August 9, 2012 •
Thursday News Roundup
Keep up with the latest lobbying, ethics, and social media news with these articles:
Lobbying
“How lobbyists became Congress’s leading policy wonks” by Suzy Khimm in The Washington Post.
New York: Editorial: “NY lobbying disclosures are a breakthrough” in Newsday.
“The Nation: It’s Still Party Time At The Conventions” by George Zornick on NPR.
Ethics
“Why Ethics Training Is a Waste of Time” by Mark Funkhouser in Governing.
Michigan: “Michigan: AG Will File Charges in Thaddeus McCotter Petition Scandal Thursday, Per Report” by Shira Toeplitz in Roll Call.
New Hampshire: “Speaker calls for more oversight over ethics” by Garry Rayno in the Union Leader.
Social Media
“Wikipedia locks down pages of VP contenders after excessive edits” by Alicia M. Cohn in The Hill.
From the State Legislatures
“Legislative Leaders Share Stories, Offer Lessons on Leadership” by Alex Fitzsimmons in NCSL’s blog The Thicket.
August 2, 2012 •
Thursday News Roundup
Lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics
Lobbying
“Commish claims board shields lobbyist” by The Associated Press in The Wall Street Journal.
“GOP Hits Obama on Lobbyist Meetings at ‘Caribou’” by Devin Dwyer, Shushannah Walshe and Mary Bruce on ABC News.
Campaign Finance
“TV stations begin publishing political ad spending” by Mark Binker on WRAL.com.
“Oregon Gets Low Marks For Campaign Finance” by April Baer in Oregon Public Broadcasting.
“The New Rules Of Campaign Finance: Small Dollars Are No Longer King” by Michael Scherer in TIME Magazine.
Ethics
“Laura Richardson fined $10K by ethics panel” by John Bresnahan in Politico.
Utah: “Push for ethics initiative will continue, backers say” by Robert Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.
July 30, 2012 •
Monday News Roundup
Don’t miss these articles on lobbying, campaign finance, ethics, and social media:
Lobbying
“Statehouse Live: At least 8 GOP legislators registered to attend ALEC meeting” by Scott Rothschild in the Lawrence Journal World.
Oklahoma: “Lobbyist gift-giving to Oklahoma lawmakers is up again for the third straight year” by Michael McNutt in the Oklahoman.
Campaign Finance
“Massachusetts Senate calls for Congress to pass law reversing Citizens United decision” by Robert Rizzuto in the Republican.
“Big campaign donors can remain a big secret” by Jon Murray and Mary Beth Schneider in the Indianapolis Star News.
Ethics
Alabama: “Lawmakers plan to run again as ‘double dipping’ ban looms” by Sebastian Kitchen in the Montgomery Advertiser.
Connecticut: “7 charged in Donovan probe” by Ken Dixon in the Connecticut Post.
Illinois: “Feds widen probe into newly retired South Side lawmaker” by Ray Long and Monique Garcia in the Chicago Tribune.
Illinois: “Ex-Illinois lawmaker subpoenaed over scholarships” in the Quad-City Times.
South Carolina: “Taxpayer bill for Haley ethics probe is $61,000” by Andrew Shain in the Charlotte Observer.
Utah: “Utah Supreme Court weighs fate of 2010 ethics initiative” by Cathy McKitrick in the Salt Lake Tribune.
Political Campaigns and Social Media
“New Site Seeks to Aggregate User-Generated Political Videos” by Miranda Neubauer in TechPresident.
June 19, 2012 •
Tuesday News Roundup
Keep up with the latest campaign finance, ethics, and legislative news with the following articles:
Campaign Finance
“Campaign donations coming soon to Twitter” by Dave Levinthal in Politico.
“No action from U.S. Supreme Court on Montana campaign spending law” by Charles S. Johnson in the Missoulian.
“Will the Supreme Court Consider a Campaign Finance Mulligan?” by Alex Altman in Time.
“Texting: The New Way for Campaigns to Draw Contributions” by Kenneth P. Doyle in Bloomberg News.
Government Ethics
Louisiana: “Ethics bills: Jindal signs two, vetoes one” in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Ohio: “Former state lawmaker sentenced to prison for bribery” by John Futty in the Columbus Dispatch.
State Legislatures
“State lawmakers short on experience” by Chuck Raasch in USA Today.
“Herbert calls special session to OK more liquor licenses, fixed funding” by Ed Gehrke in the Salt Lake Tribune.
“SC legislators return for special session” by The Associated Press in GoUpstate.com.
May 29, 2012 •
Tuesday News Roundup
Campaign finance, lobbying, and government ethics
Campaign Finance
“Texas leads country in Super PAC giving — by a wide margin” by Emily Wilkins in the Houston Chronicle.
“17 funniest super PAC names” by Politico staff.
Louisiana: “Campaign donations for Gov. Jindal, others under scrutiny” by The Associated Press in the Daily Comet.
“Can State Laws Cohabit With Citizens United?” by Lincoln Caplan in the New York Times.
Lobbying
“K Street not thrilled with Tampa” by Anna Palmer in Politico.
Ethics
“Top N.H. pol quits; lied about work” by Mackenzie Weinger in Politico.
May 16, 2012 •
Today’s Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Ethics News
Here is a summary of the latest news articles for you:
Campaign Finance
“Ads highlight cozy campaign-super PAC relationship” by Beth Fouhy in The Associated Press.
“Sen. McCain huddles with Dems on campaign finance reform” by Alexander Bolton in The Hill.
“Edwards’ campaign finance chairman paid mistress” by Michael Biesecker in Bloomberg Businessweek.
“Judges refuse to block disclosure ruling” by The Associated Press in Bloomberg Businessweek.
“Election decision may force disclosure of secret donors” by Matea Gold in the Los Angeles Times.
Lobbying
“Lobbying firms get big paydays in Tallahassee” by Jim Saunders in The Miami Herald.
“Law firm’s collapse leaves lobbying clients up for grabs” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.
Ethics
“Ethics Panel Opens Inquiry Into No. 2 Leader in State Senate” by Danny Hakim in The New York Times.
“‘Stunt’ alleged in ethics pursuit” by Casey Seiler in the Albany Times Union.
May 14, 2012 •
Monday’s News Roundup
Keep up with the latest campaign finance, ethics, and redistricting news:
Campaign Finance
“FEC to Congress: Expand ban on personal use of political committee funds” by Rachel Leven in The Hill.
Ethics
Arkansas: “Group throws financial weight behind ethics reform initiative” by Rob Moritz in Arkansas News.
Florida: “Gov. Rick Scott’s chief of staff draws ethics complaint for using state staff to apply for a job” by May Ellen Klas in The Miami Herald.
Florida: “Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s Chief of Staff Resigns Amid Scrutiny of State Contracts Awarded Friends” by Mary Ellen Klas in Governing.
Redistricting
Alaska: “State redistricting board will meet Monday to address supreme court concerns in SE Alaska” by The Associated Press in The Republic.
Arizona: “Clean Elections Commission weighs in on redistricting suit” by Mary Jo Pitzl in the Arizona Republic.
Kansas: “Kansas redistricting fight may navigate to the courts” in the Kansas City Business Journal.
May 2, 2012 •
Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Ethics News
Take a look at our latest news roundup:
Campaign Finance
New York: “Senate Democrats call for campaign finance reform” by Bill Lambdin on WNYT.com.
Vermont: “Campaign finance bill sent to Judiciary Committee” by Terri Hallenbeck in the Burlington Free Press.
Lobbying
North Carolina: “Second Tillis staffer admits to inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist” by Dan Kane and John Frank in the Charlotte Observer.
Texas: “Texas legislator fined for failure to disclose gifts” in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Ethics
District of Columbia: “D.C. Council Backs Off Pressuring Mayor to Select Ethics Panel” by Tom Sherwood on NBCWashington.com.
South Carolina: “SC House votes to open investigations into its own if ethics committee finds probable cause” by Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) in The Republic.
February 15, 2012 •
Latest News in Ethics Oversight
Here is a look at what has appeared in the last few days from the state ethics commissions:
Arizona: “Ariz. lawmakers want elected officials to disclose use of public funds” by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune.
Georgia: “Advocates push for ethics funding” by Charles Edwards on WABE News.
“Watchdog groups demand more money for ethics board” by in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Maryland: “Maryland Ethics Panel Suggests Reducing Local Disclosure” by Brian Witte (Associated Press) on NBC Washington.
“Bill would require online disclosure” by Michael Dresser in the Baltimore Sun.
Minnesota: “Lobbying violations vex understaffed Minnesota regulator” by Brad Schrade in the Star Tribune.
North Carolina: “Dome: Few ethics complaints probed, report shows” by John Frank in The News & Observer.
January 13, 2012 •
Friday News Roundup
Here are some breaking news items for today:
Lobbying:
“Group pushes ethics reform in hopes of curbing lobbyist influence at Georgia Legislature” by Errin Haines (Associated Press) in The Republic.
Campaign Finance:
“Late Night: Stephen Colbert drops ‘super PAC’ to run for president” by Meredith Blake in the Los Angeles Times. (with a wink…)
“Super PACs are making their rich presence felt in 2012 campaigns” David Goldstein in the Sacramento Bee.
“Summary of Kansas Senate Campaign Finance Reports” in the Missouri News Horizon.
“The 20 Largest Campaign Donors in Rhode Island” by Dan McGowan on golocalProv.com.
“No action taken on Oklahoma’s campaign disclosure laws” by Michael McNutt in the Daily Oklahoman.
Ethics:
“John Edwards trial: Lawyers request for delay will be considered by judge” by The Associated Press on Politico.
“Prison for ex-Rep. Siljander: He aided terrorist-linked charity” by Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times.
November 7, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – November 7, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Largest U.S. Companies Increasingly Disclose Political Spending
Report Cites Growing Role of Interest Groups in State Judicial Elections
Federal:
Abramoff Divulges K Street Secrets
Cain Blames Perry as New Sexual Harassment Allegations Surface
FCC To Rule on On-line Political Advertisement Disclosure
Justice Amps Up Enforcement of Law on Foreign Advocacy
Lawmakers Demand FEC Documents, Threaten Subpoena
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
New Alabama Ethics Law Sweeps in Culture Shift for Capital Lobbyists
California
Passion, Politics Link Lobbyist Couples
California
State Lobby Spending on Pace to Set Records
Illinois
Illinois Powerbroker Convicted in Shakedown Trial
Maryland
County Ethics Bill Would Restrict Lobbying, Add Enforcement
Minnesota
Campaign Finance Board Temporarily Upholds Disclosure Requirements
Nebraska
Report: Nebraska OK at tracking lobbyists, could do better
New Hampshire
N.H. Official Sets Primary for Jan.10
Ohio
Amid Corruption Scandal, Local Races Framed by Honesty and Character Issues
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
October 31, 2011 •
Alabama, Lobbying, and the Changes
Alabama ethics reform 10 months later …
Today’s Birmingham News offers an article by Kim Chandler, “New Alabama ethics law sweeps in culture shift for capital lobbyists,” which describes how lobbying techniques in the state have changed since the ethics law was passed. Chandler also considers the views of those whose businesses have suffered in the capitol as a result of those changes.
“Ten months after the Alabama Legislature approved the new ethics law capping lobbyists’ spending, the culture is different in Montgomery, said several legislators. There are no more free tickets, golf outings, social trips or nightly one-on-one dinners with lobbyists.”
Photo of the Alabama State Capitol building by Jim Bowen on Wikipedia.
October 31, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – October 31, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
Federal:
Ex-Abramoff Associate Ring Sentenced to 20 Months in One of Scandal’s Harshest Punishments
Influence Industry Officially in a Funk
Lobbyist Stint Led to Cain’s Political Forays
Lobbyists Claim Victory against Tax Rule
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama
Ex-Alabama Rep. Terry Spicer Enters Agreement to Plead Guilty to Bribery
Alaska
Guilty Pleas Mark End of Alaska Corruption Investigation
Arizona
Judge Rejects Arizona Campaign Finance Measure
Illinois
Ex-Teachers Union Boss Gets $242,000 State Pension
Kentucky
David Williams’ In-Law is Restoring America Group’s Sole Donor
Montana
Montana Political Practices Office to Address Social Media Campaign Complaints
Nevada
Short-Staffed Ethics Commission Wading Through Flood of Cases
New York
Operative Convicted of Stealing from NYC Mayor
Ohio
Washington
With $22 Million Bet, Costco Shakes Up Washington Election
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Capitol to Allow Guns
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
October 24, 2011 •
News You Can Use Digest – October 24, 2011
Here are highlights from the latest edition of News You Can Use:
National:
Deep Sea Burial Forms First Corporate ‘Super PAC’
Federal:
ACLU Challenge to Small Piece of Campaign Finance Law May Lead to a Slippery Slope
Judge Sends Abramoff Deputy to Halfway House
K Street Suffers from Twitter Jitters
From the States and Municipalities:
Alaska
APOC Busy as Redistricting Raises Legislators’ Questions
California
California’s Center for Governmental Studies to Close
California
San Jose Eases Campaign Limits, Focuses Economic Efforts
Florida
To Interview Mayor, Reporters Must Register as Lobbyists
Kentucky
Judge Bars Group’s Ads Supporting David Williams from Airing
Massachusetts
Lally, DiMasi Conspirator Who Cooperated with Prosecutors, Sentenced to 18 Months
Montana
Group Asks Judge to Toss Campaign Finance Ruling
Pennsylvania
Nutter, Green Unlikely Allies in Same-Sex Ethics Bill
Tennessee
Corporations Signing Up to Donate Under New State Law
Texas
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.
