Lobbying

“Companies Drafting Emergency Plans for Trump Tweets” by Megan Wilson and Melanie Zanona for The Hill

Ethics

“Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry into Trump Associates” by Michael Schmidt, Matthew Rosenberg, Adam Goldman, and Matt Apuzzo for The New York Times

California: “Former L.A. Coliseum Executive at the Center of Corruption Scandal Sentenced to 3 Years of Probation” by Melissa Gerber for Los Angeles Times

California: “Short-Staffed SF Ethics Panel’s Backlog of Cases Growing” by Emily Green for San Francisco Chronicle

Maryland: “Hogan Proposes Maryland Government Ethics Reforms” by Pamela Wood for The Baltimore Sun

Rhode Island: “Ex-R.I. Rep. Palumbo Charged with Embezzling; 2nd Ex-Lawmaker Arrested in a Week” by Katie Mulvaney for Providence Journal

Legislative Issues

Maryland: “Hogan Seeks Background Checks for Appointed Lawmakers” by Pamela Wood and Erin Cox for The Baltimore Sun

Campaign Finance

“With Morale in Tatters, Federal Election Commission Eyes Changes” by Dave Levinthal for Center for Public Integrity

“‘Soft Money’ Era Not Back Yet as Few Companies Contribute” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA

Pennsylvania: “In First Act, New Pa. Treasurer Cracks Down on Pay-to-Play Fees” by Craig McCoy and Mark Fazlollah for Philadelphia Inquirer

Elections

“From Headline to Photograph, a Fake News Masterpiece” by Scott Shane for The New York Times

Lobbying

“The Trump Lobbying Purge That Wasn’t” by Maggie Severns and Isaac Arnsdorf for Politico

Colorado: “Denver City Council Committee Stalls Vote Again on Ethics Changes” by Jon Murray for Denver Post

Massachusetts: “Could Lobbying Rules Have Saved Boston from Ill-Fated Grand Prix?” by Andrew Ryan for Boston Globe

Missouri: “House Passes HB 60 to Limit Lobbyist Gifts” by Benjamin Peters for Missouri Times

South Dakota: “Senators Reluctantly Allow Lobbyists to Stay” by Dana Ferguson for Sioux Falls Argus Leader

Campaign Finance

“SEC Settles with 10 Public Fund Money Managers Over Pay-to-Play Violations” by Hazel Bradford for Pensions & Investments

Ethics

South Carolina: “Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster Paying Off Ethics Penalties Before Becoming Governor” by Andy Shain for Charleston Post & Courier

Texas: “State Rep. Dawnna Dukes Indicted by Grand Jury” by Alex Samuels for Texas Tribune

Elections

Kansas: “Kobach Seeks Authority for Bifurcated Elections; Downplays Issue of Missing Registrations” by Peter Hancock for Lawrence Journal World

Legislative Issues

“How a Mother-in-Law Inspired a Bill to Protect Drivers” by Cleve Wootson Jr. for Washington Post

Ethics reform legislation passed the Missouri House Tuesday afternoon with wide bipartisan support.

House Bill 60 would prohibit lobbyists and lobbyist principals from making expenditures for state public officials or for their staff, spouses, or dependent children.

An exception would remain for event expenditures if all members of the Legislature or all statewide officials are invited in writing. For clarity, the bill would subsequently remove any unnecessary lobbyist reporting requirements.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The Senate Committee on Legislative Procedure decided to table consideration of a proposed new rule to ban lobbyists from the chamber and adjacent hallways during working hours.

The measure came up for a vote yesterday and the committee voted unanimously to let the lobbyists stay. Lawmakers could decide to reconsider adoption of the proposal any time during the legislative session.

Lobbying

Michigan: “From Lawmaker to Lobbyist. Should the State Slow Down the Revolving Door?” by Craig Mauger and Ted Roelofs for Bridge Magazine

Campaign Finance

California: “La Jolla Car Dealer Sentenced for Role in Funneling Illegal Contributions to San Diego Mayor’s Race” by Greg Moran for San Diego Union Tribune

Ethics

“Trump’s Cabinet Pick Invested in Company, Then Introduced a Bill to Help It” by Manu Raju for CNN

Arkansas: “North Little Rock Attorney Says No Ethics Violation in Dallas Cowboys Tickets Given to Police Officers” by Jake Sandlin for Arkansas Online

Iowa: “Kent Sorenson Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Role in Caucus Scandal” by Grant Rodgers for Des Moines Register

New Mexico: “Will Independent Ethics Oversight Catch On in 2017?” by Trip Jennings for New Mexico In Depth

Pennsylvania: “DA Williams Fined $62,0000 for Ethics Violations” by Claudia Vargas for Philadelphia Inquirer

Virginia: “Lengthy New Ethics Bill Targets Redskin Tickets Loophole” by Travis Fain for The Daily Press

Elections

“Rolling in the Red Carpet: Many Pennsylvania Avenue firms to ignore Trump parade” by Stephanie Mansfield for Washington Times

Legislators will attempt to pass a major ethics reform for the second time after their effort during the 2015 legislative session failed. The plan gained wide spread support in 2015 but was ultimately defeated in the House due to a provision increasing donor disclosure requirements for dark money groups.

The new reform package, Senate Bill 14, has four main provisions to:

• Prohibit politicians convicted of felony corruption charges from collecting state pensions
• Require disclosure if companies a lobbyist is tied to have received government contracts or served as bond counsel to a governmental entity
• Decrease the amount of money lobbyists can spend on food and drinks for legislators without triggering disclosure
• Ban registered lobbyists from running for elected office

Sen. Van Taylor who is sponsoring Senate Bill 14 has said reform is needed beyond the provisions of the reform package and will continue to file additional ethics bills. While Senate Bill 14 has not yet been filed, Taylor has filed Senate Bill 137 aiming to prohibit state agencies from using state funds to employ a person who is registered as a lobbyist or who engages in lobbying activities.

Gov. Greg Abbott supports the passage of an ethics package.

Photo of the Texas State Capitol By LoneStarMike via Wikimedia Commons

Campaign Finance

“Corporations Open the Cash Spigot for Trump’s Inauguration” by Nicholas Fandos for New York Times

New Mexico: “Leadership Shift Sparks Hope for Supporters of Campaign Finance Reform” by Sandra Fish for New Mexio In Depth

Wisconsin: “Former Wisconsin Judges Seek Rules on Campaign Donations” by Patrick Marley and Bill Glauber for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ethics

“Trump’s Administration Will Regulate Trump’s Businesses, Raising Prospect of Conflicts” by Rosalind Helderman, Drew Harwell, and Tom Hamburger for Washington Post

California: “Sweetwater School District Gets $8.2 Million in Settlement Over Pay-to-Play Scandal” by Greg Moran for San Diego Union Tribune

Colorado: “Colorado Ethics Commission Puts Denver, Aurora and Other Cities on Notice in Turf Battle Over Gift Rules” by Jon Murray for Denver Post

New Jersey: “Christie Selects Campaign Donor as New Ethics Watchdog” by Salvador Rizzo for Bergen Record

Canada: “Ethics Watchdog Opens Probe into Trudeau’s Vacation at the Aga Khan’s Island” by Alex Ballingall for Toronto Star

Elections

“‘Kompromat’ and the Danger of Doubt and Confusion in a Democracy” by Amanda Taub for New York Times

Lobbying

Florida: “NRA’s Influence with Florida Lawmakers Is Powerful” by Steve Bousquet (Tampa Times) for Bradenton Herald

Campaign Finance

“Trump Tweet About L. L. Bean Underscores Potential Danger for Brands” by Daniel Victor for The New York Times

California: “State Watchdog Agency Investigating after Times Report on Political Donations” by Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times

District of Columbia: “In a City Plagued by Pay-to-Play Politics, an Important Decision Looms for D.C.” by Aaron Davis for The Washington Post

Washington: “Lawmakers in Olympia Seek New Campaign-Disclosure and Ethics Rules” by Joseph O’Sullivan for Seattle Times

Ethics

“After Trump Rebuke, Federal Ethics Chief Called to Testify Before House Lawmakers” by Lisa Rein, Tom Hamburger, and Mike DeBonis for The Washington Post

Maryland: “Democrat Michael Vaughn of Prince George’s Resigns from State Legislature” by Ovetta Wiggins for The Washington Post

Montana: “Republican Lawmakers Try to Cut Off Campaign Regulator’s Pay” by Matt Volz (Associated Press) for SF Gate

Tennessee: “House Lawmakers Must Disclose Political Junkets” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean

Texas: “Top House Republican Says Dark Money Debate Won’t Kill Ethics Reform” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

Lobbying

Connecticut: “CT’s Largest Lobbying Firms Led by Women” by Patricia Daddona for HartfordBusiness.com

Florida: “Brevard County Commissioners Reject Lobbying Rules” by Dave Berman for Florida Today

Missouri: “Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley Announces New Ethics Policy” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Campaign Finance

California: “L.A. Politicians Propose Banning Campaign Contributions from Developers” by David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes for Los Angeles Times

California: “Ethics Watchdog Turns in Her Own Group” by Martin Wisckol for Orange County Register

Kentucky: “Report: Beshear officials shook down 16 workers” by Tom Loftus for Louisville Courier-Journal

Ethics

“How a Sensational, Unverified Dossier Became a Crisis for Donald Trump” by Scott Shane, Nicholas Confessore, and Matthew Rosenberg for The New York Times

“Trump Won’t Drop Business Ties” by Josh Dawsey and Darren Samuelsohn for Politico

Maryland: “Former Md. State Del. Will Campos Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes for Official Favors” by Lynh Bui and Arelis Hernandez for The Washington Post

North Carolina: “Cooper Expands Lawsuit Over Power Struggle with Legislature” by Craig Jarvis for Raleigh News & Observer

Lobbying

Colorado: “Denver Council Approves Gift-Report Rules That Require More Frequency, Better Access” by Jon Murray for Denver Post

Campaign Finance

“Betsy DeVos, Trump’s Education Pick, Plays Hardball with Her Wealth” by Noam Scheiber for New York Times

Alaska: “Group Appeals Lawsuit Challenging Alaska Campaign Finance Laws” by Alex DeMarban for Alaska Dispatch News

California: “How This Former Aspiring Screenwriter Became One of California’s Campaign Finance Experts After Losing His Day Job” by Christine Mai-Duc for Los Angeles Times

Pennsylvania: “D.A. Candidate Donates $250,000 to Own Campaign, Triggering ‘Millionaire’s Provision’” by Jared Brey for Philadelphia Magazine

Ethics

“Trump’s Son-in-Law, Jared Kushner, to Join White House as Senior Adviser; No Formal Role for Ivanka Trump” by John Wagner and Ashley Parker for Washington Post

“House GOP Quietly Shields Lawmakers Records from Ethics Probes” by Eric Pianin (Fiscal Times) for Yahoo! Finance

Florida: “Opa-locka Politician Pleads Guilty to Bribery, as FBI Continues Corruption Probe” by Jay Weaver for Miami Herald

South Carolina: “Merrill Indictment Casts Pall Over Opening of SC Legislature” by Avery Wilks for The State

South Dakota: “Krebs Offers Package to Replace SD Ethics Initiative Under Fire” by James Nord (Associated Press) for Sioux City Journal

Tennessee: “To Combat Sexual Harassment, Tennessee Lawmakers Required to Watch 15-Minute Video” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean

Vermont: “Hopes High for State Ethics Panel” by Neal Goswami for Rutland Herald

Almost immediately upon being sworn in as Missouri governor, Eric Greitens issued an executive order banning lobbyist gifts to executive branch employees.

The order also establishes a revolving door provision, prohibiting gubernatorial staff from lobbying his office after leaving their positions.

At the Capitol, Republican lawmakers held a meeting yesterday to endorse a bill to expand the executive order by banning most lobbyist gifts to legislators. The actions are part of an effort to reform state ethics laws and curb government corruption.

Lobbying

“Trump Insiders Head for Big K Street Paydays” by Isaac Arnsdorf and Kenneth Vogel for Politico

Indiana: “Tighter Rules Still Not Strict Enough for Some Lawmakers” by Maureen Hayden for Batesville Herald-Tribune

Massachusetts: “City Hall Promised Lobbying Reform. Nothing Happened.” by Mark Arsenault and Andrew Ryan for Boston Globe

Missouri: “Greitens Takes Over as Missouri Governor, Targets Lobbyists” by Summer Ballentine and David Lieb (Associated Press) for Yahoo! News

Campaign Finance

Arizona: “Cashier’s Checks, $3,000 in Cash, a Consultant and a Pastor” by Dustin Gardner and Rob O’Dell for Arizona Republic

Maryland: “Democrat Tapped for State House Charged with Illegal Donations, Won’t Be Sworn In” by Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post

Pennsylvania: “Calls Turn Developers into Donors for Peduto” by Rich Lord for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ethics

“Russian Hackers Find Ready Bullhorns in the Media” by Max Fisher for New York Times

“Ethics Official Warns Against Confirmations Before Reviews Are Complete” by Ed O’Keefe and Sean Sullivan for Washington Post

“Jared Kushner, a Trump In-Law and Adviser, Chases a Chinese Deal” by Susanne Craig, Jo Becker, and Jess Drucker for New York Times

North Carolina: “Ethics Commission – Set to Become Elections Board – Secures Lawyers in Roy Cooper Lawsuit” by Colin Campbell for Raleigh News & Observer

The Montana First Judicial District Court issued an order to let Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathon Motl stay in office until a case to extend his appointment is heard, reserving the ending date issue for determination by the Court.

A lawsuit filed last month asserts Motl, who was confirmed by the Senate in 2013, should be allowed to complete a full six-year term of service extending his appointment until June 2019. Montana Senate Republicans, who have repeatedly accused Motl of bias against them in his decisions, have introduced a resolution seeking to intervene in the case to “vigorously defend and protect in all court proceedings the legal integrity of (the) Senate’s constitutional confirmation authority.”

If the resolution passes, the Senate will assert that Motl’s term ended on January 1, 2017. A hearing is expected on the issue in early 2017.