July 15, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: “Former County Clerk-Recorder, State Assemblyman Canciamilla Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Theft, Perjury Charges” by Bay City News Service for DanvilleSanRamon.com Elections Arizona: “Fann Says Audit Team, Maricopa County Have Different Ballot Totals” by Jeremy Duda for […]

July 14, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: “Charity and Politics: California elected officials would have to disclose their connections under proposed rule” by Laurel Rosenhall for CalMatters.org Elections National: “‘Get on the Team or Shut Up’: How Trump created an army of GOP enforcers” […]

July 13, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Michigan: “Mayor Defends Using Campaign Funds on Daughter’s Wedding, Argues It Doubled as Campaign Event” by Natalie Colarossi (Newsweek) for MSN Ohio: “Dem Star Nina Turner Blows Pledge Not to Take Lobbyist Money” by Roger Sollenberger (Daily Beast) […]

July 12, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Toyota Stops Donations to Election Objectors After PAC Takes Ads Out Against Company” by Riley Beggin for Detroit News National: “Attorneys General in 4 States Looking into Online Fundraising Practices of Both Major Parties” by Steve Thompson […]

July 9, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – July 9, 2021

National/Federal 6 Months After Capitol Assault, Corporate Pledges Fall Flat ABC News – David Klepper (Associated Press) | Published: 7/4/2021 After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, corporate America took a stand against the lies that powered the mob. Dozens of […]

National/Federal

6 Months After Capitol Assault, Corporate Pledges Fall Flat
ABC News – David Klepper (Associated Press) | Published: 7/4/2021

After the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, corporate America took a stand against the lies that powered the mob. Dozens of big companies, citing their commitment to democracy, pledged to avoid donating money to the 147 lawmakers who objected to the certification of Joe Biden’s victory on the false grounds that voting fraud stole the election from Donald Trump. Six months later, many of those companies have resumed funneling cash to PACs that benefit the election efforts of lawmakers whether they objected to the election certification or not. When it comes to seeking political influence through corporate giving, business as usual is back, if it ever left.

Deal of the Art: White House grapples with ethics of Hunter Biden’s pricey paintings
MSN – Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 7/7/2021

Under an agreement with the White House, a gallery owner is planning to set prices for Hunter Biden’s artwork and will withhold all records, including potential bidders and final buyers. The owner also agreed to reject any offer he deems suspicious or that comes in over the asking price. It is an attempt to avoid ethical issues that could arise as President Biden’s son tries to sell a product with a highly subjective value. Not only has Hunter Biden previously been accused of trading in on his name, but his latest vocation is in a field where works do not have a fixed value and where concerns have arisen about secretive buyers and undisclosed sums.

Hunt for Capitol Attackers Still on 6 Months After Jan. 6
MSN – Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Kunzleman (Associated Press) | Published: 7/6/2021

The first waves of arrests in the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol focused on the easy targets. Dozens in the pro-Trump mob openly bragged about their actions on January 6 on social media and were captured in shocking footage broadcast live by national news outlets. But six months after the insurrection, the Justice Department is still hunting for scores of rioters, even as the first of more than 500 people already arrested have pleaded guilty. The struggle reflects the massive scale of the investigation and the grueling work still ahead for authorities in the face of an increasing effort by some Republican lawmakers to rewrite what happened that day.

Interns ‘Literally Couch Surf’ in DC. But More Pay Could Be on the Way
MSN – Jim Saska (Roll Call) | Published: 6/30/2021

A Washington, D.C. internship can open doors for career paths in Congress, the federal government, and the government-industrial complex of think tanks, law firms, and lobbying shops, if you can afford it. That “if” – a massive one for kids whose parents cannot cover the cost of a few months of the city’s sky-high rents and overpriced eateries – may get a bit smaller next year, as the House Appropriations Committee advanced a pair of spending bills bumping allocations for paying interns. The reception he gets could help answer some questions about life in Washington after Trump.

Political Spending Proposals Gain Traction in Proxy Season
MSN – Keith Lewis (Roll Call) | Published: 7/1/2021

Shareholder proposals seeking to increase transparency on publicly traded companies’ political activities won in record numbers this proxy season. Investors gave strong support to measures asking corporate boards to disclose more about company campaign contributions and lobbying. Consistent upward trends in the number and success of political activity disclosure efforts over the past few proxy seasons demonstrate the Securities and Exchange Commission needs to establish a framework for environment, social, and governance disclosure, according to Bruce Freed, president of the Center for Political Accountability.

Rudy Giuliani Is Being Scrutinized for Foreign Lobbying. He May Have Been One of Many in the Trump White House.
Center for Responsive Politics – Maggie Hicks | Published: 7/7/2021

Foreign agents reported being paid more than $30.5 million to influence U.S. policy or public opinion on behalf of Turkish interests during the Trump administration. The Justice Department has reportedly launched an inquiry into Rudolph Giuliana that may reveal even more undisclosed lobbying. In 2017, the Turkish government signed a contract with Greenberg Traurig, where Giuliani was a partner from 2016 to 2018. Turkey also hired Ballard Partners. The firm’s president, Brian Ballard, was vice chair of Trump’s inaugural committee and was a member of his transition team.

Sober Inquiry or Slash-and-Burn? McCarthy at a Jan. 6 Crossroads
Yahoo News – Olivia Beavers (Politico) | Published: 7/7/2021

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has a choice when it comes to the investigation of the Capitol riot: get serious or sabotage the process. His options are not necessarily binary, but the path he takes could shape his political future as he eyes the speaker’s gavel. Among Republican members who have lived through two impeachments, some want McCarthy to pick fighters skilled enough to withstand a months-long bombardment from Democrats. But the Republicans most eager to serve on the panel are the party’s firebrands, more practiced at crafting viral clips than they are at making a sustained, credible case against top Democratic oversight practitioners.

Supreme Court Ruling Opens Door to More Campaign Finance Challenges
MSN – Karl Evers-Hillstrom (The Hill) | Published: 7/5/2021

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a California law requiring charities to reveal their donors to state officials. The ruling does not apply to publicly disclosed donors or political groups. But in the majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that disclosure laws must be “narrowly tailored” to important government interests. Experts say the opinion effectively toughens the standard of review for all laws that compel disclosure, including election rules. Rick Hasen, an expert in campaign finance law, said the ruling “calls into question a number of campaign finance disclosure laws” and limits on the amount of money donors can give to candidates.

The Russia Inquiry Ended a Democratic Lobbyist’s Career. He Wants It Back.
New York Times – Kenneth Vogel | Published: 7/8/2021

The collapse of Tony Podesta’s $42-million-a-year lobbying and public relations firm in 2017 amid a federal investigation shook K Street and rendered him toxic, a rare Democratic victim of the Trump-era scandals. But an indictment never came. The Justice Department dropped its investigation, Donald Trump was defeated, and Podesta’s longtime allies took control in Washington. Now Podesta is exploring a return to a landscape he once dominated.

Trump Files Class Action Lawsuits Targeting Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube Over ‘Censorship’ of Conservatives
MSN – Cat Zakrzewski and Rachel Lerman (Washington Post) | Published: 7/7/2021

Former President Trump filed class-action lawsuits targeting Facebook, Google, and Twitter, escalating his long-running battle with the companies following their suspensions of his accounts. Legal experts and business associations immediately criticized the claims, predicting they had little chance of succeeding in court. But the lawsuits raised a series of legal claims that will find favor among Trump’s most fervent supporters who have long argued the social media companies treat conservative voices unfairly.

Trump, Fighting to Toss Out Subpoena, Offered to Give House Democrats Peek at Financial Statements
MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 7/1/2021

Former President Trump has offered to give U.S. House Democrats a peek at financial statements related to his complex business empire from before his 2016 presidential bid and eight years of contracts with his accounting firm but refused to divulge more sensitive source data or internal communications, his lawyers told a federal judge. The disclosure of the offer, made in June in unsuccessful court-ordered mediation, came as Trump urged a federal judge to end a stalemate and toss out a House subpoena for eight years of his financial records, calling the congressional demand unconstitutional and unenforceable.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Court: Mesnard lost immunity with press release
Arizona Capitol Times – Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) | Published: 6/30/2021

State lawmakers have absolute immunity from being sued by those who are the targets of legislative investigative reports, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled. In a unanimous decision, the justices said ousted Rep. Don Shooter has no legal right to pursue a defamation lawsuit against then-House Speaker J.D. Mesnard for publishing a report by an outside legal team that concluded Shooter was guilty of violating a “zero tolerance” policy against sexual harassment. But the court said lawmakers lose that immunity when they start publishing press releases about what they do. that includes writing about and explaining the official report.

Arizona – Judge Questions Claim the Public Has No Right to Know Who’s Paying for Ariz. Election Audit
Arizona Daily Star – Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Servies) | Published: 7/7/2021

A judge questioned a state Senate attorney’s claim that the public has no right to know who is paying for the 2020 election audit in Arizona, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Kemp pointed out that Senate President Karen Fann has said the Senate, in hiring an outside firm to conduct the audit, was performing “this important constitutional duty.” Fann’s attorney, Kory Langhofer, claims the Arizona Constitution pretty much forbids judicial second-guessing of how the Senate conducts its business, and whether it is complying with the law.

California – Former S.F. Leaders Tied to Corruption Scandal Are Collecting Pensions
MSN – Megan Cassidy (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 7/3/2021

Three former San Francisco officials who resigned in the wake of corruption allegations still receive city pensions. With few exceptions, city workers cannot lose their pensions unless they are convicted of and sentenced for a crime of “moral turpitude,” according to city law. In recent decades, such instances have been extremely rare in San Francisco, and it could be years before the three respective cases are adjudicated.

California – Gavin Newsom Recall Election Date Officially Set: California voters to cast ballots in September
MSN – Lara Kote (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 7/2/2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election on September 14, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis announced. Her declaration follows more than a year of petition-gathering and campaigning fueled, in part, by outrage over the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Newsom is enjoying the fruits of an overflowing state bank account and the reopening of California after the pandemic.

California – Lobbyist Seeks $2M Fee for Work on Behalf of Insurer That Donated to State’s Insurance Regulator
San Diego Union Tribune – Jeff McDonald | Published: 7/4/2021

A contract dispute being waged in a courtroom is complicating the re-election plans for California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, who two years ago suspended all fundraising amid a campaign finance scandal. The lawsuit involves Lara’s one-time boss and political mentor, former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. It also includes Rusty Areias, another former state lawmaker who now works as a Sacramento lobbyist. Mercury Public Affairs, where Nunez is a partner, and Areias are plaintiffs in a case demanding $2 million in lobbying and consulting fees from Applied Underwriters.

California – She Was a Watchdog over L.A. Politicians. But They Had Power Over Her Raise
MSN – Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 7/6/2021

The duties of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission kept growing during Heather Holt’s tenure as executive director, and she believed the salary for her position should go up as well. But to get that increase, she needed approval from the city’s elected officials. Holt never received that raise, which became a casualty of the economic crisis that followed the outbreak of COVID-19. But her behind-the-scenes campaign highlights an uncomfortable fact about the city’s ethics agency – it operates at the mercy of officials it is charged with policing.

Georgia – Atlanta City Clerk to Halt Removal of Candidates’ Info from Documents After Legal Questions
SaportaReport.com – John Ruch | Published: 6/30/2021

The Atlanta municipal clerk’s office for years has redacted the contact information of candidates from campaign finance documents in an online database, a practice one open-records expert called unlawful and defeating the purpose of transparency. In response to questions about the practice, Municipal Clerk Foris Webb III said the redactions will be halted and existing ones undone. Some municipal candidates also file reports in a state system that does not redact information, and there may be other ways to locate candidates online.

Georgia – Federal Judge Declines to Block Portions of Georgia Election Law
MSN – Rebecca Beitsch (The Hill) | Published: 7/7/2021

A federal judge in Georgia declined to strike down portions of the state’s controversial voter law ahead of run-off elections. The decision from U.S. District Court Judge Jean-Paul Boulee did not weigh in on some of the most controversial aspects of the law, nor did it strike down a portion of the statute that changes the deadline for requesting absentee ballots. It also did not a provision on election observation. Boulee said because the plaintiffs are seeking to challenge the voting law ahead of a run-off election, doing so would “change the election administration rules for elections that are already underway.”

Idaho – Idaho Freedom Foundation Official Fined for Breaking Lobbyist Registration Law
Idaho Education News – Audrey Dutton (Idaho Capital Sun) | Published: 7/2/2021

Dustin Hurst, vice president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, was fined $250 for lobbying on the state’s higher education budget without first registering. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that advocates for limited government. It created an organization in recent years called Idaho Freedom Action, with the same staff and offices. Hurst is the registered agent for both organizations, according to Secretary of State records.

Illinois – Ald. Carrie Austin and Chief of Staff Indicted on Bribery Charges for Allegedly Accepting Home Improvements from Developer
Yahoo News – Gregory Pratt and Megan Crepeau (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 7/1/2021

Under a cloud for two years since her ward office was raided by federal agents, Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin was indicted on federal bribery charges along with her chief of staff. Austin and her top aide, Chester Wilson, shepherded a new real-estate development through City Hall bureaucracy and were given home-improvement perks from a developer seeking to influence them, the indictment alleges. Between them, they allegedly got new kitchen cabinets, granite countertops, bathroom tiling, sump pumps, and an HVAC system for free or at a discount.

Indiana – Judge Letting Indiana’s Governor Sue to Block Emergency Law
MSN – Tom Davies (Associated Press) | Published: 7/6/2021

A judge sided with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb in a dispute between top state Republicans over whether he can proceed with a lawsuit challenging the increased power state legislators gave themselves to intervene during public health emergencies. Holcomb argues the law passed by is unconstitutional because it gives lawmakers a new power to call themselves into a special legislative “emergency session” during statewide emergencies declared by the governor. Holcomb and some legal experts maintain the state constitution only allows the governor to call the Legislature into special session after its annual session ends.

Louisiana – Ex-Charter School Board Member Faces $16K Ethics Fine Over Loan; He Says He Was Just Trying to Help
New Orleans Advocate – Charles Lussier | Published: 7/7/2021

A former board member of the defunct Laurel Oaks Charter School in Baton Rouge has been ordered to pay a total of $16,000 for making a $15,000 loan to the school in fall 2018 and then pocketing $4,000 in interest. Joseph Wicker said he was just trying to help the struggling school make payroll and retain staff. The Louisiana Board of Ethics in June resolved a separate case from the same school, which state officials closed in 2019 after just three years in operation over concerns about the safety of students and questionable financial practices.

Michigan – Michigan GOP, Weiser Agree to Pay $200,000 to Resolve Campaign Finance Probe
Detroit News – Craig Mauger | Published: 7/2/2021

The Michigan Republican Party agreed to pay $200,000 to resolve a campaign finance complaint that claimed Chairperson Ron Weiser used party funds to lure a secretary of state candidate out of a race in 2018. The allegations surfaced in February when-then Chairperson Laura Cox accused Weiser of orchestrating a “secret deal” with Stan Grot to get Grot to drop out of the GOP’ race for secretary of state. The deal involved $200,000 in payments from the party’s undisclosed administrative account to Grot, said Cox, who lost to Weiser in her reelection bid days after she made the claims against him.

Minnesota – Sitting Lawmakers Will No Longer Be Able to Work as Lobbyists as New Law Takes Aim at GOP Leader
Minnesota Reformer – Ricardo Lopez | Published: 7/1/2021

Sitting state lawmakers will no longer be able to work as lobbyists, after a Republican amendment taking aim at Minnesota House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt was adopted as part of a broader tax bill. The measure will outlaw such work arrangements and comes more than a year after Daudt raised eyebrows by announcing his job with Stateside Associates, a Virginia-based lobbying firm. Daudt has defended his job, saying he would not lobby the Minnesota Legislature. The job announcement as director of public affairs said he would not be involved in lobbying at all.

Mississippi – Mississippi Elected Officials, Candidates Owe Thousands in Unpaid Campaign Finance Fines
Mississippi Daily Journal – Luke Ramseth and Taylor Vance | Published: 7/1/2021

Mississippi politicians and candidates are required by law to file campaign finance reports, which reveal who is giving them money and how they are spending it, but many are not doing so. In hundreds of cases since 2018, state-level candidates and elected officials ignored or overlooked this basic transparency requirement. The vast majority of the time, they did not pay their fines, which ranged from $50 to $500. Since 2018, unpaid campaign finance fines outnumber paid ones nearly three-to-one. Officeholders and candidates have stiffed the state out of nearly $150,000 by either refusing to pay their fine or not realizing one had been levied.

Montana – How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans
New York Times – Maggie Astor | Published: 7/6/2021

It has been less than a century since Native Americans in the U.S. gained the right to vote by law, and they never attained the ability to do so easily in practice. New restrictions – ballot collection bans, earlier registration deadlines, stricter voter ID laws, and more – are likely to make it harder, and the starkest consequences may be seen in places like Montana: sprawling, sparsely populated Western and Great Plains states where Native Americans have a history of playing decisive roles in close elections.

New York – Eric Adams Wins Democratic Primary in NYC’s Mayoral Race
MSN – Karen Matthews (Associated Press) | Published: 7/6/2021

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City after appealing to the political center and promising to strike the right balance between fighting crime and ending racial injustice in policing. A former police captain, Adams would be the city’s second Black mayor if elected. He triumphed over a large field in New York’s first major race to use ranked choice voting. Adams will be the prohibitive favorite in the general election against Curtis Sliwa, the Republican founder of the Guardian Angels. Democrats outnumber Republicans seven-to-one in New York City.

New York – Ethics Commissioners Seek Reopening of Cuomo Leak Probe
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 7/7/2021

Three members of the New York Joint Commission on Ethics (JCOPE) want an investigation reopened into who illegally leaked confidential information to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie acknowledged receiving a berating from Cuomo shortly after a JCOPE meeting in January 2019. The governor was apparently irate about how Heastie’s appointees voted in a confidential proceeding that day on whether to investigate the possible misuse of government resources of a former top Cuomo aide, Joseph Percoco. It is a misdemeanor to leak information about JCOPE’s confidential deliberations.

New York – Prosecutors Say Spreadsheets from Trump Organization Offer a Road Map for Its Indictment. Where the Investigation Goes Now Is the Question.
MSN – David Fahrenthold, Jonathan O’Connell, Shayna Jacobs, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 7/4/2021

Prosecutors said the Trump Organization provided a road map for its own indictment. They claimed the company spent 15 years paying its chief financial officer “off the books,” giving him cars, an apartment, tuition payments, and cash that were hidden from income tax authorities. But at the same time, according to an indictment, the company was keeping spreadsheets that tallied the payments being hidden. Prosecutors treated the spreadsheets as the accounting equivalent of a confession. Yet the indictment left many questions unanswered. Still, legal experts say, the spreadsheets could cast a shadow over the former president and his company.

New York – Trump Organization Prosecutors Confront Accusations of Political Bias
MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 7/2/2021

The Trump Organization wasted little time before denouncing the indictment of its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, and condemning state authorities in New York for their “scorched earth attempt to harm” the corporation’s figurehead, former President Trump. Former prosecutors and legal experts who have watched the investigation, a joint pursuit by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James, rejected Trump’s assertion his company and close adviser are being pursued as part of a political vendetta. Still, the investigation’s political overtones are inescapable.

Ohio – Cincinnati’s Anti-Corruption Task Force Reveals Recommendations. Now It Wants to Hear from You.
MSN – Sharon Coolidge (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 7/7/2021

Cincinnati’s anti-corruption task force unveiled its initial recommendations. Among them: forbidding campaign contributions from developers while their proposals are before city council and disclosing any PAC accounts under a candidates’ control. Those recommendations are at the heart of the corruption cases brought against three council members in 2020.

Oregon – Nearman Loses Bid for Oregon House Seat to Former Aide Ahead of Court Date
The Center Square – Tim Gruver | Published: 7/7/2021

Former Rep. Mike Nearman will see his Oregon House seat go to his onetime aide, Anna Scharf, after being handily refused reappointment. Nearman had campaigned to reclaim the seat he was expelled from in June for helping a violent right-wing mob into the Oregon Capitol in December. But Nearman found himself on the outs with the county commissioners who chose Scharf to represent House District 23. Answering questions from commissioners, Scharf cited homelessness and government overreach as chief concerns for the district.

Pennsylvania – Ethics Panel Closes Investigation into Former Pa. Victim Advocate Jennifer Storm
Spotlight PA – Angela Couloumbis | Published: 7/6/2021

After a year-long investigation, the state Ethics Commission found Jennifer Storm, Pennsylvania’s former chief advocate for crime victims, did not trade on her high-profile public position to benefit her personal business ventures. Storm agreed to technical violations of the ethics law, closing out an inquiry she believes was instigated by political enemies as payback for her outspoken advocacy in prominent cases. Storm must amend her annual statements of financial interest and pay a $3,000 fine for failing to disclose airfare, lodging, or income associated with two conferences she attended, as well as rental income.

South Carolina – Richard Quinn, Once a Powerful SC GOP Consultant, Faces New Charges in Corruption Probe
Charleston Post and Courier – Avery Wilks | Published: 7/2/2021

A state grand jury hit longtime political consultant Richard Quinn Sr. with a new round of criminal charges, signaling South Carolina’s years-long investigation into statehouse corruption is ongoing. The new indictment charges Quinn with 12 counts of perjury and two counts of obstruction of justice. Most of the charges accuse the longtime power broker of lying to the state grand jury in order to cover up potential wrongdoing by his political operation.

South Carolina – SC Judges Remain on the Bench for Years Despite Alleged Crimes, Ethical Lapses
Charleston Post and Courier – Joseph Cranney and Avery Wilks | Published: 7/1/2021

South Carolina’s secretive, slow-moving system for policing its judges allows the accused to remain on the bench for years despite serious questions about their character and impartiality, a media investigation found. The Disciplinary Counsel’s office, an investigative arm of the state Supreme Court, receives more than 200 complaints against the state’s judges each year. But those investigations almost never lead to a judge being removed or publicly reprimanded. It is one of myriad ways that South Carolina allows government officials to police themselves and escape public scrutiny.

Texas – Texas Special Session Brings Election Law Back into Spotlight
CBS News – Adam Brewster and Ed O’Keefe | Published: 7/7/2021

Texas lawmakers returned to Austin for a special session that is expected to put the state’s battle over voting rights back in the national spotlight. The special session comes several weeks after House Democrats staged a walkout to defeat a bill that would have overhauled election laws. The final version of Senate Bill 7 provides an indication of what lawmakers are going to focus on. That bill would have set limits on the hours that early voting can be conducted, banned drive-through voting, added new requirements for mail voting, and made it a felony for public officials to send unsolicited absentee ballot applications.

Utah – 11 Anti-Mask Protesters Charged with Disrupting Granite School Board Meeting
MSN – Courtney Taylor (Salt Lake Tribune) | Published: 7/6/2021

Anti-mask protesters who forced an early end to a school board meeting in May after they stormed the room and shouted obscenities at board members are now facing criminal charges. Granite School District confirmed that 11 people have been charged with disrupting a public meeting, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Police are still searching for a 12th person who was allegedly involved in the confrontation with individuals aggressively pushing for the district to not require face masks in schools.

Washington DC – Jack Evans Agrees to Payment Plan for Ethics Fines
Washington City Paper – Mitch Ryals | Published: 7/1/2021

Former District of Columbia Councilperson Jack Evans will pay the city $2,000 per month for the next 26 months, according to a settlement with the city attorney general. The settlement comes after Evans failed to pay the $55,000 that he owes for violating ethics rules while in office. The agreement is the third such document Evans has signed promising to pay up.

Washington DC – Rudy Giuliani Suspended from Practicing Law in Washington, DC
CNN – Katelyn Polantz | Published: 7/7/2021

Rudolph Giuliani’s law license has been suspended in Washington, D.C., after he temporarily lost his license in New York for pushing election lies and that state court system looks further into his case. The appeals court in the District of Columbia said Giuliani would be suspended from working as an attorney in the city “pending outcome” of his situation in New York. Giuliani does not regularly practice law in Washington, but the suspension is still a major blow to the former U.S. attorney and New York City mayor, once considered an accomplished and formidable force in legal circles.

July 7, 2021 • Written by Marilyn Wesel

Minnesota Amends Campaign Finance Laws

Gov Tim Walz, with Lt Gov Peggy Flanagan - by Lorie Shaull

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed House File 1952 amending campaign finance disclosure laws by requiring reporting of contributions, campaign expenditures and independent expenditures made to certain local candidates or ballot issues. The bill defines local candidate as an individual who […]

July 7, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Supreme Court Ruling Opens Door to More Campaign Finance Challenges” by Karl Evers-Hillstrom (The Hill) for MSN Elections Montana: “How G.O.P. Laws in Montana Could Complicate Voting for Native Americans” by Maggie Astor for New York Times […]

July 6, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “6 Months After Capitol Assault, Corporate Pledges Fall Flat” by David Klepper (Associated Press) for ABC News Michigan: “Michigan GOP, Weiser Agree to Pay $200,000 to Resolve Campaign Finance Probe” by Craig Mauger for Detroit News Mississippi: […]

July 2, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – July 2, 2021

National/Federal DOJ-Ordered Foreign Agent Registrations Boost China and Russia’s 2020 FARA Spending Center for Responsive Politics – Anna Massoglia and Maggie Hicks | Published: 6/24/2021 China, Qatar, and Russia dominated the top 10 ranking of countries spending the most on foreign […]

National/Federal

DOJ-Ordered Foreign Agent Registrations Boost China and Russia’s 2020 FARA Spending
Center for Responsive Politics – Anna Massoglia and Maggie Hicks | Published: 6/24/2021

China, Qatar, and Russia dominated the top 10 ranking of countries spending the most on foreign influence, lobbying and propaganda operations targeting the U.S. in 2020, according to Foreign Agents Registration Act records. Much of the spike in reported spending can be attributed to new registrations ordered by the Justice Department. Covington & Burling and Akin Gump were the top grossing U.S. firms paid for foreign lobbying and influence operations last year.

Exxon Lobbyist Concedes Company Fought ‘Against Some of the Science’ in Activist Recording
MSN – Zack Budryk and Rachel Frazen (The Hill) | Published: 6/30/2021

A lobbyist for ExxonMobil conceded the energy giant “aggressively [fought] against some of the science” behind climate change and describes their work against climate efforts with “shadow groups” in undercover footage filmed by an activist group called Unearthed. The footage shows lobbyist Keith McCoy describing the company’s carbon tax stance as simply a “talking point,” adding that he speaks with U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s office weekly.

FEC Reviewing Rules on Salaries, Benefits for Candidates
MSN – Kate Ackley (Roll Call) | Published: 6/29/2021

Nabilah Islam, who lost her bid for Congress in 2020, is calling on the FEC to change the rules to allow candidates to secure a minimum salary and health benefits through their campaigns. She also wants the FEC to set a uniform time frame for when candidates may begin drawing compensation. Candidates now cannot pay themselves more than they were making in the year previous to their run for office, which means unemployed people or stay-at-home caregivers are not entitled to a salary. Reform groups support the effort, saying it would make it easier for a more diverse collection of people to seek public office.

House Votes to Create Select Committee for Investigating Jan. 6 Attack on the Capitol
MSN – Karoun Demirjian (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2021

The House voted to form a select committee tasked with investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol with nearly all Republicans opposing the legislation, a sign of the political challenges that face Democrats as they attempt to probe why thousands of former President Trump’s supporters laid siege to the Capitol complex. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be able to select eight of the 13 panel members herself, including its chairperson, and maintain the power to overrule Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for picking anyone Democrats consider objectionable.

Inside the ‘Shadow Reality World’ Promoting the Lie That the Presidential Election Was Stolen
MSN – Rosalind Helderman, Emma Brown, Tom Hamburger, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 6/24/2021

A loosely affiliated network of figures has harnessed right-wing media outlets, podcasts, and the social media platform Telegram to promote the falsehood that the 2020 election was rigged, a belief that is an animating force inside the Republican Party. These falsehoods are now seeping into civic life, spurring citizens in multiple states to demand local officials review the vote. The echo chamber is being sustained by figures such as Mike Lindell, chief executive of MyPillow, who says he has spent $16 million in the effort. Other untold sums have been donated by ordinary Americans to nonprofit groups that say they are focused on “election integrity.”

Overseeing Federal Housing Agency Resigns, Months After Watchdog Report Finds Abuse of Authority
MSN – Rachel Siegel (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2021

The inspector general overseeing the Federal Housing Finance Agency resigned, two months after a watchdog report alleged that she abused her authority, retaliated against employees, and blocked an investigation into her conduct. The report noted years of complaints against Laura Wertheimer and other staff members, and it ultimately concluded “misconduct of this nature warrants consideration of substantial disciplinary action, up to and including removal.”

Rep. Gosar Denies Knowledge of Fundraiser with Group That Promotes White-Nationalist Ideas Despite Invitation for the Event
MSN – Marrianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2021

U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar denied he plans to attend a fundraiser with a group that promotes white nationalist ideas, despite an invitation for the event circulating online that features the Gosar and Nick Fuentes, a far-right operative who leads America First. The invitation includes contact information for Gosar’s campaign and says it was “paid for by Nicholas Fuentes and authorized by Gosar for Congress Committee.” This would be the second event that Gosar has attended this year with Fuentes, who has previously defended segregation as being “better” for both White and Black Americans and has downplayed the horrors of the Holocaust.

Rudy Giuliani Facing Inquiry into Whether He Lobbied Trump for Turkey
MSN – Christian Berthelsen, Greg Farrell, and Chris Strom (Bloomberg) | Published: 6/29/2021

Rudolph Giuliani is the subject of a Justice Department inquiry into possible foreign lobbying for Turkish interests separate from a criminal probe of his activities in Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. For almost a year, Giuliani has been fielding questions about whether he was acting for Turkey when he pushed the Trump administration in 2017 to drop money-laundering charges against gold trader Reza Zarrab and deport exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Turkey inquiry is not criminal, in contrast to the Ukraine investigation.

The Land Was Worth Millions. A Big Ag Corporation Sold It to Sonny Perdue’s Company for $250,000.
Seattle Times – Desmond Butler (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2021

In February 2017, weeks after then-President Trump selected him to be agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue’s company bought a small grain plant in South Carolina from one of the biggest agricultural corporations in America. The former Georgia governor did not disclose the deal as there was no legal requirement to do so. The Washington Post found Archer-Daniels-Midland sold the land at a small fraction of its estimated value just as it stood to benefit from a friendly secretary of agriculture.

Trump Appointees Allowed Terminated EPA Staffers to Keep Receiving Salaries, Watchdog Report Says
MSN – Amy Wang and Juliet Eilperin (Washington Post) | Published: 6/26/2021

Two former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials intentionally kept two staffers on the payroll and allowed them to continue receiving their salaries even after they were terminated, according to a report from the agency’s watchdog. The report also found the former officials, both appointed by former President Trump, committed other fraudulent payroll-related activities – including one giving the other an improper pay increase – that cost the EPA more than $130,000.

Trump’s Endorsements: Revenge against enemies, rewards for friends and purveyors of election falsehoods
MSN – Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 6/26/2021

How aggressively former President Trump should involve himself in the 2022 midterm elections is a question gripping his orbit as he positions himself for a potential run in 2024. His endorsement is the hottest ticket in Republican primary politics in many states, strategists say. But some around him and in senior positions in the GOP want Trump to give them sparingly, fearful losses and a diminished brand could backfire by allowing Democrats to maintain control of the House and Senate and weaken his standing before the next presidential contest.

Undercover GOP Operatives Trained by Former Spies Infiltrated Liberal Groups to Try and Compromise Them from the Inside, Report Says
Yahoo News – Sonam Sheth and Grace Panetta (Business Insider) | Published: 6/25/2021

A wealthy Republican donor and a former British spy spearheaded an effort to train Republican operatives to go undercover and infiltrate liberal organizations, The New York Times reported. The donor, Erik Prince, is a hardline Trump supporter who founded the private military contractor Blackwater, now known as Academi. Prince worked with a former British spy, Richard Seddon, on a conservative operation to “infiltrate progressive groups, political campaigns and the offices of Democratic as well as moderate Republican elected officials during the 2020 election cycle,” The Times reported, citing interviews and documents.

Unkept Promise on Elections Overhaul Leaves Democrats Scrambling
MSN – Shawn Zeller (Roll Call) | Published: 6/26/2021

Democrats intended the bill to overhaul elections, campaign finance, and ethics law that stalled in the U.S. Senate as a statement of principle to draw a contrast with Republicans. But the measure’s demise is, thus far, demonstrating more fissures in their own party. It has divided progressives who believe democracy cannot survive without its enactment, a president in Joe Biden who has not used his bully pulpit to promote it as much as they would like, and moderate Democrats who do not think it is worth upending the filibuster to overcome GOP opposition.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Arizona’s Maricopa County Will Replace Voting Equipment, Fearful That GOP-Backed Election Review Has Compromised Security
MSN – Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) | Published: 6/28/2021

Arizona’s Maricopa County announced it will replace voting equipment that was turned over to a private contractor for a Republican-commissioned review of the 2020 presidential election, concerned the process compromised the security of the machines. Officials from Maricopa, the state’s largest county and home to Phoenix, provided no estimates of the costs involved but have previously said the machines cost millions of dollars to acquire. The process being used to recount ballots and examine voting machines has been criticized by election experts as sloppy, insecure, and opaque.

Arizona – Legislature Sends Voter Protection Act Change to Ballot
MSN – Bob Christie (Associated Press) | Published: 6/26/2021

Arizona voters will be asked next year to amend the state constitution to give the Legislature more power to change citizen’s initiatives they have approved. The referral approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature would amend the Voter Protection Act. That constitutional provision was approved by the state’s voters in 1998 after lawmakers overturned a 1996 initiative legalizing medical marijuana. The act prevents lawmakers from changing a law passed by initiative unless the change both “furthers the purpose” and obtains a 3/4th vote of the Legislature.

Arizona – Supreme Court Says Arizona Limits Don’t Violate Voting Rights Act
MSN – Ariane de Vogue, Fredreka Schouten, and Chandelis Duster (CNN) | Published: 7/1/2021

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled a pair of Arizona voting restrictions do not run afoul of federal law, dealing a blow to voting rights advocates. The decision comes as a raft of Republican-crafted voting limits are introduced and passed across the country, with Democrats and civil rights groups turning to courts to argue the new measures threaten to suppress the vote of racial minorities. One Arizona policy at issue in the case requires provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct to be discarded. The second measure makes it illegal for most third parties to deliver ballots for others, a practice critics refer to as “ballot harvesting.”

California – Newsom Sues Elections Chief to Call Himself a Democrat on Recall Ballot
Politico – Kevin Yamamura | Published: 6/29/2021

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is suing his own appointed elections chief to get two words next to his name on the recall ballot: Democratic Party. The governor and his staff overlooked paperwork last year that would have allowed him to state his party preference on a recall ballot, according to a legal filing. Secretary of State Shirley Weber has confirmed that proponents had more than enough signatures to qualify the contest, and several ministerial steps remain before the date is confirmed.

California – Online Activism Is Spilling into the Streets of Southern California, Sparking a Post-Trump Movement
MSN – Elizabeth Dwoskin (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2021

For years, social media companies have sought and failed to limit the reach of misinformation and other harmful material spread on their sites. That failure culminated in January when – after months of allowing falsehoods about a stolen election to proliferate – the companies kicked former President Trump, along with tens of thousands of followers, off their platforms for inciting violence during the Capitol insurrection. But six months later, a right-wing movement is reconstituting itself, and once again, it is fueled by social media.

California – Supreme Court Nixes California Disclosure Law in Blow to Dark-Money Opponents
MSN – Josh Gerstein and Zach Montellaro (Roll Call) | Published: 7/1/2021

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of two conservative groups that challenged a California requirement for tax-exempt charities to provide the state the identities of their top financial donors. The ruling could have a political impact, complicating donor-disclosure requirements for groups that often spend large sums in elections but stop short of the “express advocacy” for or against candidates that triggers stricter rules on revealing the sources of donations. Most charities are still required to file lists of donors giving over $5,000 in a year, but the IRS in 2018 dropped the requirement for some politically oriented groups.

Florida – Federal Judge Blocks Florida Law That Would Penalize Social Media Companies
MSN – Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2021

A federal judge blocked a Florida law that would penalize social media companies for blocking a politician]s posts, a blow to conservatives’ efforts to respond to Facebook and other websites’ suspension of former President Trump. The law was due to go into effect July 1, but in issuing a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle suggested the law would be found unconstitutional. The law laid out fines for tech companies that suspended candidates in the run-up to an election.

Florida – No Criminal Charges for Baugh’s Vaccine VIP List. State Judgment on Ethics Comes Next
MSN – Ryan Callahan (Bradenton Herald) | Published: 6/30/2021

A criminal investigation into Manatee County Commissioner Vanessa Baugh’s priority list for COVID-19 vaccinations did not yield any charges, but an ethics board will make a separate ruling on the case. The sheriff’s office said it did not believe Baugh’s order to have herself and four friends vaccinated broke state law, but an investigator said that action “may present certain ethical issues.” Baugh faces at least 18 complaints about the directive. Baugh “knowingly and intentionally attempted to obtain a benefit for herself and others,” but the county’s law enforcement agency does not enforce potential ethics violations.

Georgia – Biden Administration Sues Georgia Over Its GOP-Enacted Voter Restrictions
MSN – Betsy Woodruff Swan, Zach Montellaro, and Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 6/24/2021

The Justice Department is suing Georgia over its bill altering election practices in the state. Republican state legislators around the country have pushed a host of provisions that would make it more challenging for people to vote, moves that have targeted Democratic-leaning voters and disproportionately impact people of color. While suits under the Voting Rights Act can be brought over election practices simply because they disproportionately impact minorities, federal officials alleged the new provisions in Georgia are intentionally discriminatory – meaning the Justice Department believes it can prove the state Legislature purposefully sought to diminish the voting power of black voters.

Illinois – Politics Isn’t Child’s Play, but New Campaign Finance Rule Hopes to Make It More Family Friendly
Chicago Sun-Times – Rachel Hinton | Published: 6/24/2021

What passes for political expenses in Illinois often run the gamut. Politicians have spent campaign cash over the years on legal fees season tickets for the Chicago Bulls, White Sox, and Cubs. Campaign funds even once covered the funeral expenses of a former state legislator. So, why not childcare? That was one question state Sen. Melinda Bush said drove her push to clarify state law pertaining to the use of campaign money. She argues that clarification, which is part of an election bill recently signed into law, could remove a barrier to running for office.

Kentucky – Federal Officials Investigate Link Between Former Gov. Matt Bevin Pardon and Fundraiser
MSN – Andrew Wolfson (Louisville Courier-Journal) | Published: 6/29/2021

Two years after then-Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin pardoned Patrick Baker, a convicted killer whose family hosted a political fundraiser for Bevin, the FBI and federal prosecutors are investigating the executive action. It was reported that Baker’s ex-girlfriend, Dawn Turner, told investigators she believed the purpose of the fundraiser was to influence Bevin to give Patrick Baker a pardon and the donor event was “crucial” in getting it. Bevin has denied he pardoned Baker because of the fundraiser, but the revelations show the former governor still faces possible criminal liability.

Louisiana – Louisiana Cap on Lobbying Spending Edges Up Again, to $65
MSN – Associated Press | Published: 6/30/2021

The cap for how much Louisiana’s lobbyists can spend to entertain public edged higher as of July 1. With the start of the new state budget year, the limit lobbyists can spend on food and drink for state lawmakers, other elected officials, and public employees is growing from $63 to $65 per person, per occasion.

Maine – Governor Mills Signs a Full Slate of Election, Campaign Finance Reforms into Law
Maine Wire – Katherine Revelo | Published: 6/24/2021

Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed into law several bills that affect campaigns and elections in the state. Legislative Document 916 makes changes to the laws that govern how voter information can be accessed from the state’s central voter registration system while Legislative Document 1363 makes several changes to the use of ranked choice voting and absentee ballots in Maine elections. Legislative Document 1417 bans “segregated fund committees” from accepting individual donations that exceed $5,000 in a calendar year. Legislative Document 1377 makes changes to the laws governing the disclosure of personal sources of income, reporting campaign finance information, and participation in the Maine Clean Election Act.

Massachusetts – Here’s How Feds Say Former House Candidate Abhijit Das Paid Off Debts on Yacht, Massachusetts Hotel Business with Illegal Political Donations
MSN – Jackson Cote (MassLive.com) | Published: 6/29/2021

Federal prosecutors arrested former congressional candidate Abhijit Das, alleging he tailored a scheme to illegally obtain political donations, tried to conceal those illicit contributions, and then used hundreds of thousands of dollars of that money on personal expenses, like his struggling hotel business and yacht. Prosecutors said Das devised a scheme to ask friends and associates for contributions were over the then-$2,700 limit on individual donations. Three individuals gave about $125,000 to the campaign and Das structured the donations as personal loans to circumvent FEC reporting requirements and contribution limits.

Missouri – Missouri Officials Can’t Charge Fees for Attorney Review of Public Records, Court Says
MSN – Katie Moore (Kansas City Star) | Published: 6/30/2021

Government officials in Missouri cannot charge fees for the time attorneys spend reviewing public records prior to their release, the state Supreme Court ruled. Gov. Mike Parson’s office in 2018 charged Elad Gross, a Democrat who ran for attorney general last year, $3,618 for a cache of records on former Gov. Eric Greitens. Parson argued the Sunshine Law allows research or staff time to be charged. But the high court said attorney review time does not fall under either of those categories and public records may be fulfilled without any attorney review time.

Montana – Montana Judge Blocks Portions of Campaign Finance Bill
MSN – Amy Beth Hanson (Associated Press) | Published: 6/29/2021

Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Michael Menahan said he will temporarily block the implementation of two sections of a Montana campaign finance law that was set to take effect July 1. One provision would ban politicking in certain areas of college campuses. The other requires a judge to recuse themselves from a case if their campaigns for office received at least of half of the maximum individual contribution from a lawyer working on the case or involved party during the previous six years.

New Jersey – Murphy Intends to Again Veto Mandatory Minimums Bill Over Weaker Penalties for Public Corruption, Officials Say
MSN – Ted Sherman and Amanda Hoover (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 6/24/2021

A bill that was intended as a landmark criminal justice measure ending minimum mandatory sentences for many nonviolent crimes in New Jersey was amended to include those charged with official misconduct and public corruption/ Gov. Phil Murphy vetoed it in April. A new version of the bill with the same controversial changes left intact passed the Legislature a second time. And the governor plans to kill it once again because it would eliminate mandatory prison time for elected officials who abuse their office for their own benefit, such as those who take bribes.

New York – Giuliani’s N.Y. Law License Suspended in Connection with Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election
MSN – Shayna Jacobs, Rosalind Helderman, and Devlin Barrett (Washington Post) | Published: 6/24/2021

New York state suspended Rudolph Giuliani from practicing law after finding he sought to mislead judges, lawmakers, and the public as he helped shepherd former President Trump’s legal challenges to the election results. An appeals court said Giuliani’s actions represented an “immediate threat” to the public and he “directly inflamed” the tensions that led to the Capitol riot. The suspension represents one of the first serious attempts to impose consequences on Trump or his top allies for spreading falsehoods about the election results.

New York – New York City Primary Meltdown Deals New Setback to Nation’s Strained Electoral System
MSN – Amy Gardner and David Weigel (Washington Post) | Published: 6/30/2021

New York City election officials announced they mistakenly included 135,000 test ballots in early tallies of the Democratic primary for mayor, skewing the count. The Board of Elections issued an apology that pinned the blame on “human error that could have been avoided.” The episode called attention to the city’s history of shoddy election administration. It also represents an awkward turn for national Democrats as they try to defend the soundness of the country’s elections while accusing former President Trump and his GOP allies of undermining democracy through their baseless claims that last year’s election was tainted by widespread fraud.

New York – State Ethics Panel Votes Down Criminal Probe into Cuomo Leak
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 6/30/2021

The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics voted against seeking a criminal investigation into whether someone from within its own ranks leaked confidential information to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, even as new details emerged about the 2019 incident. Six members of the body voted in favor of seeking an investigation, two votes short of the number necessary to formally pursue such an inquiry. Four commissioners, all appointed by Cuomo, voted against making the criminal referral, which the state attorney general would need to pursue the matter. None of the Cuomo-appointed commissioners explained their votes opposing the probe, which would have directly touched a governor already facing multiple, unrelated investigations.

New York – Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg Surrenders in Criminal Case Over Company’s Business Dealings
MSN – Shayna Jacobs, David Fahrenthold, Josh Dawsey, and Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 7/1/2021

Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg surrendered to authorities after prosecutors secured grand jury indictments against him and the former president’s family company. People familiar with the case said the charges were related to allegations of unpaid taxes on benefits for Trump Organization executives. Weisselberg is the first individual to be charged in connection with a criminal investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., who is now collaborating with New York Attorney General Letitia James to investigate Trump’s business practices.

Ohio – Feds Asked Frank LaRose for 20 Years of ECOT Campaign Donation Records
Akron Beacon Journal – Laura Bischoff (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 6/26/2021

The FBI and U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed nearly 20 years of campaign contribution records from the Ohio secretary of state’s office for the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (ECOT), an indication the now-closed online charter school and its key players have come under federal criminal investigation. In August 2017, the Ohio Republican Party returned $76,000 in campaign donations to William Lager, ECOT’s founder, and Melissa Vasil. That refund came after former House Speaker Larry Householder returned $70,000 to the Summit County Republican Party.

South Carolina – Judge Orders Powerful Ex-SC Lawmaker to Prison in State House Corruption Investigation
MSN – John Monk and Maayan Schecter (The State) | Published: 6/29/2021

Former South Carolina Rep. Jim Harrison pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months in prison for misconduct in office and perjury for lying to a grand jury. Harrison the first former state lawmaker to be sentenced to prison out of five others convicted so far in an investigation of corruption at the General Assembly. The misconduct charge was centered around his illegal acceptance of some $900,000 over 13 years from the now-defunct Richard Quinn & Associates consulting firm. That money, prosecutors said, was then used to illegally influence legislation. Harrison was the former chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee.

South Carolina – With Party Facing Ethics Fines, Current and Former Horry County GOP Officials Questioning Why
MyHorryNews.com – Jonathan Haynes and Charles Perry | Published: 6/26/2021

The Horry County Republican Party potentially faces thousands of dollars in fines for not filing financial disclosure forms with the South Carolina Ethics Commission over the last four years. But current and former party officials question whether they even needed to submit those records. Local leaders said the commission levied a $1,700 penalty against the group. They also said the ethics panel warned that failing to file the mandatory forms could result in up to $85,000 in penalties. That revelation has led to finger-pointing among the current leaders, who were selected in April and are accusing their predecessors of leaving them in this predicament.

South Dakota – South Dakota Governor Sending National Guard to Mexico Border on Mission Funded by GOP Megadonor
MSN – Alex Horton (Washington Post) | Published: 6/29/2021

Gov. Kristi Noem will use a contribution from a Republican donor to fund a deployment of up to 50 South Dakota National Guard troops to the U.S. border with Mexico. The Guard members will deploy in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s plea to augment border security with law enforcement resources from other states. Privately funding a military mission is an affront to civilian oversight of the armed forces, said military and oversight experts, describing the move – a Republican governor sending troops to a GOP-led state, paid for by a Republican donor – as likely unprecedented and unethical.

Texas – Developer Found Guilty of Bribing Two Former Dallas City Council Members to Help Housing Projects
MSN – Kevin Krause (Dallas Morning News) | Published: 6/30/2021

Developer Ruel Hamilton was found guilty of three bribery counts for making payments to two former Dallas City Council members in exchange for their help with his low-income apartment projects in the city. Hamilton was accused of bribing Dwaine Caraway and Carolyn Davis for their support and while they served on the council. The trial was the latest Dallas City Hall corruption case to land in federal court. The case was notable because it also targeted a white businessperson who paid bribes. Previous corruption trials in Dallas have mainly involved local Black politicians, leading to accusations of racial bias in prosecutorial decision-making.

Virginia – Fourth Person Linked to Former Congressman Scott Taylor’s Campaign Is Charged with Election Fraud
MSN – Meagan Flynn (Washington Post) | Published: 6/28/2021

A fourth person who worked on former U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor’s failed 2018 reelection bid has been charged with election fraud. Rob Catron, who worked as a campaign consultant for Taylor, was indicted on 10 counts of making a false statement and election fraud, a felony. The allegations appear tied to a 2018 petition fraud scandal in which Taylor’s campaign sought to get a third-party spoiler candidate on the ballot, purportedly to siphon votes away from Taylor’s Democratic challenger, now-U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria.

Wisconsin – GOP Candidate Bankrolled Jan. 6 Riot Trip with Campaign Cash
Yahoo News – Roger Sollenberger (Daily Beast) | Published: 6/25/2021

Two months after congressional candidate Derrick Van Orden lost his race in Wisconsin, he joined the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6 and he paid for the trip with money left over from his campaign. Van Orden, who is running again, acknowledged attending the protest but claimed he never entered the Capitol grounds. Social media posts from the riot suggest that is not true. FEC regulations state that travel expenses must be “directly related to the campaign.” Van Orden, who wrote off roughly $4,000 in transportation and hotel costs around January 6 for him, his wife, and a campaign staffer, did not declare his 2022 candidacy until April.

July 1, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Rep. Gosar Denies Knowledge of Fundraiser with Group That Promotes White-Nationalist Ideas Despite Invitation for the Event” by Marrianna Sotomayor (Washington Post) for MSN Elections California: “Newsom Sues Elections Chief to Call Himself a Democrat on Recall […]

June 30, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “How Deceptive Campaign Fund-Raising Ensnares Older People” by Shane Goldmacher for New York Times National: “FEC Reviewing Rules on Salaries, Benefits for Candidates” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN Massachusetts: “Abhijit Das, Former Congressional Candidate Against […]

June 29, 2021 • Written by Matthew Gehring

Montana Judge to Block Sections of SB 319

Montana Capitol Building - gillfoto

Montana District Court Judge Michael Menahan said he will temporarily block the implementation of two sections of Senate Bill 319. The bill was amended late, with the amendment adding the two sections in question. One amendment revised how political committees […]

June 29, 2021 • Written by John Cetor

Annapolis City Council Approves New Campaign Finance Requirements

Annapolis City Hall via Preserve Maryland

On June 28, the Annapolis City Council voted unanimously to adopt campaign finance reforms. Ordinance 15-21 requires any person making independent expenditures of $5,000 or more to register with the Board of Supervisors of Elections. Once registered, such persons are […]

June 29, 2021 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance New York: “Megadonors Flooded the New York Mayor’s Race. Most of Them Wasted Their Money” by Joe Anuta for Politico Ohio: “Feds Asked Frank LaRose for 20 Years of ECOT Campaign Donation Records” by Laura Bischoff (Columbus Dispatch) […]

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

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News You Can Use Digest – July 9, 2021

Minnesota Amends Campaign Finance Laws

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

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News You Can Use Digest – July 2, 2021

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

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Montana Judge to Block Sections of SB 319

Annapolis City Council Approves New Campaign Finance Requirements

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

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