Effective July 30, 2017, Arkansas constitutional officers are prohibited from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists. Senate Bill 7, now known as Act 1108, amends the definition of gift to include any advance or loan. The bill excludes an advance […]
Effective July 30, 2017, Arkansas constitutional officers are prohibited from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists.
Senate Bill 7, now known as Act 1108, amends the definition of gift to include any advance or loan. The bill excludes an advance or loan made in the ordinary course of business by a financial institution or business regularly extending credit.
Bills signed during the regular session are effective 90 days after the final, official day of session, unless otherwise specified. The 91st General Assembly is set to adjourn sine die on May 1, 2017.
April 28, 2017 •
News You Can Use Digest – April 28, 2017
National: Can Elections Like Georgia’s Help Predict Future Races? New York Times – Jonah Engel Bromwich | Published: 4/19/2017 The recent congressional election in Georgia was billed as having potential national implications, as an early test of whether anti-President […]
National:
Can Elections Like Georgia’s Help Predict Future Races?
New York Times – Jonah Engel Bromwich | Published: 4/19/2017
The recent congressional election in Georgia was billed as having potential national implications, as an early test of whether anti-President Trump energy could fuel Democratic victory in a traditionally Republican district. It seems likely the same will be said for scattered upcoming special elections in other states. But political scientists and pollsters who analyze races for a living say so-called bellwether races are tricky to evaluate, if they even exist at all.
Some Public Pensions Help Trump, Report Shows
U.S. News & World Report – Julia Harte (Reuters) | Published: 4/26/2017
Public pension funds in at least seven U.S. states have invested millions of dollars in an investment fund that owns a New York hotel and pays one of President Donald Trump’s companies to run it. That arrangement could put Trump at risk of violating an obscure constitutional clause. The Trump SoHo Hotel and Condominium is owned by a Los Angeles investment group, the CIM Group, through one of its real estate funds. The possible problem for Trump lies in the fact that state- and city-run pension funds have invested in the CIM fund and pay it a few million dollars in quarterly fees to manage their investments in its portfolio. In return for marketing and managing the hotel-condo, CIM pays Trump International Hotels Management a percentage of the SoHo’s operating revenues. The Constitution bars the president from receiving additional payments beyond his salary from state governments.
Federal:
Flynn Probably Broke the Law by Failing to Disclose Foreign Payments, House Oversight Leaders Say
Washington Post – Karoun Demirjian | Published: 4/25/2017
Michael Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, may have violated federal law by not fully disclosing his business dealings with Russia when seeking a security clearance to work in the administration, the top oversight lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. House sad. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairperson of the House oversight committee, said Flynn also appeared to have inappropriately accepted the funds without permission. The declaration came after Chaffetz and other members of the committee reviewed classified documents related to Flynn, including the form he filled out in January 2016 to renew his security clearance.
Sessions Vows to Enforce an Anti-Bribery Law Trump Ridiculed
New York Times – Charlie Savage | Published: 4/24/2017
Attorney General Jeff Sessions affirmed the U.S. Justice Department’s commitment to prosecutions under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which bars corporations from bribing foreign officials to gain a business advantage. Paul Pelletier, a former deputy chief of the fraud section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said Sessions’ remarks were significant because of speculation about whether the administration would ease enforcement of the act. President Trump once called it a “horrible law.” The act was little invoked or discussed for years. But around 2005, the fraud section began enforcing it much more vigorously. It has rapidly become a major factor in business decisions about overseas operations, generating big fees for law firms and large fines for the government.
Slow Pace of Trump Nominations Leaves Cabinet Agencies ‘Stuck’ in Staffing Limbo
Washington Post – Lisa Rein | Published: 4/25/2017
President Trump’s Cabinet secretaries are growing exasperated at how slowly the White House is moving to fill hundreds of top-tier posts, warning the vacancies are hobbling efforts to oversee agency operations and promote the president’s agenda. The Senate has confirmed 26 of Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and other top posts. But for 530 other vacant senior-level jobs requiring confirmation, the president has advanced just 37 nominees. The nomination process has been slowed by the unusual degree of scrutiny the White House is giving job candidates. Prospective nominees for senior posts and even some of the more junior ones must win approval from competing camps inside the White House.
Trump Inauguration Admits Errors, Vows to Correct Numerous Faulty Donor Records
HuffPost – Christina Wilkie | Published: 4/25/2017
President Trump’s inaugural committee acknowledged it made errors in a list of donors submitted to the FEC. That admission followed an unusual crowdsourced reporting project, in which HuffPost reporter Christina Wilkie asked the public to examine more than 1,500 listings of individual donors and their addresses. That effort, along with others from other news organizations, seemed to turn up more than 300 examples where the data seemed not to match reality. The scores of mistakes contained in the FEC filing can largely be traced to a fundraising and ticketing system the Republican Party introduced this year, which provided special online access codes to Trump supporters.
From the States and Municipalities:
Alabama – U.S. Top Court Preserves Alabama Campaign Finance Curbs
Reuters – Andrew Chung | Published: 4/24/2017
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Alabama’s ban on the transfer of campaign contributions between PACs. The decision left in place an appeals court ruling that the 2010 law does not unconstitutionally restrict political speech. To comply with the law, the Alabama Democratic Conference established separate banks accounts for candidate contributions and its other expenditures. It then proceeded to sue to the state and the Alabama attorney general, arguing in the law violated its First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
California – Blacklist of Border-Wall Contractors Advanced in California Senate
Courthouse News Service – Nick Cahill | Published: 4/25/2017
Contractors would have to choose between building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico and doing business with California under a bill that advanced in the Senate. Senate Bill 30 would blacklist companies who help to build the controversial wall that President Trump has promised to construct. In addition, Assembly Bill 946 would force the state to drop its pension investments in any companies involved in the project. Lobbyists for contractors spoke out against the bill at a hearing, saying it would create a slippery slope. “What next unpopular project would we blacklist for contractors”” asked Todd Bloomstine of the Southern California Contractors Association.
Missouri – Fewer Missouri Lawmakers Are Bunking with Lobbyists
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Kurt Erickson | Published: 4/21/2017
Four members of the Missouri Legislature and one former deputy attorney general have rented sleeping space from lobbyists this year, compared with eight last year. Staying in a room in a lobbyist’s home is an alternative to staying in a hotel near the Capitol, where lawmakers typically work from Monday afternoon to Thursday afternoon before heading back to their home districts. Some legislators buy condominiums, homes, or duplexes during their stints in office. Disclosure reports do not offer details on how much lawmakers are paying in rent.
North Carolina – Tar Heel Republicans Override Gov. Cooper Veto in Latest Partisan Clash
Raleigh News & Observer; Associated Press – | Published: 4/25/2017
The Republican majority in the North Carolina General Assembly voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of plans to combine elections and ethics oversight under one state board. Under Senate Bill 68, the State Board of Elections and the State Ethics Commission would be merged into an eight-person board evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. County elections boards also would be split evenly, going against the tradition of giving a one-person majority on the state and county boards to the party of the governor. Lawmakers voted in a December special session to combine the two state boards, but a three-judge panel declared that legislation unconstitutional, ruling lawmakers had overstepped their authority. Lawmakers tweaked Senate Bill 68 to address those concerns.
Pennsylvania – Phila. Board of Ethics Fines Teamsters Local 830
Philadelphia Tribune – Layla Jones | Published: 4/22/2017
The Philadelphia Board of Ethics cited Teamsters union Local 830 for failing to follow the city’s lobbying disclosure law. During the battle in city council over Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposed sweetened-beverage tax, the Teamsters paid Frank Keel to write opinion pieces opposing the levy. The ethics board said that amounts to lobbying. The law requires lobbyists to register and their clients to file reports disclosing what they have spent to influence city policy if it is more than $2,500 in one quarter. The board says the union paid Keel $5,000 for his services. The union will pay a $2,000 penalty. Keel, who was told to register as a lobbyist, was spared a fine.
Rhode Island – Panel: Probable cause that R.I. Supreme Court justice Flaherty violated ethics code
Providence Journal – Katie Mulvaney | Published: 4/25/2017
The Rhode Island Ethics Commission voted to find probable cause that state Supreme Court Justice Francis Flaherty violated the ethics code by failing to report his service on the board of a Catholic lawyers’ group. Helen Hyde filed a complaint faulting Flaherty for not indicating on his financial disclosure statements from 2010 to 2015 that he served as president of the St. Thomas More Society of Rhode Island. Hyde alleges Flaherty held that role while presiding over her appeal before the state Supreme Court. She alleged that a Roman Catholic priest sexually abused her more than four decades ago and sought to recover damages from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence. Flaherty wrote the decision denying Hyde and Jeffrey Thomas damages.
Virginia – Virginia Makes Key Adjustments to Law Governing Gifts to Officials, Adds New Lobbyist Gift Notification
National Law Review – Andrew Garrahan | Published: 4/26/2017
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed House Bill 1854, which makes changes to the state’s lobbyist and gift laws. It eliminates a controversial exception to the $100 limit on lobbyist gifts to legislators and officials, adds a key new exception to that law, and includes an additional gift notification requirement for lobbyists, among other provisions.
Washington – ‘What’s Upstream?’ Ad Campaign Funded by EPA Did Not Break Federal Lobbying Rules, Investigation Finds
Seattle Times – Joseph O’Sullivan | Published: 4/24/2017
A controversial clean-water campaign funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not violate federal lobbying rules, an audit by the agency’s inspector general determined. The What’s Upstream? campaign included billboards and ads to raise awareness of water issues surrounding agricultural pollution in the Puget Sound region. Some Republican lawmakers accused What’s Upstream?, which included a form letter on its website for people to contact their legislators, of being an “anti-farmer campaign.” A letter signed by 145 members of Congress cited federal law that prohibits the EPA from using money for propaganda or advocacy without congressional approval.
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 27, 2017 •
Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying “Spending on Lobbying Approached $1 Billion in First Quarter, Highest in 5 Years” by Kimberly Kindy for Washington Post New York: “NYCLU’s Request for Donor Exemption Is Denied” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union Oregon: “Ethics Commission: Gov. […]
Lobbying
“Spending on Lobbying Approached $1 Billion in First Quarter, Highest in 5 Years” by Kimberly Kindy for Washington Post
New York: “NYCLU’s Request for Donor Exemption Is Denied” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union
Oregon: “Ethics Commission: Gov. Brown’s budget adviser may lobby on her behalf” by Anna Marum for Portland Oregonian
Campaign Finance
“Trump Inauguration Admits Errors, Vows to Correct Numerous Faulty Donor Records” by Christina Wilkie for HuffPost
Montana: “State Campaign Finance Reform Bill Hits Snag in Senate” by Corin Cates-Carney for Montana Public Radio
Ethics
“Some Public Pensions Help Trump, Report Shows” by Julia Harte (Reuters) for U.S. News & World Report
Rhode Island: “Panel: Probable cause that R.I. Supreme Court justice Flaherty violated ethics code” by Katie Mulvaney for Providence Journal
Vermont: “Ethics Commission Bill Gains Steam in House” by Mark Johnson for VTDigger.org
Elections
“Slow Pace of Trump Nominations Leaves Cabinet Agencies ‘Stuck’ in Staffing Limbo” by Lisa Rein for Washington Post
Legislative Issues
Alabama: “House Judiciary Committee Releases Final Report on Bentley Impeachment” by Mike Cason for AL.com
Procurement
California: “Blacklist of Border-Wall Contractors Advanced in California Senate” by Nick Cahill for Courthouse News Service
April 26, 2017 •
Austin Lobbying Ordinance Effective June 1
Effective June 1, 2017, Ordinance No. 20160922-005 repealing and replacing Chapter 4-8 of the Austin City Code relating to lobbying will go into effect. Among other things, the ordinance establishes new registration requirements, changes the method of reporting, and requires […]
Effective June 1, 2017, Ordinance No. 20160922-005 repealing and replacing Chapter 4-8 of the Austin City Code relating to lobbying will go into effect. Among other things, the ordinance establishes new registration requirements, changes the method of reporting, and requires lobbyist compensation to be reported.
Additionally, the registration threshold will no longer hinge solely on an expenditure or compensation amount, but will also include time compensated for lobbying as a registration trigger. In a memorandum released this week, the City Clerk announced the office will create new lobbyist registration and reporting forms to be available on the its website by June 1. Existing and outdated forms will not be accepted moving forward.
Photo of the Austin skyline by Argash on Wikimedia Commons.
April 26, 2017 •
Wednesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying “Flynn’s Turkish Lobbying Linked to Russia” by Issac Arnsdorf for Politico “‘What’s Upstream?’ Ad Campaign Funded by EPA Did Not Break Federal Lobbying Rules, Investigation Finds” by Joseph O’Sullivan for Seattle Times Campaign Finance “Bill Would Force Maine-Based PACs […]
Lobbying
“Flynn’s Turkish Lobbying Linked to Russia” by Issac Arnsdorf for Politico
“‘What’s Upstream?’ Ad Campaign Funded by EPA Did Not Break Federal Lobbying Rules, Investigation Finds” by Joseph O’Sullivan for Seattle Times
Campaign Finance
“Bill Would Force Maine-Based PACs to Shed Light on Secretive Contributors” by Steve Mistler for Maine Public Radio
Ethics
“Flynn Probably Broke the Law by Failing to Disclose Foreign Payments, House Oversight Leaders Say” by Karoun Demirjian for Washington Post
“State Department Website Removes Article Touting History of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate” by Anne Gearan for Washington Post
“Sessions Vows to Enforce an Anti-Bribery Law Trump Ridiculed” by Charlie Savage for New York Times
“Greitens Says He Isn’t Responsible for Attack Ads Against Sen. Rob Schaaf” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star
Legislative Issues
“Tar Heel Republicans Override Gov. Cooper Veto in Latest Partisan Clash” by The Associated Press for Raleigh News & Observer
Procurement
“Contract with Company Connected to Epps Bribery Case Questioned” by Geoff Pender for Jackson Clarion-Ledger
April 25, 2017 •
Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying “Trump, Pence Allies Rake in Millions as New Washington Lobbyists” by Fredreka Schouten and Maureen Groppe for USA Today Missouri: “Lawmakers Say Lobbyist Gift Ban Will Likely Fail Again This Year” by Austin Huguelet for St. Louis Post-Dispatch Missouri: […]
Lobbying
“Trump, Pence Allies Rake in Millions as New Washington Lobbyists” by Fredreka Schouten and Maureen Groppe for USA Today
Missouri: “Lawmakers Say Lobbyist Gift Ban Will Likely Fail Again This Year” by Austin Huguelet for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Missouri: “Fewer Missouri Lawmakers Are Bunking with Lobbyists” by Kurt Erickson for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Pennsylvania: “Phila. Board of Ethics Fines Teamsters Local 830” by Layla Jones for Philadelphia Tribune
Texas: “Ethics Reform Now Includes Keeping Revolving Door to Lobby Wide Open” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune
Campaign Finance
Alabama: “Justices Decline to Hear Alabama Campaign Finance Case” by Dan McCue for Courthouse News Service
New York: “City Council Members Opt Out of Campaign Finance Program” by Samar Khurshid for Gotham Gazette
Ethics
“‘Everyone Tunes In’: Inside Trump’s obsession with cable TV” by Ashley Parker and Robert Costa for Washington Post
Rhode Island: “Council President Aponte Sues to Freeze Ethics Probe” by Dan McGowan for WPRI
April 24, 2017 •
Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Campaign Finance Wisconsin: Wisconsin Supreme Court Rejects Recusal Changes When Campaign Donors Are Litigants by Patrick Marley for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Elections Trump Adviser’s Visit to Moscow Got the F.B.I.’s Attention by Scott Shane, Mark Mazzetti, and Adam Goldman for […]
Campaign Finance
Wisconsin: Wisconsin Supreme Court Rejects Recusal Changes When Campaign Donors Are Litigants by Patrick Marley for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Elections
Trump Adviser’s Visit to Moscow Got the F.B.I.’s Attention by Scott Shane, Mark Mazzetti, and Adam Goldman for New York Times
Can Elections Like Georgia’s Help Predict Future Races? By Jonah Engel Bromwich for New York Times
Ethics
Alabama: Drug Store Owner Pushes Legislation Helping Out Drug Stores, and That’s OK in Alabama by John Sharp for AL.com
Florida: Ethics Panel Pushes Back Against Legislative Oversight by Jim Turner (News Service of Florida) for Lakeland Ledger
Montana: MT Ethics Chief Ducks Bulk of Lawmaker’s Suit by Eve Byron for Courthouse News Service
Washington: 1995 Tweak to Law Exempts State Lawmakers from Disclosure by Rachel LaCorte (Associated Press) for The Columbian
Lobbying
Tennessee: Tennessee Legislators Vote to Require Disclosure of Trips Funded by Lobbyists by Andy Sher for Chattanooga Times Free Press
April 20, 2017 •
Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying Maine: “Maine Ethics Watchdog: Tighten lobbying limits for ex-legislators” by Michael Shepherd for Bangor Daily News Campaign Finance “It Was Huge: Trump inaugural drew slew of top-dollar checks” by Julie Bykowicz and Nancy Benac (Associated Press) for ABC News […]
Lobbying
Maine: “Maine Ethics Watchdog: Tighten lobbying limits for ex-legislators” by Michael Shepherd for Bangor Daily News
Campaign Finance
“It Was Huge: Trump inaugural drew slew of top-dollar checks” by Julie Bykowicz and Nancy Benac (Associated Press) for ABC News
“Ivanka Trump’s Global Reach, Undeterred by a White House Job” by Danny Hakim and Rachel Abrams for New York Times
California: “Real Estate Investor Fined $17,000 Over Excess L.A. City Council Campaign Donations” by Emily Alpert Reyes for Los Angeles Times
Montana: “Montana House Rejects Bill to Raise Campaign Contributions” by Associated Press for U.S. News & World Report
Ethics
Illinois: “Independent Contractor Exemption Suffers Surprise Council Defeat” by Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times
New Jersey: “Ex-Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco Gets 27 Months in Prison” by Richard Cowan and Kaitlin Kanzler for Bergen Record
Texas: “TABC Chief Will Resign after Agency Used Your Tax Dollars to Travel to Booze Industry Conferences” by Dagney Pruner for Dallas News
Elections
Georgia: “Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, Narrowly Misses Outright Win in Georgia House Race” by Jonathan Martin and Richard Fausset for New York Times
Legislative Issues
Florida: “Miami Lawmaker Apologizes on Senate Floor for Using Racial Slur” by Patricia Mazzei, Steve Bousquet, and Kristin Clark for Miami Herald
April 19, 2017 •
Alabama Ethics Commission Agrees to Live Stream Lobbyist Training
According to the memorandum filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the Alabama Ethics Commission has agreed existing Alabama law permits lobbyists to satisfy the ethics training requirement if they participate in live training sessions […]
According to the memorandum filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, the Alabama Ethics Commission has agreed existing Alabama law permits lobbyists to satisfy the ethics training requirement if they participate in live training sessions on their computer, even if not physically present.
Additionally, reasonable accommodations will be made for those persons with a legitimate conflict during the time and date that live streaming is made available.
The commission will begin live streaming by May of 2017.
The commission has yet to publicly release a statement.
April 19, 2017 •
Wednesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying “Corporate Lobbyists Funnel Cash to House Democrats Amid Push to Pass Trump’s Business Initiatives” by Andrew Perez (MapLight) and David Sirota for International Business Times Campaign Finance “The $1 Million Upside for an RNC Digital Guru” by Shane Goldmacher […]
Lobbying
“Corporate Lobbyists Funnel Cash to House Democrats Amid Push to Pass Trump’s Business Initiatives” by Andrew Perez (MapLight) and David Sirota for International Business Times
Campaign Finance
“The $1 Million Upside for an RNC Digital Guru” by Shane Goldmacher for Politico
Alabama: “Donors to Former Gov. Bentley’s ‘Dark Money’ Group Still a Mystery” by Kent Faulk for AL.com
Ethics
“Watchdog Group Expands Lawsuit Against Trump” by Sharon LaFraniere for New York Times
Florida: “Florida House Speaker: Push for tougher ethics laws dead” by Gary Fineout (Associated Press) for San Louis Obispo Tribune
Michigan: “Macomb Co. Clerk Has Aide Call 911: Reporters harassing me” by Christina Hall for Detroit Free Press
New York: “Cuomo Promotes Chief of Staff, Melissa DeRosa, to Be His Secretary” by Lisa Foderaro for New York Times
Legislative Issues
Alaska: “Here’s Why Alaska Legislators, Staffers and Lobbyists Are Listening to Wu-Tang Clan” by Nathaniel Herz for Alaska Dispatch News
Procurement
California: “Costs Soar After Huntington Park Picks Politically Connected Firm to Provide Bus Service” by Adam Elmahrek for Los Angeles Times
April 18, 2017 •
Tuesday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Campaign Finance “Bipartisan Bill Would Restructure FEC to End Gridlock” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA District of Columbia: “More Contributions to D.C. Council Member Cannot Be Tracked to Source” by Aaron Davis for Washington Post Ethics “With Trump Appointees, […]
Campaign Finance
“Bipartisan Bill Would Restructure FEC to End Gridlock” by Kenneth Doyle for Bloomberg BNA
District of Columbia: “More Contributions to D.C. Council Member Cannot Be Tracked to Source” by Aaron Davis for Washington Post
Ethics
“With Trump Appointees, a Raft of Potential Conflicts and ‘No Transparency’” by Eric Lipton, Ben Protess, and Andrew Lehren for New York Times
Alabama: “Judicial Ethics Complaint Filed Against Judge Who Ordered Halt to Bentley Impeachment Hearing” by Kent Faulk for AL.com
California: “Oakland Ethics Panel Slams Lax Oversight of Free Warriors, Raiders and A’s Tickets” by Mark Hedin for East Bay Times
Legislative Issues
Nevada: “Republican Lawmaker Spent Two Weeks as ‘Legislative Advocate’ for Business Group” by Riley Snyder for Nevada Independent
Lobbying
Illinois: “Emanuel Still Fielding Emails on City Matters Via Private Account” by Fran Spielman for Chicago Sun-Times
Missouri: “Decrease in Lobbyists’ Gifts Hasn’t Limited Influence at the Missouri Capitol” by Sky Chadd for Columbia Missourian
Tech and Social Media
“Social Media Is Not Contributing Significantly to Political Polarization, Paper Says” by Jonah Engel Bromwich for New York Times
April 17, 2017 •
Monday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Lobbying “Former Trump Campaign Chairman to Register as Foreign Agent” by Jeff Horwitz, Chad Day, and Julie Pace (Associated Press) for ABC News “United Airlines Spent Millions Fighting Proposals to Protect Passenger Rights” by Frank Bass (MapLight) and David Sirota […]
Lobbying
“Former Trump Campaign Chairman to Register as Foreign Agent” by Jeff Horwitz, Chad Day, and Julie Pace (Associated Press) for ABC News
“United Airlines Spent Millions Fighting Proposals to Protect Passenger Rights” by Frank Bass (MapLight) and David Sirota for International Business Times
Missouri: “Ethics 101: What defines a lobbyist in Missouri?” by Jennifer Moore for KSMU
Pennsylvania: “Environmental Group Fined by State Ethics Commission” by Marie Cusik for StateImpact Pennsylvania
Campaign Finance
Colorado: “In Colorado, Lawmakers Clash Over a Dark Money Loophole” by Corey Hutchins for Colorado Independent
New Jersey: “2 Birdsall Execs Admit Roles in $1M Pay-to-Play Scheme” by S.J. Sullivan (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger
Ethics
“Trump Administration Won’t Release White House Visitor Logs” by Jordan Fabian for Roll Call
“Trump Organization Drops Plans for Dallas Hotel with ‘Turkish Trump’” by Ben Protess and Steve Eder for New York Times
Alabama: “For Alabama Christians, Governor Bentley’s Downfall Is a Bitter Blow” by Alan Blinder for New York Times
Minnesota: “Minnesota Ballpark Authority Limits Use of Publicly Owned Target Field Suite to Charities” by Rochelle Olson for Minneapolis Star Tribune
North Carolina: “Veto Fight Ahead Over Elections Board Rewrite” by Laura Leslie and Michael Burns for WRAL
Pennsylvania: “Former Top Aide to Rendell Gets Probation in Pay-to-Play Probe” by Jeremy Roebuck for Philadelphia Inquirer
Texas: “Top Liquor Regulator Got ‘Hazardous Duty’ Pay on Hawaii Junket” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune
Elections
Arizona: “Senate Republicans Pass Bill Targeting Arizona Initiatives” by Bob Christie (Associated Press) for U.S. News & World Report
Legislative Issues
Alabama: “Bill: Legislature could compel impeachment testimony” by Brian Lyman for Montgomery Advertisor
Iowa: “Iowa to Become Latest State to Allow Guns in Its Capitol” by Barbara Rodriguez (Associated Press) for Des Moines Register
April 14, 2017 •
NYCU Video Digest – April 14, 2017
See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!
See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!
April 13, 2017 •
Thursday’s Government Relations and Ethics News
Campaign Finance Connecticut: “Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, A Felon, Says He Deserves Public Funding for Campaign” by Christopher Keating for Hartford Courant Mississippi: “Bryant Signs Campaign Finance Reform into Law” by Geoff Pender for Jackson Clarion-Ledger Missouri: “Pay to Play? […]
Campaign Finance
Connecticut: “Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, A Felon, Says He Deserves Public Funding for Campaign” by Christopher Keating for Hartford Courant
Mississippi: “Bryant Signs Campaign Finance Reform into Law” by Geoff Pender for Jackson Clarion-Ledger
Missouri: “Pay to Play? Missouri Senate Leader Faces Questions About Consumer Protection Bill” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star
Elections
“Can Democrats Cuss Their Way Back to the White House?” by Alex Roarty for McClatchy DC
“FBI Obtained FISA Warrant to Monitor Trump Adviser Carter Page” by Ellen Nakashima, Devlin Barrett, and Adam Entous for Washington Post
Ethics
“Trump’s Trademark Continues Its March Across the Globe, Raising Eyebrows” by Sharon LaFraniere and Danny Hakim for New York Times
New York: “On Ethics, Cuomo Budget Entered Like a Lion and Emerged Like a Lamb” by Lisa Foderaro for New York Times
Oklahoma: “State Officials Disclosing Fewer Facts Than Ever About Their Personal Finances” by Mollie Bryant for Oklahoma Watchdog
Lobbying
“Foreign Influence in the U.S. Cloaked in Unnecessary Obscurity, Watchdog Groups Say” by Stephanie Akin for Roll Call
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