Campaign Finance

“2012 presidential election nearing all-time record, final campaign finance reports show” by The Associated Press in The Washington Post.

Arkansas: “3 GOP lawmakers fined by Ark. ethics commission” in the San Francisco Chronicle.

District of Columbia: “Reneging on campaign finance reform” column by Jonetta Rose Barras in the Examiner.

Texas: “Contributions Blackout Serves Many Functions” by Ross Ramsey in The New York Times.

“Bad News for Campaign Finance” editorial by David Firestone in The New York Times.

Lobbying

“Think Tanks or Partisan Advocates? Distinction Is Getting Harder to See” by Janie Lorber in Roll Call.

Florida: “Former lobbyist Allison Tant joins race to lead Florida Democratic Party” by Adam C. Smith in the Tampa Bay Times.

Texas:  “Ex-Arlington lawmaker forms lobbying firm” by Maria Recio, Anna M. Tinsley and Scott Nishimura in the Star-Telegram.

Wyoming: “Groups challenge Wyoming lawmakers’ lack of transparency with ALEC” by Joan Barron in the Star-Tribune.

Ethics

District of Columbia:  “DC lottery contract is subject of federal probe” by Ben Nuckols in Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

West Virginia: “W.Va. Ethics Commission director gets exemption” by The Associated Press in the Herald-Dispatch.

Redistricting

“Redrawn districts complicate inquiries to incoming representatives” by Brad Shannon in The Olympian.

“Redistricting fight puts Doggett in awkward situation” by Tim Eaton in the Austin American-Statesman.

Government Social Media

“North Carolina Archives Social Media” by Colin Wood in Government Technology.

Federal:

2012 Presidential Election Nearing All-Time Record, Final Campaign Finance Reports Show

McConnell Pushes Back against Campaign Finance Reform Efforts

From the States and Municipalities:

California

Sacramento Lobbyist Dinged for Coalition Letter

District of Columbia

Mendelson: No time left for campaign finance reform this session

Illinois

Mel Reynolds Announces Congressional Run, Admits ‘Mistakes’

Maryland

Judge Says Ex-Delegate Tiffany Alston Is out; Committee Can Withdraw Hall’s Nomination to Seat

Michigan

Michigan State Representative Cleared by SOS in Election-Rigging Plan

Missouri

Missouri House GOP Plans Campaign Finance, Ethics Bill

Nevada

Secretary of State Goes to Court to Force AFP to Reveal Donors

New Jersey

Trenton Mayor Tony Mack Is Indicted on Federal Corruption Charges

North Carolina

Gov.-elect Pat McCrory Still Employed by Law Firm That Lobbies the State

Wisconsin

Incoming Senate Leader Favors Political Appointees over Judges on GAB

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.

Lobbying

“On the cutting edge of ‘fiscal cliff’ lobbying” by Dan Eggen & T.W. Farnam in the Washington Post.

“Lobbying Heats Up Over Online Gambling Bill” by Juliana Gruenwald in NationalJournal.

“Lobbyists Could See More Curbs Arising From Campaign Finance Movement” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

Maryland: “Top aide to Md. governor leaving for lobbying firm” by The Associated Press in WTOP.com.

Philadelphia: “District adds voice to lobby-law dispute” by Will Bunch in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Philadelphia:  “City Ethics Board To Review Lobbying Complaints Against William Penn Foundation” by Mike DeNardo in CBS News Philadelphia.

Utah:  “Shurtleff to take federal lobbying job” by Matt Canham in The Salt Lake Tribune.

Campaign Finance

“McConnell pushes back against campaign finance reform efforts” by Alexander Bolton in The Hill.

“Raese continues to fight campaign finance limits” by Ry Rivard in the Charleston Daily Mail.

“FEC: Angle Violated Campaign Finance Laws” by The Associated Press in CBS News Las Vegas.

“Campaign Finance — Solved!” by John Haber in The Huffington Post.

“Why lobbyists dislike Citizens United” by Timothy P. Carney in The Examiner.

Ethics

Florida: “State ethics commission: State Rep. Erik Fresen may have failed to disclose personal finances” by Mary Ellen Klas in the Miami Herald.

South Carolina:  “State House expands ethics committee, eliminates partisan dominance” by Stephen Largen in the Post and Courier.

West Virginia:  “W.Va. Ethics Commission director to step down” by The Associated Press in the State Journal.

Federal:

Jesse Jackson Jr. Resigns from Congress, Acknowledges Federal Probe

The Un-Super PACs

From the States and Municipalities:

California

Ex-Treasurer to Democrats Receives 8-Year Sentence

California

State Lawmaker Brothers Accused of Money Laundering

District of Columbia

Crafting D.C. Ethics Bill Proving Difficult

Florida

State Ethics Commission Says Jacksonville Council Member’s Poker Party is OK

Georgia

Legislators Ask Governor to Let Indicted Victor Hill Take Office of Sheriff on January 1

Indiana

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma Criticized for Hiring Lobbyist

Maine

Anti-Gay Marriage Group Fined by Maine Ethics Commission

Missouri

Freebies from Lobbyists Becoming Harder to Track in Missouri

North Carolina

Appeals Court Throws Out Suit Testing ‘Stand by Your Ad’

Pennsylvania

Former Pennsylvania Democratic Leader Mellow Would Set ‘Record’ by Going to Jail

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.

Campaign Finance

“Gessler: Campaign finance laws fail” by Joe Hanel in the Durango Herald.

Lobbying

“Ex-Rep. Davis, Bates Team Up” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“Activists press SEC to expose political giving of US companies” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

Ethics

“Ethics Commission to consider taking over watchdog job from Austin prosecutors” by Mike Ward in the Austin American-Statesman.

Government Tech

“Dashboard Government: The Politics of Measurement” by David Eaves in Politico.

The Ethics Commission is considering ways in which an individual’s role in fundraising may be more accurately disclosed on the lobbyist quarterly disclosure reports. Currently lobbying firms and organization lobbyists must disclose the total amount of all contributions attributable to a reportable individual who has any degree of fundraising responsibility.

For individuals with limited involvement on a host committee, the total amount raised at a particular event may not be reflective of the individual’s limited fundraising efforts. In response, the commission’s staff has prepared three alternative options.

One option would simply allow notation on the report when the individual is not solely responsible for the amount raised. The other two options would amend the lobbying ordinance to remove the dollar amount disclosure requirement for those “assisting a host committee,” or to require reporting of only the amount an individual knows or has reason to know where collected as a result of his or her solicitations.

Discussions on this matter will be held at the commission’s December 13, 2012 meeting at 5:00 p.m. in Room 202 of Council Committee. Feedback may also be sent by email to ethicscommission@sandiego.gov.

Seal of San Diegocourtesy of Zscout370 on Wikipedia.

The Ethics Commission will conduct two interested persons meetings following a report comparing the city’s campaign finance, enforcement, and lobbying laws with the laws of the city of Los Angeles.

Discussion topics include whether or not the city should increase pay-to-play restrictions, prohibit political contributions from lobbyists, and whether to adopt more stringent enforcement policies.

The meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 408 of City Hall and for Monday, December 10, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 416 of City Hall.

Feedback may also be sent by email to ethics.commission@sfgov.org.

Campaign Finance

“Column: Campaign-finance tweaks can fix big problems” editorial by Peter Schweizer in USA Today.

Missouri: “Missouri House Democrats propose new campaign finance restrictions, stiffer ethics rules” by Chris Blank (Associated Press) in The Republic.

Lobbying

“Lobbying group’s next president expected to fight White House rules” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

“Marlowe to Step Down as Head of American League of Lobbyists” by Andrew Ramonas in The Blog of Legal Times.

“Lobbying World” in The Hill.

“Lobbying, America’s One Truly Unstoppable Growth Industry” by Jim Geraghty in the National Review.

“When ‘Super PACs’ Become Lobbyists” editorial in The New York Times.

“VIDEO: Rep. Shuler Said He Wouldn’t Become A Lobbyist; Now He Will” by David Halperin in The Huffington Post.

Florida: “Slow revolving door to lobbying in Fla. Capitol” editorial in the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida:  “Dorworth has a new career – as a lobbyist” by Jason Garcia in the Orlando Sentinel.

Ethics

New York:  “Ethics panel investigating New York Republican” by The Associated Press in CBS News.

Pennsylvania: “Ethics board fines Philadelphia official for Facebook posts” by Dave Davies in Newsworks.

Redistricting

Montana: “Redistricting panel works on Montana Senate boundaries” by The Associated Press in the Billings Gazette.

Ohio:  “Ohio Supreme Court upholds legislative maps” by Jim Siegel in the Columbus Dispatch.

Massachusetts lobbyists using a LinkedIn online discussion group are not prohibited from soliciting contributions for candidates from the group.

The Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) issued an opinion, AO-12-03, on November 20, detailing when a lobbyist can solicit contributions on LinkedIn without being considered a regulated intermediary or conduit bundling contributions. The OCPF considers the use of social media, such as LinkedIn, as a “personal service” that is generally exempt from campaign finance limitations or disclosure requirements.

Asking members of a lobbyist’s LinkedIn group “to contribute directly to candidates does not involve ‘arranging’ for the making of contributions” requiring application the law,” the opinion holds. However, a lobbyist could be regulated if contributions are either “‘delivered, whether in person or by mail [by the regulated intermediary], to a particular candidate or such candidate’s authorized committee or agent’ or made ‘in a manner that identifies in writing the person who arranged the making of the contributions.’” For example, in the instance of direct contributions to a candidate, if a lobbyists “actually instructs the contributors to identity, with a note on their contribution checks, the legislative or executive agent as the person responsible for arranging the contribution, the legislative or executive agent would be subject” to regulation.

The restrictions for bundling apply only if at least one of the bundled contributions is more than $156. The OCPF also opined that persons who are not lobbyists may use LinkedIn or similar sites to solicit contributions for candidates, with certain restrictions for public employees.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is continuing to overhaul the city’s ethics code by introducing another ordinance based on his ethics task force’s recommendations. While this proposed ordinance deals mostly with governmental employees and elected officials, it would also bring some changes to lobbyist registration and reporting.

The ordinance, if approved, will change the definition of a lobbyist. Currently, volunteers, employees, officers, and directors of a not-for-profit entity are exempted from registering as a lobbyist. However, the proposed ordinance will eliminate that exemption and require those members of a not-for-profit entity who seek to influence legislative or administrative action to register as a lobbyist. The proposal does allow the ethics board to create objective criteria allowing for a reduction or a waiver of the registration fees for not-for-profits lobbyists.

Finally, under the proposal, lobbyists would be required to disclose the actual amount of compensation received from employers. Currently, the compensation needs only to be rounded to the nearest $1,000.

Photo of the Daley Plaza and Chicago City Hall by JeremyA on Wikipedia.

Lobbying

“K Street Files: On a Mission, Lobbying Power to the People” by Janie Lorber and Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

“Lobbying is stepped up on ‘fiscal cliff’ talks” by Maria Recio and David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee.

“Influence game: Election over, campaign continues” by Stephen Ohlemacher (Associated Press) in the Abilene Reporter News.

“With second term assured, Obama aides eye jobs as lobbyists on K Street” by Kevin Bogardus in The Hill.

Florida:  “House Speaker Dean Cannon jumps from legislating to lobbying” by Jason Garcia in the Orlando Sentinel.

Missouri: “Freebies from lobbyists becoming harder to track in Missouri” by Virginia Young in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Campaign Finance

“Bevy of Fixes Might Complicate Efforts To Reshape Campaign Finance System” by Eliza Newlin Carney in Roll Call.

“States crack down on campaigning nonprofits” by Matea Gold and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times.

“Democratic super PACs get jump on 2014, 2016” by Kenneth P. Vogel in Politico.

California:  “2 lawmakers accused of money laundering” by Lance Williams in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Ethics

“Ex-state official loses job in ethics flap” by Laura A. Bischoff and Meagan Pant in the Dayton Daily News.

Wisconsin:  “Campaign, county work intertwined under Walker, prosecutor says” by Steve Schultze and Daniel Bice in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

National:

States Challenge ‘Secret’ Campaign Money

Unions Flexed Muscles in State Campaigns

Federal:

David Petraeus Affair Scandal Tests Washington Code

Forget Creativity: Can lobbying be taught?

From the States and Municipalities:

California

Go Lorrie’s Executives Plead Guilty to Money Laundering in 2011 Mayor’s Race

Florida

Homestead Mayor’s Wife Bought Developer’s Mercedes

Georgia

Governor Denied in Bid to Recover Legal Fees from Watchdog

Illinois

15 Members of Joe Berrios’ Family on County, State Payrolls

Ohio

Fix Redistricting? Sure, But How?

Rhode Island

RI Ethics Board to Require Officials to Disclose Out-of-State Travel Expenses Paid by Others

Rhode Island

Struggling RI City’s Ex-Mayor Pleads Guilty to Federal Corruption Charge over Gifts

Washington

Tea Partiers Fight Disclosure Law in the Ninth

State and Federal Communications produces a weekly summary of national news, offering more than 80 articles per week focused on ethics, lobbying, and campaign finance.

News You Can Use is a news service provided at no charge only to clients of our online Executive Source Guides, or ALERTS™ consulting clients.

The Board of Commissioners of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission has issued an order for lobbyists with unpaid fines, fees, and unfiled reports.

The commission will deny lobbyist renewal for 2013 to individuals registered with outstanding fees for previous registrations, supplemental registrations, or identification cards.

The commission will also deny lobbyist renewal to individuals with unpaid fines or unfiled reports previously due.

The order goes into effect on December 16, 2012.

Lobbying

“Targeting the ‘Lobbyist’ Next Door” by Jeanette M. Petersen in The Wall Street Journal.

“K Street Files: The British Are Coming to Venn” by Kate Ackley in Roll Call.

Campaign Finance

“Watchdog group files FEC complaint against Crossroads GPS” by T.W. Farnam in The Washington Post.

“Technology Leaders Endorse Effort to Overhaul Campaign Finance” by Thomas Kaplan in The New York Times.

“California’s political watchdog agency will probe $11 million political donation” by Steven Harmon in the Mercury News.

Michigan: “Campaign finance software updates designed to make filing easier; Candidate committees to experience simpler data entry” in Equities.com.

New York: “NYC Campaign Finance Board Throws The Book At Ex-Brooklyn Councilman Kendall Stewart” by Celeste Katz in New York Daily News.

Ethics

New York: “Annapolis to rewrite ethics rules for elected officials” by Erin Cox in the Baltimore Sun.

“Longtime Oklahoma Ethics Commission workers are honored” by Michael McNutt in the Oklahoman.