May 15, 2018 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “Politicos Beware: Court ruling could prompt more transparent campaign spending” by Carrie Levine for Center for Public Integrity Missouri: “Critics Say Governor’s Race Shows Need for Campaign Finance Reform” by Sarah Zimmerman (Associated Press) for St. Louis […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Politicos Beware: Court ruling could prompt more transparent campaign spending” by Carrie Levine for Center for Public Integrity
Missouri: “Critics Say Governor’s Race Shows Need for Campaign Finance Reform” by Sarah Zimmerman (Associated Press) for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ethics
National: “Trump, Schneiderman, Greitens and the Changing Shape of Sex Scandals” by Marc Fisher (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
Alaska: “Legislature Will Boot Ballot Measure If Governor Signs ‘Government Accountability’ Bill” by James Brooks for Juneau Empire
Maryland: “Baltimore Police Commissioner De Sousa Has Not Filed Some Mandatory Ethics Forms” by Ian Duncan for Baltimore Sun
New York: “Jury Finds Silver Guilty” by Benjamin Weiser (New York Times) for Albany Times Union
Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Ethics Commission Votes to Sue Over Budget” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman
Lobbying
National: “Cohen Referred Client with Kushner Ties to Lobbying Firm” by Megan Wilson for The Hill
May 14, 2018 •
Alaska Passes Ethics Bill, Potentially Removes Government Ethics Initiative Measure
The Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 44, a bill with the potential to remove an initiative measure known as the Government Accountability Act from the November ballot. Under the Alaska Constitution, if a bill is deemed to be substantially similar […]
The Alaska Legislature passed House Bill 44, a bill with the potential to remove an initiative measure known as the Government Accountability Act from the November ballot.
Under the Alaska Constitution, if a bill is deemed to be substantially similar to an initiative, the initiative could be removed from the ballot.
Similar to the initiative measure, House Bill 44 prohibits lobbyists from purchasing alcoholic beverages for a legislator, implements a stricter policy on foreign travel, eliminates a per diem for legislators after 121 days if the budget has not been passed, and bans foreign corporations and nationals from making political contributions.
The governor has 20 days to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without his signature.
May 14, 2018 •
The Kansas Legislature Adjourns Sine Die
The 2018 Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die. This legislative session was the first to go the full 90 days since 2011. Lawmakers passed multiple transparency laws this session by expanding the definition of lobbying to include all branches of the […]
The 2018 Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die. This legislative session was the first to go the full 90 days since 2011.
Lawmakers passed multiple transparency laws this session by expanding the definition of lobbying to include all branches of the government and increasing the penalties for late reporting by lobbyist, political committees, and candidates.
In the final day of the session, legislators defeated a bill to make changes to income, sales, and motor fuel tax provisions.
May 14, 2018 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “FEC Allows Candidate to Use Campaign Funds for Child Care” by Aris Folley for The Hill Connecticut: “The Place Mat King: Sen. Tony Hwang spent $15K on restaurant ads” by Neil Vigdor for Hartford Courant Missouri: “Donors […]
Campaign Finance
National: “FEC Allows Candidate to Use Campaign Funds for Child Care” by Aris Folley for The Hill
Connecticut: “The Place Mat King: Sen. Tony Hwang spent $15K on restaurant ads” by Neil Vigdor for Hartford Courant
Missouri: “Donors Behind Political Cash Cannot Be Concealed, Ethics Watchdog Says” by Sky Chadde for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ethics
National: “These Women Mostly Ignored Politics. Now, Activism Is Their Job.” by Campbell Robertson (New York Times) for MSN
New York: “Special Prosecutor Appointed in Schneiderman Probe” by Rachel Silberstein for Albany Times Union
Lobbying
National: “AT&T Ousts Top Lobbyist After Payments to Trump Attorney” by Melissa Repko and Tom Benning for Dallas News
Arizona: “Tactics Scrutinized in Phoenix Medical-Marijuana Dispensary Cases” by Jessica Boehm for Arizona Republic
Florida: “It Was Supposed to Show Who Profited from Public Money. But the Rule Wasn’t Enforced” by Elizabeth Koh for Miami Herald
May 10, 2018 •
Connecticut General Assembly Adjourns Sine Die
The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 9, 2018. Lawmakers took no action on a bill affecting campaign finance and elections. House Bill 5526 would have modified registration requirements for political committees, expanded independent expenditure disclosure requirements, prohibited […]
The Connecticut General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 9, 2018. Lawmakers took no action on a bill affecting campaign finance and elections.
House Bill 5526 would have modified registration requirements for political committees, expanded independent expenditure disclosure requirements, prohibited independent expenditures by foreign-influenced entities, and required online platforms to disclose purchasers of political advertisements.
Employer and lobbyist reports are due on the 10th day of the following month when the General Assembly is in regular session.
May 9, 2018 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “Tough Choices, and Criticism, for Emily’s List as Democratic Women Flood Primaries” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg for New York Times Elections Virginia: “Virginia State Senator Walks Back Offer of Capitol Access in Exchange for Donation” by Patrick […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Tough Choices, and Criticism, for Emily’s List as Democratic Women Flood Primaries” by Sheryl Gay Stolberg for New York Times
Elections
Virginia: “Virginia State Senator Walks Back Offer of Capitol Access in Exchange for Donation” by Patrick Wilson (Richmond Times-Dispatch) for Roanoke Times
Ethics
National: “Chao’s Interviews with Father Raise Ethical Flags” by Tanya Snider for Politico
Florida: “FBI Got Tax Records Last Year for Maddox-Related Firms” by Jeff Burlew for Tallahassee Democrat
Missouri: “Activists Aim to Put Slate of Progressive Initiatives on Missouri Voters’ Ballots” by Allison Kite for Kansas City Star
New York: “Eric Schneiderman, Accused by 4 Women, Quits as New York Attorney General” by Danny Hakim and Vivian Wang (New York Times) for MSN
Lobbying
National: “Few Retiring Lawmakers Disclose Plans to Lobby” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call
National: “EPA Pesticide Settlement Comes Under Scrutiny” by Megan Wilson for The Hill
May 8, 2018 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance National: “‘Scam PACs’ Rake in Millions Under Guise of Charity” by Maggie Severns and Scott Bland for Politico Elections California: “An Urgent Debate for California Republicans: How to get back in the game” by Adam Nagourney for New […]
Campaign Finance
National: “‘Scam PACs’ Rake in Millions Under Guise of Charity” by Maggie Severns and Scott Bland for Politico
Elections
California: “An Urgent Debate for California Republicans: How to get back in the game” by Adam Nagourney for New York Times
Ethics
National: “Trump Is Said to Have Known of Payment to Stormy Daniels Months Before He Denied It” by Michael Shear, Maggie Haberman, Jim Rutenberg, and Matt Apuzzo (New York Times) for MSN
National: “Influential GOP Donors and Lobbyists Played Key Roles in Scott Pruitt’s Foreign Travel” by Juliet Eilperin and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
Delaware: “Wilmington Ethics Commission Keeps Opinions Confidential” by Christina Jedra for Wilmington News Journal
Missouri: “Missouri Lawmakers Agree to Call Special Session to Consider Greitens’ Impeachment” by Allison Kirte, Jason Hancock, and Bryan Lowry for Kansas City Star
Washington D.C.: “Ethics Officials Examine D.C. Lawmaker’s Business Ties to Digital Sign Company” by Peter Jamison and Fenit Nirappil for Washington Post
Lobbying
Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Legislators Reject Ethical Rules Restricting When They Can Become Lobbyists” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman
May 7, 2018 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
Campaign Finance Missouri: Greitens Lied to State Ethics Commission, Took Charity Donor List, Report Says by Jack Suntrup and Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Elections Wisconsin: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Is Sending 671,000 Families an Election-Year Check. Democrats Call […]
Campaign Finance
Missouri: Greitens Lied to State Ethics Commission, Took Charity Donor List, Report Says by Jack Suntrup and Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Elections
Wisconsin: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Is Sending 671,000 Families an Election-Year Check. Democrats Call It Bribery by Jeff Stein (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
Ethics
Hawaii: Why No One Wants to Blow the Whistle on Sexual Misconduct by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat
Pennsylvania: Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski Co-Defendant Jim Hickey Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison by Peter Hall for Allentown Morning Call
South Carolina: Bills Target Corrupt SC Lawmakers, Lobbyists Who Use Their Posts for Profit by John Monk for The State
Lobbying
National: Trump’s Appointees Pledged Not to Lobby After They Leave. Now They’re Lobbying. By Derek Kravitz and Alex Mierjeski for ProPublica
California: Union, Lawyers Spar Over Wildfire ‘Shadow lobbying’ at California Capitol by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee
Oklahoma: Pruitt’s Coziness with Lobbyists Includes Secretly Buying a House with One by Hiroko Tabuchi and Steve Eder for New York Times
May 4, 2018 •
Ballot Issue to Amend Ethics Laws Submitted to Missouri Secretary of State
An organization named Clean Missouri submitted to the secretary of state nearly 350,000 signatures in support of an initiative for the November ballot. If passed by voters, the initiative would ban lobbyist gifts to state lawmakers and lower campaign contribution […]
An organization named Clean Missouri submitted to the secretary of state nearly 350,000 signatures in support of an initiative for the November ballot.
If passed by voters, the initiative would ban lobbyist gifts to state lawmakers and lower campaign contribution limits.
The issue must be reviewed prior to being approved for the 2018 ballot.
May 3, 2018 •
Thursday’s Government and Ethics News
Campaign Finance Ohio: “Mary Taylor’s $3 Million Campaign Loan Subject of State Legislator’s Elections Complaint” by Andrew Tobias for Cleveland Plain Dealer Elections California: “Crimes Are No Longer a Disqualification for Republican Candidates” by Michael Scherer (Washington Post) for San […]
Campaign Finance
Ohio: “Mary Taylor’s $3 Million Campaign Loan Subject of State Legislator’s Elections Complaint” by Andrew Tobias for Cleveland Plain Dealer
Elections
California: “Crimes Are No Longer a Disqualification for Republican Candidates” by Michael Scherer (Washington Post) for San Francisco Chronicle
Georgia: “Georgia Governor Candidate Aims Gun at Teen in Campaign Ad. ‘Get Over It,’ He Tells Critics.” by Samantha Scxhmidt (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
Ethics
National: “Mueller Raised Possibility of Presidential Subpoena in Meeting with Trump’s Legal Team” by Carol Leonnig and Robert Costa (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
Maryland: “Maryland Schools Superintendent Rejects Verletta White as Baltimore County Schools Chief, Citing Ethics Lapse” by Liz Bowie and Doug Donovan for Baltimore Sun
Massachusetts: “Rosenberg Cited for ‘Failure of Judgment and Leadership’ in Blistering Ethics Report” by Matt Stout, Joshua Miller, and Yvonne Abraham for Boston Globe
New York: “NY Appeals Court Rejects de Blasio’s Bid to Shield Emails from Disclosure” by Andrew Denney for New York Law Journal
Oklahoma: “Chairman of Oklahoma Ethics Commission Accuses Legislators of Retaliation” by Nolan Clay for The Oklahoman
Washington D.C.: “Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories Roil DC City Government” by Ashraf Khalili for Associated Press
Lobbying
National: “Lobbyist Helped Broker Scott Pruitt’s $100,000 Trip to Morocco” by Kevin Sullivan, Juliet Eilperin, and Brady Dennis (Washington Post) for Chicago Tribune
England: “Cabinet Office Searches for Lobbying Tsar Who Can ‘Command Respect’” by David Singleton for Public Affairs Now
Missouri: “Lobbyist Gift Ban Legislation Proceeds – with a Twist” by Katie Parkins and Sarah Kellog for Columbian Missourian
May 1, 2018 •
Tuesday’s Government and Ethics News
Campaign Finance Canada: “B.C. Closes ‘Loophole’ in Municipal Campaign Finance Laws” by Frances Bula for Globe and Mail National: “Meet the Little-Known ‘Big Fish’ Megadonor Setting the Tone for GOP Primary Races” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Michael Scherer […]
Campaign Finance
Canada: “B.C. Closes ‘Loophole’ in Municipal Campaign Finance Laws” by Frances Bula for Globe and Mail
National: “Meet the Little-Known ‘Big Fish’ Megadonor Setting the Tone for GOP Primary Races” by Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Michael Scherer for Northwest Herald
Pennsylvania: “Contractor’s Political Contribution Returned Due to Lehigh County Pay-to-Play Law” by Tom Shortell for Allentown Morning Call
Ethics
National: “With Congress Stalled on Sexual Harassment Legislation, Lawmakers Can Escape Sanctions by Quitting” by Deidre Shesgreen for USA Today
Ohio: “Former Councilman Joe Cimperman Agrees to Plead Guilty to Ethics Charges, Pay Fine” by Corey Shaffer for Cleveland Plain Dealer
South Carolina: “South Carolina Lawmakers Getting Help on Following State Ethics Laws” by Seanna Adcox (Associated Press) for Charleston Post and Courier
Legislative Issues
Minnesota: “Allegations Against Minnesota Rep. Rod Hamilton Pose Big Test for New House Sexual Harassment Policy” by Brianna Bierschbach for Minnesota Post
Lobbying
National: “EPA Watchdog Opens Probe of Scott Pruitt’s $50 Condo Rental” by Jennifer Dhouly for Bloomberg.com
Texas: “Committee Fails to Endorse Lobbying Rules Changes” by Jo Clifton for Austin Monitor
April 30, 2018 •
Monday’s Government and Ethics News
Campaign Finance National: Did Diamond and Silk Commit Perjury? Or Is Campaign-Finance Language Often Confusing? by Philip Bump for Washington Post California: Hackers Stole His Campaign Cash, Sacramento Lawmaker Says by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee North Carolina: Steak Dinners, Travel, HOA Fees: How some NC […]
Campaign Finance
National: Did Diamond and Silk Commit Perjury? Or Is Campaign-Finance Language Often Confusing? by Philip Bump for Washington Post
California: Hackers Stole His Campaign Cash, Sacramento Lawmaker Says by Taryn Luna for Sacramento Bee
North Carolina: Steak Dinners, Travel, HOA Fees: How some NC legislators spend campaign donors’ money by Will Doran and Lynn Bonner for Charlotte Observer
Ethics
National: Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez Is ‘Severely Admonished’ by Ethics Committee, Ordered to Repay Gifts by Mike DeBonis for Washington Post
Florida: Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie Hid $335,000, Charges Allege by Skyler Swisher and Tonya Alanez for South Florida Sun Sentinel
Michigan: Michigan Lawmakers Voted on Bills Even After Admitting Conflicts of Interest by Kristian Hernandez for Center for Public Integrity
Legislative Issues
Minnesota: Minnesota House Leaders Unveil Major Changes to Sexual Harassment Policy, but Updates Won’t Make Process Any More Open to Public by Brianna Bierschbach for Minnesota Post
Lobbying
National: Democrats See Their Stock Rise on K Street by Megan Wilson for The Hill
Canada: MPs Defend Taking Trips Paid by Lobbyists, Foreign Governments, but Some Say the Practice Needs Review by Samantha Wright Allen for Hill Times
April 27, 2018 •
News You Can Use Digest – April 27th, 2018
National: For Politicians Scraping Bottom, a Scarce Resource: Impeachment Lawyers New York Times – Alan Blinder | Published: 4/22/2018 There are only a handful of lawyers who have helped shepherd governors and lawmakers through the trauma of a possible impeachment. […]
National:
For Politicians Scraping Bottom, a Scarce Resource: Impeachment Lawyers
New York Times – Alan Blinder | Published: 4/22/2018
There are only a handful of lawyers who have helped shepherd governors and lawmakers through the trauma of a possible impeachment. Despite the high stake, the nation’s statehouse impeachment bar is made of up just a few battle-tested lawyers who have improvised legal strategies largely on history and hunches. An impeachment, lawyers who have worked on such proceedings around the country agree, is a political process imbued with law, where electoral rivalries and ambitions uncomfortably share the stage with talk of traditions and procedures. Ross Garber, after representing besieged governors in Alabama, Connecticut, and South Carolina, has arguably become the nation’s leading practitioner of a subspecialty whose relevance can be a barometer of political rancor.
Federal:
Lobbyist Whose Wife Rented to Pruitt Lobbied EPA Despite Denials
Politico – Theodoric Meyer and Eliana Johnson | Published: 4/20/2018
The lobbyist whose wife rented Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt a room in a Capitol Hill condominium for $50 a night helped arrange a meeting at the agency related to restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. Dennis Treacy, a former Smithfield Foods executive who now sits on the board of the Smithfield Foundation, first reached out to an official in EPA’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations to arrange the session as part of his role as the Chesapeake Bay Commission’s citizen representative. Subsequently, Williams & Jensen Chairperson J. Steven Hart – whose wife was then renting a room to Pruitt – called the administrator’s aides to encourage them to take the meeting. Hart has said he is resigning from the firm over the matter.
Mulvaney Backlash May Drive Political Money Changes
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 4/26/2018
Mick Mulvaney, the White House budget chief and interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, told banking executives that as a member of Congress he always met with constituents, but never out-of-town lobbyists unless they gave him campaign money – part of an exhortation to the bankers to push their agenda on Capitol Hill. “If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you; if you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you,” Mulvaney said at an American Bankers Association conference. Campaign finance watchdogs and their allied lawmakers are seizing on the dustup to advance both long-shot legislative changes as well as voluntary ones, such as lawmakers refusing donations from PACs or registered lobbyists.
From the States and Municipalities:
California: O.C. Anti-Corruption Task Force Collapsed Amid Infighting Between Federal and Local Investigators
Los Angeles Times – Adam Elmahrek and Richard Winton | Published: 4/17/2018
In the wake of a grand jury report declaring that misconduct was “actively festering” in local government, Orange County created a corruption task force. But nearly four years after it began, the operation quietly fell apart last year amid conflicts between local and federal investigators who had little to show for their work together, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation. Sources said federal agents harbored suspicions about supervisors in the district attorney’s office seeking information about separate FBI corruption probes. And officials clashed over separate inquiries into the mayor of Santa Ana. The end of the task force marks the latest setback in a county where attempts to target corruption have often run into apathy or outright resistance from political leaders.
Colorado: U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn Should Be Kept Off the 2018 Ballot, Colorado Supreme Court Rules
Denver Post – Jesse Paul, Mark Matthews, and John Frank | Published: 4/23/2018
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn cannot appear on the ballot in the 2018 Republican primary. The justices said Ryan Tipple, one of the petitioners Lamborn hired to collect the required signatures to qualify, was not a bona fide resident of Colorado, which is required by election law, making the signatures invalid. “We recognize the gravity of this conclusion, but Colorado law does not permit us to conclude otherwise,” the court said. Lamborn’s campaign indicated he would challenge the ruling in federal court.
Maryland: Baltimore City Council Bill Would Tighten Restrictions on Lobbyists, Require Forms Go Online
Baltimore Sun – Luke Broadwater | Published: 4/23/2018
Baltimore City Councilperson Zeke Cohen introduced a bill that would tighten restrictions on lobbyists. The Transparency in Lobbying Act would require lobbyists to identify who they are to city government officials and file quarterly disclosure reports. It also would require the ethics board to post the disclosure reports online within 30 days of their filing and consider a three-year ban for lobbyists who violate the law. Cohen said he has experienced frustration trying to figure out whom the lobbyists approaching him represent.
Michigan: Trash Titan Chuck Rizzo Gets 5½ Years: ‘I’ve let many people down’
Detroit Free Press – Tresa Baldas | Published: 4/23/2018
Fallen trash mogul Chuck Rizzo will spend 66 months in prison for bribing politicians and stealing money from the garbage-hauling firm he built into a regional powerhouse. Rizzo is one of the central figures in a widespread corruption scandal that ensnared Macomb County politicians, fellow businessperson Gasper Fiore, and Detroit police officers. Prosecutors said Rizzo bribed public officials in at least four communities to win lucrative contracts and embezzled $900,000 from his company and investors to line his own pockets.
Missouri: Greitens Charged with Second Felony After AG Investigation into Veterans Charity
Kansas City Star – Jason Hancock, Allison Kite, and Bryan Lowry | Published: 4/20/2018
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted for illegally obtaining a donor list from a veterans charity he founded and using it to raise money for his 2016 campaign, a new blow to Greitens in a deepening political and sex scandal that has threatened his grip on the governor’s office. He was charged with one felony count of tampering with computer data in connection with the donor list. The charge dates back to actions prosecutors say took place in April 2015, when Greitens, a former Navy SEAL, was running for governor and serving on the board of directors for The Mission Continues. According to the charging document, Greitens directed an employee of the charity to take a list of donors from The Missouri Continues.
New Jersey: Video Shows Port Authority Commissioner Telling Cops: ‘You may shut the f— up!’
Newark Star-Ledger – Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) | Published: 4/24/2018
A Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commissioner who abruptly resigned had been caught on camera delivering an expletive-laced tirade to police officers during a traffic stop. The Tenafly Police Department released the video showing Caren Turner attempting to leverage her influence, talking about who she knew, and complaining the police had “ruined” a holiday weekend with the stop of her daughter and three friends. The video also shows her becoming increasingly agitated with the responding officers and shouting an expletive at them. Turner resigned after the authority learned of the incident. She had chaired the agency’s ethics committee.
New York: Former de Blasio Fundraiser Facing Criminal Charges for Straw Donations in 2013 Mayoral Election
New York Daily News – Molly Newman, Shayna Jacobs, and James Fanelli | Published: 4/19/2018
Thirteen suspects and nine companies, including a major donor to New York City Mayor Bill de Blaio, were accused of rigging public works contracts and abusing the campaign finance system. Husam Ahmad, the founder of construction firm HAKS, was one of several figures linked to the company accused of paying off a Department of Environmental Protection employee to gain unfair access to information about city water system projects. Ahmad was a major contributor and fundraiser for de Blasio’s 2013 campaign and was in turn appointed to the board of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City.
New York: JCOPE Passes Sweeping New Lobbying Regulations
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 4/24/2018
The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) approved new rules that overhaul the state’s lobbying law. A major provision will create more disclosure around so-called grassroots lobbying in which well-funded interest groups seek to sway public and elected official opinions through campaign-style efforts. The rules also include an explicit requirement that lobbyists disclose the names of the lawmakers they attempt to influence. The regulations, however, face possible legal action. David Grandeau, the state’s former top lobbying official, said the Legislature never passed a law authorizing JCOPE to broadly reinterpret New York’s lobbying rules.
Ohio: How One GOP Heiress Influenced the Ohio House – and Its Leader’s Demise
Cincinnati Enquirer – Jessie Balmert | Published: 4/23/2018
Cliff Rosenberger was just 33 years old in 2014, when he was chosen to replace Ohio Speaker Bill Batchelder. Rosenberger did not have years of policy experience or a political pedigree, but he did have wealthy Republican donor Virginia Ragan’s money and Batchelder’s support. Ragan’s bankroll helped construct the Republican-controlled Ohio House that Rosenberger built. In the end, Ragan’s money also helped to destroy Rosenberger’s political career. The FBI is investigating Rosenberger’s many trips as a lawmaker and his lavish lifestyle generally, including a condominium he rented from Ragan.
Ohio: Questions Raised About Campaign Contributions and Influence at Columbus City
Columbus Dispatch – Doug Caruso and Rick Rouan | Published: 4/22/2018
Real-estate developers, unions, and some wealthy individuals who do business with the city contributed millions of dollars to the campaigns of elected officials in Columbus. City officials raised about $8.4 million from nearly 5,000 donors disclosed on reports filed from mid-2014 through 2017, but more than 60 percent of that money came from less than four percent of the contributors, according to an analysis. These large donations have prompted critics to question what influence that money leverages in City Hall. Many of the largest donors lobby for zoning changes and compete for contracts. They negotiate with the city on union deals or seek tax incentives. More than half of the 20 largest contributors are developers or linked to companies with business interests throughout the city.
Washington: Washington’s Lottery Deputy Director Ousted After Ethics Investigation
Seattle Times – Rachel LaCorte (Associated Press) | Published: 4/20/2018
Jim Warick, deputy director of Washington’s Lottery, was fired following an investigation into ethics complaints that found he and other lottery employees accepted drinks and food from a vendor who had a contract with the agency, and several employees likely got free hotel rooms during a work trip that coincided with the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. Both state law and the Lottery’s own code of ethics prohibit using their positions to secure special privileges or to accept most gifts. Lottery employees fall under a section of the law that subjects them to greater restrictions than other state employees, and under an ethics advisory opinion, those employees may not accept food when a vendor sponsors a presentation.
State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 60 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.
April 26, 2018 •
Thursday’s Government and Ethics News
Campaign Finance National: “Watchdog Sues Paul Ryan-Aligned Dark Money Group” by Maggie Severns for Poltico Ohio: “Lack of Campaign Fundraising Caps, Tracking Issues at City Hall Raise Concerns” by Doug Caruso and Rick Rouan for Columbus Dispatch Rhode Island: “Mattiello […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Watchdog Sues Paul Ryan-Aligned Dark Money Group” by Maggie Severns for Poltico
Ohio: “Lack of Campaign Fundraising Caps, Tracking Issues at City Hall Raise Concerns” by Doug Caruso and Rick Rouan for Columbus Dispatch
Rhode Island: “Mattiello Is Ordered to Repay $72K to Leadership PAC” by Katherine Gregg for Providence Journal
Tennessee: “Tennessee Lawmakers Still ‘Double-Dipping’ After Warning from Campaign Finance Official” by Joel Ebert for The Tennessean
Wisconsin: “Want to Give Digital Currency to a Political Campaign? State Ethics Panel Mulls If and How” by Mark Sommerhauser for Wisconsin State Journal
Ethics
National: “Mulvaney, Watchdog Bureau’s Leader, Advises Bankers on Ways to Curtail Agency” by Glenn Thrush for New York Times
New Jersey: “Video Shows Port Authority Commissioner Telling Cops: ‘You may shut the f— up!’” by Ted Sherman (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger
Lobbying
National: “Skadden Lawyer Craig Leaves Firm After Inquiry on Ukraine Report” by Greg Farrell for Bloomberg.com
Kentucky: “Metro Council Member Doubles as Lobbyist in Frankfort” by Joe Sonka for Insider Louisville
Redistricting
National: “Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Texas Redistricting” by Rafael Bernal for The Hill
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