Elections

Canada: “Canada’s Carney Calls Snap Election as Trump Looms Over Campaign” by Amanda Coletta (Washington Post) for MSN

Ethics

California: “Ousted Official Used City Cash for Son’s UCLA Tuition, Probe Finds” by Gabe Greschler, Noah Baustin, Jonah Owen Lamb, and David Sijostedt for San Francisco Standard

National: “Health Benefits Company Co-Founded by Dr. Oz Could Be a Conflict of Interest” by Lauren Weber and Caitlin Gilbert (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “‘This Is Not Your Grandmother’s Easter Egg Roll’: White House seeks corporate sponsorships for Easter event” by Betsy Kline (CNN) for MSN

Kentucky: “Democrat Grimes, Former Kentucky Secretary of State, Wins Appeal in Ethics Case” by Jack Brammer (Kentucky Lantern) for Yahoo News

Minnesota: “Minnesota State Senator Resigns After He Was Charged with Soliciting a Minor for Prostitution” by Steve Karnowski (Associated Press) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Montana: “‘Buckle Up’: In Montana, Republican lawmakers target the judiciary” by David Chen (New York Times) for DNyuz

Redistricting

Louisiana: “Supreme Court Presses Louisiana on Use of Race During 2022 Redistricting” by John Fritze (CNN) for MSN

National/Federal

Elon Musk’s Starlink Expands Across White House Complex

DNyuz – Maggie Haberman, Kate Conger, Eileen Sullivan, and Ryan Mac (New York Times) | Published: 3/17/2025

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is now accessible across the White House campus. It is the latest installation of the Wi-Fi network across the government since Musk joined the Trump administration as an unpaid adviser. Musk, who is now an unpaid adviser working as a “special government employee” at the White House, controls Starlink and other companies that have regulatory matters before or contracts with the federal government. Questions about his business interests conflicting with his status as a presidential adviser and major Trump donor have persisted for weeks.

With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left

DNyuz – Kenneth Vogel and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

President Trump and his allies are attacking the players and machinery that power the left, taking a series of partisan official actions that, if successful, will threaten to hobble Democrats’ ability to compete in elections for years to come. So far, the attacks have been diffuse and sometimes indiscriminate or inaccurate. But inside the administration, there are moves to coordinate and expand the assault. It is not unusual for partisans in Congress or their outside allies to push for investigations into political groups on the other side of the aisle, but using the levers of government to target the opposition is considered an abuse of power.

Judges Fear for Their Safety Amid a Wave of Threats

DNyuz – Mattathias Schwartz and Abbie VanSickle (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

President Trump’s angry call for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against his administration on deportation flights set off a string of social media taunts and threats, including images of judges being marched off in handcuffs. The threats and intimidation may have not become actual violence, but they appear to be mounting, as Trump, his advisers, and his supporters are questioning the legitimacy of the American legal system. There is no evidence that jurists’ judgment has been warped by their antagonists. But at the least, public perceptions of judicial decisions could be shaped by the volume of attacks on the courts.

Trump’s Ending of Hunter Biden’s Security Detail Raises Questions About Who Gets Protection

DNyuz – Eileen Sullivan (New York Times) | Published: 3/19/2025

While former President Joe Biden and his wife are by law allowed to have protection for the rest of their lives, their adult children had it only for a few months. Before leaving office, Biden issued an executive order that extended the protection to them, but President Trump revoked their detail. Despite the legitimate questions of cost for protecting so many people, the sudden announcement of the cessation of protection for Hunter Biden, coupled with Trump’s fixation on the former president and his only living son, raised questions about whether this move was the latest stop on the president’s revenge tour.

Two Democratic Commissioners Fired from FTC

MSN – Julian Mark, Cat Zakrzewski, and Will Oremos (Washington Post) | Published: 3/18/2025

President Trump fired the only two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, handing the remaining Republican commissioners exclusive control over the agency that oversees antitrust and consumer protection laws and serves as the U.S. government’s primary regulator of the tech industry. Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter announced their dismissals on social media, with both calling their firings illegal. Bedoya indicated that he intends to sue over his firing.

Judge Says Trump Penalties on Law Firm Send ‘Chills Down My Spine’

MSN – Perry Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 3/12/2025

A federal judge blocked provisions of President Trump’s executive order targeting attorneys at Perkins Coie. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell said Perkins Coie was likely to ultimately prevail in court with its challenge of the order, which was prompted by the firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and its prior work for Trump’s political opponents. Howell warned that the order could damage the integrity of the entire legal profession, intimidating lawyers from taking up cases that the president views as going against his interests.

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Curb Judges’ Power to Block Policies Nationwide

MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 3/13/2025

President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to eliminate a key tool that lower courts have used to block various aspects of his agenda, Trump asked the justices to rein in or shelve three nationwide injunctions lower-court judges have issued against his bid to end birthright citizenship. But his request could have repercussions far beyond the debate over the controversial citizenship plan.

National Democratic Committees to Stage Town Halls in House GOP Districts

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 3/14/2025

A coalition of national Democratic committees is launching town hall meetings in Republican-held House districts across the country, ramping up the party’s efforts to put politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers on the defensive over President Trump’s agenda. The groups aim to hold town halls in all 50 states.

Amid ‘DEI’ Purge, Pentagon Removes Webpage on Iwo Jima Flag-Raiser

MSN – Jon Swaine and Alex Horton (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

Until recently, a page on the Defense Department’s website celebrated Pfc. Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six Marines photographed hoisting a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945. But the page, along with many others about Native American and other minority service members, has now been erased amid the Trump administration’s wide-ranging crackdown on what it says are “diversity, equity and inclusion” efforts in the federal government.

How Matt Gaetz Poisoned the House Ethics Committee

MSN – Haily Fuchs (Politico) | Published: 3/18/2025

Former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz is gone from Congress, but the wounds he inflicted on the House ethics committee that investigated him remain fresh. As the committee prepares in the coming weeks to ramp up after a monthslong delay and a pileup of potential cases, it is still regrouping from its crisis last year over whether to break with recent precedent and release the results of an investigation into Gaetz, who was being considered for attorney general.

Jury Selection Underway in Bribery Trial of Wife of Convicted Ex-New Jersey Senator

Yahoo News – John Russell | Published: 3/18/2025

The public corruption trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, is underway, having been split off from her co-defendants’ trial last year and then postponed by medical adjournments. Nadine Menendez was initially charged alongside her husband, accusing the couple of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bribes and gifts, including gold bars, from several businesspeople in exchange for the senator’s political influence.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – Huawei Lobbyists Banned from Accessing European Parliament After Bribery Arrests

MSN – Associated Press | Published: 3/14/2025

The European Parliament banned lobbyists working for Huawei from its premises following the arrests of several people in a corruption probe linked to the company, in yet another scandal to hit the Legislature. Huawei is suspected by Belgian prosecutors bribing European Union lawmakers. The European Parliament said the decision to suspend the access of Huawei lobbyists has been taken as a precautionary measure, in line with its security rules.

California – An L.A. City Council Member Is Launching a Nonprofit. Ethics Experts Have Questions

Los Angeles Times – Dakota Smith | Published: 3/15/2025

Los Angeles City Councilperson Tim McOsker is launching a nonprofit to pay for basic services, including street lighting and park improvements, in his district, an unusual move that raises questions for ethics experts. The One Five Fund, which formally launches in the next few months, “will make requests of folks throughout the city for money,” McOsker said. McOsker will fundraise for One Five but will not be involved in allocating the money, according to his office.

California – Will Disgraced Former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu Serve Prison Time?

Voice of OC – Spencer Custodio | Published: 3/17/2025

Federal prosecutors asked a judge to sentence disgraced former Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu to eight months in prison and a $40,000 fine for wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and lying to FBI agents about trying to ram through the corrupted Angel Stadium sale to get $1 million in campaign support. Sidhu is asking for three years of probation and community service or a home arrest sentence. Sidhu resigned shortly after revelations of the corruption probe in 2022, and the stadium sale was canceled around the same time.

District of Columbia – D.C. Drops Lawsuit Against Proud Boys, Oath Keepers Over Jan. 6 Attack

Philadelphia Tribune – Ellie Silverman (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

The District of Columbia dropped a lawsuit against the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers over the attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying the city was unlikely to recover enough money to justify continuing legal action against the far-right groups and others it had sought to hold responsible for the riot. The suit marked the first effort by a government agency to hold individuals and organizations civilly liable for the violence at the Capitol that day.

Florida – 2 Miami-Dade Health Inspectors Accused of Fabricating Violations to Extort Restaurants

MSN – David Goodhue (Miami Herald) | Published: 3/12/2025

Two Miami-Dade County health inspectors were arrested on accusations they extorted bribes from restaurant owners. In total, Charles Bryant II and Craig Bethel extorted $14,620 from 15 businesses, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said. Both men, who worked for the Department of Environmental Resources Management, are accused of making up bogus health violations and threatening the businesses with shutting them down if they did not pay them money.

Florida – Ron DeSantis’ Team Is Urging Florida Lobbyists Not to Back Rep. Byron Donalds for Governor

MSN – Matt Dixon (NBC News) | Published: 3/18/2025

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s political operation is making calls to state lobbyists, urging them not to support U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, whose 2026 bid for governor has already collected more than $3 million, much of which has come from President Trump’s donors. Donalds announced his Trump-backed bid for governor in February, but there remains the prospect that DeSantis’s wife, Casey, also jumps into the race, which would set up a heavyweight Republican primary and continue the long-running political proxy war between Trump and DeSantis.

Florida – Lee School Board’s $180K Lobbying Contract Sparks Conflict-of-Interest Concerns

Yahoo News – Mickenzie Hannon (Naples Daily News) | Published: 3/13/2025

Some Lee County residents are questioning a new $180,000 contract the school board approved with Ballard Partners for federal lobbying services, raising concerns over potential conflicts-of-interest. Some residents voiced concerns about Ballard Partners’ ties to political consultant Terry Miller, who joined the firm as a partner in the Fort Myers office in 2023. He has also worked on campaigns for several board members. Critics argued the contract could give Miller undue influence over district affairs.

Hawaii – ‘Clean Government’ Bills Have Renewed Support

Yahoo News – Dan Nakaso (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) | Published: 3/18/2025

A series of bills aimed at further cleaning up government ethics, lobbying practices, and campaign contributions, while making it easier for new candidates to campaign for office, are suddenly enjoying renewed energy in the Hawaii Legislature after a lull in 2024. Collectively, the bills that remain alive this session are designed to tighten many of the practices that have directly or indirectly been linked to recent federal trials, guilty verdicts, and pleas by state and county officials.

Kansas – Kansas Senate Adds to Potential Makeover of State Elections with Passage of Two More Bills

Yahoo News – Sherman Smith and Anna Kaminski (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 3/17/2025

Lawmakers passed two bills that would ban the use of ranked-choice voting in Kansas and restrict funding for election-related activities, such as voter registration efforts. The Legislature now has sent three election bills to the governor’s desk. The other one would narrow the window for advance ballots to arrive at county election offices.

Kansas – Kansas GOP Activist, Democrat Legislator Find Common Ground in Opposition to Campaign Finance Bills

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 3/17/2025

Democratic Rep. Alexis Simmons and former Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Kris Van Meteren stand uncommonly side-by-side against elimination of contribution limits for political party committees. Both said they could see logic to House Bill 2054’s doubling of contribution limits for candidates seeking election as governor and other statewide offices, the state Legislature and State Board of Education.

Kentucky – Secrecy Shrouds Campaign to Form New Suburban City in Louisville Metro

WDRB – Marcus Green | Published: 3/11/2025

The battle over a new city proposed for Jefferson County has been waged on yard signs, in online forums, and through word of mouth. But one front where the campaign is not occurring is on disclosure forms bringing transparency to groups fighting for and against the city of Eastwood. In many cases, local and state laws require those advocating for high-profile issues in Louisville and Frankfort to identify themselves and explain how much they are spending to influence decision makers. That is not happening in the Eastwood debate.

Michigan – Detroit Chamber Can’t Comp Lawmakers for Mackinac Conference

MIRS – Staff | Published: 3/11/2025

The Detroit Regional Chamber is not allowed to give lawmakers free admission to their annual Mackinac Policy Conference, which other attendees pay $3,200 apiece to attend, the secretary of state’s office said in a preliminary ruling. Normally, registration is $3,200 for chamber members, but state law bans gifts worth more than $79 from lobbyists, like the Detroit Regional Chamber. The Senate is advancing a bill that would allow lawmakers to continue receiving tickets to charity events or admission to a conference or educational event directly related to their duties, like the Mackinac Policy Conference.

Michigan – Michigan House Democrats Take Second Run at Ethics and Transparency Legislation

Yahoo News – Jon King (Michigan Advance) | Published: 3/18/2025

Michigan House Democrats used Sunshine Week, which acknowledges the importance of transparency in government, to re-introduce a package of bills they say will provide needed accountability to the finances of elected officials. The bills failed to get through the House last year during the lame duck session. Several of the sponsors saying the package would improve accountability by stopping election and campaign finance law violations in real-time, while also curtailing the influence of lobbying and financial interests on the legislative process.

Montana – Witness Testimony Wraps in Ellsworth Ethics Probe as Business Associate Skirts Subpoena

Bozeman Daily Chronicle – Seaborn Larson and Blair Miller (Lee Newspapers) | Published: 3/17/2025

Witness testimony over three days before a legislative ethics committee fortified allegations that Sen. Jason Ellsworth failed to disclose an extensive personal and professional relationship when organizing a state-funded contract for a friend, special counsel Adam Duerk argued. The committee’s final meeting before it begins crystalizing its forthcoming report for the Senate included a video statement from Bryce Eggleston, the contractor whom Ellsworth awarded a $170,100 state-funded contract to analyze the rollout of the GOP’s judicial reform agenda after the 2025 legislative session.

Nevada – Nevada Official Faces Ethics Commission over Golden Knights Perks

MSN – Mary Hynes (Las Vegas Review-Journal) | Published: 3/19/2025

Dwayne McClinton, director of the Nevada Office of Energy, is the subject of a state ethics complaint that claims he accepted free Vegas Golden Knights tickets and solicited access to a private watch party while negotiating a potential taxpayer-funded partnership with the National Hockey League team. McClinton neither disclosed the gifts nor abstained from further work on the partnership project.

New Jersey – Pay-to-Play

MSN – Riley Yates (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 3/20/2025

Two years ago, the New Jersey Legislature eviscerated the state’s pay-to-play law, a once-heralded good government measure that seeks to prevent construction companies, insurance brokers, and law offices from buying contracts through campaign donations. That has helped funnel campaign funds to political machines across New Jersey. In total, public contractors poured $3.8 million last year into political parties at the state, county, or local level, more than double what they gave in 2023, when the new rules first took effect.

New Mexico – Campaign Finance Reform Is ‘Dead,’ Says Sponsor

KUNM – Marjorie Childress (New Mexico In Depth) | Published: 3/16/2025

A bill meant primarily to close loopholes in New Mexico’s law governing the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures crashed in the House Government, Elections, and Indian Affairs committee. Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth has sought to close loopholes in the Campaign Reporting Act since several groups exploited them in a partially successful attempt to evade disclosing their donors and spending in the 2020 election.

New Mexico – Major Lobbyist Transparency Bill Nears Finish Line

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 3/18/2202

The New Mexico Senate voted to require new reports from registered lobbyists and those that pay them about the legislation they support or oppose. The House must now agree with changes made to House Bill 143. Sen. Jeff Steinborn has pushed for this type of lobbyist reporting since 2017, but his bills have not made it far in the Senate before.

New York – Adams’s Associates Under Federal Investigation Over Ties to China

DNyuz – Bianca Pallaro, Jay Root, Michael Forsythe, and William Rashbaum (New York Times) | Published: 3/18/2025

The Trump administration appears likely to succeed in having federal corruption charges dropped against New York City Mayor Eric Adams in Manhattan. But in Brooklyn, a separate group of prosecutors has been conducting a long-running investigation involving the mayor’s most prominent fundraiser, and at one point searched her homes and office for evidence of a possible Chinese government scheme to influence Adams’s election, according to a search warrant.

New York – Judge Upholds Income Limits for State Legislators

Jamestown Post-Journal – John Whittaker | Published: 3/20/2025

A New York Supreme Court justice upheld outside income limits for state legislators but struck down a section of the law that would strip lawmakers of their voting rights if they violate the income limits. Republicans asked the judge to declare the law unconstitutional under the state and federal constitutions while the state argued limiting outside income falls within the Legislature’s legitimate interest in preventing conflict-of-interest and ethics issues caused by outside earned income.

Ohio – Six Years After Bribery Scandal, Ousted First Energy Lobbyists Still Aren’t Talking to the PUCO

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 3/13/2025

Nearly six years ago, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that benefitted FirstEnergy, which was later deemed to be the fruit of a bribery scheme. Three corporate lobbyists and one executive, all since ousted from their roles with FirstEnergy, once again avoided answering questions under oath about what happened. The goal of the hearing was to establish a process and build a record that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio could take to court, where a judge could issue an order compelling them to testify while giving immunity from being held criminally accountable for whatever answers they may provide.

Oklahoma – Ryan Walters Used His Official-Looking X Account to Support Trump. It Cost Him $5K to Settle Ethics Complaint.

Yahoo News – Nolan Clay (Oklahoman) | Published: 3/17/2025

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters agreed to pay a $5,000 settlement after being accused of ethics violations for pushing for Donald Trump’s election on a social media account with his official title. The Oklahoma Ethics Commission voted to settle three cases against Walters over his social media posts in support of Trump. It also voted to sue Walters over alleged campaign finance violations.

Oregon – Oregon’s 3 Most Populous Counties Don’t Track Who Lobbies Their Leaders

MSN – Austin De Dios (Portland Oregonian) | Published: 3/14/2025

None of Oregon’s most populous counties track with whom lobbyists meet or how much they spend on events with public officials. The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners is looking to change that.

Tennessee – No Formal Ethics Commission Training Yet for Lee’s Cabinet After September Pledge

Des Moines Register – Vivian Jones (Nashville Tennessean) | Published: 3/10/2025

Additional ethics training has not occurred for members of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s cabinet nearly six months after a state ethics board recommended that they do so. Last year, Lee and Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds both repaid travel payments to nonprofits with connected political groups that employ lobbyists after media reports led to ethics complaints that alleged the travel expenses constituted illegal gifts.

Texas – How At-Large Voting Creates Conservative Majorities on Texas School Boards

MSN – Jeremy Schwartz (ProPublica) and Dan Keemahill (Texas Tribune) | Published: 3/19/2025

The way communities elect school board members plays a key, if often overlooked, role in whether racially diverse districts experience takeovers by ideologically driven conservatives seeking to exert greater influence over what children learn in public schools In Texas. Since the pandemic, such groups have successfully leveraged the state’s long-standing and predominantly at-large method of electing candidates to flip school boards in their direction.

Texas – Bills Filed to Ban ‘Deepfakes’ in Political Ads in Texas

MSN – Bethany Blankley (The Center Square) | Published: 3/19/2025

Two bills were filed in Texas that would require additional disclosures for political ads. The bills were filed after the state Ethics Commission expanded disclosure requirements for campaign ads on social media posts. House Bill 366 would require disclosures on political ads that contain altered images known as “deep fakes.”

Utah – Utah on Path to End Automatic Mail Ballots after Wave of Misinformation

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 3/17/2025

Utah is poised to abolish its practice of automatically mailing ballots to all voters, handing a victory to President Trump and Republicans who have vilified voting by mail since his 2020 election defeat. The likely changes in Utah are modest compared with Trump’s calls for ending mail voting altogether but would nonetheless mark a dramatic shift in a Republican stronghold that has long embraced mail balloting as convenient and secure.

Vermont – Vermont House Passes Change to Ethics Law, Despite Objections from the State’s Ethics Commission

VTDigger.org – Shaun Robinson | Published: 3/14/2025

The state panel tasked with reviewing alleged violations of Vermont’s ethical standards for government officials has been at odds with lawmakers over a bill that would limit the panel’s role in reviewing potential misconduct by state leaders. The House passed the bill that would, among other changes, exempt the panels and boards that investigate alleged misconduct by legislators, judges, and attorneys from a legal requirement to “consult” with the state ethics commission.

West Virginia – WV House Republicans Join Dems 54-41 to Reject Bill Allowing Direct Corporate Political Donations

West Virgina Watch – Caity Coyne | Published: 3/13/2025

The West Virginia House rejected a bill that would have allowed businesses and corporations in the state to directly donate up to $2,800, and potentially more, to candidates. Under House Bill 2729, business owners could have given the maximum amount of money to candidates multiple times by donating through their businesses, individual giving, and PACs.

National/Federal

Lawsuit Challenges Reporting Requirements for Conduit PACs

Campaigns and Elections – Max Greenwood | Published: 3/10/2025

A new lawsuit is challenging the requirement that conduit PACs disclose the personal details of small-dollar donors in their filings with the FEC. The complaint argues the provision in the Federal Election Campaign Act requiring conduit PACs like ActBlue and WinRed to publicly identify donors to give less than $200 to a campaign or committee violates a right to anonymity guaranteed by the Constitution.

ActBlue, the Democratic Fund-Raising Powerhouse, Faces Internal Chaos

DNyuz – Reid Epstein and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) | Published: 3/5/2025

ActBlue, the online fundraising organization that powers Democratic candidates, has plunged into turmoil, with at least seven senior officials resigning recently and a remaining lawyer suggesting he faced internal retaliation. The departures from ActBlue, which helps raise money for Democrats running for office at all levels of government, come as the group is under investigation by congressional Republicans. They have advanced legislation that some Democrats warn could be used to debilitate what is the party’s leading fundraising operation.

Trump Expands Retribution Campaign Against Law Firms That Aided His Foes

MSN – Perry Stein and Michael Birnbaum (Washington Post) | Published: 3/6/2025

President Trump targeted another elite law firm that has represented clients he considers his political enemies, sending a message that he is willing to punish firms who work for people or groups that oppose his administration’s agenda. Trump signed an executive order hitting Perkins Coie with a directive that bans the federal government from hiring it, or from using contractors who work with it, except in limited circumstances. The order also bars Perkins Coie employees from entering federal buildings and suspends their security clearances.

Fired Head of Federal Watchdog Agency Says He’s Ending His Legal Battle Over His Removal by Trump

MSN – Alanna Durkin Richer (Associated Press) | Published: 3/6/2025

The fired head of a federal watchdog agency said he is abandoning his legal battle against the Trump administration to get his job back, acknowledging he was likely facing a tough road before the U.S. Supreme Court. Hampton Dellinger said he was dropping his case a day after the federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration in removing him as the head of the Office of Special Counsel, an independent agency dedicated to guarding the federal workforce from illegal personnel actions.

Palestinian Protester Arrested by ICE Despite Green Card, Lawyer Says

MSN – Susan Syrluga (Washington Post) | Published: 3/9/2025

U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student, who played a prominent role in last year’s protests over the Israel-Gaza war at Columbia University. President Trump has promised to deport international students who participated in “pro-jihadist protests.” The federal agents told Khalil his student visa had been revoked. When Khalil told agents he was a lawful permanent resident, holding a green card, agents detained him anyway, his attorney said.

Secretive D.C. Influence Project Appears to Be Running a Group House for Right-Wing Lawmakers

MSN – Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan, and Alex Mierjeski (ProPublica) | Published: 3/6/3035

New evidence suggests Steve Berger, a pastor who runs a nonprofit that is trying to shape national policy, may be running what amounts to a group house for conservative lawmakers, with multiple members of Congress living with him at his organization’s headquarters. The six-bedroom, $3.7 million home is owned by a wealthy Republican donor. Berger has claimed to have personally spurred legislation, saying a senator privately credited him with inspiring a bill.

CDC Posts ‘Conflicts of Interest’ Database on Vaccine Advisory Group Members

MSN – Berkeley Lovelace (NBC News) | Published: 3/7/2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a webpage listing information about current and former members of its independent vaccine advisory committee, including what it describes as conflicts-of-interest. The new database comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees the CDC, has vowed to increase “radical transparency” at the federal health agencies. It was not immediately clear how the webpage would accomplish that.

Judge Says Trump Jan. 6 Pardon Doesn’t Apply to Man Who Conspired to Kill Investigators

MSN – Kyle Cheney (Politico) | Published: 3/10/2025

President Trump’s blanket pardon for the rioters who attacked the Capitol does not cover a conspiracy by one defendant to kill the law enforcement officials who investigated him, a federal judge ruled. Edward Kelley, who was convicted of conspiracy last year by a federal jury in Tennessee, had argued Trump’s sweeping clemency for rioters should also cover his conviction since the agents and officers he targeted were connected to the January 6 investigation.

A New Role for the South Lawn of Trump’s White House: Tesla car lot

MSN – Matt Viser (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

On the South Lawn of the White House, President Trump climbed into a Tesla Model S as Elon Musk slid into the passenger seat, converting one of the country’s most revered public spaces into a billboard for a company run by one of his closest allies. The president he made no secret of the fact that he was attempting to boost the financial fortunes of one of his supporters, whose cars, he noted, could be had for the low price of $35,000.

GOP Lawmaker Misgenders Democratic Rep. McBride, Derailing House Hearing

MSN – Kelsey Ables (Washington Post) | Published: 3/12/2025

A House subcommittee hearing went off the rails when Rep. Keith Self misgendered Rep. Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, and abruptly adjourned the session after a colleague confronted him. Speaking at a hearing on arms control, international security, and U.S. assistance to Europe, Self, the chairperson of the subcommittee on Europe, addressed McBride, a transgender woman, as “the representative from Delaware, Mr. McBride.”

Justice Department Is Expected to Slash Public Corruption Unit, AP Sources Say

MSN – Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 3/11/2025

Prosecutors in the Justice Department section that handles public corruption cases have been told the unit will be significantly reduced in size, and its cases will be transferred to U.S. attorney’s offices around the country, two people familiar with the matter said. The discussions about shrinking the public integrity section come weeks after the unit’s leadership resigned when a top Justice Department official ordered the dropping of corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

USAID Workers Told to Shred, Burn Documents, Unnerving Congress

MSN – Missy Ryan and John Hudson (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) ordered employees to destroy internal documents, according to an agency directive, raising new questions about how sensitive records are being handled in the Trump administration’s drive to curtail America’s assistance activities overseas. According to an email, a senior USAID official ordered employees to shred or burn documents at the organization’s Washington headquarters, including those related to agency personnel and those stored in safes used for classified material.

Washington Post Columnist Quits After Her Opinion Piece Criticizing Owner Jeff Bezos Is Rejected

MSN – David Bauder (Associated Press) | Published: 3/10/2025

Ruth Marcus, a columnist who has worked at the Washington Post for four decades, resigned after she said the newspaper’s management decided not to run her commentary critical of owner Jeff Bezos’ new editorial policy. Her exit is the latest fallout from Bezos’ directive that the Post narrow the topics covered by its opinion section to personal liberties and the free market. The newspaper’s opinions editor, David Shipley, had already resigned because of the shift.

Trump Official Tasked with Defending DOGE Cuts Posted Fashion Influencer Videos from Her Office

MSN – Curt Devine, Casey Tolan, and Audrey Ash (CNN) | Published: 3/12/2025

A federal employee tasked with defending the Trump administration’s mass government layoffs has been using her office to film fashion influencer videos. McLaurine Pinover, head of communications for the Office of Personnel Management, which acts as the government’s human resources agency, modeled her outfit choices for the day while directing followers from her Instagram account to a website that could earn her commissions on clothing sales.

Brother of Trump’s GSA Leader Tried to Buy Prime Federal Property

MSN – Jonathan O’Connell (Washington Post) | Published: 3/13/2025

President Trump appointed former tech executive Stephen Ehikian as acting administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that manages government buildings, supplies, and services. Two weeks later, Ehikian’s brother, Brad Ehikian, a real estate developer, proposed that the GSA sell his company a federally owned 17-acre campus in Silicon Valley for $65 million. The GSA tried to auction the property in 2022 for nearly twice that amount. Current and former agency officials said they had not encountered such a proposal from someone related to the GSA administrator.

Pleas on X, Biden Dirt and Attacks on the FBI: As Trump flexes his pardon powers, defendants angle for their get-out-of-jail free card

Politico – Ben Schreckinger | Published: 3/11/2025

President Trump’s moves to expand the use of pardons have white-collar defendants jolting to attention, and many are responding with creative maneuvers designed to appeal less to judges or juries than to the ultimate arbiter in the Oval Office. Trump’s appointment of a White House “pardon czar,” Alice Johnson, and an announcement by the Justice Department lawyer who oversaw pardons during Biden’s term that she has been fired, signal Trump is not done exercising his clemency powers.

Musk’s Team Must Produce Documents to Comply with Open Records Laws, Judge Says

Seattle Times – Zach Montague and Minho Kim (New York Times) | Published: 3/10/2025

A federal judge found Elon Musk’s government-cutting unit is likely subject to public disclosure laws and must promptly turn over documents to a group that had sued for access to its internal emails. U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper said the Department of Government Efficiency that Musk leads had all the hallmarks of an agency that would typically be subject to laws like the Freedom of Information Act.

State Politics Has a Sexual Misconduct Problem

Yahoo News – Grace Panetta (The 19th) | Published: 3/11/2025

State Legislatures craft most of the laws passed in the U.S. and serve as the main pipeline for higher office. But sexual harassment in state politics “remains a systemic and ongoing issue affecting both parties” according to a new report from the National Women’s Defense League. Legislatures are largely self-governing bodies, and even after a spate of post-#MeToo reforms, many lawmakers surveyed said the mechanisms for reporting misconduct in their states are lacking.

From the States and Municipalities

Europe – Belgian Prosecutors Arrest Suspects in Huawei Bribery Probe Targeting EU Parliament

MSN – Samuel Petrequin and Sylvian Plazy (Associated Press) | Published: 3/13/2025

Belgian prosecutors announced the arrests of several people in a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament and the Chinese company Huawei. The arrests came as a media investigation said lobbyists working for the telecommunication giant were suspected of bribing current or former European Parliament members to promote the company’s commercial policies in Europe.

Canada – Supreme Court Strikes Down Doug Ford’s Controversial Campaign Finance Law

Toronto Star – Robert Benzie | Published: 3/7/2025

A key section of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s controversial campaign finance law has been struck down by the Supreme Court of Canada. The high court found it was unconstitutional for Ford to limit pre-election spending by unions and other third-party groups in his 2021 legislation. It is a major legal triumph for a coalition of labor unions and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which opposed the Progressive Conservatives’ bill that limited their spending to $600,000 on advertising and other political activities in the 12 months before an election.

California – Probe Finds Nonprofit’s Gift to Former Top S.F. Official Created ‘Appearance of a Bribe’

MSN – Michael Barba and St. John Barned-Smith (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 3/11/2025

An investigation concluded a $5,500 gift from the nonprofit Urban Ed Academy to former San Francisco Human Rights Commission Executive Director Sheryl Davis appeared to break city ethics rules and created “at least the appearance of a bribe and undue influence.” Davis subsequently awarded a $270,000 contract to the nonprofit. That contract was one of $2.3 million in city contracts that Urban Ed Academy received in recent years under the Dream Keeper Initiative, a major city reinvestment in the Black community that Davis oversaw.

California – Contractors Might Have to Disclose Campaign Finance Violations in Santa Ana

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 3/6/2025

Contractors and developers in Santa Ana might soon have to disclose any campaign finance violations issued by state or federal officials, a move that could be a first for Orange County. Santa Ana City Councilperson Phil Bacerra wants it made clear to the public if a developer or business applying for a permit, contract, license, or entitlement has been found to have violated any state or federal campaign finance laws.

Colorado – Former State Senator Now Faces Investigation by Denver, Boulder District Attorneys After Resigning Amid Ethics Probe

Denver Post – Seth Klamann and Nick Coltrain | Published: 3/11/2025

Former state Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis is under investigation by the Denver and Boulder district attorneys’ offices, nearly a month after legislative staff determined Jaquez Lewis forged at least one letter of support in an ethics probe. Under Colorado law, using deceit in an attempt to influence a public servant is a felony, as is the use of certain forgeries.

District of Columbia – D.C. U.S. Attorney Targets Ukraine Whistleblower Rep. Vindman

MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 3/11/2025

Interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin has sent another letter to U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, a critic of President Trump, demanding information in what Democratic lawmakers say is a potential abuse of his prosecutorial power. Martin wants information about a business founded by Vindman and his brother to help arm Ukraine to fight Russia. Eugene and Alexander Vindman, both former U.S. Army officers with national security backgrounds, played key roles in Trump’s first impeachment, over his reported attempt to pressure Ukraine’s then-incoming president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to find damaging information about Joe Biden.

Florida – Florida Senate Committee Moves to Ban Using Tax Dollars on Ballot Initiative Campaigns

Yahoo News – Jeffrey Schweers (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 3/11/2025

After Gov. Ron DeSantis used millions of state dollars last year to battle against abortion and marijuana proposals, some Florida lawmakers want to ban the use of public funds to promote or oppose ballot amendments. The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee approved such a measure by voice vote, adding it to a controversial bill to further restrict the petition-gathering process citizens groups use to get amendments before voters.

Maine – Republican Maine Lawmaker Sues House Speaker Over Censure for Post on Transgender Athlete

MSN – Patrick Whittle (Associated Press) | Published: 3/12/2025

Maine Rep. Laurel Libby sued the House speaker over her censure that followed a social media post about a transgender athlete participating in high school sports. Libby posted about a high school athlete who won a girls’ track competition. The post included a photo of the student and identified them by first name, with the name in quotation marks, saying they previously competed in boys’ track. Libby claims the censure violated her right to free speech. The lawsuit also says the censure stripped her right to speak and vote on the House floor, and that disenfranchises the thousands of residents in her district.

Maine – Committee Rejects Clean Elections Expansion, Other Proposals to Alter Election Laws

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 3/10/2025

The Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted down several proposals to alter election laws in Maine, including measures that sought to expand the state’s clean elections program, eliminate ongoing absentee voter status, and reestablish a component of ranked choice voting tabulations that was done away with last session. These mark the first few committee recommendations for how the state should alter its elections laws this session.

Maryland – Maryland Democrats File Elections Complaint Against ‘Shadowy’ Campaign Targeting Gov. Wes Moore

MSN – Sam Janesch (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 3/7/2025

Maryland Democrats asked the State Board of Elections to sanction what they are calling a “shadowy” and illegal campaign against Gov. Wes Moore ahead of his reelection bid next year. The campaign, which has identified itself only as “No Moore” since its launch in February, has targeted the Democratic governor over his handling of the state’s budget deficit. Daily posts that evoke Moore and sometimes refer to his election prospects are likely a violation of state campaign finance law because the group behind those messages has not registered with the as a campaign entity, the Democratic Party argued.

Mississippi – Federal Trial in Jackson Corruption Case set for Summer 2026

Mississippi Today – Anna Wolfe | Published: 3/7/2025

U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan set the corruption trial for Jackson’s mayor, a city councilperson, and the county’s district attorney for July 13, 2026. A federal grand jury indicted Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and council member Aaron Banks in a bribery scheme after concocting a sting involving undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers. All three officials pleaded not guilty.

Montana – Ravalli County Rep. Ron Marshall Resigns, Cites Influence of Lobbyists in Legislature

Yahoo News – Micah Drew (Daily Montanan) | Published: 3/4/2025

State Rep. Rob Marshall resigned from the Montana Legislature, citing corruption in a Capitol “run by lobbyists.” During previous sessions, Marshall said there was a greater appetite among legislators and the Republican leadership to work together and hear each other out on the merits of various pieces of legislation, but this year there is “more wheeling and dealing” going on in Helena.

New Jersey – New Jersey’s Ballot Design That Gave Party Bosses Big Influence Is Officially Dead

MSN – Ry Rivard (Politico) | Published: 3/6/2025

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law a redesign of primary ballots, formally ending an entrenched system that gave unique influence to the state’s party bosses but faced an unexpected wave of opposition. The county line system gave political parties in all but two of the state’s 21 counties the power to help design primary ballots based on party endorsements. Party-backed candidates were grouped together while candidates without endorsements were displayed awkwardly or on obscure parts of the ballot. Getting the line could make or break a campaign.

New Jersey – This Democrat Is Running for Governor with No Staff – but $35M in His Corner

New Jersey Monitor – Dana DiFilippo | Published: 3/10/2025

In his last disclosure, Democrat Sean Spiller reported spending of just $64,253 since he launched his campaign to be New Jersey governor last June. What is fueling Spiller’s campaign is not money that he raised himself. He is backed by an outside spending group that told election officials it will spend $35 million on the race. That independent expenditure group, Working New Jersey, has not disclosed any of its financial information since Spiller entered the race. This should raise red flags for election observers, including the state’s Election Law Enforcement Commission, said Craig Holman of Public Citizen.

New Mexico – Lobbyist Disclosure Bill Advances – Minus Cap on Lobbyist Spending on Lawmakers

Santa Fe New Mexican – Daniel Chacón | Published: 3/10/2025

The Senate Rules Committee endorsed a bill designed to shine a brighter light on lobbying activities in New Mexico after the panel stripped a House floor amendment many interpreted as capping lobbyist spending at $50 per day per legislator during a legislative session. Sen. Jeff Steinborn said he believes the Republican-sponsored amendment was an attempt to “undermine the bill” and create a “side show.”

New York – For #MeToo Movement, Mayor’s Race in New York City Poses a Test

DNyuz – Emma Fitzsimmons (New York Times) | Published: 3/10/2025

This year, three Democratic candidates for mayor of New York City – Andrew Cuomo, Scott Stringer, and the incumbent, Eric Adams – will provide a durability test for the #MeToo movement in New York politics. All three have faced allegations of sexual misconduct; all have forcefully denied the accusations and challenged the accusers in court. Some of the accusers, their lawyers, and women’s groups are trying to keep the #MeToo allegations front and center, hoping to persuade voters that they should be viewed as disqualifying behavior.

New York – Adams Case Should Be Permanently Dismissed, Outside Legal Expert Recommends

MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 3/7/2025

The Justice Department should dismiss a corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams “with prejudice,” eliminating the possibility of bringing charges again in the future, former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement said in court documents. The Justice Department had sought to toss the charges but leave open the possibility of reindicting the mayor. Their decision to abandon the case outraged career prosecutors in the U.S. attorney’s office in New York and at Justice Department headquarters, prompting a slew of resignations.

New York – What New York State Aide’s Help Was Worth to China: More than $15 million

MSN – James Avery (Wall Street Journal) | Published: 3/8/2025

In an indictment, the Justice Department alleged former gubernatorial aide Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, got rich as she levered proximity to two New York governors to help China. She was criminally indicted for illegally acting as a foreign agent and, along with her husband, was hit with financial charges including money-laundering conspiracies. Now prosecutors have unsealed details of how they allege Sun orchestrated a scheme that generated a stream of funds and gifts as she did favors for Chin and how managing the intake was a family affair.

Oklahoma – LOFT Report Uncovers Outdated Complaints and Revenue Discrepancies at Ethics Commission

MSN – Colleen Wilson (KOKH) | Published: 3/6/2025

A report by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency about the Ethics Commission revealed poor record keeping, as well as a misguided focus and a loss of sight of the original mission of the state agency. The report recommended several ways to get the agency back on track, including increasing transparency and creating a complaint tracking system.

Oregon – Citizen-Driven Ballot Measures Could Become More Rare Under Proposals Taken Up by Oregon Lawmakers

Oregon Public Broadcasting – Dirk VanderHart | Published: 3/11/2025

Landing a measure on the Oregon ballot could be more time-consuming and expensive under a pair of provisions lawmakers are considering putting before voters next year. Both seek to address what their backers say is a growing problem: the concentration of the state’s population in the Portland metro area that ensures measures can qualify for the statewide ballot without a say from the rest of Oregon.

Pennsylvania – Helping to Run an Election in Pennsylvania Often Starts with Running for Election

Votebeat – Carter Walker | Published: 3/10/2025

This year, voters across Pennsylvania will have a chance to choose the people who will staff their polling locations for the next four years. In most states, these workers are appointed, but in Pennsylvania, the people who oversee voting at the precinct level are elected officials with four-year terms. Pennsylvania is the only state that does it quite like this.

Tennessee – Ex-Tennessee Lawmaker Announces Trump’s Pardon 2 Weeks into Prison Time for Campaign Finance Scheme

MSN – Jonathan Matisse (Associated Press) | Published: 3/12/2025

Former Tennessee Sen. Brian Kelsey said President Trump pardoned him two weeks into his 21-month prison sentence for an illegal campaign finance scheme that he pleaded guilty to in 2022, before he tried unsuccessfully to take back his plea. Kelsy admitted his attempts to funnel campaign money from his state legislative seat toward his failed 2016 congressional bid.

Campaign Finance

Tennessee: “Ex-Tennessee Lawmaker Announces Trump’s Pardon 2 Weeks into Prison Time for Campaign Finance Scheme” by Jonathan Matisse (Associated Press) for MSN

Elections

Oregon: “Citizen-Driven Ballot Measures Could Become More Rare Under Proposals Taken Up by Oregon Lawmakers” by Dirk VanderHart for Oregon Public Broadcasting

Ethics

California: “Probe Finds Nonprofit’s Gift to Former Top S.F. Official Created ‘Appearance of a Bribe'” by Michael Barba and St. John Barned-Smith (San Francisco Chronicle) for MSN

National: “Judge Says Trump Jan. 6 Pardon Doesn’t Apply to Man Who Conspired to Kill Investigators” by Kyle Cheney (Politico) for MSN

National: “A New Role for the South Lawn of Trump’s White House: Tesla car lot” by Matt Viser (Washington Post) for MSN

Legislative Issues

National: “GOP Lawmaker Misgenders Democratic Rep. McBride, Derailing House Hearing” by Kelsey Ables (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “State Politics Has a Sexual Misconduct Problem” by Grace Panetta (The 19th) for Yahoo News

Lobbying

New York: “What New York State Aide’s Help Was Worth to China: More than $15 million” by James Avery (Wall Street Journal) for MSN

Campaign Finance

California: “Contractors Might Have to Disclose Campaign Finance Violations in Santa Ana” by Hosam Elattar for Voice of OC

Canada: “Supreme Court Strikes Down Doug Ford’s Controversial Campaign Finance Law” by Robert Benzie for Toronto Star

National: “ActBlue, the Democratic Fund-Raising Powerhouse, Faces Internal Chaos” by Reid Epstein and Shane Goldmacher (New York Times) for DNyuz

Elections

New Jersey: “New Jersey’s Ballot Design That Gave Party Bosses Big Influence Is Officially Dead” by Ry Rivard (Politico) for MSN

Ethics

National: “Trump Expands Retribution Campaign Against Law Firms That Aided His Foes” by Perry Stein and Michael Birnbaum (Washington Post) for MSN

National: “Fired Head of Federal Watchdog Agency Says He’s Ending His Legal Battle Over His Removal by Trump” by Alanna Durkin Richer (Associated Press) for MSN

Oklahoma: “LOFT Report Uncovers Outdated Complaints and Revenue Discrepancies at Ethics Commission” by Colleen Wilson (KOKH) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Montana: “Ravalli County Rep. Ron Marshall Resigns, Cites Influence of Lobbyists in Legislature” by Micah Drew (Daily Montanan) for Yahoo News

National/Federal

On X, Conservative Activists Find a Direct Pipeline to Musk’s Team

DNyuz – Zach Montague (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

As his operation targets spending considered unaligned with President Trump’s agenda, Elon Musk has personally appealed to users of his social media platform X to help root out what he has termed “waste, fraud and abuse.” He has been responsive to complaints that go viral, with his team trumpeting the apparent changes pushed through as a result. For at least two prominent conservative activists, a Trump administration so carefully attuned to right-wing social media has created the opportunity to build an extraordinary pipeline of influence and access.

Justice Dept. Takes Broad View of Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons

DNyuz – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

When FBI agents searched the home of Jeremy Brown in connection with his role in the attack on the Capitol, they found several illegal items. Brown was ultimately convicted on charges of illegally possessing weapons and classified material and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Now, federal prosecutors say because the second case was related to January 6, it was covered by the clemency President Trump issued on his first day in office to all the people charged in connection with the Capitol attack.

She Lobbied for a Carcinogen. Now She’s at the E.P.A., Approving New Chemicals.

DNyuz – Hiroko Tabuchi (New York Times) | Published: 2/26/2025

Formaldehyde can cause cancer and severe respiratory problems. So, in 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a new effort to regulate it. The chemicals industry fought back. Its campaign was led by Lynn Dekleva, then a lobbyist at the American Chemistry Council, an industry group that spends millions of dollars on government lobbying. Dekleva is now at the EPA in a crucial job: She runs an office that has the authority to approve new chemicals for use.

Jeff Bezos Announces ‘Significant Shift’ Coming to the Washington Post. A Key Editor Is Leaving Because of It

MSN – Liam Riley (CNN) | Published: 2/26/2025

Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos announced a “significant shift” to the publisher’s opinion page that led David Shipley, the paper’s editorial page editor, to resign. The changes upended precedent and rattled a media company that has already been shaken by years of turmoil and leadership turnover. The Post will now publish daily opinion stories on two editorial “pillars”: personal liberties and free markets, Bezos said. The opinion section will cover other subjects, too, Bezos wrote, but “viewpoints opposing those pillars will be left to be published by others.”

Trump, Schmoozing Saudis, Plays Two Roles: President and mogul

MSN – Natalie Allison, Abigail Hausohner, and Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

In back-to-back events, President Trump held court with Saudi government officials and investors who do business with his family’s firms. The meetings demonstrated how Trump has blended the roles of president and business mogul. The Trump Organization has treated Saudi Arabia as a critical partner in its efforts to expand its empire of hotels and resorts.

Firings of Some Federal Workers Should Be Halted, Watchdog Recommends

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

A federal watchdog agency argued the Trump administration’s firings of probationary federal workers were likely illegal, recommending the terminations be halted pending an investigation. The request for the halt was issued by Hampton Dellinger, the embattled head of the independent Office of Special Counsel, whom Trump has tried to oust but a judge has temporarily kept in place. It is now in the hands of the Merit Systems Protection Board, another independent agency whose head Trump has tried to depose.

White House Will Decide Which Journalists Get Access to It in an Unprecedented Step

MSN – Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) | Published: 2/25/2025

The Trump administration is stripping the White House Correspondents’ Association of its role in managing the White House Press Pool, taking control of deciding who will be a part of the small rotating group of journalists and photographers who accompany the president. It is an aggressive move by the government to control which news outlets have access to the president, one that is unprecedented in modern American politics and comes amid President Trump’s long-standing efforts to erode Americans’ trust in fact-based reporting.

Experts Say Trump Comes Close to the Red Line of Openly Defying Judges

MSN – Justin Jouvenal, Leo Sands, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

Federal judges have blocked President Trump’s attempts to freeze trillions of dollars in federal grants and loans, halt billions in foreign assistance, and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development. But in each case, the administration has said it still has legal authority to do at least some of those things, prompting judges and those challenging Trump’s actions to accuse him of failing to comply. Legal experts said the administration’s aggressive maneuvers have approached the red line of openly flouting court orders.

Trump Loyalist Kash Patel Becomes Director of FBI, Which He Vows to Remake

MSN – Jeremy Robuck and Mark Berman (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

The Senate narrowly voted to confirm Kash Patel as FBI director, installing a close ally of President Trump and a staunch critic of the bureau. Patel will take command of an organization with far-reaching surveillance powers and access to sensitive intelligence at a moment when it is engulfed by turbulence and uncertainty. Since Trump’s inauguration, at least eight top officials have been forced out, and people familiar with the FBI’s workforce say morale has plummeted amid fears of further staffing shake-ups.

As Trump Pursues His Policies, Democratic States Block His Path

MSN – Maeve Reston, Reis Thebault, Janna Slater, and Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 2/22/2025

Amid a barrage of executive orders from President Trump and dramatic steps by billionaire Elon Musk to downsize the federal government, Democratic attorneys general have emerged as the new administration’s most persistent, and effective, adversaries. While congressional Democrats who lack control of either chamber have struggled to respond to Trump’s first weeks, state attorneys general have marched into court, pledging to rein in an administration intent on pushing the limits of presidential power.

Trump Wants More Power Over Agencies. Experts Worry About Campaign Finance Regulators

NPR – Ashley Lopez | Published: 2/20/2025

There are currently about 80 agencies across the federal government that were designed by Congress to be independent of the White House. An executive from President Trump seeks to require these agencies to run all new policies, rulings, and regulations by the president. Campaign Legal Center Executive Director Adav Noti said the FEC, in particular, was created following the Watergate scandal to be both bipartisan and independent, so it would not be “beholden to any particular president.” It is a view contested by the Trump administration.

FEC Clears Ted Cruz of Wrongdoing Over Podcast Syndicator’s Donations to Super PAC

Yahoo News – Jasper Scherer (Texas Tribune) | Published: 2/21/2025

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz did not run violate campaign finance laws when the company that syndicates his podcast contributed nearly $1 million through a series of payments to a super PAC supporting Cruz’s reelection bid, the FEC ruled. The agency dismissed a complaint filed by watchdog groups, who alleged Cruz could have violated campaign funding rules if he played any role in iHeartMedia’s contributions to the pro-Cruz Truth and Courage PAC. Under federal law, candidates can only direct or solicit up to $5,000 in donations to super PACs, which can otherwise raise unlimited sums to support candidates.

From the States and Municipalities

California – In Huntington Beach, Politics on a Plaque

Seattle Times – Orlando Mayorquin (New York Times) | Published: 2/24/2025

The Huntington Beach City Council, all of whom are Republicans, commemorated the 50th anniversary of the city’s central public library into a political statement, using their favorite acronym. The council-approved design of the plaque describes the library in this bold-letter fashion: Magical Alluring Galvanizing Adventurous. The wording of the plaque has thrown Huntington Beach into the national spotlight. But the dispute is part of a yearslong battle over the city’s political and cultural identity.

California – California Agrees to Drop Parts of Social Media Law Challenged by Elon Musk’s X

Yahoo News – Tyler Katzenberger (Politico) | Published: 2/24/2025

California agreed to drop portions of a law that requires large social media companies to disclose their policies for handling hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism. A settlement between state Attorney General Rob Bonta and Elon Musk’s social media platform X stops short of tossing the entire law, as X demanded when it first filed the case, citing First Amendment complaints. But it deals a blow to California’s push to publicize how social media platforms define and referee speech on their platforms.

Colorado – Appeals Court Says State Campaign Finance Enforcement Framework Is Constitutional

Colorado Politics – Michael Karlik | Published: 2/26/2025

Colorado’s second-highest court said the state’s current method of adjudicating campaign finance complaints is constitutional and is not the “very definition of tyranny.” State law allows any person to file a complaint alleging a campaign finance violation, which the secretary of state’s office then screens, decides whether to dismiss or investigate, and potentially imposes a penalty. Campaign Integrity Watchdog argued the process consolidated legislative, executive, and judicial functions within “a single, partisan elected office.”

Connecticut – New Head of IT at CT Election Enforcement Agency Raises Conflict of Interest Concerns

CT Insider – Joshua Eaton | Published: 2/25/2025

Mann Hasen left the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) in 2014. Since then, he founded a company that processes online credit card donations for campaigns, a process SEEC oversees. Hasen was also treasurer for a failed state Senate campaign that is now the subject of an open complaint with SEEC over allegations of improper in-kind donations. Hasen is named in that complaint. The SEEC recently re-hired Hasen as head of IT at the agency, which was his former position. “I have to really question the decision to hire from the very start, given the entanglements he has,” said Bilal Sekou of Common Cause Connecticut.

Florida – Florida Lobbying Ban Likely to Survive 11th Circuit Scrutiny

Courthouse News Service – Alex Pickett | Published: 2/26/2025

An attorney for a Florida mayor and county commissioner asked an appeals court to strike down part of a state constitutional amendment that restricts lobbying by elected officials. The amendment prohibits elected officials from paid lobbying of any government bodies “on issues of policy, appropriations or procurement” during their terms in office. The Florida Legislature then passed a law putting the amendment into effect and adding penalties. Plaintiffs argue the ban violated their First Amendment right to free speech.

Florida – Florida Appeals Court Overturns Ethics Committee’s Decision on Doug Underhill. Here’s Why.

MSN – Mollye Barrows (Pensacola News Journal) | Published: 2/26/2025

A state appeals court overturned decisions by the Florida Commission on Ethics that former Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill should have been removed from office over allegations he misused his public office and that he owed $35,000 for ethics violations while serving as commissioner. The appeals court ruled the ethics commission “abused its authority” in the case.

Florida – Centners’ Ex-Lobbyist Sues Them, Alleges They Let Him ‘Take the Fall’ in His Criminal Case

MSN – Tess Riski (Miami Herald) | Published: 2/25/2025

Miami lobbyist and attorney Bill Riley Jr. filed a lawsuit against his former clients David and Leila Centner, alleging the couple let him “take the fall” and failed to provide information to prosecutors that would have exonerated him in a now-dismissed money laundering and bribery case involving Miami City Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla. Prosecutors had alleged that nearly $250,000 in campaign contributions was channeled from the Centners to Díaz de la Portilla-controlled political committees to secure his support for an arena the Centners wanted to build.

Florida – In Trump’s DC, K Street Clamors for Florida-Linked Lobbyists

MSN – Kimberly Leonard (Politico) | Published: 2/20/2025

Powerful interest groups are moving to hire lobbyists with ties to Florida to influence the Trump administration. The president has chosen officials from the state for top positions, and he continues to spend plenty of time in Florida, making appearances at galas, hosting Republicans at Mar-a-Lago, and signing executive orders. Because the state legislative session in Tallahassee lasts only 60 days, some lobbyists say adding work in Washington is easy enough to juggle.

Georgia – Giuliani’s Legal Battle with Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss Has Finally Ended

MSNBC – Clarissa-Jan Lim | Published: 2/25/2025

After a protracted legal saga in which he was held in contempt twice, Rudy Giuliani has finally put an end to the defamation case brought by two former Georgia election workers, having “fully satisfied” the judgment against him. According to the federal court filing, Giuliani satisfied the judgement that required him to pay Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss nearly $150 million for spreading lies about them after the 2020 election.

Idaho – Idaho Legislators Address ‘Monetization of Politics’ in New Campaign Finance Bills

Yahoo News – Mia Maldonado (Idaho Capital Sun) | Published: 2/21/2025

House leadership introduced four bills to address the influx of out-of-state spending involved in Idaho elections. House Bill 309 would require lobbyists to disclose expenses on a weekly basis during the legislative session and a monthly basis outside of session.

Illinois – Rift Widens Between Johnson and Inspector General He Inherited

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/25/2025

The rift between Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the inspector general he inherited increased over efforts to remove what chief watchdog Deborah Witzburg views as roadblocks impeding her internal investigations. Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry responded after Wirtzburg accused Johnson and his predecessor Lori Lightfoot of withholding documents, selectively enforcing subpoenas, and demanding to have the Law Department sit in on interviews that “risk embarrassment” to the mayor.

Kentucky – Questions Spur Further Investigation of London Mayor’s Improper Contributions to Beshear Campaign

Yahoo News – Tom Loftus (Kentucky Lantern) | Published: 2/21/2025

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance wants more information in the investigation of whether London Mayor Randall Weddle made illegal contributions to help Gov. Andy Beshear win reelection in 2023. The registry staff recommended the board find Weddle violated the law by making numerous contributions in the names of other people to Beshear’s campaign for governor and the state Democratic Party, but Weddle did not know his actions violated the law. Registry members said they were unsure of many important details of what happened and could not make any findings for now.

Maine – Maine House Votes to Censure Lawmaker Over Social Media Posts Showing Transgender Minor

Maine Public – Kevin Miller | Published: 2/26/2025

The Maine House voted to censure Rep. Laurel Libby, whose social media posts about a transgender high school athlete have drawn national attention to the student and to Maine’s policies. The censure resolution accuses Libby of “reprehensible” actions as part of an effort to “advance her political agenda” – actions the resolution and Democrats said could endanger the student.

Maine – Should Unenrolled Candidates Be Able to Take Twice as Much from Contributors? These Lawmakers Think So.

Maine Wire – Libby Palanza | Published: 2/18/2025

Two lawmakers want to increase the campaign contribution cap for unenrolled candidates running for office in Maine. Under state law, candidates are limited in the amount of money from any given individual or PAC during an election. Legislative Document 390 would double these limits for candidates who are not associated with one of the officially recognized political parties.

Maine – Portland Establishes Ethics Commission More Than 2 Years After Voters Approved It

Yahoo News – Grace Benninghoff (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/24/2025

The Portland City Council passed an order that establishes a city ethics commission. Ever since voters approved the creation of the commission more than two years ago as a part of an overhaul of the city charter, the council has been working to put it in place. In the intervening years there have been multiple workshops, more than two dozen proposed amendments, and several opportunities for public comment.

Maryland – Maryland Lawmakers Want Governors to Face Stronger Ethics Laws

MSN – Natalie Jones (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 2/27/2025

Lawmakers want Maryland governors to place their personal financial holdings into a blind trust months after conflicts-of-interest were raised during the state’s U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Larry Hogan and now-Sen. Angela Alsobrooks. Companion bills in the House and Senate would require the governor to either place their financial interests into a certified blind trust approved by the State Ethics Commission or divest from any interest the commission determines may pose a conflict with the governor’s public duties.

Michigan – Michigan House Passes Plan to Close ‘Revolving Door’ of Lawmakers, Lobbyists

MSN – Arpan Lobo (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 2/20/2025

The Michigan House passed legislation that would impose a waiting period on themselves before they could become lobbyists. The bills would ban executive officeholders, including the governor and heads of state departments, from engaging in lobbying for the first two years after they leave office.

Mississippi – Mississippi City Stuns Newspaper with Restraining Order Over Editorial

MSN – Ann Branigin (Washington Post) | Published: 2/20/2025

A newspaper in Mississippi was ordered to take down an editorial that criticized public officials. The city of Clarksdale filed a defamation lawsuit against the Clarksdale Press Register following the editorial that called out the mayor and city council for holding a meeting about a proposed tax without alerting the media. City leaders said they were “chilled and hindered” in their efforts to lobby for the tax in the state capital “due to libelous assertions and statements” made in the article. The order was condemned by free-speech advocates.

New Jersey – In Stunning Development, Corruption Charges Against N.J. Political Boss Dismissed

MSN – Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 2/26/2025

The indictment against one of the most powerful political figures in New Jersey was thrown out of court in a startling decision by a judge who found no crime had been committed. George Norcross, a wealthy insurance executive from Camden who has never held elected office but held far-reaching sway over government and politics, was accused of orchestrating a wide-ranging corruption scheme. Authorities charged that enterprise diverted state-funded tax breaks intended to spark economic development in the state’s poorest city.

New Mexico – Lobbyist Transparency Bill Clears First Hurdle

New Mexico In Depth – Marjorie Childress | Published: 2/25/2025

Legislation in New Mexico that would bring more transparency to lobbying behind the scenes at the statehouse began moving through the legislative process with almost four weeks to go in the session. Senate Bill 248 would require more details about the money lobbyists spend to achieve policy goals.

New York – Hochul Announces Guardrails Around Eric Adams

MSN – Nick Reisman and Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/20/2025

Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled guardrails hemming in New York City Mayor Eric Adams in light of his alliance with President Trump and Trump’s leverage over Adams. The governor, facing pressure to remove the mayor, is proposing a series of oversight measures she said are meant to prevent undue influence by the White House. Hochul left open the possibility of forcing Adams from office.

New York – Judge Appoints Outside Lawyer to Argue Against Dropping Adams Charges

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 2/21/2025

The federal judge overseeing the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams appointed an outside lawyer to present arguments in opposition to the Justice Department’s efforts to dismiss the charges. U.S. District Court Judge Dale Ho declined a request from top leadership at the department to immediately close the case. Instead, he appointed Paul Clement, U.S. solicitor general under President George W. Bush, to advise the court on the matter.

North Dakota – House Defeats Bill to Streamline North Dakota Ethics Commission

Yahoo News – Mary Steurer (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 2/25/2025

The North Dakota House overwhelmingly defeated a bill that aimed to give the state’s Ethics Commission more freedom over how it investigates potential violations. The Ethics Commission pushed for House Bill 1360 as a way to simplify the rules and laws that govern its work. Commission staff said this would both help reduce the commission’s backlog of complaints, as well as make the process easier to navigate for the public.

Ohio – Vivek Ramaswamy Launches Campaign for Ohio Governor

MSN – Patrick Svitek and Dylan Wells (Washington Post) | Published: 2/24/2025

Vivek Ramaswamy, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate and short-lived co-chairperson of President Trump’s government efficiency commission, launched his campaign for Ohio governor, joining a contested primary that will test his star power in the Trump-led GOP. Ramaswamy’s candidacy could add to a major period of transition for Republicans in Ohio, a onetime battleground state in presidential elections that has become more comfortable territory for Republicans under Trump.

Oregon – Questions Over Oregon Politician’s Pay Lead Defense Department to Terminate Agency Funding

Portland Oregonian – Les Zaitz (Malheur Enterprise) | Published: 2/23/2025

State Rep. Greg Smith’s unsupported pay claims and effort to boost his own pay resulted in the federal government pulling funding for an agency that was supposed to create jobs, preserve parts of the Oregon Trail, and protect wildlife on a former military base in eastern Oregon. That could cost the Columbia Development Authority nearly $800,000 a year, a loss that local governments may have to make up if they want the small agency to survive.

Oregon – Multnomah County Awards a Billion Dollars in Contracts Each Year Without Lobbying Rules

Willamette Week – Anthony Effinger | Published: 2/26/2025

Unlike the state of Oregon, the city of Portland, and many large counties on the West Coast, Multnomah County does not require contractors or their lobbyists to register or report hours spent pitching their services to public officials. People familiar with the county’s operations say the lack of lobbying requirements opens the door for abuse. County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards is working on lobbying rules for the county. She oversaw compliance with lobbying and ethics rules across the country as a senior director at Nike.

Pennsylvania – Johnny Doc’s Bribery Conviction Just Cost His Former Union Local 98 Another $25,000 in Ethics Fines

MSN – Chris Palmer (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 2/20/2025

The union that convicted labor leader John Dougherty once molded into one of the state’s most powerful political forces agreed to pay nearly $25,000 to the Philadelphia Board of Ethics to resolve issues that stemmed from Dougherty’s criminal conduct a decade ago. The penalties relate to Dougherty’s failure to register as a lobbyist as he and the union he directed sought to influence government officials between 2014 and 2016.

Texas – Texas Lawmaker Is Targeting Publicly Funded Lobbying. Will Restrictions Pass This Session?

MSN – Alex Driggars (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 2/26/2025

State Sen. Mayes Middleton is taking aim at local taxing entities’ long-standing ability to hire lobbyists to help them navigate the Texas Legislature. Middleton filed Senate Bill 19, which would prevent local governments, such as school districts and cities, from hiring lobbyists with public money or paying dues to organizations that lobby on their behalf. One such organization is the Texas Association of School Boards, a named target of Middleton’s bill, which drew the ire of some Republican lawmakers last session for its opposition to school vouchers.

Ethics

National: “White House Will Decide Which Journalists Get Access to It in an Unprecedented Step” by Justine McDaniel (Washington Post) for MSN

Florida: “Centners’ Ex-Lobbyist Sues Them, Alleges They Let Him ‘Take the Fall’ in His Criminal Case” by Tess Riski (Miami Herald) for MSN

National: “Jeff Bezos Announces ‘Significant Shift’ Coming to the Washington Post. A Key Editor Is Leaving Because of It” by Liam Riley (CNN) for MSN

New Jersey: “In Stunning Development, Corruption Charges Against N.J. Political Boss Dismissed” by Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Maine: “Maine House Votes to Censure Lawmaker Over Social Media Posts Showing Transgender Minor” by Kevin Miller for Maine Public

Lobbying

National: “On X, Conservative Activists Find a Direct Pipeline to Musk’s Team” by Zach Montague (New York Times) for DNyuz

Oregon: “Multnomah County Awards a Billion Dollars in Contracts Each Year Without Lobbying Rules” by Anthony Effinger for Willamette Week

Texas: “Texas Lawmaker Is Targeting Publicly Funded Lobbying. Will Restrictions Pass This Session?” by Alex Driggars (Austin American-Statesman) for MSN

Campaign Finance

National: “Trump Wants More Power Over Agencies. Experts Worry About Campaign Finance Regulators” by Ashley Lopez for NPR

Ethics

National: “Experts Say Trump Comes Close to the Red Line of Openly Defying Judges” by Justin Jouvenal, Leo Sands, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) for MSN

Mississippi: “Mississippi City Stuns Newspaper with Restraining Order Over Editorial” by Ann Branigin (Washington Post) for MSN

New York: “Hochul Announces Guardrails Around Eric Adams” by Nick Reisman and Joe Anuta (Politico) for MSN

Legislative Issues

National: “Trump Loyalist Kash Patel Becomes Director of FBI, Which He Vows to Remake” by Jeremy Robuck and Mark Berman (Washington Post) for MSN

Lobbying

Florida: “In Trump’s DC, K Street Clamors for Florida-Linked Lobbyists” by Kimberly Leonard (Politico) for MSN

Michigan: “Michigan House Passes Plan to Close ‘Revolving Door’ of Lawmakers, Lobbyists” by Arpan Lobo (Detroit Free Press) for MSN

Pennsylvania: “Johnny Doc’s Bribery Conviction Just Cost His Former Union Local 98 Another $25,000 in Ethics Fines” by Chris Palmer (Philadelphia Inquirer) for MSN

National/Federal

With Congress Pliant, an Emboldened Trump Pushes His Business Interests

DNyuz – Eric Lipton and Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 2/17/2025

Donald Trump re-entered the White House with a massively expanded portfolio of business interests, some of which require government approval or regulation, others of which are publicly traded, and still others involving foreign deals. Presidents are not subject to the conflict-of-interest laws that regulate the rest of the government, but his recent actions underscore how emboldened Trump feels in his second term. It demonstrates his confidence that the lines dividing various Trump interests, and his desire to reward friends and punish perceived enemies, will not trigger congressional oversight in a political ecosystem he helped change.

With Truth Social, Trump Has Official Mouthpiece and a Channel for Revenue

DNyuz – Sharon LaFraniere and Matthew Goldstein (New York Times) | Published: 2/19/2025

Anyone who wants to keep up with President Trump’s views knows to go to his Truth Social account. There, one finds his reasoning on a panoply of issues, including tariffs on Canada and Mexico, relations with Russia, American ownership of the Gaza Strip, and a budget bill now before Congress. In some ways, it is akin to how Trump turned Twitter, now called X, into his megaphone in his first term, when administration officials declared his posts to be official White House communications. But Trump is the biggest shareholder in the company that owns Truth Social and stands to benefit directly if his posts drive traffic to the site.

Acting Archivist, Inspector General for National Archives Forced Out

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/16/2025

The acting archivist of the United States and several senior staff members at the National Archives and Records Administration have resigned, marking the latest departures at a typically nonpolitical agency that has been the target of President Trump’s ire since its attempts to recover presidential documents from his Florida home. The departures came after Trump officials made it clear they wanted to remove the agency’s leadership team and install loyalists.

U.S. Plan to Award $400M Vehicle Contract Removes Reference to Musk’s Tesla

MSN – Leo Sands (Washington Post) | Published: 2/13/2025

The State Department planned to spend $400 million over the next five years on a contract to build armored electric vehicles with Telsa, whose chief executive, Elon Musk, has been advising President Trump on how to slim federal spending, according to government documents. After media outlets reported on the possible contract, the document was updated to omit any reference to Tesla, changing the “Armored Tesla” contract instead to “Armored Electric Vehicles,” although the contract’s value remained the same.

Trump Asks Supreme Court to Allow Him to Fire Independent Agency Leader

MSN – Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/16/2025

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to clear the way for the president to fire the leader of an independent agency that investigates whistleblower reports filed by government workers, he first time Trump has appealed to the justices for help in his efforts to remake and seize greater control of the federal bureaucracy. Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, said his termination was illegal because it violated a law that shields leaders of independent agencies from removal by the president, “except in cases of neglect of duty, malfeasance or inefficiency.”

Who’s Running DOGE? The White House Says It’s Not Elon Musk.

MSN – Faiz Siddiqui and Natalie Allison (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

Elon Musk has embarked on a tear through Washington in his first month as the most influential adviser to President Trump. The White House, though, says Musk has “no actual or formal authority” over government decisions, despite the display of influence by the world’s richest person. Musk, according to the Trump administration, is neither a Department of Government Efficiency employee, nor the official in charge of the group. That assertion came in a filing as part of a lawsuit by 14 states alleging Musk’s actions are unconstitutional.

State Dept. Orders Cancellation of News Subscriptions Around the World

MSN – Jeremy Barr and John Hudson (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

The State Department ordered the cancellation of all news subscriptions deemed “non-mission critical.” The move aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on media companies that count the U.S. government as paying customers. Embassy security teams rely on news coverage to prepare for diplomatic travel in conflict zones. Cancellation of subscriptions, including to local news outlets, could hinder their assessment of threats, a State Department official said.

Judge Stops Trump Ouster of Merit Systems Protection Board Chair

MSN – Olivia George (Washington Post) | Published: 2/18/2025

A federal judge ordered the reinstatement, at least temporarily, of the chairperson of the federal board that hears appeals of disciplinary actions against federal employees, ruling the Trump administration had not articulated adequate grounds for her removal. The administration fired Cathy Harris as chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board with a one-sentence email. The messages provided no reason for the ouster. The next day, Harris sued, claiming her termination violated federal law.

After Ceding Power of the Purse, GOP Lawmakers Beg Trump Team for Funds

MSN – Liz Goodwin (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Republican senators find themselves in an unusual position by having to ask Trump administration officials to release funds they themselves appropriated. Senators have in recent days made the case to Cabinet secretaries and other officials to let money flow back into their states. They are trying to finagle exceptions to President Trump’s sweeping executive orders or cuts that freeze hundreds of billions of dollars, including money for farmers and infrastructure projects. That push comes as the administration has also sought to fire a wide swath of federal employees, some of whom live in red states.

Mass Resignation Marks a New Kind of Defiance in the Second Trump Era

MSN – Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) | Published: 2/15/2025

The resignation of seven U.S. Justice Department officials after refusing to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, an ally of President Trump, marks the first significant defiance of Trump by federal officials. The action could create a precedent for further acts of resistance if Trump orders other government officials to do things they find inappropriate or believe would violate their legal responsibilities.

Federal Lobbying Set New Record in 2024

OpenSecrets – Indy Scholtens | Published: 2/11/2025

Business associations, corporations, labor unions, and other organizations are spending more than ever to influence policy decisions at the federal level. In 2024, lobbying spending reached a record-breaking $4.4 billion. The $150 million increase in lobbying continues an upward trend that began in 2016. The health sector remained the largest spender, with a total of $743.9 million in lobbying expenditures in 2024. It is the only sector that spent more than $700 million on federal lobbying last year.

Trump Signs Order to Claim Power Over Independent Agencies

Politico – Megan Messerly and Bob King | Published: 2/18/2025

President Trump signed a sweeping executive order bringing independent agencies under the control of the White House, an action that would greatly expand his power but is likely to attract significant legal challenges. It represents Trump’s latest attempt to consolidate power beyond boundaries other presidents have observed and to test the so-called unitary executive theory, which states the president has the sole authority over the executive branch.

Venting at Democrats and Fearing Trump, Liberal Donors Pull Back Cash

Seattle Times – Lisa Lerer, Reid Epstein, and Theodore Schleifer (New York Times) | Published: 2/16/2025

The demoralization and fear gripping blue America in the early weeks of the Trump administration have left liberal groups and their allies struggling for cash, hurting their ability to effectively combat the right-wing transformation of the federal government. The small-dollar online spigot that powered opposition to the first Trump administration has slowed to a trickle as shaken liberal voters withhold their donations.

Senior Justice Department Ethics Official Resigns Over Sidelining by Trump Appointees, Source Says

Yahoo News – Sarah Lynch (Reuters) | Published: 2/19/2025

The Justice Department’s senior ethics official resigned after President Trump’s administration pulled him off his duties and assigned him to a new sanctuary-cities working group, a person familiar with the matter said. The official, Bradley Weinsheimer, decided to accept the government’s deferred resignation offer rather than accept the reassignment, the latest in a string of nonpolitical career Justice Department officials who have resisted efforts they say politicize investigations.

From the States and Municipalities

Arizona – Legislative Immunity Is a Privilege in Most States. A Speeding Ticket Could Change That in Arizona

MSN – Eric Sandoval (Associated Press) | Published: 2/15/2025

The Arizona Constitution shields state lawmakers from any civil process and arrest for anything but treason, felony, and breach of peace during legislative sessions and the 15 days before. Legislative immunity exists in most states and allows lawmakers to brush aside lawsuits and low-level infractions. In Arizona, the perk does not have unanimous support in the Legislature. Rep. Quang Nguyen introduced a resolution to end immunity for traffic violations. If passed, it would become a ballot measure.

California – Who’s Paying for California Politicians’ Travel? After CalMatters’ Report, Audit Proposes a Legal Fix

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 2/14/2025

A California Fair Political Practices Commission audit recommends simplifying disclosure requirements to cover more interest groups that take lawmakers to policy conferences and on international study tours, a change that can only be made by those very same legislators. The audit followed CalMatters’ revelations that a 2015 law requiring such trip organizers to annually disclose their major donors had been used only twice in seven years despite interest groups paying for millions of dollars in travel for lawmakers during that time.

California – OC Developer Fined by State Officials for Dark Money Campaign in Santa Ana

Voice of OC – Hosam Elattar | Published: 2/13/2025

Ryan Ogulnick, an Orange County developer, is facing a $87,000 fine from the California Fair Political Practices Commission for an alleged political money laundering scheme in Santa Ana. The commission found he illegally hid the source of over $300,000 that was spent on mailers in the 2018 city council elections. At least one commissioner is calling on the county’s district attorney to investigate.

Colorado – Democratic State Senator Abruptly Resigns from Colorado Legislature Amid Ethics Investigation

Colorado Sun – Jesse Paul | Published: 2/18/2025

State Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis abruptly announced her resignation from the Colorado Legislature amid an ethics investigation into her alleged yearslong mistreatment of her Capitol staffers. Her resignation comes after she was reelected to a second four-year term in the Senate in November. A Democratic vacancy committee will be convened to select her replacement, who will serve until at least the 2026 election.

Colorado – Denver Approves New Rules for Taxpayer-Funded Campaign Matching Dollars in City Elections

The Leader-Telegram – Elliott Wenzler (Denver Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Denver’s Fair Elections Fund, which is intended to help more candidates for mayor and other city offices compete financially, will have new stipulations after the city council approved changes to its rules. The changes will ban anonymous donations, require “neutral debates” for participating candidates, pave the way for campaign finance investigations, and prohibit the use of public money on certain things like alcohol.

District of Columbia – D.C. U.S. Attorney Probing Democrats Over Alleged Threats, Documents Show

MSN – Spencer Hsu (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

The top federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia escalated his scrutiny of what he characterized as potential threats directed at Elon Musk and government workers, demanding information from a Democratic member of Congress who criticized Musk and telling his office he planned to prosecute anyone targeting public officials. Legal analysts called interim U.S. attorney Ed Martin’s direct inquiries to lawmakers highly irregular and his discussion of investigative targets troubling.

Florida – Space Coast Rocket Founder Robert Burns Ordered to Pay $24,500 in Campaign Finance Case

Yahoo News – Tyler Vazquez (Florida Today) | Published: 2/14/2025

Political consultant and Space Coast Rocket founder was ordered by a state judge to pay $24,500 in fines related to an election fraud case. Judge Lawrence Stevenson said Burns engaged in a “pattern of nonreporting contributions received, and expenditures made, while they were actively campaigning for and against multiple candidates.” According to a court filing, the Florida Elections Commission sent 84 letters regarding the failure to file reports that Burns ignored, resulting in the charges.

Illinois – Former Mayors Johnson and Lightfoot Accused of Impeding Inspector General’s Investigations

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/13/2025

Mayor Brandon Johnson and his predecessor, Lori Lightfoot, were accused of impeding the work of Chicago’s inspector general by withholding documents, selectively enforcing subpoenas, and demanding to have the Law Department sit in on interviews that “risk embarrassment” to the mayor. The roadblocks outlined by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg include picking and choosing which subpoenas to comply with and withholding or unreasonably delaying the release of sensitive documents, such as emails and text messages.

Illinois – After Madigan’s Conviction, Lawmakers Ask: Has Illinois done enough to root out corruption?

WTTW – Angel Vicky | Published: 2/12/2025

Like the prosecutors in former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption trial presenting evidence, Republicans and ethics advocates are seizing on Madigan’s conviction as proof that Illinois needs reform. Republicans who are suing to undo a legislative district map they say Democrats gerrymandered to their advantage, argue redistricting is another area left untouched to Illinois’ ethical detriment.

Illinois – ‘You Can Raise Me Five Grand’: New details emerge in bribery case against state Sen. Emil Jones III

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/19/2025

Illinois Sen. Emil Jones was dining at a Chicago steakhouse with an influential red light camera company executive when the executive expressed concern about Jones’ pending bill requiring a study on the automated traffic systems. The executive, Omar Maani of SafeSpeed, then asked Jones a point-blank question: how much do you want? “You can raise me five grand. That’d be good,” Jones allegedly told Maani. That conversation and other key details were revealed for the first time as Jones’ trial date on bribery charges approaches.

Kansas – Kansas House Committee Advances Election-Reform Bill That’s More Than a Name Change

Yahoo News – Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) | Published: 2/13/2025

The House Elections Committee approved campaign finance reforms arising from disputes about Kansas’ definition of a PAC, coordination among PACs and candidates, and contributions given by a person in the name of another. The Governmental Ethics Commission, which would be renamed the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission in the bill, has engaged in political and legal battles with attorneys representing activists who bristled at vague language in state election statutes and challenged constitutionality of the commission’s interpretation of laws.

Kentucky – A Police Report, Lawsuits and Ethics Complaints: Pressures mount against councilwoman

Louisville Courier-Journal – Eleanor McCrary | Published: 2/17/2025

Louisville Metro Councilperson Donna Purvis is being accused of harassment after following an elderly constituent back to her apartment building in September after a heated verbal altercation at City Hall. It is the latest in a string of legal and ethics fights involving Purvis. In the six years she has been in office, Purvis has been sued for defamation by her former legislative assistant, racked up $20,000 in fines for campaign finance violations, and received multiple ethics complaints, some of which are ongoing.

Maine – Maine Lawmaker Accused of Forging Signatures on Campaign Finance Forms

Yahoo News – Rachel Ohm (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/13/2025

A grand jury indicted Maine Rep. Randall Hall on charges he forged signatures and made a false statement on campaign finance forms last year. According to the indictment, Hall forged signatures on 10 qualifying contribution affirmation forms, which are the forms that must be filled out by donors who give qualifying contributions to a candidate for state office so they can get clean elections funding from the state.

Michigan – Top Lawmaker Wants to Close Michigan ‘Revolving Door’ to Lobbyist Jobs

Bridge Michigan – Simon Schuster | Published: 2/18/2025

After years of failed attempts to slow the “revolving door” between Michigan policymakers and the professionals paid to influence them, a new proposal to block government leaders from immediately becoming lobbyists is gaining steam in the state Legislature. Bipartisan legislation would create a two-year waiting period before lawmakers who leave office can register as paid lobbyists to influence their former colleagues.

Minnesota – Senate GOP Files New Ethics Complaints Against Nicole Mitchell, State Senator Facing Felony Burglary Charges

Pioneer Press – Alex Derosier | Published: 2/18/2025

Minnesota Senate Republicans are leaning into their push to force state Sen. Nicole Mitchell from office after she was hit with another felony charge tied to her alleged break-in at her stepmother’s home last year. Republicans argued Mitchell had a conflict-of-interest when she voted to block a motion that would have opened her to an expulsion vote. They also filed an updated ethics complaint.

Mississippi – MS Campaign Finance Enforcement Lacks ‘Teeth,’ Hindering Accountability

Yahoo News – Charlie Drape and Grant McLaughlin (Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/17/2025

Even if the state wanted to bring charges against federally indicted-Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba for failing to submit several campaign finance reports, it likely would not, due to Mississippi’s confusing campaign finance laws. The state attorney general’s office said the law is difficult to enforce because there are several state agencies involved before the attorney general can see a case. If that even happens, the punitive measures are minor at best, said Michelle Williams, the attorney general’s chief of staff.

New York – NY Ethics Panel Ruled Constitutional in Split Decision in Cuomo Case

Albany Times Union – Brendan Lyons | Published: 2/18/2025

New York’s top court upheld the constitutionality of the state’s new ethics commission. The decision revives the authority of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, which was created in 2022 to succeed the oft-criticized Joint Commission on Public Ethics that was disbanded. A state Supreme Court justice, as well as an appellate court in Albany, had ruled the new commission was formed in violation of the state constitution’s separation of powers doctrine.

New York – Acting Deputy AG Emil Bove Defends Move to Drop Eric Adams Case

MSN – Shayna Jacobs and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove defended his controversial decision to end the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams, describing the choice to a federal judge as “a standard exercise of prosecutorial discretion.” Bove’s directive sparked days of open conflict within the department, drove eight veteran department attorneys to resign, and prompted the unusual proceeding in a Manhattan federal courtroom.

New York – Mass Resignations from Eric Adams’ Administration Spark Chaos in NYC Government

Yahoo News – Sally Goldenberg, Nick Reisman, Janaki Chada, and Joe Anuta (Politico) | Published: 2/17/2025

Four deputy mayors have signaled their intent to resign over concerns about New York City Mayor Eric Adams; conduct. The deputy mayors voiced worry that Adams is essentially doing the bidding of President Trump, who remains unpopular in the city. The Department of Justice ordered federal corruption charges against Adams dropped, in a case that appeared to be tied to the mayor’s cooperation on deporting migrants.

South Dakota – Felonies for Silent Supervisors a Sticking Point as Anti-Corruption Bills Clear SD Senate

Yahoo News – John Hult (South Dakota Searchlight) | Published: 2/18/2025

A package of four anti-corruption bills passed the South Dakota Senate and were sent to the House. The bills were sparked by recent criminal investigations into state employee misbehavior. The governor and attorney general agree on the language in three of the bills, but the question of felonies for state employee supervisors has confounded attempts for consensus on the fourth.

South Dakota – SD Governor Signs Bill Closing Loan Loophole in Campaign Finance Law

Yahoo News – South Dakota Searchlight staff | Published: 2/18/2025

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed a bill into law that would close a campaign finance loophole. The new law says any loan to a campaign, when combined with contributions from the same source, cannot exceed contribution limits in state law.

Tennessee – Campaign Contribution Limits Could Be Lifted for Political Parties, Caucus PACs

Yahoo News – Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) | Published: 2/18/2025

Smarting from a barrage of dark money that took out two state Senate incumbents in 2024, Tennessee lawmakers are set to consider eliminating campaign contribution limits for political parties and party caucuses. Senate Bill 229 aims to create more equity after out-of-state PACs spent heavily to defeat incumbent Sens. Frank Niceley and Jon Lundberg last August. The Lundberg election remains under investigation by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance.

Texas – Critics of Texas House Leadership Spent Big in This Year’s Speaker’s Race. They Fought Years for That Chance.

MSN – Kate McGee (Texas Tribune) | Published: 2/13/2025

Over the past year, outside groups spent heavily on campaigns for their Texas House speaker of choice, turning a race that is usually waged  behind closed doors into a public spectacle that has raised allegations among its members of foul play. State Rep. Dustin Burrows, the candidate most closely associated with prior House leadership, ultimately won. But the result came only after a deluge of spending made possible by a pair of lawsuits 14 years apart filed by close associates or allies of a chief Burrows’ adversary: oil billionaire Tim Dunn.

Utah – A Lonely Holdout Where Republicans Still Resist Trump: Utah

Las Vegas Sun – Kellen Browning (New York Times) | Published: 2/18/2025

As President Trump pursues his right-wing agenda at breakneck speed, with Democrats in retreat and “Never Trump” conservatives making themselves scarce, one of the 50 states has remained a redoubt of a kinder, gentler, and more civil kind of Republicanism – Utah. One big reason is that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who make up a vast, and once reliably conservative, segment of the Utah population, have been drifting away from the GOP.

Virginia – Bills to Ban Personal Use of Campaign Funds Clear Virginia Legislature

MSN – Laura Vozella (Washington Post) | Published: 2/19/2025

The Virginia House and Senate voted unanimously to tighten the state’s notoriously loose campaign-finance laws by banning the personal use of campaign funds, something already banned in 48 states and in federal contests. Bills to prohibit using campaign coffers as personal piggy banks have been filed in Richmond every year since 2014 but never made it out of the General Assembly until now.

Virginia – How Trump’s Assault on Bureaucracy Could Rock Virginia Elections

MSN – Ally Mutnick (Politico) | Published: 2/12/2025

Virginia’s off-year races are often a bellwether for the national mood a year before the midterms. But they are poised to take on even more significance this November because so many government employees and contractors who live in Northern Virginia are experiencing firsthand the impact of the Trump administration’s attempt to shrink the federal bureaucracy. For Democrats, who have the thinnest of grips on the House of Delegates and are eagerly seeking to reclaim the governor’s mansion, it may be an opening.

Ethics

National: “Trump Signs Order to Claim Power Over Independent Agencies” by Megan Messerly and Bob King (Politico) for Yahoo News

National: “Senior Justice Department Ethics Official Resigns Over Sidelining by Trump Appointees, Source Says” by Sarah Lynch (Reuters) for Yahoo News

National: “Who’s Running DOGE? The White House Says It’s Not Elon Musk.” by Faiz Siddiqui and Natalie Allison (Washington Post) for MSN

Illinois: “‘You Can Raise Me Five Grand’: New details emerge in bribery case against state Sen. Emil Jones III” by Jason Meisner (Chicago Tribune) for Yahoo News

New York: “Acting Deputy AG Emil Bove Defends Move to Drop Eric Adams Case” by Shayna Jacobs and Jeremy Roebuck (Washington Post) for MSN

South Dakota: “Felonies for Silent Supervisors a Sticking Point as Anti-Corruption Bills Clear SD Senate” by John Hult (South Dakota Searchlight) for Yahoo News

Legislative Issues

Minnesota: “Senate GOP Files New Ethics Complaints Against Nicole Mitchell, State Senator Facing Felony Burglary Charges” by Alex Derosier for Pioneer Press

Lobbying

National: “Federal Lobbying Set New Record in 2024” by Indy Scholtens for OpenSecrets

Campaign Finance

National: “Venting at Democrats and Fearing Trump, Liberal Donors Pull Back Cash” by Lisa Lerer, Reid Epstein, and Theodore Schleifer (New York Times) for Seattle Times

Tennessee: “Campaign Contribution Limits Could Be Lifted for Political Parties, Caucus PACs” by Sam Stockard (Tennessee Lookout) for Yahoo News

Ethics

National: “Acting Archivist, Inspector General for National Archives Forced Out” by Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) for MSN

Kentucky: “A Police Report, Lawsuits and Ethics Complaints: Pressures mount against councilwoman” by Eleanor McCrary for Louisville Courier-Journal

New York: “Mass Resignations from Eric Adams’ Administration Spark Chaos in NYC Government” by Sally Goldenberg, Nick Reisman, Janaki Chada, and Joe Anuta (Politico) for Yahoo News

New York: “NY Ethics Panel Ruled Constitutional in Split Decision in Cuomo Case” by Brendan Lyons for Albany Times Union

Utah: “A Lonely Holdout Where Republicans Still Resist Trump: Utah” by Kellen Browning (New York Times) for DNyuz

Legislative Issues

Colorado: “Democratic State Senator Abruptly Resigns from Colorado Legislature Amid Ethics Investigation” by Jesse Paul for Colorado Sun

Campaign Finance

Kansas: “Kansas House Committee Advances Election-Reform Bill That’s More Than a Name Change” by Tim Carpenter (Kansas Reflector) for Yahoo News

Maine: “Maine Lawmaker Accused of Forging Signatures on Campaign Finance Forms” by Rachel Ohm (Portland Press Herald) for Yahoo News

Texas: “Critics of Texas House Leadership Spent Big in This Year’s Speaker’s Race. They Fought Years for That Chance.” by Kate McGee (Texas Tribune) for MSN

Ethics

National: “U.S. Plan to Award $400M Vehicle Contract Removes Reference to Musk’s Tesla” by Leo Sands (Washington Post) for MSN

Illinois: “Former Mayors Johnson and Lightfoot Accused of Impeding Inspector General’s Investigations” by Fran Spielman for WBEZ

New York: “Mass Resignation Marks a New Kind of Defiance in the Second Trump Era” by Naftali Bendavid (Washington Post) for MSN

Legislative Issues

Arizona: “Legislative Immunity Is a Privilege in Most States. A Speeding Ticket Could Change That in Arizona” by Eric Sandoval (Associated Press) for MSN

Lobbying

California: “Who’s Paying for California Politicians’ Travel? After CalMatters’ Report, Audit Proposes a Legal Fix” by Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) for MSN

National/Federal

Trump’s New Line of Attack Against the Media Gains Momentum

DNyuz – David Enrich (New York Times) | Published: 2/7/2025

Media lawyers scoffed last year when Donald Trump sued two news organizations for producing journalism that, he claimed, violated laws meant to protect consumers from things like deceptive advertising. First Amendment experts still believe that Trump’s cases, against CBS News and The Des Moines Register, lack legal merit. But they now realize the lawsuits are proving effective at harassing the press and more of them are probably on the way.

Trump Tries to Fire Chair of Federal Election Commission. Why She’s Refusing to Leave.

MSN – Joey Garrison (USA Today) | Published: 2/6/2025

Ellen Weintraub, who has served as a Democratic member of the FEC since 2002, posted a letter signed by Donald Trump on social media that said she was “hereby removed as a Member of the Federal Election Commission, effective immediately.” Weintraub, who is currently chairperson of the FEC, questioned the legal validity of the move and signaled her intent to fight the removal.

Bondi Ends FBI Effort to Combat Foreign Influence in U.S. Politics

MSN – Ken Dilanian (NBC News) | Published: 2/6/2025

Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered a halt to a years-old federal law enforcement effort to combat secret influence campaigns by China, Russia, and other adversaries that try to curry favor and sow chaos in American politics. The order disbands the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and pares back penalties for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, despite years of warnings by U.S. intelligence agencies that foreign malign influence operations involving disinformation were a growing and dangerous threat.

GOP Laws Aimed at Very Rare Noncitizen Voting Could Hit Eligible Voters

MSN – Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/9/2025

Republicans in Congress and state Legislatures are charging forward with plans to require Americans to prove they are citizens as they say they seek to crack down on noncitizen voting, an almost nonexistent problem. Voting by noncitizens is already illegal in all state and federal elections and requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship could make it harder for millions of legitimate voters to cast ballots. Driver’s licenses and other state IDs can be used only for people who provided proof of citizenship to get those IDs, so some people will need to track down other documents.

In Trump’s Actions, Opponents See More Than Cuts – They See a Constitutional Crisis

MSN – Naftali Bendavid and Hannah Knowles (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

As President Trump and congressional Democrats clash about spending authority, citizenship rules, control of the government, and other fundamental powers, the president’s opponents are increasingly making an unnerving accusation: that the country is in the grip of a full-blown constitutional crisis. That term recalls some of the most perilous moments in American history, from the Civil War to Watergate. Some of Trump’s adversaries contend that in seizing powers the Constitution does not give him and forcing clashes with Congress and the courts, the president has thrust American democracy into a similarly dangerous moment.

Trump Halts Aid to South Africa, Claiming Discrimination Against Afrikaners

MSN – María Luisa Paúl (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

President Trump signed an executive order halting all U.S. aid to South Africa and directing his administration to develop a plan for resettling White Afrikaners as refugees, citing what he called “government-sponsored race-based discrimination” against them. The subject of Trump’s criticism appears to be a recent law that allows land expropriation without compensation in rare cases. South African officials have said the policy is part of an effort to address disparities left by apartheid, a system that for decades barred Black South Africans from owning land.

Trump Administration Cuts Teams That Fight Foreign Election Interference

MSN – Colby Itkowitz, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Sarah Ellison, and Patrick Marley (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

The Trump administration eliminated much of the federal government’s front line of defense against foreign interference in U.S. elections. The move alarmed state election officials and election security experts, who warned that safeguarding Americans from foreign disinformation campaigns will be difficult if no one at the federal level is doing that work.

Trump Pauses DOJ Enforcement of Bribery Laws for US Firms Overseas

MSN – Josh Meyer (USA Today) | Published: 2/10/2025

President Trump signed an executive order pausing enforcement of a federal law that makes it a crime for U.S. businesses to bribe foreign officials, saying the law puts companies at a disadvantage on the global stage. Trump ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to stop actions taken under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, including prosecutions of American individuals and companies who the Justice Department has charged with bribing foreign government officials in attempts to gain business in other countries.

Trump Removes Top Government Ethics Czar

MSN – Fredreka Schouten (CNN) | Published: 2/10/2025

President Trump removed the head of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) from his post, the latest example of Trump acting against a government watchdog. The agency’s director, David Huitema, was confirmed to the post by the Senate in November and officially began the job in December. OGE directors typically serve five-year terms, allowing them to overlap administrations as part of an attempt to reduce partisanship.

Trump Dismisses Archivist to the United States

MSN – Maegan Vazquez (Washington Post) | Published: 2/8/2025

President Trump fired the head of the National Archives and Records Administration, targeting an independent agency that was involved in trying to recover documents he took to his Florida estate after his first presidential term. Colleen Shogan was named archivist of the United States by Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed to her role in 2023, a year after the Archives referred its search for documents in Trump’s possession to the FBI.

Judge to Trump-Terminated Ethics Watchdog: You’re un-fired

MSN – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 2/10/2025

A federal judge reined in President Trump’s firing spree, ruling a federal ethics watchdog can return to his job for at least a few days while the judge receives more detailed legal arguments about the case. Judge Amy Berman Jackson issued the reprieve to Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, after he sued to contest the email he received from the White House indicating he had been dismissed from his position. Dellinger leads an independent federal agency that handles whistleblower issues and complaints about violations of the Hatch Act, which limits political activity by government employees.

Trump White House Says It Can Talk to Justice Dept. on Criminal Cases

MSN – Perry Stein and Jeff Stein (Washington Post) | Published: 2/9/2025

The Trump administration’s rules for how White House staff can interact with the Justice Department are a departure from Biden-era guidance, explicitly saying the president and vice president and their top lawyers can discuss ongoing criminal and civil cases with the attorney general and her deputies. Legal experts say the guidance could erode guardrails that have traditionally given the Justice Department a degree of independence from the White House that does not exist for other executive branch agencies.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – State-Commissioned Report Finds ‘Significant’ Issues in Alabama Ethics Law, Recommends Major Reforms

Alabama Daily News – Alexander Willis | Published: 2/11/2025

A report commissioned by the Alabama Legislature found “significant overbreadth concerns” in the state’s ethics law, including “structural vulnerabilities” that could enable discriminatory enforcement, with state lawmakers recommended to enact sweeping reforms. The Bopp Law Firm found provisions that raised “serious First Amendment concerns” regarding secrecy agreements amid ethics complaints, vagueness and due process concerns, and breadth of issues in who the ethics law applies to.

California – California Regulators Allege This Silicon Valley Ex-Lawmaker Violated Campaign Finance Law Dozens of Times

MSN – Yue Stella Yu (CalMatters) | Published: 2/7/2025

California’s campaign finance investigators allege former state Assemblyperson Evan Low, who raised money for a foundation co-managed by his chief of staff, received non-monetary donations worth more than $113,000 from that foundation for his re-election campaign. If proven true, such donations, and a lack of timely disclosures from Low and the nonprofit foundation, would violate reporting requirements and contribution limits, according to a staff report from the California Fair Political Commission.

California – S.F. Union Files Another Ethics Complaint Against Waymo After First Try Gets Tossed

MSN – Chase DiFeliciantonio (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 2/6/2025

The San Francisco Ethics Commission will not pursue allegations brought against Waymo last year by the Teamsters union that the company improperly lobbied San Francisco airport officials. In a second complaint to the commission, the union’s attorneys argued other lobbyists and executives for the autonomous vehicle maker failed to properly register before meeting with airport officials last year, and other meetings since then also violated ethics rules.

California – LA’s Top Homelessness Official Signed $2.1 Million Contract with Husband’s Employer

MSN – Nick Gerda and David Wagner (LAist) | Published: 2/11/2025

Documents show Va Lecia Adams Kellum, chief executive of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, signed a $2,1 million contract and two other contract amendments with Upward Bound House, a nonprofit where her husband works in senior leadership. State law bans public officials from any involvement in contracts in which they have a financial interest, including agreements that financially benefit their spouse or groups that pay their spouse.

Hawaii – Hawai’i Executive Indicted for Illegal Campaign Donations

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 2/11/2025

Developer Timothy Lee was indicted on nine felony counts of illegally funneling money to Honolulu mayoral candidates in 2020. The details of Lee’s case harken back to an earlier era of campaign spending cases when felony charges were more common. In the early 2000s, dozens of executives at design and engineering firms were accused of laundering money to the campaigns of Hawai’I’s most prominent politicians. Many avoided any jail time and paid hefty fines instead.

Hawaii – Hawai’i’s Crackdown on Lobbyists Has Come a Long Way. Is It Far Enough?

Honolulu Civil Beat – Patty Epler | Published: 2/8/2025

Fifty years ago, Hawaii was considered a national leader in what was then a growing movement to crack down on inappropriate political influence by special interests. But things soon stalled. Hawaii remained stuck, for the most part, with the barest of transparency requirements and minimal punishment. Then, two state lawmakers and some Maui County officials were arrested for taking millions of dollars in bribes. The Legislature could not ignore the public outrage and things improved.

Illinois – Ethics Board ‘Revokes’ Informal Agreement That Allowed Mayor to Accept Pricey Gifts

WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 2/11/2025

Mayor Brandon Johnson is subject to the city’s ethics ordinance and prohibited from accepting most gifts worth more than $50, the Chicago Board of Ethics announced. No longer will gifts accepted by Chicago’s mayor on behalf of the city be covered by an “unwritten arrangement” dating back to the 1980s, board President William Conlon said during a meeting.

Illinois – ‘People Really Stood Their Ground,’ Juror Says of Split Michael Madigan Verdict

Yahoo News – Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau, and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/12/2025

A jury delivered a split verdict against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, finding him guilty on 10 of 23 criminal counts in his case. The jury also found Madigan not guilty on seven counts and was unable to reach a verdict on six additional counts. The convictions related to Madigan’s efforts to secure a valuable state board position for former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis and to an alleged bribery scheme involving Commonwealth Edison.

Illinois – President Donald Trump Pardons Ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Nearly 5 Years After Commuting His Sentence, AP Says

Yahoo News – Rick Pearson (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 2/10/2025

Nearly five years after commuting former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s federal prison sentence, President Trump granted a full pardon to the disgraced former governor who was convicted more than 13 years ago on an array of corruption charges, including fundraising schemes and attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat for his personal benefit. Unlike the commutation, which left intact Blagojevich’s conviction, pardon wipes clean the criminal slate of the only Illinois governor in history to be impeached and convicted by the General Assembly, and banned from seeking any state elected office ever again.

Indiana – Almost $30M Spent Lobbying Indiana General Assembly Last Year

Yahoo News – Leslie Bonilla Muñiz (Indiana Capital Chronicle) | Published: 2/10/2025

Experienced lawmakers from both parties said lobbyists bring valuable information. Sometimes they even use their expertise to write legislation or contribute fixes. But they had varying opinions on accepting lobbyist-funded dinners and gifts, and on how well Indiana regulates the influence of political contributions on legislation. Many groups also operate 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations, which can engage in lobbying related to social welfare goals. Their donors and contributions are confidential.

Kentucky – What Is Executive Branch Lobbying? How People Get Paid to Influence KY’s Top Leaders

Yahoo Finance – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 2/10/2025

Lobbying efforts to sway executive branch decisions are an important, lucrative, and growing aspect of Frankfort. The subject matter of executive branch lobbying often revolves around state contracts. Lobbyist Bob Babbage said one key distinction between executive and legislative lobbying is that the people you are lobbying have different perspectives. Cabinet members always look at the statewide picture, but legislators’ first loyalties lie with their constituents.

Louisiana – Louisiana Ethics Board Agrees to Keep Governor’s Staff Information Private in Spite of Law

Yahoo News – Julie O’Donoghue (Louisiana Illuminator) | Published: 2/12/2025

The home addresses of Gov. Jeff Landry’s executive staff will be kept out of public records, despite a state law that requires the information to be disclosed. The Louisiana Board of Ethics voted to keep their addresses secret. Its members agreed with Attorney General Liz Murrill’s view that the disclosure conflicts with the right to privacy contained in the state constitution.

Minnesota – Judge Blocks Minnesota Campaign Law to Limit Donations from Corporations with Foreign Ownership

MSN – Briana Bierschbach (Minneapolis Star Tribune) | Published: 2/7/2025

A federal judge permanently blocked the implementation of a Minnesota campaign finance law that aimed to limit political contributions from corporations with foreign ownership. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Eric Tostrud said the law was too broad.

Mississippi – Evidence in Jackson’s Bribery Scandal Can’t Be Made Public Until Trial, Judge Says

MSN – Charlie Drape (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/6/2025

A federal judge granted a protective order blocking all evidence in Jackson’s bribery scandal from being released until the trial begins. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and city Councilperson Aaron Banks were accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents who said they wanted to develop to a convention center hotel in Jackson. The order means the evidence may not become public before the spring elections.

Montana – Montana Senate Votes to Send Ellsworth Investigation to Department of Justice

Montana Free Press – Tom Lutey | Published: 2/6/2025

Allegations of criminal activity by former Montana Senate leader Jason Ellsworth are being handed over to the state Department of Justice following a heated floor debate in the Senate chambers in which minority Democrats prevailed. Republicans have openly stated Ellsworth is guilty since news broke that he awarded $170,100 in contracted work to a former business associate, Bryce Egglsteon. Ethics proceedings against Ellsworth were launched in the Senate after a brief investigation.

Nevada – Many Nevada Candidates Are Fined Over Transparency on Campaign Funds. Few Pay in Full.

Nevada Independent – Eric Neugeboren | Published: 2/11/2025

Across the first 11 months of 2024, the Nevada Secretary of State’s Office assessed more than $440,000 in fines related to campaign finance violations, with the PAC associated with Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford facing one of the largest at more than $20,000. But almost all of those fines have not yet been paid off, and many of them will likely end up being waived or reduced, which is part of the reason why the secretary of state’s office is looking to reform the penalty process in this year’s legislative session.

New York – Gov. Hochul’s Administration Seeks Investigation of $10M Ad Blitz Against Her

Gothamist – Jon Campbell | Published: 2/11/2025

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration wants an official investigation into the organizations behind a $10 million advertising campaign that criticized her for changes to a home health care program for the elderly and disabled. State Health Commissioner James McDonald requested a formal inquiry into the Alliance to Protect Home Care and two other nonprofits tied to the spending. McDonald accused the groups of “flouting the state’s ethics and charitable registration laws” in part by failing to disclose the true identity of the people or groups funding the television, radio, and online ads blanketing the state in recent months.

New York – Mayor Adams Aide Under NYC Council Probe Didn’t Recuse from Ex-Employer Dealings Due to ‘Miscommunication’

MSN – Chris Sommerfeldt (New York Daily News) | Published: 2/6/2025

Nate Bliss, a senior aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, did not recuse himself for years from city government business dealings with his ex-employer and is now blaming the slipup on a “miscommunication” with the Conflicts of Interest Board. The city council’s Oversight and Economic Development Committee launched a probe over his ties to his ex-employer after it emerged his jump from Taconic to City Hall happened less than three months before Adams’ administration picked Taconic to execute “Innovation East,” a major redevelopment of the city’s Manhattan public health lab.

New York – Top Justice Department Official Orders Prosecutors to Drop Charges Against New York Mayor Eric Adams

MSN – Jake Offenhartz, Alanna Durkin Richer, and Eric Tucker (Associated Press) | Published: 2/10/2025

The Justice Department ordered federal prosecutors to drop their case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, which would clear him of all corruption charges. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said the order was not based on the strength of evidence in the case, but rather because it had been brought too close to Adams’ reelection campaign and was distracting from the mayor’s efforts to assist in the Trump administration’s law-and-order priorities.

New York – Mohamed Bahi, Ex-Eric Adams Aide, to Plead Guilty to Federal Conspiracy Charges

The City – Greg Smith | Published: 2/7/2025

A onetime senior aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams who was charged with organizing an illegal straw donor scheme for the mayor has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy. Mohamed Bahi, formerly one of the mayor’s liaisons to the Muslim community, was initially charged with witness tampering and obstruction of justice in a criminal complaint that alleged he had direct conversations with Adams about the campaign donation scheme.

New York – Report: State campaign finance match program combats megadonor influence

WAMC – Jeongyoon Han (WXXI) | Published: 2/6/2025

More small donors are contributing to state elections in New York, according to a recent report, and the share of large donations for candidates’ fundraising decreased from 2024 to 2020. The report by the Brennan Center for Justice credits a state-run public campaign finance program for the change. Proponents say it encourages candidates to rely more on donations from constituents, and less on megadonors and special interest groups.

Ohio – Jim Tressel Nominated as Lieutenant Governor to Gov. Mike DeWine

MSN – Jeremy Pelzer (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/10/2025

Gov. Mike DeWine nominated former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel as his lieutenant governor. Tressel, who retired as president of Youngstown State University in 2023, will, if confirmed by the General Assembly, finish the final 22 months of Jon Husted’s term as lieutenant governor. DeWine appointed Husted to JD Vance’s U.S. Senate seat.

Ohio – Advocacy Groups Take Issue with Ohio House Rules on Chamber Lobby, Floor Votes

Ohio Capital Journal – Susan Tebben | Published: 2/11/2025

Nearly five dozen advocacy groups signed on to a letter opposing Ohio House rules for this General Assembly, including a ban on public gathering near the House chamber at certain times and decreasing public notice for floor votes. When the rules were first approved, Republicans said they would create more efficiency in legislative business, while Democrats questioned the effect on transparency going forward with the new rules.

Ohio – Ex-Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld Loses Appeal, Could Be Sent Back to Prison

WCPO – Paula Christian and Felicia Jordan | Published: 2/11/2025

Former Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld could be heading back to prison after a three-judge panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against his appeal to have his public corruption conviction thrown out. The appeal focused on whether the government presented enough evidence for a jury to rule an explicit quid pro quo had occurred, and whether Sittenfeld’s indictment “was constructively amended,” meaning the jury was given evidence pointing to crimes outside of Sittenfeld’s actual indictment.

Oregon – Oregon Legislator Seeks Stricter Lobbying Limits for Former Lawmakers Representing State Agencies

Yahoo News – Julia Shumway (Oregon Capital Chronicle) | Published: 2/11/2025

Rep. Anna Scharf is pushing to tighten Oregon’s anti-revolving-door law, saying it unfairly discriminates between former lawmakers who lobby for private industries and those who obtain state jobs after leaving the Legislature. Oregon, like most states, makes former lawmakers wait before they can become lobbyists who ask their former colleagues to support bills. In Oregon, lawmakers cannot take a paid lobbying job until they have been out of office for at least a year.

Rhode Island – RI Ethics Panel to Review ‘Gift Rule’ Following ILO Group Investigation

Yahoo News – Eli Sherman (WPRI) | Published: 2/11/2025

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to reexamine the state’s gift law, in a move that could limit the value of what lobbyists for nonprofit organizations can give to public officials. The panel voted to take another look at the rule, which currently prohibits any “interested party” from giving a gift exceeding $25 to a public official if the gift-giver might profit from their decisions.

South Dakota – South Dakota House Restores ‘Loan Loophole’ Bill Back to Original Form, Sends to Governor

Yahoo News – Joshua Haiar (South Dakota Searchlight) | Published: 2/6/2025

A bill that would close a campaign finance loophole in South Dakota allowing unlimited funds into a campaign is headed to the governor’s desk. It would prevent the ability to make unlimited campaign donations as long as the contribution is categorized as a loan. The debate took a tense turn when Rep. Brandei Schaefbauer accused the bill’s sponsors of using it as a tool to target businessperson Toby Doeden.

Wisconsin – Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Swing State’s Embattled Elections Chief Can Remain in Post

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 2/7/2025

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the state’s nonpartisan top elections official, Meagan Wolfe, who has been targeted for removal by Republican lawmakers over the 2020 presidential election, can remain in her post despite not being reappointed and confirmed by the state Senate. The court said no vacancy exists and, because of that, the elections commission “does not have a duty to appoint a new administrator to replace Wolfe simply because her term has ended.”

National/Federal

Ethics Pledges by Trump Cabinet Draw Questions and Skepticism

DNyuz – Eric Lipton (New York Times) | Published: 2/1/2025

Publicly released letters lay out negotiated agreements between the members of the new administration and federal ethics officials. These letters, and associated financial disclosures, illustrate the extraordinary wealth of President Trump’s cabinet picks, as well as the uncharacteristically large list of potential conflicts-of-interest with which they enter the government. Each signed letter is supposed to detail what decisions these officials can be involved in, and which they must stay away from, to avoid violating federal rules.

CBS to Hand Over Harris Interview After Trump, FCC Pressure. What to Know.

MSN – Annabelle Timsit (Washington Post) | Published: 2/2/2025

CBS News plans to provide the Federal Communications Commission with the transcript of a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that is at the heart of a lawsuit against the network filed by Donald Trump, the latest development in a battle that critics say is being used to target press freedom. The controversy over the interview, which was broadcast during the last few weeks of the presidential campaign, centers on Harris’s response in a conversation about Israel led by journalist Bill Whitaker.

As DOJ Probes FBI’s Jan. 6 Work and Weighs Firings, Agents Told to Detail Roles

MSN – Perry Stein, Carol Leonnig, Jeremy Roebuck, and Ann Marimow (Washington Post) | Published: 2/2/2025

FBI officials sent out a questionnaire to determine the involvement of thousands of FBI personnel in cases related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. It came a day after the FBI’s acting director said the bureau would conduct a broad examination, at the request of the Justice Department, of anyone who touched the January 6 investigation. The survey and other moves prompted a team of high-profile lawyers to threaten legal action if FBI or Justice Department personnel are fired without due process.

Why the Supreme Court May Be Open to Trump’s Push for Expanded Power

MSN – Justin Jouvenal (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

Donald Trump’s rapid-fire efforts to expand presidential authority seem likely to prompt key test cases at the Supreme Court he helped shape, according to legal experts, with the conservative supermajority signaling in past rulings it may be open to landmark changes in the balance of power. Behind the seemingly scattershot array, analysts see a common goal: A decades-long effort by conservatives to boldly grow the power of the presidency through a principle that says the executive branch has sole authority to hire and fire agency employees and control their policies.

Elon Musk Shielded by Ethics Loophole as Trump ‘Special Government Employee’

MSN – Haisten Willis (Washington Examiner) | Published: 2/4/2025

Elon Musk may have a novel role within the Trump administration, but the title that allows him to serve in the government has drawn the ire of ethics watchdogs for decades. Musk’s status as a special government employee protects him from typical ethics disclosures, a loophole that has been used by administrations from both parties since the last century.

Md. FBI Site Pick Had Flaws but No Conflict of Interest, Report Finds

MSN – Aaron Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 2/3/2025

The controversial selection of a suburban Maryland site for the future FBI headquarters was not the result of a conflict-of-interest, a federal inspector general who launched a review of allegations of such improprieties concluded. But a decision to weight the cost of development during the decision-making process in a way that benefited the Prince George’s County site was “not justified,” the inspector general’s report found.

Greenland Bans Foreign Political Funding as Trump Seeks Control

MSN – Kelsey Ables (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

Greenland passed a law banning foreign contributions to political parties, an assertion of self-governance amid concern over President Trump’s calls for the United States to acquire the island. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, whose officials have repeatedly emphasized it is not for sale. Donald Trump Jr. visited Greenland in January, generating global attention that “shows how susceptible Greenland may be to potential foreign political influence,” said Donald Rothwell, an expert on the law of the polar regions.

Republican Ire at USAID Finds an Unusual Target: Politico

MSN – Sarah Ellison, Clara Ence Morse, and Laura Wagner (Washington Post) | Published: 2/5/2025

Conservative attacks on the embattled U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) landed on an unexpected target when Elon Musk, right-wing influencers, elected Republicans, and the White House zeroed in on subscription money that federal government agencies paid for Politico Pro and other specialty subscription publications aimed at corporations and government entities. Musk and other Republicans claimed USAID alone had spent millions of dollars on Politico over the past 12 months. But that characterization is false.

Top Trump Prosecutor in DC Dropped Federal Case Against Capitol Rioter He Represented

MSN – Brad Heath, Sarah Lynch, and Andrew Goudsward (Reuters) | Published: 2/5/2025

As President Trump moved to free the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol, his newly appointed top prosecutor in Washington put his name on a request that a judge drop charges against one of them he represented as a defense attorney. Lawyers generally are prohibited from taking both sides in the same case and U.S. Justice Department regulations require lawyers to step aside from cases involving their former clients for at least a year.

Prosecutors Seek Dismissal of Campaign Finance Case Against Ex-Nebraska Congressman Fortenberry

MSN – Associated Press | Published: 1/29/2025

Federal prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss their case against a former member of Congress charged with lying to authorities about a foreign billionaire’s illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign. The Nine U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had reversed Fortenberry’s conviction, ruling the case should not have been tried in Los Angeles. Fortenberry was subsequently charged with two counts: falsifying and concealing material facts and making false statements.

Democrats Elect Ken Martin, Head of Minnesota Party, as Next Chair

MSN – Patrick Svitek (Washington Post) | Published: 2/1/2025

Ken Martin, a longtime Democratic Party insider who leads the party in Minnesota, was elected to take over as chairperson of the Democratic National Committee after the party suffered devastating defeats in the November election, including losing the presidency to Donald Trump. The candidates for the job generally agreed that the Democratic Party needs to do more to appeal to working-class voters, to amplify their message in less traditional media settings, and to organize year-round. They mostly sought to avoid recriminations over the 2024 election.

Lobbying Firms Tied to Trump Report Wave of New Clients

Politico – Caitlin Oprysko | Published: 1/29/2025

Lobbying firms with close ties to President Trump have added new clients in droves since the election, with several disclosing close to two dozen so far, as companies, industry groups, and other organizations look for an in with the new administration. Some of the biggest winners have been firms whose owners have helped Trump from outside of the government, or whose current or former employees have more formal ties to the administration.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Ranked Choice Voting Opponents Fined $157K for Repeated Violations of Campaign Reporting Requirements

Yahoo News – Iris Samuels (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 1/29/2025

The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) fined Alaskans for Honest Elections, Alaskans for Honest Government, the Ranked Choice Education Association, and Arthur Matthias a combined total of almost $157,000. That comes after a prior penalty of more than $94,000. APOC imposed the maximum allowed fines, stating the respondents have “proven themselves shockingly poor at complying with their reporting obligations throughout their campaign.”

California – California Blesses Political Donors’ Strategy to Multiply Their Influence

MSN – Alexei Koseff (CalMatters) | Published: 1/31/2025

The Fair Political Practices Commission cleared the way for a new approach to raising and spending money in California elections. Political committees now have state regulators’ blessing to create an unlimited number of affiliated committees with different leaders, and then closely coordinate fundraising and candidate donations among them. That could exponentially increase their influence on campaigns.

California – State Senator Retains Key Role Over Fire Insurance Laws Despite Cannabis Corruption Probe

MSN – Anabel Sosa (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 1/30/2025

California Sen. Susan Rubio was reappointed as chairperson of the committee that oversees insurance-related legislation, a powerful position that went unoccupied for weeks while swaths of Los Angeles burned. Rubio’s reappointment as chair comes amid lingering questions about her role in an ongoing federal investigation into an alleged cannabis industry bribery scheme that dates back to her time on the Baldwin Park City Council and her 2018 campaign for state office.

California – Newsom Weakens Financial Disclosure Requirements for LA Officials as Relief Pours In

MSN – Kenneth Schrupp (The Center Square) | Published: 2/4/2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order for Los Angeles fire relief includes provisions creating a 60-day reporting extension for required ethics disclosures of behested payments or conflicts-of-interest for government officials in Los Angeles County. Transparency watchdogs say elected officials should disclose financial conflicts in real time to avoid corruption, while Republicans warn the measures will make politicians even less accountable as billions in state, and eventually, federal aid comes pouring in.

California – Oakland’s Tiny Government Watchdog Sparked an FBI Investigation. Why Is It Neglected?

MSN – Eli Wolfe (Oaklandside) | Published: 2/5/2025

When federal prosecutors announced corruption charges against former Mayor Sheng Thao and her boyfriend, they gave a tip of the hat to the Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission for launching the investigation and federal prosecutors to allegations of bribery and conspiracy at City Hall. But in October, the commission’s enforcement chief, Simon Russell, quit his job. In a departing letter, Russell wrote he was burned out from long, exhausting hours, and he was upset and baffled that city officials had ignored his requests for more money and staff.

District of Columbia – D.C. Council Expels Trayon White Over Allegations He Took Bribes

MSN – Paul Schwartzman, Jenny Gathright (Washington Post) | Published: 2/4/2025

The District of Columbia City Council voted to expel council member Trayon White. His expulsion, the first imposed by the council in its 51-year history, forces White to immediately surrender his seat. Federal prosecutors allege White used his elected position to keep government contracts flowing to two companies, accepting envelopes with thousands of dollars in cash and lucrative kickbacks.

Hawaii – Bill To Close Pay-To-Play Loophole in Hawai’i Moves to Full House

Honolulu Civil Beat – Blaze Lovell | Published: 2/6/2025

State legislators are seeking to close a 20-year-old loophole that has allowed government contractors to donate to politicians despite a law that purports to ban such contributions. Last year, a media investigation found that people with ties to contractors contributed $24 million to campaigns and the donations often coincided with key decisions by lawmakers regarding the contracts.

Hawaii – 2 Honolulu Officials to Plead Guilty in Kealoha Payout, Avoiding Jail Time

Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 2/3/2025

Former Honolulu officials reached agreements with the government to resolve federal charges that they improperly arranged a $250,000 payout to the city’s now-disgraced former police chief. The pleas likely mark the end of the road for the special public corruption unit whose findings rocked Honolulu for a decade.

Illinois – Illinois Governor Bans Jan. 6 Rioters Pardoned by Trump from State Jobs

MSN – Tobi Raji (Washington Post) | Published: 2/1/2025

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker directed the state’s hiring authority to block all those who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol from state employment. The order would apply to more than 50 people from Illinois who were given pardons or commutations by President Trump in one of the earliest acts of his second term and marks the latest effort by the blue state governor to push back against Trump.

Illinois – Mayor Johnson Outlines New Gift Policy After Critical Report from Inspector General

WBEZ – Fran Spielman | Published: 2/5/2025

Inspector General Deborah Witzburg accused Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson of accepting valuable gifts and failing to report them while denying internal investigators access to the room where the items are purportedly stored. Now, logs of the gifts that Johnson receives from visiting dignitaries and the public will be maintained and posted on the city’s website, along with a video of the “gift room” in the mayor’s City Hall office where those items are stored.

Kentucky – KY Legislative Lobbying Shatters Record, Topped $28 Million in 2024. Why Is Spending Up?

MSN – Austin Horn (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 2/3/2025

Companies and organizations looking to influence the Kentucky Legislature are spending more and more to influence the decisions made and the laws passed in Frankfort. In 2024, companies and other organizations spent almost $28.2 million on lobbying efforts. That is up from 2023’s record of $25.5 million. Observers say more entities are learning just how important the state Legislature is. Combine that with the growing cost of doing business in general, the increase in size of the government, and the Republican caucuses’ penchant for ignoring Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, and you get a system that is grown steadily over the last three years.

Maine – Efforts to Expand Maine Clean Elections Reckon with Currently Inadequate Program Funding

Yahoo News – Emma Davis (Maine Morning Star) | Published: 2/3/2025

Advocates and lawmakers seeking to stem the influence of money on elections in Maine are hoping to expand the state’s pioneering clean elections program. But during a public hearing on a reform proposal, it became clear they are running up against a funding landscape where the state’s current allocation is being drained faster than it is being replenished.

Maine – Maine Approves Rules to Restrict Utilities’ Lobbying, Prevent Costs from Being Passed to Customers

Yahoo News – Stephen Singer (Portland Press Herald) | Published: 2/5/2025

Maine regulators approved a set of rules restricting utility spending. The new rules forbid those expenses from being passed on to ratepayers. Utilities may not bill ratepayers for donations to political campaigns or parties, contributions to trade associations or business groups, or spending on lobbying or educational activities, except to inform customers about energy efficiency, conservation, and other measures.

Mississippi – MS Senate, House Advance Election, Campaign Finance Reforms by Deadline. See What Happened

MSN – Grant McLaughlin (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/4/2025

A Mississippi Senate committee, albeit against some opposition, advanced legislation to establish a 15-day early voting period, several bills to amend and add enforcement to campaign finance laws, and a bill to require online filing of campaign finance reports. The House Apportions and Elections Committee also advanced its own campaign finance l legislation earlier in the session.

Mississippi – Lumumba Files 3 Campaign Finance Reports After Having Not Done So Since 2021

Yahoo News – Charlie Drape (Jackson Clarion Ledger) | Published: 2/4/2025

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba filed three campaign finance reports after failing to do so for the last three years, even though state law requires them to be filed annually. Lumumba’s campaign finance reports are at the center of his federal indictment, which accuses him of accepting $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers.

Montana – Senate Ethics Investigation into Former President Expected to Take All of February

Montana Free Press – Tom Lutey | Published: 2/3/2025

The ethics committee investigation into former Montana Senate leader Jason Ellsworth will take most of February, if not longer, to ensure hen is afforded time for a defense. Ellsworth is accused of splitting in two a $170,100 contract awarded to a business associate in order to avoid a state law requiring contracts of $100,000 or more to be competitively bid. The split contract, and questions about whether contractor Bryce Eggleston could do the work, are the foundation of the Senate’s case against its former leader.

New York – Former FDNY Chief Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Receive Bribes to Speed Up Building Inspections

MSN – Josephine Stratman (New York Daily News) | Published: 1/29/2025

Former New York Fire Department Chief Anthony Saccavino pleaded guilty to conspiring to accept thousands of dollars in bribes for speeding up inspections for businesses with matters before the department. Saccavino is accused of expediting fire inspections for building owners who could pay up in a scheme that saw him and his co-conspirators rake in nearly $200,000 in illegal kickbacks.

New York – Eric Adams’ 2021 Campaign Could Be on the Hook for $10 Million

MSN – Joe Anuta and Jeff Coltin (Politico) | Published: 2/3/2025

New York City election officials are raising the stakes in their audit of Mayor Eric Adams’ 2021 campaign, a move that could foreshadow the beleaguered mayor being forced to repay $10 million. The Campaign Finance Board informed Team Adams it was taking more time to complete an audit of his election effort after discovering bookkeeping irregularities and learning of an alleged straw donor scheme via the mayor’s federal criminal case.

New York – Mystery Donor Funds $10 Million Campaign Against Hochul Home Care Plan

New York Focus – Chris Bragg | Published: 2/4/2025

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing fierce opposition to her overhaul of a popular but pricey home care program that allows people with chronic medical issues to choose their own caregivers and pay them through Medicaid. The Alliance to Protect Home Care, a social welfare nonprofit, spent $10.6 million last year on a public relations campaign criticizing the reforms, the second-highest spending lobbying campaign in Albany that year. But it is unclear who is bankrolling the spending.

North Dakota – Bill Offers Immunity from Conflict Crimes to North Dakota Lawmakers If They Follow Ethics Rules

Yahoo News – Jeff Beach (North Dakota Monitor) | Published: 1/31/2025

Legislation in North Dakota would give state lawmakers immunity from conflict-of-interest crimes if they disclose potential conflicts and follow legislative ethics rules. A separate bill seeks to overhaul how the North Dakota Ethics Commission handles complaints encountered opposition from the state attorney general’s office.

Ohio – Householder, Convicted of Racketeering, Tells Judges He’s Only Guilty of ‘Ordinary Politics’

MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 2/5/2025

While prosecutors said ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder orchestrated the biggest bribery scheme in state history, his lawyers told an appellate court that he is only guilty of “regular politics.” The arguments in Householder’s appeal came nearly two years after a jury convicted him of racketeering, predicated on a bribery scheme to pass a 2019 bailout of nuclear plants owned by a subsidiary of FirstEnergy. In exchange for the bailout, FirstEnergy funneled millions of dollars in campaign contributions from its subsidiary and the corporate parent.

South Dakota – Dakota First Action, Supporters Attack Bill to Reform ‘Unlimited’ Campaign Loan Loophole

Yahoo News – Dominik Dausch (Sioux Falls Argus Leader) | Published: 2/3/2025

The South Dakota House State Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 12, which would require loans made by an individual to a candidate or political committee to count toward individual contribution limits. Brian Lewis, political director for Dakota First Action, said the bill was not meant to reform campaign finance law. He asserted the bill was instead a means of eking vengeance against Dakota First Action and its founder, Toby Doeden, for its recent political activities.

Texas – Critics Argue a Texas Court Ruling Jeopardizes Election Integrity

Houston Public Media – Natalie Weber | Published: 2/3/2025

A criminal case against Robbie Gail Charette, a candidate for a judicial seat in Washington County, for errors related to financial paperwork and political ads, could set a precedent that the Texas Ethics Commission has sole authority to enforce certain laws related to campaign finance, political advertising, and lobbyists.  In practice, this means prosecutors must go to the commission before filing charges in these cases, at least for now.

Utah – Audit: Utah AG Reyes’ office lacked transparency and his involvement in the office was minimal

MSN – Emma Pitts (Deseret News) | Published: 2/1/2025

Former Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ office lacked sufficient transparency, Reyes’ direct involvement in the office was minimal, and there were concerns about potential conflicts-of-interest with nonprofit organizations, according to an audit. Common law allows the attorney general to govern with broad discretion. Because of this, “there is a lack of well-defined limitations on outside activities, such as nonprofit involvement, that the AG may pursue,” the report said. Consequently, the auditor general found potential conflicts to be a cause for concern that merits legislative attention.

Utah – Independent Reporter Sues Utah Legislature to Obtain Press Pass

Salt Lake Tribune – Sean Means | Published: 2/2/2025

Senior staff of the Utah Legislature defended their denial of press credentials to an independent reporter, arguing in a court filing that doing so does not violate the reporter’s First Amendment right to cover lawmakers. In his lawsuit, Bryan Schott demands state officials issue him a credential to cover this year’s Legislature, and that they no longer prohibit other journalists who write outside of “established” news outlets from receiving those same credentials. Schott argues he was denied a credential because of his reporting, to which the Legislature’s Republican leadership objected.

Virginia – Virginia Bill to Bar Corporate Donations to Campaign Funds Dies

Richmond Times-Dispatch – Dave Ress | Published: 2/4/2025

For the first time in years, a bill to rein in Virginia politicians’ wide open door for corporate contributions to their campaigns made it to the floor of a General Assembly chamber and died there in a minute, without a vote or debate. For decades, critics have argued this money gives special interests an inside edge when arguing for or against legislation. The bill would have barred any corporation from donating to any candidate, campaign committee, PAC, or political party committee.

Washington – Amazon Sues State Agency to Block Release of Company Records to Bezos-Owned Washington Post

MSN – Haleluya Hadero (Associated Press) | Published: 1/30/2025

Amazon is suing a Washington state agency to prevent the release of some company materials to The Washington Post, the newspaper which is owned by Jeff Bezos. The company asked the court to step in and block the release of documents that include “trade secrets” about Project Kuiper, an Amazon initiative to provide internet through satellites in space.

Wisconsin – Altered Image of Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate in New Ad Raises Ethics Concerns

MSN – Scott Bauer (Associated Press) | Published: 2/4/2025

A new television attack ad in Wisconsin’s hotly contested Supreme Court race features a doctored image of the liberal candidate, a move her campaign claims could be a violation of a recently enacted state law. The winner of the high-stakes race on April 1 will determine whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court remains under a liberal majority or flips to conservative control.