On June 18, the Kansas Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint accusing a candidate of soliciting contributions from lobbyists through social media, according to the Kansas City Star.

On May 1, while the Legislature was still in session, a Facebook page for former state Sen. Jean Schodorf’s campaign was posted seeking help to raise money for her political campaign for secretary of state. Clay Barker, the state GOP executive director, made a complaint after a lobbyist “liked” the page. State law prohibits candidates from seeking contributions from lobbyists while the Legislature is in session.

Schodorf told the Star the commission informed her they found no probable cause to believe she violated the law and dismissed the complaint.

The ethics commission has agreed to settle three retaliation claims for over $1.8 million. The claims are each related to an investigation of Gov. Nathan Deal involving 2010 campaign and personal finance reports.

Under the terms, the commission’s former deputy, Sherry Streicker, will receive $1 million, former IT specialist John Hair will receive $410,000, and former staff attorney Elisabeth Murray-Obertein will receive $477,500. The settlements follow an April jury verdict awarding $700,000 plus fees to the commission’s former executive secretary, Stacey Kalberman, who argued her pay was slashed and her deputy’s position eliminated as they were preparing subpoenas in the Deal case.

Murray-Obertein, who arrived after the departures of Kalberman and Streicker, testified she was under pressure to get the Deal case resolved. Hair claimed LaBerge ordered him to alter, hide, and destroy documents related to the Deal investigation.

The commission has denied any wrongdoing and Deal has said he was not involved in any of the commission’s decisions or actions.

At its June 18 meeting, the Hawaii State Ethics Commission will consider whether to issue guidance to state legislators regarding the use of their annual legislative allowance. The state Constitution provides the allowance for each legislator to cover incidental expenses connected with legislative duties. The funds may not be used for any personal expenses including, but not limited to, gifts, campaign contributions, or food and beverages related to social activities and events.

Several legislators filed complaints with the commission accusing colleagues of using the annual allowance for personal reasons. After reviewing information provided by Senate and House clerks, commission staff identified several disbursements appearing unrelated to a legislator’s official duties.

Congressional leadership argues the responsibility for monitoring the use of the legislative allowance rests with the Legislature. Commission staff, on the other hand, believes monitoring the use and sanctioning the misuse of the allowance falls within the reach of the State Ethics Code.

A detailed list of recommendations for discussion can be found on the Ethics Commission website. Because legislative allowance funds are public funds, the Commission will accept public comments and testimony concerning the use of said funds.

Jim Sumner, executive director of the Alabama Ethics Commission, is retiring after 35 years in public service.

Sumner has held the executive director position for 17 years.

Upon his departure on October 1, 2014, the five-member Ethics Commission will pick Sumner’s successor, subject to approval by the state Senate.

Former Doral mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez has been appointed as a commissioner to the Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. Bermudez is one of Doral’s founders and previously served as president of the Miami-Dade County League of Cities.

Marcia Narine, an assistant professor of law at St. Thomas University, was also sworn in as a new commissioner.

Commissioners are appointed to four-year terms.

Lobbying

“Lobbying World” in The Hill.

“Lobby cash goes underground in PR boom” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

“Former Rep. Andrews registers as lobbyist” by Mario Trujillo in The Hill.

“Number of Lobbyists That Leave K Street for Capitol Hill Reaches 10-Year Low” by Ayobami Olugbemiga in InTheCapital.

Rhode Island: “R.I.’s probe into 38 Studios loan expanding; lawmakers report threatening letters” by Katherine Gregg in the Providence Journal.

Campaign Finance

Connecticut: “Connecticut lawmakers pass back-up funding stream for public campaign financing fund” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

Maine: “Maine group seeks ballot initiative on clean elections, campaign finance laws” by The Associated Press in The Republic.

New York: “Finishing the Job Teddy Roosevelt Started: Public Financing of Elections” by Governor Andrew Cuomo in The Huffington Post.

New York: “Senate Democrats: More Reasons Than Ever To Adopt Reform Bills” by Karen DeWitt on WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Virginia: “Lawyers: Supreme Court rulings on campaign finance limits favor McDonnell defense arguments” by Alan Suderman (Associated Press) in the Star Tribune.

Wisconsin: “Federal judge orders halt to ‘John Doe’ investigation” by Dee J. Hall in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Ethics

Kansas: “Associates of Kansas Governor Are Investigated Over Fund-Raising and Lobbying” by Jonathan Martin in The New York Times.

Kentucky: “Member Of Ethics Panel Resigns Over Arnold Case” by The Associated Press on WUKY.

Michigan: “Ex-Meijer attorney tells ethics panel he didn’t know retailer violated campaign finance law” by Shandra Martinez in Michigan Live.

South Carolina: “SC House panel OKs ethics plan over Haley’s objection” by Jamie Self in The State.

Texas: “Rick Perry addresses ethics probe” by The Associated Press in Politico.

Government Tech and Social Media

“Politicos make a splash on Time’s ’140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2014′” by Billy Mitchell in FedScoop.

The Ethics Commission has prepared draft amendments to the Election Campaign Control Ordinance (ECCO). The proposed ECCO amendments include a provision to classify a committee’s otherwise independent payment as a “contribution” if the payment is for an advertisement duplicating materials found in a candidate’s advertisement or on the candidate’s website. Such payments would be subject to both contribution limits and source prohibitions.

The commission has invited public comment at the next meeting on May 8, 2014. The draft amendments are available here.

Photo of the San Diego skyline courtesy of Tomcio77 on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

“Under Contract” in The Hill.

“Corporations join the party” by Anna Palmer and Tarini Parti in Politico.

“Political law firm rebrands with new partners” by Megan R. Wilson in The Hill.

Missouri: “Petition to Ban Lobbyist Gifts Slow to Gain Signatures” by KMOX CBS News.

Campaign Finance

“States are now targets of ‘Citizens United’” by Byron Tau in Politico.

“Why dark money is likely to keep flowing in campaigns, in 1 Senate hearing” by Matea Gold in The Washington Post.

“Is it unethical for Justice Stevens to write and testify about campaign finance restrictions?” by Eugene Volokh in The Washington Post.

Kansas: “Campaign finance bill still has loophole” by D.E. Smoot in Muskogee Phoenix.

Ethics

Florida: “Broward County mayor faces ethics charges” by Brittany Wallman in the Sun Sentinel.

Maine: “Maine Ethics Commission Fines Casino Backers for Filing Violations” by A.J. Higgins on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.

New York: “Federal Prosecutors Subpoena New York Ethics Enforcement Agency” by Erica Orden in The Wall Street Journal.

Rhode Island: “Rhode Island Senate president reports free trips” by The Associated Press in The San Francisco Chronicle.

State Legislatures

Wisconsin: “Legislature cannot fix voter ID law before November election, leader says” by Dee J. Hall | and Matthew DeFour in the Wisconsin State Journal.

In light of the United States Supreme Court ruling in McCutcheon v. FEC, the Los Angeles Ethics Commission announced it would no longer enforce the aggregate limits on contributions to city and school board candidates.

Limits on contributions to individual candidates remain in place.

Photo of the Los Angeles skyline by Nserrano on Wikimedia Commons.

A jury verdict has ordered the state to pay Stacey Kalberman $700,000 for unfairly forcing her from office. The jury found the former director of the ethics commission was unfairly forced from office as retribution for investigating Gov. Nathan Deal’s 2010 campaign.

Kalberman sued her former employer, claiming the commission’s decisions to cut her salary by $35,000 and eliminate her top deputy’s position were in response to her desire to issue subpoenas for records in the investigation.

Attorneys for the commission argued the motivation for the cuts was concern for a budget crisis. Holly Laberge, who replaced Kalberman, testified she did not find a budget crisis when she took office.

The State Ethics Commission has called a public hearing to introduce new rules regarding lobbying complaints. The hearing will be held at 10:00 a.m. on May 9, 2014, at the Capehart Crocker House, Commission Meeting Room, 424 North Blount Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Oral comments about the new rules will be accepted at this meeting.

Written comments should be directed to Pam Cashwell via U.S. mail at 1324 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699; via fax at (919) 716-1644; or via email at pam.cashwell@doa.nc.gov. The written comment period began March 17, 2014, and will end May 5, 2014.

A new Texas Ethics Commission Rule regarding contributions to direct campaign expenditure-only committees became effective today.

Texas Ethics Commission Rule §22.5 requires a political committee intending to act exclusively as a direct campaign expenditure-only committee to file an affidavit with the Texas Ethics Commission stating the committee intends to act exclusively as a direct campaign expenditure-only committee and will not use its contributions made to it to make political contributions to any candidate for elective office, any officeholder, or any political committee making a political contribution to a candidate or officeholder.

The new rule requires the committee file the statement before it can accept a political contribution from corporations or labor organizations.

Jane Feldman is stepping down as Executive Director of the Colorado Independent Ethics Commission. She is the first and only director to serve, as the commission is a product of a 2006 ethics ballot measure.

Luis Toro, director of Colorado Ethics Watch, praised Feldman, calling her “the very model of a dedicated civil servant.”

While Feldman looks forward to retirement from state government, her critics claim she may simply be a scapegoat. Complaints brought the commission under public scrutiny, and a House committee will soon hear a bill concerning the commission’s procedural mechanisms. Meanwhile, the commission is investigating Gov. John Hickenlooper for alleged gift violations.

There is no word yet of a new Executive Director.

Gov. Nikki Haley has nominated eight individuals to the State Ethics Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, the appointments will bring stability to the commission, where four of the nine seats are vacant and the terms of the five serving commissioners have expired.

The Senate is also debating a bill to overhaul the commission and empower it to confidentially investigate complaints filed against House and Senate members.

House Bill 3945 would also expand the definition of lobbying and modify reporting requirements.