Lobbying

“American Chemistry Council Lied about Lobbying Role on Flame Retardants, Consultant Says” by David Heath for Center for Public Integrity

Louisiana: “Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association Shells Out for Officials’ Stay at Resort” by Lee Zurik (WVUE) and Ben Myers for New Orleans Times-Picayune

Campaign Finance

“Guinta Apologizes, Maintains Innocence about Campaign Cash” by Holly Ramer (Associated Press) for Miami Herald

“‘Campaigns’ Aren’t Necessarily Campaigns in the Age of ‘Super PACs’” by Nicholas Confessore and Eric Lichtblau for New York Times

West Virginia: “W.Va. Election Commission Approves Changes for Nonpartisan Judicial Elections” by Phil Kabler for Charleston Gazette

Wisconsin: “Supreme Court Declines to Hear Lawsuit Seeking to Block John Doe Probe” by Patrick Marley and Jason Stein for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Ethics

Georgia: “Deal Bends Rules for Ga. Chamber’s Gala at the Capitol” by Walter Jones for Savannah Morning News

New York: “Capitol Scandals Raise Tough Questions for New York Governor” by David Klepper (Associated Press) for WRAL

Texas: “Analysis: Ethics at center stage, hurting for attention” by Ross Ramsey for Texas Tribune

Elections

“Clinton Is Banking on the Obama Coalition to Win” by Anne Gearan for Washington Post

The Vermont Legislature adjourned sine die Saturday, May 16, 2015 late in the evening after completing work on a new budget. The previous day, lawmakers passed a lobbyist disclosure bill to increase disclosure during the legislative session.

If signed by the governor, it would be one of the strictest disclosure laws in the country, requiring monthly reports while the legislature is in session.

The bill also mandates lobbyist reports within 48 hours of running mass media campaigns of $1,000 or more.

Photo of the Vermont State House by Jared C. Benedict on Wikimedia Commons.

Lobbying

Louisiana: “Lobbyists Spent $3 Million on Louisiana Officials, but Seldom Named Them” by Lee Zurik (WVUE) and Ben Myers for New Orleans Times-Picayune

Louisiana: “Lobbyist Largess Extends to Officials’ Spouses, Children” by Lee Zurik (WVUE) and Ben Myers for New Orleans Times-Picayune

Rhode Island: “State of R.I. Drops 38 Studios Lobbying Cases” by Jennifer Bogdon for Providence Journal

Campaign Finance

“Avalanche of Big Money Headed Feingold’s Way in Senate Rematch” by Fredreka Schouten for USA Today

Arizona: “State Agencies Spar over Political Contribution Reports Rules” by Howard Fischer (Capitol Media Services) for Arizona Daily Star

Arizona: “Clean Elections Panel Advances New Dark-Money Spending Rules” by Bob Christie (Associated Press) for Arizona Daily Sun

California: “San Diego Council Committee Gives Tentative OK To Revise Referendum Process” by City News Service for KPBS

Indiana: “Lawmakers Flock to Downtown Gambling Parlor for Fundraisers” by Tony Cook for Indianapolis Star

Wisconsin: “Special Prosecutor Intent on Pursuing Investigation in Possible Illegal Coordination by Scott Walker Campaign, but Major Legal Hurdles Remain” by Matea Gold and Jenna Johnson for Washington Post

Ethics

“George Stephanopoulos Discloses Gifts to Clinton Foundation” by Jeremy Peters and John Koblin for New York Times

California: “Kevin de León Called about Job for Daughter at Nonprofit He Helped with Bill” by Patrick McGreevy for Los Angeles Times

Missouri: “Missouri House Speaker John Diehl Admits Sexually Charged Relationship with Intern” by Jason Hancock for Kansas City Star

Missouri: “Missouri House Speaker Resigns; Intern Breaks Silence” by Virginia Young for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

New York: “NY Assembly Requiring Proof for Albany Travel Expenses” by Michael Virtanen (Associated Press) for Albany Times Union

Lobbying

Missouri: “Free Food Fills Missouri Capitol’s Hallways as Ethics Bill Dies” by Virginia Young for St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Missouri: “Republican Legislator Faces Ethics Complaint over Comments to Reporter about Gifts” by Eli Yokley for PoliticMo

New York: “Group Supporting de Blasio’s Agenda Is Said to Draw Interest of Ethics Panel” by Michael Grynbaum and William Rashbaum for New York Times

Campaign Finance

“Obama Foundation Walks Fine Line in Efforts to Raise $500 Million” by Josh Gerstein for Politico

New York: “NY Assembly Votes for Closing Campaign Finance Loophole” by Michael Virtanen (Associated Press) for Bradenton Herald

Rhode Island: “Providence Rep. Almeida Admits to Personal Use of Campaign Funds” by Katie Mulvaney for Providence Journal

Ethics

“Former Energy Department Official Wins Huge Pay Raise after Moving to Firm with Deep Ties to DOE” by Douglas Birch and Alexander Cohen for Center for Public Integrity

“10 Members of Congress Took Trip Secretly Funded by Foreign Government” by Scott Higham, Steven Rich, and Alice Crites for Washington Post

South Carolina: “South Carolina May Get Small Ethics Reform Package This Year” by Jeffrey Collins (Associated Press) for Washington Times

Texas: “Powerful Republican Slams ‘Superficial’ Ethics Reform” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune

Gov. Larry Hogan has signed 350 bills during a two part bill-signing ceremony on May 12, 2015. Among the bills signed are two bills clarifying and simplifying contribution disclosure requirements for lobbyist employers and persons doing public business.

Senate Bill 767 modifies the reporting threshold amount for lobbyist employers to include contributions in the aggregate amount of $500 or more, in order to match disclosure requirements of persons doing public business.

House Bill 769 clarifies that companies having a pre-2015 qualifying contract of $200,000 or more with the state are covered by the disclosure law, but not required to file an initial statement.

Both bills change semiannual reporting dates to May 31 and November 30, matching reporting dates for registered lobbyists. Since the bills are effective June 1, 2015, this year’s dates have been modified to August 31 and November 30.

Some modifications to Utah’s lobbying laws came into effect on May 12, including linking the reporting threshold for food and beverages provided to covered officials to the state employee food reimbursement rate. The current food reimbursement rate is a total of $39 a day, divided as $10 for breakfast, $13 for lunch, and $16 for dinner.

Additionally, a quarterly report will no longer be required for a lobbyist who has not made an expenditure during a quarterly reporting period. A lobbyist who is not required to file any quarterly reports for a calendar year must still file an annual financial report.

Definitions have also been added or amended. For example, publications having a cash value not exceeding $30 have been excluded from the definition of expenditure.

Lobbying

“Amid Gridlock in D.C., Influence Industry Expands Rapidly in the States” by Reid Wilson for Washington Post

Florida: “Legislators Approve Water Farming Funding after Copter Rides, Donations” by Craig Pittman and Michael Van Sickler for Tampa Bay Times

Florida: “Voters Won’t Get Say on Lifting Gift Ban” by Brittany Wallman for South Florida Sun Sentinel

New Mexico: “Lobbyists, Groups Spend Large on New Mexico Lawmakers” by Sandra Fish (New Mexico In Depth) for Las Cruces Sun-News

Texas: “Wendy Davis Fined $5,000 for Ethics Violation” by Terri Langford for Texas Tribune

Virginia: “Lobbyists Take Changes to Gifts Law in Stride” by Patrick Wilson for The Virginian-Pilot

Campaign Finance

“Bill Shuster Aided Virgin Islands – Then Asked for Cash” by Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, and John Bresnahan for Politico

“Jeb Bush Leans on Nonprofit Group as He Prepares Likely Presidential Run” by Ed O’Keefe and Matea Gold for Washington Post

Montana: “New Campaign Finance Law Praised, but Some Say It Needs to Be Toughened” by Charles Johnson for The Missoulian

New York: “The New Office Politics: Funding boss’s political causes” by Michelle Conlin and Lucas Iberico Lozada (Reuters) for The Times Record

Ethics

Nebraska: “Common Cause Files Complaints on Activity Surrounding Niobium Bill” by Joanne Young for Lincoln Journal-Star

“Bill Clinton’s Lucrative Speeches Got Fast Approval at State” by Lisa Lerer and Stephen Braun (Associated Press) for Fresno Bee

“Politics Is a Dirty Business. It Should Stay That Way.” by Chris Cillizza for Washington Post

New Jersey: “Report: Christie racked up $82,594 bill at sports stadium” by Karey Van Hall for Politico

Ohio: “Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic Resigns: The Big Story” by John Harper (Northeast Ohio Media Group) for Cleveland Plain Dealer

Vermont: “Vermont Lawmaker Accused in Sex-for-Rent Scheme” by Paris Achen, Zach Despart, and Adam Silverman (Burlington Free Press) for USA Today

Virginia: “Appeals Judges Pepper McDonnell Defense with Skeptical Questions” by Matt Zapotosky for Washington Post

Elections

“Study: State elections becoming less competitive” by Reid Wilson for Washington Post

“The Great Democratic Crack-Up of 2016” by Robert Draper for New York Times

Legislative Issues

New York: “Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, Vacates Post” by Thomas Kaplan and Susanne Craig for New York Times

The Ethics Commission will be considering a number of proposed amendments to the city’s Election Campaign Control Ordinance (ECCO) and Lobbying Ordinance at a meeting on May 14, 2015.

The proposed changes to ECCO involve non-substantive amendments to several definitions and will make surplus funds rules more consistent with state law. The proposed changes to the Lobbying Ordinance include updating the list of city officials and requiring lobbying entities to disclose contributions made by sponsored committees.

The proposed lobbying amendments are available here.

Lobbying

Illinois: “In Illinois Capitol, Lobbying Is a Growing Business” by Kurt Erickson for Quad City Times

Nevada: “Bill Imposes Cooling-Off Period for Ex-Lawmakers” by Sandra Chereb for Las Vegas Review-Journal

Vermont: “House Oks Bill Limiting Lobbyist Contributions during Session” by Erin Mansfield for VTDigger.org

Campaign Finance

“Hillary Clinton Embraces a ‘Super PAC,’ Trying to Erode a Republican Edge” by Maggie Haberman and Nicholas Confessore for New York Times

“The FEC’s ‘Non-Partisan’ Whistleblower” by Tarini Parti for Politico

Ethics

Florida: “Politicians Send Millions to Charity of Lobbyist’s Daughter” by Francisco Alvarado (BrowardBulldog.org) for Miami Herald

Indiana: “Expanded Disclosure, Ethics Rules Now Law” by Olivia Covington for WFYI

Massachusetts: “Brian Joyce Thrives at the Edge of a Fuzzy Boundary” by Andrea Estes for Boston Globe

New York: “Scarborough Pleads Guilty Twice” by Brendan Lyons for Albany Times Union

Texas: “Government Contract Disclosure Bill Advances” by Jay Root for Texas Tribune

West Virginia: “‘Trinkets’ Defined as Ethics Commission Prepares for New WV Law” by Joel Ebert for Charleston Daily Mail

Legislative Issues

Hawaii: “Hawaii Lawmakers Quietly Dole Out Millions of Dollars in Grants” by Nathan Eagle for Honolulu Civil Beat

Federal:

Campaign Coverage via Snapchat Could Shake Up the 2016 Elections
New York Times – Jonathan Mahler | Published: 5/3/2015

Snapchat, America’s fastest-growing smartphone application, hired Peter Hamby, a political reporter for CNN, to lead its nascent news division. Snapchat has said little about its plans, but with well over 100 million users, a huge swath of whom are in the U.S. and between the ages of 18 and 31, its potential to shake up the next election is considerable. “There is no harder riddle to solve in politics than reaching young Americans who are very interested in the future of their country but don’t engage with traditional news,” said Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. “Snapchat may have just made it a whole lot easier to solve this riddle.”

F.E.C. Can’t Curb 2016 Election Abuse, Commission Chief Says
New York Times – Eric Lichtblau | Published: 5/2/2015

FEC Chairperson Ann Revel has given up on trying to stop abuses in the 2016 elections and will focus on transparency. “People think the FEC is dysfunctional – it’s worse than dysfunctional,” said Ravel. There are six members on the FEC, and any decision requires that at least four vote in favor. By law, however, there can be only three people from each political party in the group. While the requirement was meant to encourage nonpartisan action, it has recently caused a deadlock in decision-making. Ravel said the party divisions have made it nearly impossible for members to agree on new measures to enforce spending rules, and instead she plans to simply make the spending information public.

Hillary Clinton Embraces a ‘Super PAC,’ Trying to Erode a Republican Edge
New York Times – Maggie Haberman and Nicholas Confessore | Published: 5/6/2015

Hillary Clinton, who has emphasized campaign finance reform in the early stage of her latest White House bid, has apparently already decided the modest approach alone will not be enough. Clinton will be pushing the boundaries of campaign finance law further than any Democratic presidential contender ever has by directly asking donors to give to a friendly super PAC that can raise unlimited amounts of money from donors. Candidates avoided such activity in the 2012 race, adhering to a law that says they cannot coordinate directly with the groups. But the increasingly permissive nature of the FEC is leading the candidates to take ever bolder approaches.

From the States and Municipalities:

Florida – Politicians Send Millions to Charity of Lobbyist’s Daughter
Miami Herald – Francisco Alvarado (BrowardBulldog.org) | Published: 5/6/2015

Lauren’s Kids, a non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness about child sexual abuse, has become one the Florida Legislature’s favorite charities, collecting nearly $7 million in taxpayer funds. It was founded Lauren Book, the daughter of Tallahassee lobbyist Ron Book. Critics say Ron Book’s political clout gives Lauren’s Kids an unfair advantage over hundreds of applicants vying for state discretionary funds. Lauren Book said her non-profit is on the same playing field as others seeking state funds.

Georgia – For Ga. Board, Common Cause’s ‘Different Path’ Leads to Protest
WABE – Jonathan Shapiro | Published: 5/5/2015

Common Cause ousted two members from the Georgia chapter’s board. Two more board members resigned in protest. Nationally, Common Cause has long been nonpartisan in name but left-leaning in practice. The state chapter, however, for years had more independence. Common Cause Georgia’s board, balanced among Republicans, Democrats, and independents, worked with the group’s mission of “holding power accountable” but did not endorse everything the national organization did.

Minnesota – Gov. Mark Dayton Vows to Veto GOP Campaign Cash Changes
St. Paul Pioneer Press – Rachel Stassen-Berger | Published: 5/4/2015

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said he would veto a budget bill if it includes several provisions he and Democratic lawmakers see as undermining the disclosure of special interest spending to influence elections. The state government finance omnibus bill, which the Republican-controlled House passed in late April, would effectively end campaign spending limits for statewide candidates and in legislative races. It would remove limits on the number of total donations that could be received by lobbyists and PACs, and end public subsidies for campaigns. It also would cut state funding for the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board in the next two years. The move would reduce the board’s budget by about 10 percent.

Minnesota – Minnesota House Floor Can Be a Theater of The Absurd
Minneapolis Star Tribune – Patrick Coolican | Published: 5/5/2015

The chaotic Minnesota House stands in stark contrast to the staid Senate, with its strict dress code and a rule prohibiting eye contact between senators during floor debates. Sen. Dick Cohen was elected to the House in 1976 before moving to the upper chamber. “When I was in the House, I would come over to the Senate floor and I thought I was walking into a church, it was so quiet,” said Cohen. “Now I walk onto the House floor, I think I’m walking into a circus.”

New Jersey – Key Christie Ally Pleads Guilty to Role in Bridgegate, Two Others Indicted
Washington Post – Rosalind Helderman and Robert Costa | Published: 5/1/2015

A judge unsealed indictments against two people close to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, outlining a conspiracy made with a third confidant to exact political vengeance against Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. Bill Baroni, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bridget Anne Kelly, a former deputy chief of staff to Christie, were charged with nine counts, including conspiracy to commit fraud by “knowingly converting and intentionally misapplying property of an organization receiving federal benefits.” David Wildstein, who as an official at the Port Authority had ordered the closure of two of George Washington Bridge’s toll lanes to snarl traffic in Fort Lee, said he did so to punish Sokolich, who declined to endorse Christie’s re-election bid.

New York – Big Names in New York Real Estate Figure into Skelos and Silver Cases
New York Times – Charles Bagli | Published: 5/6/2015

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son are facing charges of fraud, extortion, and solicitation of bribes. Taken together with the charges filed earlier this year against former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the two cases provide a glimpse into the seamier side of politics, power, and real estate in New York. Real estate executives have long said they contribute heavily to state and New York City legislators’ election campaigns in the hopes of gaining access to those who make policy in a state where tenants hold considerable voting power. But the criminal cases describe behavior that goes beyond mere campaign donations and lobbying and involve some of the biggest names in real estate.

New York – Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges
New York Times – William Rashbaum, Thomas Kaplan, and Susanne Craig | Published: 5/4/2015

New York Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam, were arrested on charges of conspiracy, extortion, wire fraud, and bribe solicitation. The accusations stem from a federal investigation focused on Adam Skelos’ business dealings, including payments to him by an environmental company, AbTech Industries. The senator was accused of taking official actions to benefit AbTech and a prominent real estate firm, Glenwood Management, a politically influential developer that had financial ties to AbTech. Dean Skelos agreed to do so, according to the complaint, as long as the companies paid his son. In one taped conversation, Adam Skelos acknowledged he got the job with AbTech even though he “literally knew nothing about water or, you know, any of that stuff.”

Tennessee – Out-of-State Groups Seek Influence in Tennessee
The Tennessean – Tom Humphrey (Knoxville News Sentinel) | Published: 5/4/2015

Outside interests are trying to influence public policy in Tennessee, engaged on such controversial issues as Gov. Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee proposal and gun laws, all the way down to less-noticed matters such as experimental drugs and state subsidies to parents of children with specified disabilities. These groups set up shop in Tennessee fairly recently and started building a grassroots network of residents, although much of their funding still comes from outside the state.

Texas – Antagonist-in-Chief Stickland Faces His Foes
Texas Tribune – Morgan Smith | Published: 5/3/2015

A legislative ethics panel said it planned to investigate “possible irregularities” in the registering of supporters and opponents of bills at committee hearings after allegations that Texas Rep. Jonathan Strickland had falsely filled out registration forms, a violation of House rules. Colleagues say Stickland’s tactics – tying up floor debates with questions and delaying legislation with parliamentary maneuvers – are doing nothing more than holding up the House’s business while rubbing Democrats and Republicans alike the wrong way.

Vermont – House Oks Bill Limiting Lobbyist Contributions during Session
VTDigger.org – Erin Mansfield | Published: 5/6/2015

The Vermont House agreed to prohibit lobbyists from contributing to leadership PACs until after the Legislature adjourns at the end of each state biennium. The restriction was added as an amendment to Senate Bill 93, a bill expanding lobbyist disclosure requirements. The bill would require lobbyists to make monthly expenditure reports while the Legislature is in session. Lobbyists also would have to file reports within 48 hours of running mass media campaigns and disclose themselves as funders in a conspicuous place within each advertisement.

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.

Campaign Finance

“Cash Flows in Year of SuperPAC 2.0” by Tarini Parti for Politico

“F.E.C. Data Shows Campaign Fines Hit Record Low in 2014” by Eric Lichtblau for New York Times

“Hillary Clinton’s Big-Money Dilemma” by Glenn Thrush and Anna Palmer for Politico

Ethics

California: “Transparency Gets Win as Funds OK’d to Digitize Financial Disclosure by Public Officials” by Alexandra Bjerg for California Forward Reporting

Florida: “Broward Politicians Want Looser Ethics Code” by Brittany Wallman for South Florida Sun Sentinel

Georgia: “For Ga. Board, Common Cause’s ‘Different Path’ Leads to Protest” by Jonathan Shapiro for WABE

Hawaii: “Still No Love for Public Interest Bills at Hawaii Legislature” by Ian Lind for Honolulu Civil Beat

New York: “Congratulations, New York, You’re #1 in Corruption” by Alan Greenblatt for Politico

New York: “Effort to Strip Pensions from Corrupt New York Officials Stalls” by Thomas Kaplan for New York Times

Washington: “Bothell Mayor Exonerated in Ethics Investigation” by Lynn Thompson for Seattle Times

Legislative Issues

Minnesota: “Minnesota House Floor Can Be a Theater of The Absurd” by Patrick Coolican for Minneapolis Star Tribune

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed House Bill 1002 into law on Monday, May 4. The ethics bill makes changes in the laws governing legislative ethics, lobbyist and legislative liaison reporting, and executive agency ethics.

Some changes include expanding disclosure requirements on legislators’ statements of economic interests, requiring both houses of the Legislature to adopt a code of ethics, requiring lobbyists to report the name of any legislator who is a close relative, limiting the circumstances in which post-employment restrictions on employees of the executive branch may be waived, and changing post-employment restrictions for state officers, employees, and special state appointees.

All provisions are effective July 1, 2015.

Lobbying

Connecticut: “Malloy Urged Protection for Pharmaceutical Firms in Trade Pact” by Ana Radelat for CT Mirror

Tennessee: “ALEC’s Influence in the Tennessee Legislature” by Richard Locker for Knoxville News Sentinel

Texas: “Senate Tightens Up Reporting Requirements for Lobbyists” by Terrence Stutz for Dallas Morning News

Campaign Finance

Minnesota: “Gov. Mark Dayton Vows to Veto GOP Campaign Cash Changes” by Rachel Stassen-Berger for St. Paul Pioneer Press

New York: “Albany Shivers after Bharara Flips a Major Donor” by Jimmy Vielkind for Capital New York

Ethics

New Jersey: “With Bridge Case Charges, a Cloud Descends on Christie’s White House Hopes” by Michael Barbaro for New York Times

New Jersey: “Forget Bridgegate. New Jersey’s Actually the Most Ethical State.” by Nicholas Kusnetz for Washington Post

Pennsylvania: “Loopholes in Pennsylvania’s Ethics Act Allow Family Hires” by Andrew Staub (PA Independent) for Watchdog.org

Elections

“Mike Huckabee Joins Republican Presidential Race” by Trip Gabriel for New York Times

“Campaign Coverage via Snapchat Could Shake Up the 2016 Elections” by Jonathan Mahler for New York Times

Lobbying

Tennessee: “Out-of-State Groups Seek Influence in Tennessee” by Tom Humphrey (Knoxville News Sentinel) for The Tennessean

Campaign Finance

“Hollywood Bundlers Are Losing the Spotlight” by Todd Purdum for Politico

“F.E.C. Can’t Curb 2016 Election Abuse, Commission Chief Says” by Eric Lichtblau for New York Times

California: “L.A. Port Police Chief Indicted in Alleged Fraud Scheme” by Matt Hamilton for Los Angeles Times

Connecticut: “Wolcott Man Gets Prison in Chris Donovan Campaign Case” by Nicholas Rondinone for Hartford Courant

New Jersey: “Chris Christie Vetoes Anti-Corruption Law to Limit Wall Street Campaign Cash” by David Sirota and Andrew Perez for International Business Times

New Jersey: “State of Corruption: N.J.’s most infamous political scandals” by Jonathan Salant (NJ Advance Media) for Newark Star-Ledger

New Jersey: “Key Christie Ally Pleads Guilty to Role in Bridgegate, Two Others Indicted” by Rosalind Helderman and Robert Costa for Washington Post

New York: “Dean Skelos, New York Senate Leader, and Son Are Arrested on Corruption Charges” by William Rashbaum, Thomas Kaplan, and Susanne Craig for New York Times

Elections

“Ben Carson Says He’ll Seek 2016 G.O.P. Nomination” by Trip Gabriel for New York Times

“Carly Fiorina Announces 2016 Presidential Bid” by Amy Chozik for New York Times

Legislative Issues

“Antagonist-in-Chief Stickland Faces His Foes” by Morgan Smith for Texas Tribune