December 3, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: L.A. Councilman’s Wife Was a Paid Fundraiser. Ex-Aides Say He Assigned Them to Help by Adam Elmahrek, David Zahniser, and Emily Alpert-Reyes for the Los Angeles Times Elections National: Trump-Led GOP Grows Increasingly Tolerant of Racially Divisive […]

November 30, 2018 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

News You Can Use Digest – November 30, 2018

Federal: How FEC Babysitting Decision Could Pave Way for More Hill Diversity Roll Call – Stephanie Akin | Published: 11/26/2018 The FEC in May decided for the first time ever that child care was a legitimate campaign expense, on par […]

Federal:

How FEC Babysitting Decision Could Pave Way for More Hill Diversity
Roll Call – Stephanie Akin | Published: 11/26/2018

The FEC in May decided for the first time ever that child care was a legitimate campaign expense, on par with polling or campaign signs. In future years, the change is expected to increase the number of middle-class parents who take on the staggering time and financial commitments of a campaign. Because the FEC decision came just six months before Election Day, it is too early to tell if that will be the case. But the candidates who reported babysitting expenses this cycle provide the first indication of the difference it will make.

Manafort’s Lawyer Said to Brief Trump Attorneys on What He Told Mueller
MSN – Michael Schmidt, Sharon LaFraniere, and Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 11/27/2018

Former Trump campaign chairperson Paul Manafort’s attorney repeatedly spoke with the president’s lawyers about discussions with federal investigators after Manafort agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller. Rudy Giuliani, who represents Trump in the special counsel’s investigation, said Manafort’s lawyer, Kevin Downing, relayed that investigators pressed Manafort on what Trump knew about the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between campaign associates and a Russian lawyer who had promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trump’s legal team has maintained a joint defense agreement with witnesses in Mueller’s investigations, including Manafort. But it is uncommon for those agreements to continue after a witness reaches a plea agreement with prosecutors.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alaska: Judges Open Door Wider for Out-of-State Money in Alaska Elections
Anchorage Daily News – James Brooks | Published: 11/27/2018

A federal appeals court panel ruled Alaska’s limit on what nonresidents can contribute to candidates is unconstitutional. But the three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld other donation limits it said were tailored to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption. The judges upheld limits on contributions made by individuals to candidates and groups that are not political parties. They also upheld caps on the total amount a political party can give municipal candidates. The majority found the aggregate limit on what candidates can get from nonresidents violates the First Amendment. The opinion says states must show limits fight potential corruption and can’t simply go after “undue influence.”

District of Columbia: D.C. Council Approves Sweeping Reforms to Combat ‘Pay-to-Play’ Politics
Washington Post – Peter Jamison | Published: 11/20/2018

The District of Columbia Council gave preliminary approval to new campaign finance regulations, including restrictions on government contractors’ political contributions, bringing a potential sea change to a city that has witnessed repeated corruption scandals. The bill would ban campaign donations from firms and their top executives if they hold or are seeking government contracts worth at least $250,000. It would also give new authority and independence to the city’s Office of Campaign Finance, long viewed as a weak enforcer, and require increased disclosures from independent expenditure committees.

Maryland: Hogan Names Panel to Redraw Maryland’s 6th District, Despite Frosh Appeal of Court Order to Fix Gerrymandering
Baltimore Sun – Michael Dresser | Published: 11/26/2018

Gov. Larry Hogan created an “emergency” commission to redraw the borders of Maryland’s Sixth Congressional District, moving ahead on a new map despite state Attorney General Brian Frosh’s appeal of a federal ruling that ordered the redraft. Hogan signed an executive order creating a nine-person commission – made up of three Democrats, three Republicans, and three unaffiliated voters – to propose a new map. The governor’s decision puts the state on two paths in responding to the decision. As Maryland’s chief lawyer, Frosh is fighting to have the U.S. Supreme Court hear the case and rule before a new map is created. Meanwhile, Hogan, as chief executive, is pushing forward with an effort to comply with it.

Missouri: Court Ruling Could Force Everyday Missourians to Register as Lobbyists, Attorneys Say
Kansas City Star – Jason Hancock | Published: 11/29/2018

An appeals court panel ruled against a man challenging a Missouri law that places restrictions on unpaid political activists. Ron Calzone was testing the law that requires anyone attempting to influence lawmakers to follow the same rules as professional lobbyists. That means an individual would have to register as a lobbyist and file as many as 14 reports with the state each year. A panel of the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided the First Amendment does not shield citizen activists from these requirements or the penalties for noncompliance. The U.S. Supreme Court has not reviewed a lobbyist registration case since 1954’s United States v. Harriss, in which the court limited the reach of a federal statute to only cover “those who for hire attempt to influence legislation or who collect or spend funds for that purpose.”

Missouri: Parson Alters Lobbyist Gift Ban Rules Imposed by Greitens
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Kurt Erickson | Published: 11/20/2018

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson tweaked an order issued by his predecessor that could bring an end to a federal lawsuit over a ban on gifts from lobbyists. In a rewrite of an executive order issued by former Gov. Eric Greitens on the day he took office in 2017, Parson altered a section that prohibited executive branch employees from accepting gifts. The new wording, which adopts descriptions found in existing law, could allow groups like a Virginia-based law firm to distribute informational books to employees of the governor’s office.

New Jersey: ‘Dark Money’ Flows into NJ Politics and None of It Has to Be Accounted For
Bergen Record – Dustin Racioppi | Published: 11/26/2018

With the midterms over, New Jersey lawmakers will soon turn their attention to the 2019 legislative races. If recent history is an indicator, outside money will flood into the state as Democrats try to bolster their majority in the statehouse. And none of it has to be accounted for. This “dark money” is hidden from the public because New Jersey’s rules governing campaign finance have not been updated in years. That is despite a push from the Election Law Enforcement Commission to strengthen the state’s disclosure laws, a push that has been met with inaction by the Democratic-controlled Legislature. The result is a confusing patchwork of regulations that leave the state susceptible to massive amounts of “dark money.”

New York: Lawsuit Seeks to Block New York’s Sweeping New Lobbying Rules
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 11/28/2018

The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) this year passed regulations overhauling the rules that cover the state’s lobbying industry. A lawsuit argues JCOPE lacks the authority to create the 92 pages of new regulations. The plaintiffs say those rules would unduly burden lobbyists and their clients and infringe on their free speech rights. The petitioners want to see the regulations struck down in state Supreme Court and are seeking an injunction disallowing JCOPE from enforcing them in the interim. While JCOPE’s staff have said the new rules largely codify decades of existing state ethics opinions, the regulations were meant to update New York’s lobbying rules, as modern lobbying campaigns emphasize the application of public pressure on lawmakers separate from more traditional person-to-person lobbying.

New York: N.Y. Democrats Vowed to Get Big Money Out of Politics. Will Big Money Interfere?
MSN – Vivian Wang (New York Times) | Published: 11/22/2018

A loophole in New York’s campaign finance law has for more than 20 years allowed corporations to create limited liability companies (LLCs) for the sole purpose of giving virtually unlimited amounts of money to candidates. Democrats, in their successful bid to recapture the state Senate for the first time in a decade, campaigned on a promise to close it. But even as they vowed to muzzle big money’s influence, they benefited from the same LLC contributions they were railing against. The corporations’ sudden generosity, and Democrats’ acceptance of it, has raised questions about whether lawmakers will make good on their promise to overhaul New York’s campaign finance system, or whether – now that they have consolidated control of Albany’s levers of power – they might prefer to bask in its perks.

Ohio: City of Columbus Proposes Campaign Finance Reforms
WOSU – Adora Namigadde | Published: 11/28/2018

Mayor Andrew Ginther and other Columbus officials unveiled a proposed campaign finance law that would limit annual individual and group contributions to $12,707.79 and require anyone running election ads to immediately disclose who paid for them. But members of a progressive group that often opposes the city’s Democratic establishment said they believe that limit is too high compared to other cities and are developing their own proposal with a much lower cap. The legislation also would require auditing of campaign finance filings to assure compliance.

South Carolina: Court Case Could Change How SC Statehouse Elections Are Funded
Charleston Post and Courier – Jamie Lovegrove | Published: 11/26/2018

Even before he won a special election to the state Senate in November, Dick Harpootlian landed a potentially game-changing blow to the way statehouse campaigns are funded in South Carolina. Inundated with television ads funded by the Senate GOP caucus, a group that includes all Republican incumbents, Harpootlian filed a lawsuit claiming the ads amounted to an excessive campaign contribution on behalf of his opponent, Benjamin Dunn. If Harpootlian ends up winning the full case, legislators and operatives believe it could have a dramatic impact on the way campaigns are financed moving forward, curbing the influence in elections from powerful party groups.

Tennessee: Mayor Briley Halts Public Works Contracts, Hires Compliance Officer Amid Questions Raised in Audit
The Tennessean – Joey Garrison | Published: 11/27/2018

Nashville Mayor David Briley halted five future Metro Public Works contracts for sidewalk, paving, and other capital projects amid questions raised in a recent audit about the department’s close relationship with a top engineering contractor. The administration also announced plans to hire the city’s first-ever chief compliance officer who will work in the mayor’s office to review ethics in the city’s procurement process. The moves come after it was reported that photos showed executives from Collier Engineering, which has won $48.7 million in Metro contracts since 2010, entertaining city officials inside a company suite at Bridgestone Arena during multiple sporting events this year. In several cases, the city employees did not appear to pay for the tickets, violating the ethics code on accepting gifts.

November 28, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Jeb Bush Super-PAC Fined $200,000 for Campaign Finance Violation” by Ken Doyle for Bloomberg Government New Jersey: “‘Dark Money’ Flows into NJ Politics and None of It Has to Be Accounted For” by Dustin Racioppi for Bergen […]

November 26, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance New York: N.Y. Democrats Vowed to Get Big Money Out of Politics. Will Big Money Interfere?by Vivian Wang (New York Times) for WRAL Washington D.C.: D.C. Council Approves Sweeping Reforms to Combat ‘Pay-to-Play’ Politics by Peter Jamison for […]

November 21, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Democrats Plan ‘Aggressive’ Oversight of Federal Election Commission” by Dave Levinthal and Ashley Balcerzak for Center for Public Integrity Louisiana: “Ethics Board: Campaign funds can’t cover candidates’ child care costs” by Elizabeth Crisp for New Orleans Advocate […]

November 20, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Golf Courses, Dallas Cowboys: Report questions how Congress spends campaign money” by Lesley Clark for McClatchy DC South Dakota: “Rich Relatives Are Unlimited Source of Campaign Cash in South Dakota” by Seth Tupper for Rapid City Journal […]

November 12, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: Corporate PACs Try to Rebuild Their Reputations After Midterms by Lorraine Woellert for Politico Elections National: In ‘Rainbow Wave,’ LGBT Candidates Are Elected in Record Numbers by Christina Caron (New York Times) for WRAL North Carolina: Details […]

November 9, 2018 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

News You Can Use – November 9, 2018

National: Forget the Russians. On This Election Day, It’s Americans Peddling Disinformation and Hate Speech. Washington Post – Craig Timberg and Tony Romm | Published: 11/6/2018 Even as Silicon Valley has become more aggressive in battling foreign efforts to influence […]

National:

Forget the Russians. On This Election Day, It’s Americans Peddling Disinformation and Hate Speech.
Washington Post – Craig Timberg and Tony Romm | Published: 11/6/2018

Even as Silicon Valley has become more aggressive in battling foreign efforts to influence U.S. politics, it is losing innumerable cat-and-mouse games with Americans who are eagerly deploying the same techniques used by the Russians in 2016. Experts point to a rampant online spread of misleading reports and images about the migrant caravan in Mexico, for example – and especially the demonstrably false allegations that billionaire George Soros is funding a violent “invasion” of the United States. Accounts controlled by Russians probably helped amplify such misleading narratives, but the evidence so far is they started with American political activists who are increasingly adept at online manipulation techniques but enjoy broad free-speech protections that tech companies have been reluctant to challenge.

Industries Turn Freedom of Information Requests on Their Critics
WRAL – Elizabeth Williamson | Published: 11/5/2018

Dennis Ventry Jr., a law professor at the University of California, Davis, drew the ire of tax preparation companies by criticizing a deal they have to provide a free tax filing service through the IRS. The companies promptly hit back with a tactic that corporations, lobbyists, and interest groups are increasingly using against academic researchers: their trade coalition filed a public records request with the university seeking everything Ventry had written or said about the companies this year, including emails, text messages, voice mails, and hand-jotted notes. It was just one example of how both state-level public records laws and the Freedom of Information Act, written to ensure transparency and accountability in government, have morphed into potent weapons in legal and business disputes, raising questions about the chilling effects, and cost, they impose on targets who are doing research in controversial or sensitive fields.

Federal:

Anyone Can Make a Super PAC – Even Prisoners and Kids Who Can’t Vote
Center for Responsive Politics – Kaitlin Washburn | Published: 11/1/2018

Super PACs wield massive financial power and influence in elections. Just this cycle alone, super PACs registered with the FEC have received over $1.3 billion and have spent $695 million. And by following a few simple steps, most anyone can own a super PAC. The Center for Responsive Politics identified eight super PACs created by people who cannot participate in elections. Some of them were started by teenagers who cannot vote, while others were formed by people in prison.

Far-Right Internet Groups Listen for Trump’s Approval, and Often Hear It
MSN – Kevin Roose and Ali Winston (New York Times) | Published: 11/4/2018

As President Trump waged a fear-based campaign to drive Republican voters to the polls for the midterm elections, far-right internet communities have been buoyed as their once-fringe views have been given oxygen by Republicans. These radical communities have entered into a sort of imagined dialogue with the president. They create and disseminate slogans and graphics and celebrate when they show up in Trump’s Twitter feed days or weeks later. They carefully dissect his statements, looking for hints of their influence. And when they find those clues, they take them as evidence that Trump is “/ourguy/,” a label for people internet extremists believe share their views, but who are unable to say so directly in public.

Lobbyists Hit Campaign Trail to Help Old Bosses, Earn ‘a Little Bit of Currency’
Politico – Theodoric Meyer | Published: 11/3/2018

Members of Congress received help before Election Day from a tiny but influential subset of on-the-ground volunteers: Washington D.C. lobbyists eager to help their old bosses, and perhaps their own careers. Lobbyists fanned out across the country to knock on doors for favored candidates, nearly a dozen of them said in interviews and emails. Building relationships with lawmakers and their staffs is crucial to success on K Street and spending a couple of days knocking on doors is one way to strengthen that bond. Some in the industry also remain close to old bosses on Capitol Hill or just want to get out of Washington and dabble in campaigning for a few days.

Sessions’s Ouster Throws Future of Special Counsel Probe into Question
MSN – Rosalind Helderman, Matt Zapotosky, and Carol Leonnig (Washington Post) | Published: 11/7/2018

Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned at the request of President Trump, causing uncertainty in the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump named as acting attorney general Matthew Whitaker, Sessions’ chief of staff. A Justice Department official said Whitaker would assume final decision-making authority over special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. As a legal commentator, Whitaker has said Mueller appeared to be taking his investigation too far. There were immediate calls by Democrats and watchdogs for Whitaker to recuse himself. Democrats, emboldened by winning control of the U.S. House, also promised to investigate Sessions’ forced resignation and suggested Trump’s actions could amount to obstruction of justice if he intended to disrupt the criminal inquiry.

Three Candidates Indicted on Felony Fraud Charges Survive Midterms. One Just Barely.
Washington Post – Meagan Flynn | Published: 11/7/2018

Three Republican candidates facing an assortment of corruption charges appeared to squeak past their Democratic opponents to hang onto their jobs. They include U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, indicted on charges of wire fraud and accusations he funded a luxurious lifestyle with campaign donations; U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, indicted on insider trading charges; and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. indicted on felony securities fraud charges in state court, accused of lying to friends and potential investors about his financial stake in a technology company. Despite the close races in solid-red territory, their apparent victories highlight the polarizing political climate in which criminal investigations into elected officials are frequently met with more sympathy among supporters than scorn.

White House Shares Doctored Video to Support Punishment of Journalist Jim Acosta
MSN – Drew Harwell (Washington Post) | Published: 11/8/2018

CNN’s Jim Acosta had his White House press credentials revoked, with the Trump administration claiming he manhandled a female intern. During a press conference, Acosta got into a spat with the president and persisted in asking questions, and a female intern tried to take his microphone away from him. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders posted an edited video of the incident where the action is generally slowed down but speeds up right before the moment of contact to create the false impression of a deliberate jab on the part of Acosta. The event highlighted how video content, seen as a verification tool for truth and confirmation, has become as vulnerable to political distortion as anything else.

From the States and Municipalities:

Florida: Before Going to Prison, Former Opa-locka Commissioner Worked on Political Campaigns
Miami Herald – Jay Weaver and Maya Kaufman | Published: 11/6/2018

Before he surrendered to a correctional facility, former Opa-locka City Commissioner Luis Santiago – who pleaded guilty to pocketing thousands of dollars in bribes – spent the fall election season working as a campaign aide for John Riley, an Opa-locka commissioner running for mayor, and other candidates on the November 6 ballot. Riley said he had no qualms about hiring Santiago as a part-time campaign worker, despite his pleading guilty to extorting money from Opa-locka businesses seeking city permits and contracts. “It kept his mind busy and gave him a sense of purpose,” Riley said. “It’s depressing knowing that you’re going to be facing prison.”

Missouri: Amendment 1: Voters strongly support Clean Missouri redistricting plan, ethics reform
Columbia Missourian – David Reynolds, Thomas Oide, and Tessa Weinberg | Published: 11/6/2018

Amendment 1 was approved by Missouri voters. It bans all lobbyist gifts in the General Assembly worth more than five dollars and requires politicians to wait at least two years after the conclusion of the legislative session in which they last served before becoming lobbyists. Amendment 1 also lowers the $2,600 campaign contribution limit for state legislative candidates and requires legislative records to be subject to the state’s open records law. The amendment’s changes to the redistricting process have caused the most controversy. A nonpartisan state demographer will be tasked with drawing the districts and a bipartisan commission will review the results.

New York: Lobbyist Arrested, Accused of Bribing State Legislator
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle – Gary Craig | Published: 11/1/2018

Albany-based lobbyist Robert Scott Gaddy faces federal charges for offering to pay a bribe during an investigation that already includes the arrest of New York Assemblyperson Joseph Errigo. Gaddy’s arrest grew out of an FBI investigation into fraud and corruption in a redevelopment project in Rochester. Federal authorities say that while investigating the project, agents learned of possible criminal conduct by Gaddy. A person working with the FBI allegedly approached Gaddy about paying a bribe to a member of the Assembly. “Yeah … yeah, no problem,” Gaddy responded, according to the FBI. Authorities alleged Errigo took money from a lobbyist to introduce legislation designed to stop the project.

North Dakota: Aimed at Combating Corruption, North Dakota Voters Pass Measure 1
Dickinson Press – Tu-Uyen Tran | Published: 11/6/2018

Voters in North Dakota approved Measure 1 on the November 6 ballot. It will, among other provisions, require the Legislature to pass laws requiring the disclosure of the “ultimate and true source” of money spent on media to influence campaigns, ban lobbyists from giving gifts to public officials, prohibit politicians from using campaign funds for personal purposes, and create a state ethics commission to investigate violations.

South Dakota: Out-Of-State Initiative Money Ban Likely to Face Challenge
Rapid City Journal – James Nord (Associated Press) | Published: 11/7/2018

South Dakota’s first-in-the-nation law that bans out-of-state money from ballot question campaigns faces an uncertain future, with critics saying it is likely to be challenged in court. The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution’s free-speech protections as prohibiting any limitations on money in ballot measure elections, Paul S. Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Common Cause, has said. The high court has said contributions to candidates can be limited to prevent the corruption of public officials. At least two states, Alaska and Hawaii, restrict out-of-state donations to candidates, but Alaska’s limits face a court challenge.

November 7, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Federal: “House Dem Candidates Snag Free Office Rent” by Scott Bland for Politico Canada: “Alberta Tables Bill Proposing Changes to Municipal Elections” by Charles Lefebvre for Chat News Today Alaska: “As Alaska’s Elections Come Down to Wire, Ads […]

November 5, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Federal: “Anyone Can Make a Super PAC – Even Prisoners and Kids Who Can’t Vote” by Kaitlin Washburn for Center for Responsive Politics Elections Federal: “In Email to Trump’s Campaign Strategist, Roger Stone Implied He Knew of WikiLeaks’s […]

November 2, 2018 • Written by Jonathan Spontarelli

News You Can Use Digest – November 2, 2018

National: ‘My Comrades Will Kill You’: Pipe bombs sent in year of many death threats against politicians Governing – Alan Greenblatt | Published: 10/25/2018 Political violence has dominated the news recently, with pipe bombs mailed to CNN’s New York office […]

National:

‘My Comrades Will Kill You’: Pipe bombs sent in year of many death threats against politicians
Governing – Alan Greenblatt | Published: 10/25/2018

Political violence has dominated the news recently, with pipe bombs mailed to CNN’s New York office and prominent Democrats, as well as liberal donor George Soros and actor Robert De Niro. Threats of violence have become commonplace in American politics. New Jersey Rep. Jay Webber, a Republican candidate for Congress, received a note calling him a liar and a “scumbag” and threatening him and his children. “You BETTER hope that you don’t win! Or else,” the note read. “How many kids do you have…7? Unlucky 7. This is what we think of you. Time to get out of politics!” In a year when record numbers of women are running for office, many have been harassed or become targets of sexist or threatening remarks.

Voters Could Clamp Down on Ethics, Campaign Finance at The Ballot Box
National Public Radio – Peter Overby | Published: 10/30/2018

Voters in more than a dozen states will consider ballot measures on November 6 that would affect ethics and campaign finance reform. Some of the initiatives would exceed federal standards, which have been steadily relaxed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress last passed a major campaign finance bill in 2001. “It’s telling that we have so many challengers for Congress that are running on this issue,” said Larry Norden of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. “But to get real change now, the only way to do that is at the local and the state level.”

Federal:

How ActBlue Is Trying to Turn Small Donations into a Blue Wave
Center for Public Integrity – Carrie Levine and Chris Zubak-Skees | Published: 10/25/2018

ActBlue, a nonprofit whose online fundraising tools have been used to varying degrees by nearly every Democrat running for Congress, says it has raised more than $2.9 billion for Democrats and progressive organizations since its founding in 2004. September 2018 was the biggest month in its history. Donors are using the platform to reshape the map of competitive races this year, becoming a powerful force that could sway Democratic politics beyond November’s election.

Mueller Refers Sex Misconduct Scheme Targeting Him to FBI for Investigation
NBC News – Brandy Zadrozny, Ben Collins, and Tom Winter | Published: 10/30/2018

Special counsel Robert Mueller has asked the FBI to investigate an alleged scheme to manufacture sexual assault stories about him. At issue is an email widely circulated among journalists from someone who claimed she had been approached with an offer to pay her tens of thousands of dollars if she would answer questions about Mueller and then sign a sworn affidavit accusing him of sexual misconduct and workplace harassment. The plot appeared to be the latest, and one of the more bizarre, in a string of attempts by supporters of President Trump to discredit Mueller’s investigation as a hoax and a witch hunt.

From the States and Municipalities:

Alaska: Begich Spent Four Years as a Consultant. As Governor, He Could Sign Bills Affecting Former Clients.
KTOO – Nathaniel Herz | Published: 10/30/2018

For nearly four years, Mark Begich has owned a public affairs and consulting firm, Northern Compass Group, which has worked with clients that intersect with both state and federal government. If Begich is elected as Alaska’s governor on November 6, he will likely be faced with decisions that will directly affect the businesses, unions, and Native organizations that have been paying his business for advice. Alaska politicians often emerge from the worlds of public policy and business, and Begich is far from the first with potential for conflicts. Begich’s work is significant, though, because of the number of clients he has had, as well as the recentness of his work, said state Rep. Jason Grenn, who helped lead a successful push for legislative ethics reforms this year.

Arizona: Arizona Commissioner Andy Tobin Texted APS Lobbyists Frequently, Including About Open Rate Case
Energy Policy Institute – David Pomerantz | Published: 10/29/2018

Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) member Andy Tobin exchanged text messages throughout 2018 with lobbyists from Arizona Public Service (APS), often to complain about negative media coverage of APS’ rate increase requests before the commission. On one occasion, Tobin asked an APS lobbyist whether the utility had a “public information strategy planned” to combat negative media coverage of a rate increase request while the case was still pending before Tobin and the commission. The ACC, which is supposed to regulate APS in the public’s interest, has been embattled by scandals for the past four years, ever since two non-profit “dark money” organizations spent $3 million on the ACC elections in 2014. APS never confirmed nor denied being the source of that money.

Maine: Pro-Offshore Oil Group Chaired by LePage Is Run by Energy Lobbyists
Biddeford Journal Tribune – Colin Woodward (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 10/28/2018

A coalition of governors headed by Maine Gov. Paul LePage that seeks to open most federal waters to oil and gas exploration is staffed by employees of an oil industry lobbying firm. The Outer Continental Shelf Governors Coalition, which LePage joined in 2015 and has chaired for the past two years, outsources its day-to-day staffing, research, and communications tasks to an advocacy group purporting to represent energy consumers. But a closer look at the group, the Consumer Energy Alliance, reveals it is funded by energy producers and staffed and run by senior officials of HBW Resources, an energy-focused lobbying and consulting firm.

Maryland: Question G Would Undercut Independence of Baltimore Ethics Board, Chairwoman Says
Baltimore Brew – Mark Ruettner | Published: 10/31/2018

Question G on the November ballot in Baltimore would tether the director of Legislative Reference to the mayor and city council president. The director of Legislative Reference is also the chief advisor to the city Board of Ethics. By making the director an “at will” employee of Mayor Catherine Pugh and Council President Bernard Young, as Question G does, that same employee is placed in a very awkward position on the ethics board. “Our director may be faced with having to handle an ethics complaint against one of the two people who appointed him,” said board Chairperson Linda Pierson.

Montana: How Big Sky Country Became the Front Line in a Long Battle Over Dark Money
Yahoo! News – Christa Case Bryant | Published: 10/29/2018

Two women are central figures in a fight in Montana over money in politics, one that may well set the tone for the rest of the nation. Jamie MacNaughton is the sole lawyer at the office of the Commissioner of Political Practices, which is tasked with enforcing Montana’s strict campaign finance laws. She is helping to prepare two cases under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. Anita Milanovich serves as the Montana outpost for the Bopp Law Firm, which is led by the preeminent lawyer fighting campaign finance regulations across the country. Now the firm is pursuing the legal cases against MacNaughton’s office.

Oklahoma: Legislators Act As ‘Super Donors,’ Sending Their Own Donors’ Cash to Other Candidates
KGOU – Trevor Brown (Oklahoma Watch) | Published: 10/30/2018

A review of contributions in Oklahoma found sitting lawmakers and legislative candidates’ campaigns have given more than $746,000 to other legislative candidates since January 1, 2016. About 75 percent of the money came from about a dozen Republican and Democratic legislators, almost all of whom hold or have held leadership positions. The sharing of contributions means these lawmakers act as de facto “super donors,” or at least bundlers, who dole out thousands of dollars to candidates running in a wide range of races. The large amounts of circulating cash have raised concerns at the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, which is examining a possible rule change, still being drafted, that would block candidates from transferring campaign funds to other candidates.

Pennsylvania: State Rep. Vanessa Brown Guilty on All Counts; Took $4,000 Bribe in Sting
Philadelphia Inquirer – Craig McCoy | Published: 10/31/2018

A jury convicted Pennsylvania Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown of charges she accepted $4,000 in cash from an undercover informant. Brown was the last defendant in an ambitious and controversial sting investigation launched by state prosecutors nearly a decade ago but secretly ended by then-state Attorney General Kathleen Kane. The guilty verdict represented the most dramatic repudiation yet of Kane’s criticism of the sting, which she had contended could not produce winnable cases in court. Under the law, Brown, who is running unopposed in the November 6 election, will also be barred from her House post upon her sentencing.

South Carolina: SC Rep. Harrison Found Guilty in Public Corruption Case, Gets Prison Sentence
Greenville News – John Monk (The State) | Published: 10/27/2018

A jury found former South Carolina Rep. Jim Harrison guilty of perjury and misconduct in office, marking the fifth conviction of a legislator in the past four years and capping off the first trial to come out of the high-profile probe into corruption in the statehouse. Prosecutors accused Harrison of secretly profiting from an influential consulting firm that pleaded guilty to illegal lobbying earlier this year. That firm, Richard Quinn & Associates, has been at the center of the five-year corruption investigation because of its once sprawling network of lawmakers, lobbying interests, and corporate clients. Harrison, the former chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee, was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

West Virginia: For a Groundbreaking Candidate in West Virginia, Big Money and Attention Come with Downsides
Washington Post – Greg Jaffe | Published: 11/1/2018

Back when his campaign had raised just $7,000, when just about anyone who knew anything about politics gave him zero chance of winning, West Virginia Sen. Richard Ojeda decided to make a campaign video for his run for Congress. The pivotal moment for Ojeda came near the end of the shoot when he gave out his personal cell phone number. Ten months later, Ojeda was driving past burned-out houses and abandoned storefronts in the coal town where he had spent his childhood and still lived. The polls had him neck and neck with his Republican opponent. It was 21 days until the election and his cellphone was now ringing 100 times a day with calls from all over the United States and the world. At a moment in American politics when authenticity is everything, Ojeda is being hailed as an unpolished, authentic voice.

Wisconsin: Last-Minute Surprises and Secretive Moves Hide Wisconsin Lawmakers’ Actions from Public View
Wisconsin Public Radio – CV Vitolo-Haddad and Dee Hall (Wisconsin Center For Investigative Journalism) | Published: 10/29/2018

Since voters swept Republicans into power in 2010, Wisconsin lawmakers have increasingly used secretive maneuvers to keep the public in the dark about major spending and policy changes. An investigation found the Legislature systematically diminishes the voices of the public by Introducing budget amendments at the end of the approval process with no public notice or debate; approving anonymous, last-minute budget motions containing changes, including major policy items that have nothing to do with state spending; and altering the scope and impact of a bill after its public hearing has been held, which excludes citizens from having influence on legislation before it is enacted. When Democrats controlled the Legislature and governor’s office they played that game, too, notably with their own end-of-the-session wrap-up budget bills of anonymously authored items.

October 31, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Female Candidates Break Barriers, Except When It Comes to Money” by Kate Zernike (New York Times) for WRAL Oklahoma: “Legislators Act As ‘Super Donors,’ Sending Their Own Donors’ Cash to Other Candidates” by Trevor Brown (Oklahoma Watch) […]

October 30, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Kentucky: “Kentucky Officials Seek Changes in Campaign-Finance Laws” by Adam Beam (Associated Press) for Huntington Herald-Dispatch Montana: “How Big Sky Country Became the Front Line in a Long Battle Over Dark Money” by Christa Case Bryant for Yahoo!News […]

October 25, 2018 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance California: “Supervisors Order Destruction of Campaign Money Enforcement Emails” by Nick Gerda for Voice of OC Maine: “Crowdfunding of Collins Opponent in 2020 Likely Faces Legal Challenge” by Kevin Collins (Portland Press Herald) for Lewiston Sun Journal Maryland: […]

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