March 6, 2019 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Arizona: “Judge Says Ex-AG Horne Denied Due Process in Campaign Violations Case” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) for Arizona Daily Star Kansas: “Prosecutors Weigh Options After Jury Acquits Michael O’Donnell on Most Counts” by Amy Renee Leiker […]
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “Judge Says Ex-AG Horne Denied Due Process in Campaign Violations Case” by Howard Fischer (Capitol News Services) for Arizona Daily Star
Kansas: “Prosecutors Weigh Options After Jury Acquits Michael O’Donnell on Most Counts” by Amy Renee Leiker for Wichita Eagle
Nevada: “Senate Majority Leader Kelvin Atkinson Resigns After Admitting to Misappropriating Campaign Funds for Personal Use” by Riley Snider, Megan Messerly, and Michelle Rindels for Nevada Independent
Ethics
National: “Trump Tweet Touting One of His Scotland Golf Courses as ‘the Greatest’ in the World Draws Criticism” by David Fahrenthold and Joel Achenbach (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle
District of Columbia: “Towing Contractor Hooked D.C. Officials with $50,000 in Bribes, He Admits in Court” by Ann Marimow and Peter Jamison for Washington Post
Lobbying
National: “Ilhan Omar’s Criticism Raises the Question: Is Aipac too powerful?” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg for New York Times
Canada: “Lobbying Commissioner Should Investigate Facebook, Says MP Angus” by Elizabeth Thompson for CBC
Louisiana: “Entergy Fined $5M, Can Move Forward with New Power Plant” by Michael Issac Stein (The Lens) for Louisiana Weekly
Procurement
National: “Nationwide Lobbying Push for Contractor Monitoring Software Alarms State CIOs” by Benjamin Freed for StateScoop
March 5, 2019 •
Tuesdays LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Florida: Big Donors Will Shower Florida Lawmakers with Cash Tonight, Then Push Their Agendas by Gary Rohrer for Orlando Sentinel Massachusetts: Questions Raised About Source of Late Funds That Helped Carry Rep. Lori Trahan to Victory by Andrea […]
Campaign Finance
Florida: Big Donors Will Shower Florida Lawmakers with Cash Tonight, Then Push Their Agendas by Gary Rohrer for Orlando Sentinel
Massachusetts: Questions Raised About Source of Late Funds That Helped Carry Rep. Lori Trahan to Victory by Andrea Estes for Boston Globe
South Dakota: Lawmakers Vote to Close ‘Loophole’ Around Kids Donating to Political Candidates by Joe Sneve for Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Ethics
National: House Democrats Demand Documents from More Than 80 People and Institutions Affiliated with Trump by Ellen Nakashima, Rachael Bade, and John Wagner (Washington Post) for MSN
New Mexico: House OKs Ethics Bill with Election ‘Blackout’ by Andrew Oxford (Santa Fe New Mexican) for New Mexico Political Report
South Carolina: SC Lawmaker Accused of Maneuvering Himself into Top State Job Gives Up Nomination by Bristow Marchant for The State
West Virginia: Poster Linking Rep. Ilhan Omar to 9/11 Sparks Outrage at West Virginia Capitol by Eli Rosenberg (Washington Post) for Los Angeles Times
Lobbying
New Mexico: Bill Would Prevent Lobbyists’ Spending During Session by Andrew Oxford (Santa Fe New Mexican) for New Mexico Political Report
Oregon: Lawmakers Come and Go, but the Lobby Remains a Powerful Constant in Oregon Legislature by Claire Withycombe, Aubrey Wieber, and Paris Achen for Portland Tribune
March 4, 2019 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Pennsylvania: “Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner Settles Campaign-Finance Violation” by Andrew Seidman for Philadelphia Inquirer Ethics National: “‘Not in Compliance’: Wilbur Ross, the Trump official who keeps watchdogs up at night” by Carrie Levine and Peter Overby for […]
Campaign Finance
Pennsylvania: “Philly District Attorney Larry Krasner Settles Campaign-Finance Violation” by Andrew Seidman for Philadelphia Inquirer
Ethics
National: “‘Not in Compliance’: Wilbur Ross, the Trump official who keeps watchdogs up at night” by Carrie Levine and Peter Overby for Center for Public Integrity
National: “Federal Grand Jury Issued Subpoena for Documents Relating to D.C. Council Member Jack Evans” by Steve Thompson for Washington Post
Maryland: “Maryland Delegate Says She Won’t Resign after House Censures Her for ‘Racist and Hateful Slur’” by Luke Broadwater and Pamela Wood (Baltimore Sun) for MSN
South Carolina: “Panel Punts Vote on Controversial SC Nominee, Setting Up Battle on Senate Floor” by Bristow Marchant for The State
Texas: “‘Sense of Despair’ as Former Dallas City Council Member Pleads Guilty in Feds’ Case That Implicates Prominent Developer” by Robert Wilonsky for Dallas News
Legislative Issues
North Carolina: “Why a Judge Ruled That the Entire North Carolina Legislature Is Illegitimate” by Alan Greenblatt for Governing
Lobbying
New Mexico: “Former Public Servants Lobby Ex-Colleagues” by Dan McKay for Albuquerque Journal
March 1, 2019 •
News You Can Use – March 1, 2019
Federal: Cohen Tells Congress Trump Knew About WikiLeaks’ Plans, Directed Hush-Money Payments MSN – Matt Zapotosky, Rosalind Helderman, Karoun Demirjian, and Rachael Bade (Washington Post) | Published: 2/27/2019 Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, laid out for Congress […]
Federal:
Cohen Tells Congress Trump Knew About WikiLeaks’ Plans, Directed Hush-Money Payments
MSN – Matt Zapotosky, Rosalind Helderman, Karoun Demirjian, and Rachael Bade (Washington Post) | Published: 2/27/2019
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer, laid out for Congress for the first time a series of deceptions by the president. He charged that Trump lied to the public about business interests in Russia, lied to reporters about stolen Democratic emails, and told Cohen to lie about hush payments to cover up sexual misconduct. The accusations, aired at a daylong hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee, exposed a dark underside of Trump’s business and political worlds in the voice of one of the ultimate insiders. Perhaps no close associate has turned on a president in front of Congress in such dramatic fashion and with such high stakes since John Dean testified against President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
From the States and Municipalities:
Arkansas: Arkansas Grapples with Ethics Cleanup Amid Federal Probes
4029tv – Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) | Published: 2/24/2019
A flurry of corruption cases in the past two years has been eye-popping, even for the most jaded veterans of Arkansas politics. Among those who have been charged are a nephew of the current governor, a champion of campaign finance reform, and a top county official who admitted to taking bribes funneled through the church where he was a pastor. The recent cases have stirred fears the Capitol is becoming better known as a hotbed of corruption than for any policy achievements, and legislative leaders are scrambling to repair that image and find ways of deterring future misdeeds.
California: The Political Playbook of a Bankrupt California Utility
MSN – Thomas Fuller and Ivan Penn (New York Times) | Published: 2/23/2019
Despite evidence Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was responsible for repeated safety violations and involved in deadly wildfires, lawmakers in California continued to benefit from political donations from the company. Investigators are now determining whether PG&E equipment was responsible for the state’s deadliest wildfire, the inferno in and around Paradise that killed 85 people and destroyed more than 13,000 homes. With the state’s tech giants focused on their influence in Washington, D.C., perhaps no company in California is more entangled with local Democratic politics than PG&E, which in January filed for bankruptcy. PG&E’s restructuring will test whether Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democratic leaders can push to create a company free from what critics say has been a culture of cronyism between regulators and the regulated.
Florida: The SWAT Team Showed Up at a Florida Mayor’s Door. Then He Started Shooting, Police Say.
Washington Post – Reis Thebault and Eli Rosenberg | Published: 2/21/2019
The mayor of a small Gulf Coast town in Florida was arrested after shooting at a SWAT team that had come to arrest him on charges of illegally practicing medicine. Dale Glen Massad, mayor of Port Richey, a town of around 2,600 north of Tampa, fired two shots at officers who raided his home in the early hours of the morning. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was investigating Massad, a former doctor who gave up his license in 1992, after being tipped off that Massad was still practicing medicine. No officers were injured and Massad was arrested without further incident. He is charged with two counts of attempted homicide, according to the complaint.
Georgia: Nine Lawyers in Running to Head State Ethics Commission
Yahoo Finance – R. Robin McDonald (Law.com) | Published: 2/28/2019
Nine lawyers are in contention to become the new head of Georgia’s ethics commission, which has moved to replace former Executive Secretary Stefan Ritter. He resigned following an internal investigation, which stemmed from the discovery of hundreds of pornographic images on his state-issued computer. Complaints also accused Ritter of squelching ethics inquiries of several Atlanta mayoral candidates and possible campaign violations by a gubernatorial campaign. Finalists for the job include Robert Lane, deputy executive secretary of the Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, and Michael Sullivan, director of the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
Illinois: At Chicago City Hall, the Legislative Branch Rarely Does Much Legislating
ProPublica – Mick Dumke | Published: 2/25/2019
From 2011 through 2018, Chicago Ald. Pat Dowell was the chief sponsor of more than 900 separate ordinances in the city council, most of them pertaining to such hyperlocal issues as business sign permits, driveway alley access, and parking meter hours for single addresses. That volume of ward-specific legislation is typical for aldermen. Except in rare instances, the council signs off on the mayor’s agenda, even letting the city’s executive pick its legislative leaders. In return, aldermen are allowed to reign over matters large and small in their wards, which some openly describe as “fiefdoms.” The structure of the council has received new attention over the last several months, as the city’s political establishment has been rocked by scandals involving aldermen.
Louisiana: Louisiana Cap on Legislative Wining and Dining Grows to $62
Tacoma News Tribune; Associated Press – | Published: 2/24/2019
When the new budget year begins in a few months, lobbyists can spend $62 per occasion on food and drink for a public official in Louisiana. The current cap is $61. The 2008 law that sets the limit allows annual adjustments tied to increases in the federal Consumer Price Index for food and beverages.
Maryland: Maryland Del. Mary Ann Lisanti Stripped of Leadership Post Over Use of Racial Slur
Washington Post – Ovetta Wiggins | Published: 2/26/2019
A Maryland lawmaker who witnesses say used a racial slur to describe a legislative district in Prince George’s County has been stripped of her leadership position and will undergo sensitivity training. Del. Mary Ann Lisanti issued a public apology after addressing the executive committee of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland. Lisanti used the slur in front of several colleagues at an Annapolis cigar bar in January. She told another white lawmaker that when he campaigned in Prince George’s on behalf of a candidate last fall, he was door-knocking in a “n—– district,” said Del. Jay Walker, who witnessed the comment and represents the district in question.
New Hampshire: NH Lobbyists Paid Record Fees in 2018 But Info Hard to Track
Manchester Union Leader – Kevin Landrigan | Published: 2/23/2019
Unofficially, the nearly 500 private or public interests that hired lobbyists in New Hampshire last year paid out nearly $10.7 million in fees. The Manchester Union Leader constructed a database of the fees paid to these lobbyists from information available on the secretary of state’s website. But the state’s website is not searchable. State officials scan all the forms and post them online. This means anyone trying to aggregate all the fees paid to any firm has to total up all the individual forms. In 2018, more than 1,000 lobbying firms filed these reports because several firms have more than one associate working for them. For example, the Sheehan Phinney Capitol Group has five registered lobbyists who represent 40 clients. To find out what the firm got paid in total requires looking at more than 120 forms.
North Carolina: In N.C., a Surprise: In the end, everyone agreed it was election fraud
Chicago Tribune – Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 2/23/2019
North Carolina will hold a new election in the Ninth Congressional District following a hearing that outlined how a political operative had orchestrated an absentee ballot scheme to try to sway the race in favor of Mark Harris, the Republican candidate. Harris was under scrutiny for hiring Leslie McCrae Dowless, who allegedly assembled a crew to illegally collect, fill out, and forge mail-in ballots in two rural counties in the district. Mark Harris’s son, John, testified before the State Board of Elections that he warned his father he believed Dowless had broken the law in a previous election and should not be hired for the 2018 campaign. The elder Harris had maintained in interviews with reporters that he was unaware of red flags about the operative’s alleged tactics.
Ohio: Even After FBI Probe of Ohio Speaker, Tracking Lawmakers’ Travel Remains Challenging
Cincinnati Enquirer – Jessie Balmert | Published: 2/24/2019
Each year, several Ohio lawmakers spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on out-of-state travel. They meet legislators from other states, learn about how foreign countries tackle problems, and make connections that could help them professionally and politically. But figuring out how much each lawmaker travels and who pays for those trips is far from easy. Legislators must report some travel for official business on annual ethics forms but not all. Some lawmakers use campaign contributions to pay for travel and document trips there. But lawmakers can also receive free trips from national groups or pay for the trips themselves – it is impossible to tell.
Oregon: Polluted by Money
Portland Oregonian – Rob Davis | Published: 2/22/2019
Over the last few years, Oregon’s most powerful industries have defeated, weakened, or stalled efforts to deal with climate change, air pollution, and other environmental matters. An investigation by The Portland Oregonian found the failure to regulate campaign finance has made Oregon one of the biggest money states in American politics, and the ready cash creates an easy regulatory climate where industry gets what it wants. A company might give as little as a few thousand dollars per lawmaker. But taken together, legislators receive millions from industries with a shared interest in weak environmental regulation. Some state lawmakers said the campaign finance system works by showing voters who is giving money and letting them judge whether it is significant.
Pennsylvania: How Philly’s Electricians Union and Johnny Doc Converted Payroll Deductions into Political Influence
Philadelphia Inquirer – Chris Brennan and Dylan Purcell | Published: 2/25/2019
From 2002 through 2018, small-dollar donations withdrawn from the paychecks of members of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers produced just under $41 million to invest in helping elect allies to local, state, and national offices. The yearly haul has increased six-fold over the last decade. The recent indictment on corruption charges of the union’s leader, Johnny “Doc” Dougherty, entangled only one elected official – Philadelphia City Councilperson Bobby Henon – and did not charge anyone with making or receiving improper campaign donations. For a probe that took at least two years, it also gave barely a nod to the breadth of the influence and impact that Local 98 and its leader have amassed.
Texas: Most Dallas City Council Members’ Campaign-Finance Reports Show Violations – But No One Enforces Rules
Dallas News – Corbett Smith | Published: 2/26/2019
Despite a limit on how much individuals and groups can donate to mayoral and council candidates, oversight by Dallas officials is essentially nonexistent. The Dallas News reviewed the past four years of campaign finance filings, finding more than 30 questionable donations reported by 10 of the 14 city council members. A dozen more issues showed up on reports of former council members and losing candidates, but no one is in charge of combing over the forms, raising questions or scrutinizing irregularities. And no one is filing official complaints that would prompt an investigation, city officials said. Even if someone filed a complaint about campaign finance violations, there’s disagreement whether the city’s own ethics panel can even investigate the matter.
February 28, 2019 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Arizona: “Regulators Now Have the Votes to Subpoena Utility’s Political Spending Records” by Howard Fischer (Arizona Daily Star) for Arizona Daily Star Texas: “Most Dallas City Council Members’ Campaign-Finance Reports Show Violations – But No One Enforces Rules” […]
Campaign Finance
Arizona: “Regulators Now Have the Votes to Subpoena Utility’s Political Spending Records” by Howard Fischer (Arizona Daily Star) for Arizona Daily Star
Texas: “Most Dallas City Council Members’ Campaign-Finance Reports Show Violations – But No One Enforces Rules” by Corbett Smith for Dallas News
West Virginia: “W.Va. Senate Passes Bill to Change to Campaign Finance Law, Opponents Say It Lacks Transparency” by David Mistich for West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Elections
Illinois: “Chicago Poised to Elect first African-American Female Mayor After Lori Lightfoot, Toni Preckwinkle Advance” by Bill Ruthhart for Chicago Tribune
North Carolina: “Bladen County Operative at Center of NC Election Fraud Investigation Indicted, Arrested” by Ely Portillo and Jim Morrill for Raleigh News and Observer
Ethics
National: “House Democrats Forge Ahead on Electoral Reform Bill” by Zach Montellaro for Politico
Pennsylvania: “Pa. Audit Says Officials Took Freebies from Voting Machine Firms” by Liz Navratil and Angela Couloumbis for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Lobbying
New Hampshire: “NH Lobbyists Paid Record Fees in 2018 But Info Hard to Track” by Kevin Landrigan for Manchester Union Leader
February 27, 2019 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Idaho: “Sunshine Bill on Electioneering Stalls in Committee, Amid Nonprofits’ Concerns Over ‘Donor Privacy’” by Savannah Cardon for Idaho Press Rhode Island: “Ex-GOP Candidate for Congress in R.I. Charged in Fraud” by Patrick Anderson for Providence Journal Elections […]
Campaign Finance
Idaho: “Sunshine Bill on Electioneering Stalls in Committee, Amid Nonprofits’ Concerns Over ‘Donor Privacy’” by Savannah Cardon for Idaho Press
Rhode Island: “Ex-GOP Candidate for Congress in R.I. Charged in Fraud” by Patrick Anderson for Providence Journal
Elections
National: “U.S. Cyber Command Operation Disrupted Internet Access of Russian Troll Factory on Day of 2018 Midterms” by Ellen Nakashima (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
Maryland: “Md. Lawmaker Apologizes for Allegedly Using N-Word with Her Colleagues” by Ovetta Wiggins for Washington Post
Legislative Issues
California: “California Lawmakers and Lobbyists Hustle to Write Hundreds of Bills, Many Not Fully Cooked” by John Myers (Los Angeles Times) for San Diego Union Tribune
Lobbying
Kentucky: “Kentucky Senate OKs Bill to Reveal Executive Branch Lobbying” by The Associated Press for Miami Herald
Michigan: “Lobbyist Spending Topped the Charts in Michigan Last Year, Reports Show” by Carol Thompson for Lansing State Journal
February 26, 2019 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Pennsylvania: “How Philly’s Electricians Union and Johnny Doc Converted Payroll Deductions into Political Influence” by Chris Brennan and Dylan Purcell for Philadelphia Inquirer Elections National: “Russian Spy or Hustling Political Operative? The Enigmatic Figure at the Heart of […]
Campaign Finance
Pennsylvania: “How Philly’s Electricians Union and Johnny Doc Converted Payroll Deductions into Political Influence” by Chris Brennan and Dylan Purcell for Philadelphia Inquirer
Elections
National: “Russian Spy or Hustling Political Operative? The Enigmatic Figure at the Heart of Mueller’s Inquiry” by Kenneth Vogel and Andrew Kramer (New York Times) for MSN
Ethics
Arkansas: “Arkansas Grapples with Ethics Cleanup Amid Federal Probes” by Andrew DeMillo (Associated Press) for 4029tv
Ohio: “Even After FBI Probe of Ohio Speaker, Tracking Lawmakers’ Travel Remains Challenging” by Jessie Balmert for Cincinnati Enquirer
Legislative Issues
Illinois: “At Chicago City Hall, the Legislative Branch Rarely Does Much Legislating” by Mick Dumke for ProPublica
Oregon: “2 Oregon Lawmakers Demoted for Rude Behavior” by Sarah Zimmerman (Associated Press) for Portland Oregonian
Lobbying
California: “The Political Playbook of a Bankrupt California Utility” by Thomas Fuller and Ivan Penn (New York Times) for MSN
Louisiana: “Louisiana Cap on Legislative Wining and Dining Grows to $62” by The Associated Press for Tacoma News Tribune
February 25, 2019 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance New Jersey: “NJ Senate Approves Legislation Requiring ‘Dark Money’ Groups to Reveal Donors” by David Levinsky for Burlington County Times Oregon: “Polluted by Money” by Rob Davis for Portland Oregonian Elections North Carolina: “After Harris Admissions, a New […]
Campaign Finance
New Jersey: “NJ Senate Approves Legislation Requiring ‘Dark Money’ Groups to Reveal Donors” by David Levinsky for Burlington County Times
Oregon: “Polluted by Money” by Rob Davis for Portland Oregonian
Elections
North Carolina: “After Harris Admissions, a New Election in 9th District” by Travis Fain for WRAL
Ethics
National: “Judge Broadens Gag Order Against Roger Stone After Instagram Post” by Darren Samuelsohn, Josh Gerstein, and Matthew Choi for Politico
Florida: “The SWAT Team Showed Up at a Florida Mayor’s Door. Then He Started Shooting, Police Say.” by Reis Thebault and Eli Rosenberg for Washington Post
Tennessee: “Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Regrets Wearing Confederate Uniform in College” by Jonathan Matisse and Scott Stroud for AP News
Lobbying
Canada: “Ontario Lobbyists Fear Loss of Access Unless They Sell Ford Fundraiser Tickets” by Jill Mahoney and Adam Radwanski for The Globe and Mail
Nevada: “Law Would Alter Nevada Financial Disclosure, Lobbyist Rules” by Bill Dentzer for Las Vegas Review-Journal
February 22, 2019 •
News You Can Use Digest – February 22, 2019
National: The Growing Need for Opposition Research – on Yourself – in Today’s Political World Governing – Alan Greenblatt | Published: 2/15/2019 The series of recent scandals in Virginia was kicked off by the emergence of a 35-year-old yearbook page […]
National:
The Growing Need for Opposition Research – on Yourself – in Today’s Political World
Governing – Alan Greenblatt | Published: 2/15/2019
The series of recent scandals in Virginia was kicked off by the emergence of a 35-year-old yearbook page from Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school days. In September, members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee grilled then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh about entries in his high school yearbook and the calendar he kept as a student. Now reporters all over the country are scouring old yearbooks, looking for more examples of racist or otherwise disturbing images or language from the past of politicians. All this suggests that opposition research – as well as self-research, which refers to candidates hiring investigators to look into their own closets – will be a growing field in the years ahead.
Federal:
Elections Commission Chief Uses the ‘Nuclear Option’ to Rescue the Agency from Gridlock
Mother Jones – Nihal Krishan | Published: 2/20/2019
Ellen Weintraub, who has been on the FEC since 2002 and became chairperson in January, has become increasingly frustrated by the agency’s lack of enforcement, which has led to less disclosure, less transparency, and more “dark money” within the campaign finance system. Weintraub now says she will not allow FEC lawyers to defend the government when the commission has been sued for not enforcing the law. This drastic step, which one former FEC lawyer called the “nuclear option,” is effectively an effort to sabotage her own agency in order to enforce the law and create more campaign finance disclosure.
Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation: Inside Trump’s two-year war on the investigations encircling him
MSN – Mark Mazzetti, Maggie Haberman, Nicholas Fandos, and Michael Schmidt (New York Times) | Published: 2/19/2019
President Trump’s public war on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation has gone on long enough that it is no longer shocking. Trump rages almost daily to his 58 million Twitter followers that Muller is on a “witch hunt.” The president’s lawyer talks openly about a strategy to smear and discredit the special counsel investigation. Trump’s allies in Congress and the conservative media warn of an insidious plot inside the Justice Department and the FBI to subvert a democratically elected president. An examination by The New York Times reveals the extent of an even more sustained, more secretive assault by Trump on the machinery of federal law enforcement. Interviews with current and former government officials and others close to Trump, as well as a review of confidential White House documents, reveal numerous unreported episodes in a two-year drama.
From the States and Municipalities:
California: L.A. Ethics Commission Backs New Restrictions on Developer Donations
Los Angeles Times – Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser | Published: 2/19/2019
Faced with complaints about a “pay-to-play” culture at City Hall, the Los Angeles Ethics Commission backed new restrictions on political donations from real estate developers seeking city approval for their building plans. The proposed ban would cover a broad array of people “substantially involved” in a proposed development project, including real estate executives, architects, engineers, and others. Such donors would also be barred from fundraising or gathering political donations for city officials. The commission also backed new restrictions on “behested payments” – donations solicited by politicians for charitable or governmental causes.
California: Nation’s First All-LGBTQ City Council Tests Modern Meaning of Diversity
San Francisco Chronicle – Scott Wilson (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2019
Palm Springs achieved a measure of fame a little more than a year ago when voters elected the nation’s first city council consisting entirely of members of the LGBTQ community. The gay and lesbian community, a majority of the electorate in this city of 45,000 people, cheered the milestone as an affirmation of the community’s model tolerance. The happy moment did not last long. The council elected in November 2017 also happened to be all white. What was viewed by many as a broad step toward greater diversity instead turned Palm Springs into a forum for a debate about what diversity means – and who, exactly, is best suited to represent whom in a state shaped for decades by identity politics.
California: Why Cities, Counties May Turn to the State Political Watchdog to Enforce Local Campaign Finance Issues
San Bernardino Sun – Joe Nelson and Sandra Emerson | Published: 2/20/2019
A law that took effect on January 1 in California essentially allows local agencies to draw on the state’s experience and expertise in dealing with campaign finance and ethics laws – for a price. Under its contract with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), San Bernardino County pays the agency a flat fee of $55,000 annually and is billed at hourly rates for any work exceeding the flat amount. In return, the FPPC audits the campaign accounts of all county elected officials each election cycle, investigates complaints, provides written and verbal guidance to elected officials and their donors regarding the county’s campaign finance and ethics ordinance.
Florida: ‘Who Gave It, Who Got It?’ How Political Influence in Miami Is Bought – and Concealed
Miami Herald – Joey Flechas and Sandra Emerson | Published: 2/21/2019
Whether it is candidates or ballot measures, moneyed interests use political groups that can receive and spend unlimited, untraceable “dark money” to influence elections in Miami and pay for attack ads. Florida’s lax campaign finance laws allow donors to seed thousands of dollars into committees that can give to one or more other committees. The money that pays for the ads can be difficult to trace back to the original donor. Because state authorities do not aggressively police campaign finance reports, political committees can easily get away with concealing their donors while flouting election laws. But political groups do not necessarily need to break campaign laws to hide the sources of their money. It is allowed to be moved through a byzantine web of political committees that mask its origins.
Montana: US Supreme Court Won’t Take Challenge to Montana Campaign Finance Law
Montana Public Radio – Corin Cates-Carney | Published: 2/19/2018
The U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, declined to take up a case challenging Montana’s campaign finance disclosure law. The justices left in place a lower court’s ruling that the state’s so-called Disclose Act is constitutional. The law requires groups that engage in last-minute advertising in elections to make public how they spend money to influence the state’s elections.
New Jersey: This N.J. Mayor Is Getting Paid to Fight Legal Weed. Here’s Why That’s Causing Trouble.
Bergen Record – Payton Guion (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 2/15/2019
The mayor of the first town in New Jersey to ban legal marijuana sales has also spent most of the past year on the payroll as a lobbyist for a prominent anti-marijuana group in the state. But Point Pleasant Beach Mayor Stephen Reid has not always been upfront about that connection, raising questions about ethics and conflicts-of-interest. More than 60 towns in New Jersey have taken some step to prohibit marijuana businesses from their borders. Reid has traveled around the state, offering his hand to other towns considering a ban as the mayor of a town that’ has already done it. Since May 2018, Reid has been a paid lobbyist for New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana, and his potential conflict is the subject of lawsuit against the town.
Oregon: ‘Give Me the Money, and I’ll Give It to Her.’ Former Oregon Lawmaker Describes Participating in Dubious Campaign Practice
Portland Oregonian – Rob Davis | Published: 2/17/2019
On paper, two contributions to candidates last year came from former Oregon Rep. Deborah Boone. She wrote the checks and her name is listed as the donor. In reality, Boone said, the money came from donors who asked her to pass it on under her name, creating a set of transactions and reports that may have violated state law. Boone described the practice as commonplace among legislators. State records show millions of dollars have moved between Oregon politicians in the past decade in what look like straightforward gestures of support. Lawmakers also routinely give money to committees run by legislative leaders, who then redistribute it to candidates in tough races. According to Boone, the transactions are not always what they seem.
Rhode Island: Political Donations by Strip-club Industry Made in Lobbying Firm’s Name
Providence Journal – Brian Amaral | Published: 2/15/2019
Mysterious errors in campaign finance records concealed the source of thousands of dollars in donations from the Providence strip-club industry to Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Instead of listing their actual employers, the series of contributions listed a lobbying firm, the Goldberg Law Offices. A lobbyist at that firm, Robert Goldberg, also worked on behalf of the strip-club industry. Goldberg said he did not know why donations from people involved in the strip-club industry – and not, in fact, employed by his firm – listed his firm as their employer. The errors raise questions about the working relationship between a high-powered lobbyist and an industry he represented and illuminate the many connections between the strip-club industry and the halls of power in the state.
Texas: Sen. Angela Paxton Files Bill That Would Allow Her Husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, to Issue Exemptions from Securities Regulations
Texas Tribune – Emma Platoff | Published: 2/16/2019
In what state Sen. Angela Paxton describes as an effort to safely expand Texas’ burgeoning financial tech industry, she filed a bill that would empower the office of her husband, state Attorney General Ken Paxton to exempt entrepreneurs from certain state regulations so they can market “innovative financial products or services.” One of those exemptions would be working as an “investment advisor” without registering. Currently, doing so is a felony in Texas, one for which Ken Paxton was issued a civil penalty in 2014 and criminally charged in 2015.
Virginia: Richmond’s Donor Class and the VMI Brotherhood Stand Behind Embattled Virginia Governor
Washington Post – Gregory Schneider | Published: 2/16/2019
Gil Minor, a local corporate titan and major donor to both political parties, and Tom Slater, a prominent lawyer, met with Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam soon after the shocking news broke that a racist photograph had been unearthed from Northam’s medical school yearbook page. Minor and Slater are part of a political donor class in Richmond that has rallied behind the embattled governor. Perhaps more significant, they are part of a Virginia Military Institute (VMI) brotherhood, an elite alumni corps that includes several of the state’s power brokers. They did not want Northam, the first VMI graduate to become governor, to go down in disgrace. That support is a major reason Northam has clung to office when most of the political world has called for his resignation, leaving the state locked in a limbo of dysfunction that shows no sign of changing soon.
Washington: SEIU State Council to Pay $128,000 in Civil Fines Over Campaign-Finance Lawsuit
Seattle Times – Joseph O’Sullivan | Published: 2/19/2019
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Washington State Council 14 has agreed to pay a six-figure settlement over a campaign finance lawsuit. The settlement requires SEIU to pay $128,262.75 in civil fines, as well as $18,300.85 in costs and fees. Another $104,942.25 in civil fines is suspended, provided the organization has no violations over the next four years. The Freedom Foundation alleged the SEIU state council had been operating as a political committee without filing as such with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. The state attorney general’s office determined that SEIU had made significant campaign contributions but failed to register and report as a political committee in for at least the years 2014 and 2016.
Wyoming: Legislature Reforms Campaign Finance
Staff – Sundance Times | Published: 2/20/2019
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed Senate Bill 18 into law. It is intended to enhance transparency by requiring that candidates report their expenditures and contributions simultaneously and up to two weeks before the election. It also raises the threshold for reporting from $25 to $100 to account for inflation. The law also clarifies campaign advertising provisions to now include online advertising and defines “electioneering communications,” while requiring that campaign activity be subject to the disclosure of donors and expenditures whether or not that activity was done in coordination with a candidate. A disclosure must now explicitly state, “Paid for by ….”
February 21, 2019 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “Elections Commission Chief Uses the ‘Nuclear Option’ to Rescue the Agency from Gridlock” by Nihal Krishan for Mother Jones California: “L.A. Ethics Commission Backs New Restrictions on Developer Donations” by Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser for […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Elections Commission Chief Uses the ‘Nuclear Option’ to Rescue the Agency from Gridlock” by Nihal Krishan for Mother Jones
California: “L.A. Ethics Commission Backs New Restrictions on Developer Donations” by Emily Alpert Reyes and David Zahniser for Los Angeles Times
Michigan: “Mayor Will File ‘Schor Lansing Fund’ with the IRS” by Kyle Kaminski and Berl Schwartz for Lansing City Pulse
Montana: “US Supreme Court Won’t Take Challenge to Montana Campaign Finance Law” by Corin Cates-Carney for Montana Public Radio
Washington: “SEIU State Council to Pay $128,000 in Civil Fines Over Campaign-Finance Lawsuit” by Joseph O’Sullivan for Seattle Times
Ethics
National: “Top Ethics Watchdog Rejects Ross’s Financial Disclosure Form” by Bill Allison for Bloomberg
National: “A Federal Employee’s Ethics Guide During Future Government Shutdowns” by Nicole Ogrysko for Federal News Network
Texas: “Sen. Angela Paxton Files Bill That Would Allow Her Husband, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, to Issue Exemptions from Securities Regulations” by Emma Platoff for Texas Tribune
February 20, 2019 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “Lawmakers Launch New Probe Into ‘Complex Web’ of Alleged Ties Between NRA, Russians” by Pete Madden and Matthew Mosk for ABC News Ohio: “Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman Expected to Resign After Embezzlement Accusation” by Sabrina Eaton […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Lawmakers Launch New Probe Into ‘Complex Web’ of Alleged Ties Between NRA, Russians” by Pete Madden and Matthew Mosk for ABC News
Ohio: “Highland Heights Mayor Scott Coleman Expected to Resign After Embezzlement Accusation” by Sabrina Eaton for Cleveland Plain Dealer
Elections
California: “Nation’s First All-LGBTQ City Council Tests Modern Meaning of Diversity” by Scott Wilson (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle
Ethics
National: “Trump Can’t Run the Mueller Playbook on New York Feds” by Darren Samuelsohn for Politico
National: “Flynn Pushed to Share Nuclear Tech with Saudis, Report Says” by Chad Day for AP News
National: “Intimidation, Pressure and Humiliation: Inside Trump’s two-year war on the investigations encircling him” by Mark Mazzetti, Maggie Haberman, Nicholas Fandos, and Michael Schmidt (New York Times) for MSN
Lobbying
Arkansas: “Panel: No food, drink for legislators at event” by Michael Wickline for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Michigan: “Michigan Senator Seeks to End ‘Revolving Door’ of Lawmakers Turned Lobbyists” by Lindsay Van Hulle for Bridge Michigan
February 19, 2019 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Oregon: “‘Give Me the Money, and I’ll Give It to Her.’ Former Oregon Lawmaker Describes Participating in Dubious Campaign Practice” by Rob Davis for Portland Oregonian Elections National: “The Growing Need for Opposition Research – on Yourself – […]
Campaign Finance
Oregon: “‘Give Me the Money, and I’ll Give It to Her.’ Former Oregon Lawmaker Describes Participating in Dubious Campaign Practice” by Rob Davis for Portland Oregonian
Elections
National: “The Growing Need for Opposition Research – on Yourself – in Today’s Political World” by Alan Greenblatt for Governing
Ethics
National: “Capitol Police Crackdown on Press Escalates to Physical Altercation” by Katherine Tully-McManus for Roll Call
Maine: “Maine Paid for 40 Rooms at Trump Hotel for LePage, Staff” by Scott Thistle and Kevin Miller for Portland Press Herald
New Jersey: “This N.J. Mayor Is Getting Paid to Fight Legal Weed. Here’s Why That’s Causing Trouble.” by Payton Guion (NJ Advance Media) for Bergen Record
New York: “Victims Offer Harrowing Testimony at Sexual Harassment Hearing” by Rachel Silberstein for Albany Times Union
South Carolina: “After Corruption Scandal, SC Lawmakers Push Changes at Electric Cooperatives” by Avery Wilkes for The State
February 18, 2019 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Increasingly See Small-Dollar Donations as a Sign of Viability by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle Alabama: Few Disclosure Requirements for Money Raised After an Election by Brian Lyman for […]
Campaign Finance
National: Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Increasingly See Small-Dollar Donations as a Sign of Viability by Michelle Ye Hee Lee (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle
Alabama: Few Disclosure Requirements for Money Raised After an Election by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertiser
Louisiana: Campaign Funds Can Be Used for Child Care, Louisiana Ethics Board Rules in Reversal by Julia O’Donoghue for New Orleans Times-Picayune
Rhode Island: Political Donations by Strip-Club Industry Made in Lobbying Firm’s Name by Brian Amaral for Providence Journal
Ethics
National: Supreme Court Takes Up Trump Administration’s Plan to Ask About Citizenship in Census by Robert Barnes (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
New Mexico: Senator Wants Ethics Panel’s Work Mostly Secret by Andrew Oxford (Santa Fe New Mexican) for New Mexico Political Report
Virginia: Richmond’s Donor Class and the VMI Brotherhood Stand Behind Embattled Virginia Governor by Gregory Schneider for Washington Post
Lobbying
National: Former Trump Officials Are Supposed to Avoid Lobbying. Except 33 Haven’t. by Derek Kravitz for ProPublica
February 15, 2019 •
News You Can Use Digest – February 16, 2019
Federal: Ex-Lawmakers Face New Scrutiny Over Lobbying The Hill – Alex Gangitano | Published: 2/12/2019 Critics say former federal lawmakers have been the biggest offenders when it comes to working as lobbyists without formally registering. Forty-eight former senators and 295 […]
Federal:
Ex-Lawmakers Face New Scrutiny Over Lobbying
The Hill – Alex Gangitano | Published: 2/12/2019
Critics say former federal lawmakers have been the biggest offenders when it comes to working as lobbyists without formally registering. Forty-eight former senators and 295 former representatives were registered lobbyists in the last Congress, and that number is growing as the latest exiting class of lawmakers join firms. Some note the law has loopholes for determining when someone must register. The Lobbying Disclosure Act states that a person must register to lobby if lobbying activities constitute at least 20 percent of their time working for a client. That allows many former members who work for lobbying shops and big firms to handle policy issues but avoid crossing the line to require registering as a lobbyist.
FEC Raises Contribution Limits for 2020
The Hill – Reid Wilson | Published: 2/7/2019
The FEC announced new higher campaign contribution limits. Donors would be able to give up to $2,800 per election, including both the primary and the general election contests, in the new cycle, a $100 increase over the 2018 cycle. Individuals will be allowed to contribute up to $35,500 to party accounts like the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee every year. The commission raises the cap every two years under a provision in the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
National Enquirer’s Parent Firm Asked U.S. If It Should Register as Foreign Agent for Saudis
NBC News – Josh Lederman | Published: 2/11/2019
The company that publishes the National Enquirer was concerned enough that it may have acted as an agent of Saudi Arabia that it asked the Department of Justice last year whether it needed to register as a foreign lobbyist. Communications between the Justice Department and American Media Inc. offer the fullest picture to date of interactions between the tabloid publisher and the Saudis ahead of AMI’s release last year of flattering magazine about Saudi Arabia’s young leader. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, people or entities that work to advance a foreign country’s political interests in the U.S. must disclose their specific activities and register as foreign lobbyists.
Ocasio-Cortez Learned Lobbyists Pay People to Avoid Waiting in Lines in D.C. She’s Not Pleased.
MSN – Eli Rosenberg (Washington Post) | Published: 2/13/2019
Paying people to wait in line to get prime seats at Capitol Hill hearings is a once-controversial maneuver that has now become accepted practice. Critics say line-standing or line-waiting is a small but visible example of how money affects politics in Washington – how people with resources buy access to lawmakers as they deliberate legislation. The practice, which is expensive but not illegal, has long been a popular one for lobbyists. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is experiencing life as a legislator in Washington for the first time, tweeted her reaction to seeing a line of people waiting for a committee hearing: “Shock doesn’t begin to cover it. Apparently this is a normal practice, and people don’t bat an eye.”
From the States and Municipalities:
California: To Do Business with L.A., City Contractors Now Must Disclose Ties with the NRA
Los Angeles Times – Dakota Smith | Published: 2/12/2019
The Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance that requires companies seeking contracts with the city to disclose any ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA). Prospective contractors now must disclose under affidavit any contracts or sponsorships they or their subsidiaries have with the NRA. The city has similar policies about companies involved in the construction of President Trump’s proposed border wall. The NRA disclosure law contains more than a dozen exemptions, including contracts involving the city’s pension funds and other investment agreements. Still, attorneys for the NRA said they would file a lawsuit if the ordinance passed, according to a letter sent to the city.
Colorado: High Cost of Influence: $33 million spent last year lobbying Colorado lawmakers
Denver Post – Nic Garcia | Published: 2/7/2019
More than $33 million was spent lobbying Colorado lawmakers in 2018. Lawmakers sometimes rely on lobbyists for expertise and resources the politicians do not have. They fill a knowledge gap for state lawmakers, who have slim staffs to help research and write legislation. Also, because lawmakers can only serve eight years in each chamber, they are limited in the institutional knowledge they can build. Critics say that gives lobbyists access and influence the general public does not always have. “They obviously provide information that is favorable to their clients and not the whole picture,” said Paul Teske, dean of the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado at Denver.
Florida: The Lawmaker Who Dressed in Blackface Is Pushing an Ethics Bill Today. Does It Matter?
Tampa Bay Times – Lawrence Mower | Published: 2/12/2019
Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini has been making national headlines for wearing blackface in a high school prank 14 years ago. It has not stopped him from pushing numerous bills in Tallahassee, including a sweeping bill that would strengthen the state’s ethics laws. It includes provisions that would ban officials from getting investment advice from lobbyists, require lobbyists who influence the executive branch to register online, and make it illegal for officials to seek jobs that conflict with their lawmaking duties. Sabatini he initially felt terrible for anyone who saw the photograph and did not understand the context. But as the story grew, he felt some news reports were using the incident to be sensational, and he has since refused to apologize.
Georgia: State Ethics Commissioners Move to Fill Executive Secretary’s Post After Resignation
Yahoo Finance – R. Robin McDonald (ALM Media) | Published: 2/11/2019
Stefan Ritter resigned as executive secretary of the Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission after being placed on paid leave amid accusations he misused his state-issued computer. Three formal complaints revealed Ritter’s departure stemmed from the discovery by commission staff of “hundreds of pornographic images” on his computer that at least one staff member observed Ritter viewing in the office. The complaints accused him of instructing staff not to open inquiries of multiple candidates in the 2017 Atlanta mayoral race who staffers believed may have violated state campaign finance laws. Ritter also was accused of making a similar call regarding possible campaign violations by Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign.
Indiana: Veteran Agency’s Secretive Deal with Former State Senator Possibly Violated Lobbying Laws
Indianapolis Star – Tony Cook and Chris Sikich | Published: 2/14/2019
After a state lawmaker pushed to expand the reach of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA), the agency awarded him a secretive, and possibly illegal, lobbying contract that has paid him more than $150,000. The deal, signed nine months after former state Sen. Allen Paul left office, appears to run afoul of Indiana’s “revolving door” law meant to curb politicians from cashing in on government service. Paul also failed to register as a lobbyist. While the contract was in effect, Paul rarely showed up at the office, interacted little with key lawmakers, and did not maintain an account of the hours he worked. Paul continued to be paid even after the IDVA hired a full-time employee to do essentially the same job.
Michigan: Benson: Pro-Whitmer group broke campaign finance law, will pay fine
Detroit News – Jonathan Oosting | Published: 2/8/2019
A group that ran television ads last year featuring Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violated the Michigan Campaign Finance Act and has agreed to pay a $37,500 settlement, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said. Build a Better Michigan spent more than $2.4 million in 2018 and ran a series of pro-Whitmer ads it described as a form of “issue advocacy” traditionally exempt from the law. But some of those ads violated the statute by identifying Whitmer as a “candidate for governor,” Benson said. Benson also ruled the group’s spending could not be considered an “independent expenditure” because of apparent coordination between the group and Whitmer’s campaign.
New York: Claiming Attempt to Silence Them, Advocacy Groups Oppose Cuomo Lobbying Proposal
Gotham Gazette – Lysette Voytko | Published: 2/10/2019
One provision of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s reform agenda would require any individual or organization spending over $500 in a year on lobbying to be required to register as a lobbyist, lowering the threshold from $5,000. The proposal is sparking outcry from nonprofit leaders and others, who say the proposal would harm smaller organizations and activist groups that do little formal lobbying and cannot afford the labor or time to navigate the state’s complex lobbying regulations. “Perversely, while this might increase the number of filings, it will effectively silence small groups while increasing the influence of big money in government,” states a letter from 15 nonprofits.
Texas: In Texas, More Than a Million Dollars in Ethics Fines Have Gone Unpaid
Texas Monitor – Johnny Kampis | Published: 2/7/2019
Data from the Texas Ethics Commission shows state Rep. Ron Reynolds owes $52,500 in fines for failing to file timely personal finance statements required for all candidates. Reynolds is one of the worst offenders in terms of unpaid ethics fines, but he is far from alone in thumbing his nose at the commission. As of the most recent updating on February 4, the ethics agency’s delinquent filer list shows that Texas officeholders and candidates owe more than $1.3 million in fines for being lax on those financial statements.
Virginia: Virginia Democrats Looking for a Clear Path Forward from Scandals
San Francisco Chronicle – Amy Gardner and Jenna Portnoy (Washington Post) | Published: 2/10/2019
Gov. Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring are staying, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax is fighting, and Virginia Democrats are grappling with how to proceed in a situation with no precedent and no one leading the way out of one of the party’s most disastrous periods in history. More than a week has passed since images emerged of Northam’s medical school yearbook page depicting a man in blackface and another in a Ku Klux Klan robe. Since then, two women have accused Fairfax of sexual assault and Herring has admitted he wore blackface as a young man. As a group, Democrats in the state publicly embraced their party’s zero tolerance for racism and sexual violence. But privately, Democrats are divided, particularly about whether ousting Northam is best for their party.
Washington: Seattle Ethics Commission May Shine Light on Political Work, City Hall Lobbying
Seattle Times – Daniel Beekman | Published: 2/12/2019
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission may require lobbyists to report the work they do for political campaigns. The debate follows a Seattle Times story about partners at Sound View Strategies who helped elect Mayor Jenny Durkan and have given her informal political advice. They have also been paid by corporate clients to lobby Durkan’s administration on legislation and advocate at City Hall on regulatory matters. Though Seattle already requires candidates to disclose their payments to consultants and mandates lobbyists list their payments from clients, those activities are reported separately and differently, so it can be hard to connect the dots.
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.