is important to keep in mind some compliance basics during an election year:
- Be aware of what restrictions exist in a specific jurisdiction regarding pre-election contributions and/or communications. Several states have laws restricting contributions within a certain time period of an election. Federally, there are time-period restrictions associated with election communications;
- Track reportable contributions that may only come into play during an election year. For instance, at the federal level, contributions made to an inaugural committee are reportable on the LD-203;
- The same gift laws apply leading up to an election as the rest of the year. Understand the definition of a gift as it relates to a “covered official” from any given jurisdiction and don’t violate it because you happen to be attending an election-related activity, including conventions;
- Most jurisdictions have personal, corporate and/or PAC contribution limits. Be diligent in monitoring contributions so as not to surpass those limits;
- Don’t rely on a “covered official” from any jurisdiction to know his/her jurisdiction’s limits or restrictions. Be proactive in determining restrictions ahead of time; and
- Consider implementing “Election Year” guidelines within your organization to keep everyone on the same page.
In an election year, the increase in activity coupled with jurisdictional differences can make compliance a little trickier. By following these fundamental guidelines, you are more likely to ensure that at the end of the day you can say, “I Comply.” As always, should you have any questions regarding your compliance efforts, don’t hesitate to refer to State and Federal Communication’s on-line source books or contact us directly.
You can directly submit questions for this feature, and we will select those most appropriate and answer them here. Send your questions to: marketing@stateandfed.com.
(We are always available to answer questions from clients that are specific to your needs, and we encourage you to continue to call or e-mail us with questions about your particular company or organization. As always, we will confidentially and directly provide answers or information you need.) Our replies to your questions are not legal advice. Instead, these replies represent our analysis of laws, rules, and regulations.
September 10, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – September 10, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Republicans Losing Election Law War as Campaign Ramps Up
Federal:
Parties Raise Record Cash after ‘Soft Money’ Ban
Politics and Truth: Uneasy partners, easy enemies
From the States and Municipalities:
California: Campaigns against Proposition 8 Fined $80,000 for Reporting Violations
District of Columbia: D.C. Corporate Donations Ban Won’t Be on November Ballot
Georgia: Oversight Weak on Expense System for Georgia Lawmakers
Massachusetts: Lobbyists Sue Galvin Over Disclosure Rule
Minnesota: Court Quashes Part of Minnesota’s Campaign Finance Law
Montana: Denny Rehberg, GOP Senate Candidate, Said Lobbyists Are ‘Solution,’ Government Is ‘Enemy’
New York: New York Ethics Inquiry Won’t Look at Speaker’s Actions
New York: NY Super PAC Disclosures May Miss 2012 Elections
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 31, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 31, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Voters Still Tuned in to Traditional News Media, Poll Finds
Federal:
Four-Day Political Conventions Could Be a Thing of the Past
GOP Plank in 2012 Platform Wants to Leave Campaign Spending Alone
From the States and Municipalities:
California
California Lawmakers Say ‘No Gifts, Please’ But Accept Them Anyway
Colorado
Court Rules against Gessler in Campaign Change
District of Columbia
New D.C. Campaign Finance Reform Would Ban Lobbyist Bundling
Iowa
Trust Donation Rules Spelled Out
New York
Lawmaker-Lobby Guidelines Emerge
South Carolina
Former South Carolina Governor Confirms Engagement to Argentine Ex-Mistress
Texas
Court Blocks Texas Voter ID Law, Citing Racial Impact
Washington
Campaign Finance Watchdog: Churches can’t be intermediary for gay marriage referendum money
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 30, 2012 •
Campaign Finance and Ethics in the News
Keep up with the latest news with these campaign finance, ethics, and social media articles:
Campaign Finance
“Obama calls for constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United” by Byron Tau in Politico.
New York: “Candidates who didn’t file financial disclosure listed here” by Rick Karlin in Capitol Confidential.
Ethics
South Carolina: “‘Unusual alliance’ calls for tougher state ethics laws” by Andrew Shain in The State.
Social Media
“Answers from Barack Obama’s ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Reddit” by Micah L. Sifry on TechPresident.
“Obama vows to fight for Internet freedom on Reddit” by Joseph Marks in NextGov.
“Welcome to Excellence in Government Online” by Bryan Klopack in Government Executive.
August 30, 2012 •
California’s San Bernardino County Sets Contribution Limits
$3,900 limit and $10,000 disclosure requirement begin in 2013.
The Board of Supervisors has adopted an ordinance limiting campaign contributions for all county elective office candidates, and increasing public disclosure requirements for independent expenditures.
The new ordinance limits contributions to $3,900 per election cycle from a single source, including corporations, special interest groups, and individuals. The ordinance also requires all county candidates and independent expenditure committees to electronically report contributions and expenditures exceeding $10,000.
The ordinance goes into effect January 1, 2013.
Seal of San Bernardino County courtesy of Jetijones on Wikipedia.
August 29, 2012 •
Wednesday Lobbying and Campaign Finance News
Also government ethics, redistricting, and social media
Lobbying
“The Art of Going Corporate at Political Conventions” by Diane Brady in Bloomberg Business Week.
“K Street preps for Hurricane Isaac” by Dave Levinthal in Politico.
“Lobbyists, businesses pamper New Jersey delegates with food, parties” by Melissa Hayes in The Record.
District of Columbia: “New D.C. Campaign Finance Reform Would Ban Lobbyist Bundling” in the Blog of the Legal Times.
New York: “Lawmaker-lobby guidelines emerge” by Rick Karlin in the Albany Times Union.
Ottawa, Canada: “New lobby registry looks easy as pie” by Joanne Chianello in the Ottawa Citizen.
Campaign Finance
California: “Unleashing the Campaign Contributions of Corporations” by Eduardo Porter in The New York Times.
Pennsylvania: “With money to burn, Fitzpatrick won’t limit spending” by Gary Weckselblatt in The Intelligencer.
Washington: “Churches can’t be intermediary for gay-marriage law donations, watchdog says” by Rachel La Corte (Associated Press) in The Olympian.
Ethics
Illinois: “Emanuel appointees propose more oversight on ethics” by Hal Dardick in the Chicago Tribune.
New York: “NY ethics board hires another Cuomo aide” by The Associated Press in the Utica Observer Dispatch.
New York: “Silver’s Sexual-Harassment Payout May Get New York Ethics Review” by Freeman Klopott in Bloomberg Business Week.
New York: “New York Can’t Escape Corruption as Senator Huntley Indicted” by Freeman Klopott and David McLaughlin (Bloomberg) in the San Francisco Chronicle.
North Carolina: “Dalton rolls out ethics package, term limits” by Travis Fain in the Greensboro News and Record.
Utah: “Utah cities, counties, guv preparing for new ethics commission law” by Cathy McKitrick in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Redistricting
Arizona: “Ariz. GOP: Redistricting commission’s existence illegal” by Howard Fischer in East Valley Tribune.
Texas: “Texas redistricting plan ruled illegal” by Gary Martin and Gary Scharrer in the San Antonio Express-News.
Social Media
“Ann Romney Was Most-Searched, Most-Tweeted Tuesday Night Speaker” by Alex Fitzpatrick in Mashable.
August 29, 2012 •
D.C. Mayor Proposes Campaign Finance Reform
Public comment to be open until September 17th
Mayor Vincent Gray and Attorney General Irvin Nathan have introduced a proposal for an overhaul of the city’s campaign finance laws. The proposal includes pay-to-pay provisions that will limit when contractors may contribute to public officials. It will also make electronic disclosure mandatory and increase the disclosures already in place. The proposal would also ban lobbyists from bundling political contributions.
These proposed reforms come at a time when the district has been inflicted with a rash of campaign scandals, including one involving Mayor Gray’s campaign.
The proposal will now go through a public comment period until September 17th. At that point, the proposal will be formally sent to the district council.
Photo of the John A. Wilson Building by Awiseman on Wikipedia.
August 27, 2012 •
FEC Advisory Opinion Addresses “Expressly Advocating”
Not All Issues Resolved
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) issued an advisory opinion offering limited guidance on what type of solicitations for political contributions are permissible and what type of advertisements qualify as expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate.
In Advisory Opinion 2012-27, the FEC found two of four proposed donation requests permissible. The Commission also concluded three of seven proposed advertisements did not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified federal candidate.
The remaining advertising and donation requests were not decided by the FEC because it lacked the required four affirmative votes for agreement.
August 27, 2012 •
Monday News Roundup
Here are the latest campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics articles to start your week:
Campaign Finance
Tennessee: “TN nears record for political donations” by Paul C. Barton in The Tennessean.
“Obama Outpaces Romney in Small-Dollar Donations” by Jonathan D. Salant in Bloomberg Business Week.
“Super PACs see GOP convention in Tampa as a fundraising opportunity” by Chris Moody in Yahoo News.
“Convention Contributions Down and More Discreet” by Janie Lorber in Roll Call.
“Romney ‘absolutely’ would return to public funding in ’16” by Darren Samuelsohn in Politico.
Lobbying
California: “20 California lawmakers accepted gifts despite ‘no-gift’ signs” by The Associated Press in the Mercury News.
New York: “Opponent hints McDonald is lobbyist” by Jimmy Vielkind in the Albany Times Union.
“The 10 Lobbying Firms That Rake In The Most Money” by Abby Rogers in Business Insider.
“Convention is not siren call for K Street firms” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Ethics
“N.Y Can’t Escape Corruption as Senator Says She’ll Be Arrested” by Freeman Klopott and David McLaughlin in Bloomberg News.
August 24, 2012 •
News You Can Use Digest – August 24, 2012
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Skinny-Dipping in Israel Casts Unwanted Spotlight on Congressional Travel
Text ‘GIVE’ to Obama: President’s campaign launches cell phone donation drive
Twitter’s Role in the Upcoming Conventions
From the States and Municipalities:
California
Higher Lobbyist Fees Approved to Fix Campaign Finance Database
California
San Bernardino County: Contribution limits approved
Florida
Campaign Vendors Say Republican Congressman David Rivera Funded Democrat’s Failed Primary Bid
Illinois
Illinois House Expels Rep. Derrick Smith over Bribery Charge
Minnesota
Donor against Marriage Amendment Will Remain Unnamed
Missouri
Akin Says He’ll Stay in Senate Race, Heightening Tension within GOP
New Hampshire
Most Campaign Money Remains Hidden in New Hampshire
New York
Gifts End in $1.7 Million Deal
North Carolina
Despite Laws, NC Legislators Still Ask Lobbyists for Money
Oregon
Oregon Political Social Scene a Thing of the Past
Pennsylvania
Report Faults Ethics Board: Small staff and lack of authority cited
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
August 23, 2012 •
Obama Campaign Accepts Text Donations and Other Campaign Finance News
Enjoy these articles in today’s campaign finance news summary:
“Text ‘GIVE’ to Obama: President’s campaign launches cellphone donation drive” by Dan Eggen in The Washington Post.
“Super PAC Contributions Top $300 Million, Most Goes To GOP Groups” by Paul Blumenthal in the Huffington Post.
California: “L.A. campaign finance overhaul scaled back by City Council members” in the Los Angeles Times.
New Jersey: “N.J. judge: Former Newark mayor violated campaign finance laws” by Phil Gregory in Newsworks New Jersey.
August 22, 2012 •
Two New Apps Can Identify Political Ads
Sunlight Foundation’s Ad Hawk and Glassy Media’s Super PAC App
You now have two new tools for identifying who is behind a political ad that you see on TV. The Sunlight Foundation has released Ad Hawk and Glassy Media has offered Super PAC App. Both tools can listen to an ad and tell you what group is responsible for it, and Super PAC App can even point you to Politifact and FactCheck to weigh the facts surrounding the claims of the ad.
The apps are available for iPhone and Android devices.
For full news coverage, be sure to read:
“New apps can instantly identify political ads” by Brendan Sasso in The Hill.
“’Super PAC App’ knows when political ads stretch the truth” by John D. Sutter in CNN.com.
“Who’s Behind That Political Ad? This App Tells You” by Alex Fitzpatrick in Mashable.
August 22, 2012 •
San Bernardino County Approves Campaign Contribution Limits
$3,900 limit for supervisors and countywide candidates
The Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved campaign contribution limits to take effect January 1, 2013. The ordinance subjects supervisors and countywide candidates to the same limits as state legislative candidates at $3,900 per election cycle from individuals and $7,800 from small contributor committees.
Contributions or expenditures of $10,000 or more to candidates and independent expenditure committees will now be disclosed electronically. Currently, state law requires disclosure for amounts greater than $50,000 for state and independent committees, but no requirements are in place for local races.
The ordinance goes before the board again Tuesday, August 28, 2012 for adoption.
Seal of San Bernardino County, California by Jetijones on Wikipedia.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.