October 1, 2021 •
News You Can Use Digest – October 1, 2021
![News You Can Use Digest – October 1, 2021](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NYCU-Logo-e1662491950752-1000x563.png)
National/Federal As Districts Grow More Diverse, Congressional Outreach Does Too MSN – Michael Macagnone (Roll Call) | Published: 9/30/2021 Over the past decade, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter’s 45th District in Southern California grew to the largest by population in the state […]
National/Federal
As Districts Grow More Diverse, Congressional Outreach Does Too
MSN – Michael Macagnone (Roll Call) | Published: 9/30/2021
Over the past decade, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter’s 45th District in Southern California grew to the largest by population in the state and was 45 percent non-Hispanic white in 2020, down from 55 percent in 2010. The district is more than one quarter Asian, which has shaped how Porter reaches out to her constituents. For example, she often contacts local community groups and ethnic churches in efforts to share more information about federal programs.
As Redistricting Begins, States Tackle the Issue of ‘Prison Gerrymandering’
MSN – Emmanuel Felton (Washington Post) | Published: 9/28/2021
As lawmakers begin drawing lines for congressional and state legislative districts based on the 2020 Census, there is a key question facing these drafters: how to count the 2.3 million people housed in the nation’s jails and prisons. While inmates are not allowed to vote in 48 states, they count for the purposes of representation. For most of American history, counting inmates where they were imprisoned did not have a huge impact on political power and representation. But that changed when states began adopting tough-on-crime laws in the 1980s, leading to an era of mass incarcerations.
Biden White House Leans Toward Releasing Information About Trump and Jan. 6 Attack, Setting Off Legal and Political Showdown
MSN – Tom Hamburger and Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) | Published: 9/23/2021
The White House is leaning toward releasing information to Congress about what Donald Trump and his aides were doing during the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol despite the former president’s objections, a decision that could have significant ramifications. Trump has said he will cite “executive privilege” to block information requests from the House select committee investigating the events of that day, banking on a legal theory that has successfully allowed presidents and their aides to avoid or delay congressional scrutiny for decades. But the Biden White House plans to err on the side of disclosure given the gravity of the events.
Covert Postal Service Unit Probed Jan. 6 Social Media
Yahoo News – Betsy Woodruff Swann (Politico) | Published: 9/27/2021
In the days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, an obscure arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP) sent bulletins to law enforcement agencies around the country on how to view social media posts that had been deleted. Few Americans are aware the same organization that delivers their mail also runs a surveillance operation rooted in an agency that dates back to the 18th century. And iCOP’s involvement raises questions about how broad the mandate of the Postal Service’s policing arm has grown from its stated mission of keeping mail deliverers safe.
DNC to Host First In-Person Fundraiser of the Covid Era
Yahoo News – Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) | Published: 9/25/2021
Eighteen months into the pandemic, the Democratic National Committee held its first in-person, indoor fundraising events, turning to K Street to haul in cash ahead of the midterm cycle. For lobbyists who have been starved of facetime with party leaders, they can give $36,500, the maximum amount an individual or non-multi-candidate PAC can contribute to a national party committee. That donation brings with it a more intimate “private clutch,” according to the invitation. The hosting of an in-person event marks a return for Democrats to the usual method of raising cash after meeting with donors became confined to Zoom calls.
Fallout Begins for Far-Right Trolls Who Trusted Epik to Keep Their Identities Secret
Seattle Times – Drew Harwell, Hannah Allam, Jeremy Merrill, and Craig Timberg (Washington Post) | Published: 9/28/2021
In the real world, Joshua Alayon worked as a real estate agent in Pompano Beach, Florida. But online, data revealed by the massive hack of Epik, an Internet-services company popular with the far right, signaled a darker side. Alayon’s name and personal details were found on invoices suggesting he had once paid for websites with names such as racisminc.com and theholocaustisfake.com. The hacking group Anonymous exposed previously obscure details of far-right sites and launched a race among extremism researchers to identify the hidden promoters of online hate. After Alayon’s name appeared in the breached data, his brokerage firm dropped him as an agent.
FEC Debates Deadlocks and Dismissals
Investigative Reporting Workshop – Keith Newell | Published: 9/29/2021
Since its founding in 1974, the FEC has long been regarded as an ineffective agency, garnering criticism as a “toothless tiger” or a “tightly leashed watchdog.” The panel has a maximum of six members, with no more than three from one party. Since 2006, an increasingly high number of deadlocked votes result in dismissals of allegations of misconduct; deadlocks are effectively victories for the Republican commissioners. Party loyalty appears to be less important to commissioners than ideology.
House Jan. 6 Committee Issues Subpoenas for Pro-Trump Rally Organizers
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany, Tom Hamburger, and Carol Leonnig (Washington Post) | Published: 9/29/2021
The U.S. House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol issued subpoenas to 11 people associated with or involved in the planning of pro-Trump rallies that preceded the violent insurrection. The subpoenas come a week after it issued subpoenas targeting two top Trump White House officials, the chief of staff to the acting defense secretary, and longtime Trump adviser Stephen Bannon. The subpoenas may be able to shed light on the degree to which Donald Trump and his senior White House aides knew about their fears of chaos on January 6.
Ohio Men Sentenced to 45 Days Become First Jan. 6 Misdemeanor Defendants to Receive Jail Time
MSN – Spencer Hsu and Rachel Weiner (Washington Post) | Published: 9/29/2021
A court sentenced two Ohio men to serve 45 days in jail after federal prosecutors for the first-time requested incarceration at sentencing hearings for nonviolent misdemeanor offenders in the storming of the U.S. Capitol. The punishment comes after judges for months have questioned whether no-prison plea deals offered by the government to low-level January 6 defendants are too lenient to deter future attackers from terrorizing members of Congress.
Supreme Court Observers See Trouble Ahead as Public Approval of Justices Erodes
MSN – Robert Barnes and Seung Min Kim (Washington Post) | Published: 9/26/2021
On October 4, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin one of the most potentially divisive terms in years. Docketed cases concern gun control, separation of church and state, and the biggest showdown in decades on the constitutional right to an abortion. Meanwhile, a presidential commission studying the court is being bombarded with criticism from the left, and occasionally the right, that the justices are too political, too powerful, and serve for too long. “Not since Bush v. Gore has the public perception of the court’s legitimacy seemed so seriously threatened,” Georgetown Supreme Court Institute Executive Director Irv Gornstein said.
The FEC Unanimously Rejected a Trump Campaign Complaint Against Snapchat After the Social Media Site Removed the Former President’s Content from Its ‘Discover’ Feed
Yahoo News – Brian Metzger (Business Insider) | Published: 9/23/2021
The FEC dismissed a complaint made by former President Trump’s campaign against Snapchat, which it said had violated election laws by removing the campaign’s content from its curated “Discover” page. Snapchat announced in June 2020 it would no longer promote Trump’s content on the page, though it did not remove Trump’s account from the platform. The Trump campaign alleged Snapchat made an illegal contribution to Joe Biden by doing so.
There Are Just 9 Women Governors. Both Parties Want Change.
Yahoo News – Liz Crampton (Politico) | Published: 9/28/2021
Women now account for a third of state lawmakers, more than a quarter of the U.S. House and nearly as much of the U.S. Senate, but in many states have yet to shatter the highest glass ceiling: governorships. Today, just nine women hold the title, with power split among six Democrats and three Republicans. Four of those women took over the role by succession. There is growing urgency among leaders in both major parties around bolstering the chances of women running in the 2022 gubernatorial elections, when voters in 36 states will pick their next chief executive.
Trump Loses Case to Enforce Omarosa Manigault Newman’s N.D.A.
MSN – Maggie Haberman (New York Times) | Published: 9/28/2021
Former President Trump lost an effort to enforce a nondisclosure agreement against Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former White House aide and a star on “The Apprentice” who wrote a tell-all book about serving in his administration. The decision from an arbiter calls for her to collect legal fees from the Trump campaign. The campaign filed the case shortly after Manigault Newman published her book. It claimed she violated a nondisclosure agreement she had signed during the 2016 campaign stipulating she would not reveal private or confidential information about Trump’s family, business, or personal life.
Two Fed Officials Announce Retirements Amid Controversy Over Ethics and Stocktrading
MSN – Rachel Siegel (Washington Post) | Published: 9/27/2021
Two top Federal Reserve officials are leaving their posts amid scrutiny over their stock-trading activities during the coronavirus crisis, behavior which spurred an unusual review by the Fed of trading rules for its officials. Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Eric Rosengren and Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan both announced their retirements. Earlier, media outlets reported on the financial disclosures of the regional bank presidents, showing both actively traded in stocks and other investments while in their roles setting monetary policy and assisting the central bank through the covid crisis.
U.S. Supreme Court to Consider Senator Cruz’s Campaign Finance Challenge
Yahoo Finance – Andrew Chung (Reuters) | Published: 9/30/2021
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the FEC’s bid to restore a campaign finance law that limits the amount of money candidates can accept from donors after an election as they try to recoup the money they personally lent to their formal campaign organizations. A lower court ruling found the cap violates the Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of speech by unjustifiably burdening political expression. The law imposes a ceiling of $250,000 on payments from donations made after an election even if candidates made loans exceeding that sum.
From the States and Municipalities
Arizona – Arizona Recount Results Raise Stakes for GOP-Backed Ballot Reviews in Other States
MSN – Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 9/23/2021
A GOP-commissioned report that did not find evidence fraud tainted Arizona’s 2020 election has intensified the fight over similar partisan ballot reviews in Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin, with former President Trump pressing for such examinations and Democrats stepping up their efforts to block them. The outcome of the recount in Maricopa County, which concluded President Biden won the state’s largest county by even more votes than the certified results, raises the stakes for the Republican leaders who have gone along with Trump’s demands for “forensic audits” in other states.
California – Between the Lines: Hidden partisans try to influence California’s independent redistricting
MSN – Ben Christopher and Sameea Kamal (CalMatters) | Published: 9/28/2021
California congressional districts are drawn by an independent citizens commission, but it is hearing from candidates and party officials who do not disclose their partisan affiliations. Though the commission is prohibited from considering the electoral interests of elected officials, candidates, or political parties, there is nothing that bars any of those players from trying to influence the decisions, nor any laws or rules requiring public commenters to list potential conflicts-of-interest. But not disclosing a personal stake may cross an ethical line, said Jessica Levinson, a former member of the Los Angeles Ethics Commission.
California – California Is Now Permanently a Vote-by-Mail State as Gavin Newsom Signs Bill
MSN – Lara Korte (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 9/27/2021
California will now mail ballots to voters in all elections, extending a practice temporarily adopted during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the coronavirus at polling locations. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 37, which requires county elections officials to mail a ballot to every active registered voter for all elections, whether they request it or not. Voters can still choose to vote at physical polling locations, if they prefer.
California – California Treasurer Sued for Harassment Often Shared Overnight Lodging with Staffers
MSN – Sophia Bollag (Sacramento Bee) | Published: 9/28/2021
Treasurer Fiona Ma has frequently shared hotel rooms with her chief of staff during her tenure as California’s top banking official, a practice she said she engaged in “to save money,” according to expense reports. A review of travel documents found that sharing lodging with staff was a common practice for Ma, who is facing a lawsuit filed by a different employee, who no longer works in the office. The worker accused her of sexual harassment when the two women shared hotel rooms.
California – L.A. County Sheriff’s Unit Accused of Targeting Political Enemies
MSN – Alene Tchekmedyian (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/23/2021
A group of deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department make up a little-known team of investigators formed by Sheriff Alex Villanueva and other top sheriff’s officials. Much of what they do, by design, is a mystery to the public and even to most within the department. But as some of the investigations handled by the team have come to light, a common thread has emerged: their targets are outspoken critics of Villanueva or the department. Concern over the Civil Rights and Public Integrity Deta has caused consternation both inside and outside the department.
California – Oakland Issues Its Largest Ethics Fine Ever, Against a Corrupt Former Building Inspector
Oaklandside – David DeBolt | Published: 9/28/2021
The Oakland Public Ethics Commission issued a fine of $309,600 against a former city building inspector accused of accepting bribes from property owners in exchange for greenlighting inspections or issuing permits. It is by far the largest fine ever issued by the commission. Thomas Espinosa, the former specialty combination inspector in the city’s Planning and Building Department’s Code Enforcement Division, also convinced some property owners whose buildings he inspected to hire him as a contractor, the investigation found.
Colorado – An Elections Supervisor Embraced Conspiracy Theories. Officials Say She Has Become an Insider Threat.
MSN – Emma Brown (Washington Post) | Published: 9/26/2021
In a lawsuit filed by the Colorado secretary of state, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters and her deputy have been accused of sneaking someone into the county elections offices to copy the hard drives of Dominion Voting Systems machines. Those copies later surfaced online and in the hands of election deniers. Local and state state prosecutors, and the FBI, are investigating whether criminal charges are warranted. The events represent an escalation in the attacks on the nation’s voting system, one in which officials who were responsible for election security allegedly took actions that undermined that security.
Colorado – Aurora City Council OKs Changes to Campaign Finance Law After Lawsuit from Mayor
Denver Gazette – Hannah Metzger | Published: 9/29/2021
The Aurora City Council approved changes to its campaign finance law after a court ruled in favor of Mayor Mike Coffman, who sued the city over provisions he claimed violated his freedom of speech. The lawsuit argued the measure, passed by the council in 2020, prohibited former and future candidates from pushing for ballot issues or helping other candidates with their campaigns, which Coffman said was intended to prevent his supporters from mobilizing in support of other candidates.
Colorado – Ex-Colorado GOP Chair Disbarred in Pro-Trump PAC Funds Case
MSN – Associated Press | Published: 9/23/2021
Former Colorado Republican Party Chairperson Ryan Call will be disbarred after acknowledging he took nearly $280,000 from a super PAC supporting former President Trump while Call served as the PAC’s treasurer. Call admitted to entering the Rebuilding America Now PAC into a secret contract to pay himself $5,000 a month for “political strategy and fundraising support” and he misled members of his former law firm about his activities with the committee.
Colorado – Newly Revealed Interactions Added to Redistricting Lobbying Complaint
Colorado Politics – Evan Wyloge | Published: 9/27/2021
A complaint filed against a group of Republican political consultants and lobbyists, accusing them of failing to file proper redistricting lobbying disclosure, grew larger when the complainant added new interactions between the complaint targets and Colorado’s redistricting commissioners. The complaint accused consultant Alan Philp of failing to file lobbying disclosure reports and accused former House speaker and now-lobbyist Frank McNulty and lobbyist Greg Brophy of failing to register and report their interactions with commissioners. All three work for Colorado Neighborhood Coalition, a nonprofit that does not disclose its donors.
Hawaii – Years Before Indictments, Honolulu Permitting Department Was Warned About Corrupt Culture
Honolulu Civil Beat – Christina Jedra | Published: 9/29/2021
The Honolulu Ethics Commission investigated the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) several times after it received numerous complaints about a “pay-to-play” culture at the department, records show. Taken as a whole, the records foreshadow the scandal that erupted earlier this year. In March, five current and former DPP employees, along with a local architect, were indicted for bribery schemes going back as far as 2012. The commission told DPP leadership about its concerns several times.
Illinois – Former Ald. Ricardo Muñoz Pleads Guilty to Spending Campaign Funds on Sports, Travel and Other Personal Items
MSN – Madeline Buckley (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 9/27/2021
Former Chicago Ald. Ricardo Muñoz pleaded guilty to spending cash from a political fund on personal items such as sports tickets, meals, and travel. Muñoz pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Federal prosecutors alleged Muñoz stole from a PAC formed by the Chicago Progressive Reform Caucus (CPRC), where he served as chairperson and performed the duties of its treasurer. Prosecutors accused him of moving funds from the CPRC into another fund he controlled, Citizens for Muñoz, and then into his personal checking account.
Illinois – Obscenity Ruling? State’s Top Court to Hear Case Seeking to End Pols Using ‘Obscene Amounts’ of Campaign Cash to Pay Lawyers
Chicago Sun-Times – Rachel Hinton | Published: 9/29/2021
The state’s top court plans to rule on the question of whether politicians can dip into their campaign funds to pay for their criminal defense or other legal troubles, a decision that could directly affect the embattled husband of Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke. She recused herself from the decision to take the case and from hearing it once it comes before the justices. Her husband, Ald. Edward Burke (14th), has already spent nearly $2 million in campaign contributions on legal fees since federal agents raided his ward headquarters.
Maryland – Baltimore’s Revamped Ethics Board Says It’s Ready to Provide Guidance to City Employees
Baltimore Sun – Emily Opilo | Published: 9/28/2021
Baltimore’s long underutilized Board of Ethics began issuing advisory opinions for the first time in three years in 2021 and has seen its web traffic triple, according to the panel’s annual report. The report, which is itself the first annual recap from the board since 2014, details a restructuring of the Board of Ethics since it was moved under the supervision of the Office of the Inspector General, a move that became effective last October. Since then, the board has been staffed by a full-time director and administrative assistant who established an ethics hotline and revamped the city’s ethics training process for city employees and elected officials.
Michigan – Detroit Councilman Andre Spivey Admits He Took Bribes for Help with Towing
MSN – Joe Guillen (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 9/28/2021
Andre Spivey became the second Detroit City Council member this year to plead guilty to a public corruption charge, admitting he took $35,900 in bribes from an undercover law enforcement agent and a confidential FBI source in exchange for wielding his political influence. Spivey accepted the bribes in exchange for his assistance with a pending vehicle towing ordinance before the council, he said in court. The bribes were paid over the course of eight separate meetings with the confidential FBI source, most of which were recorded.
New Hampshire – NH Supreme Court Asked to Define Governor’s Executive Privilege
MSN – Kevin Landrigan (Manchester Union Leader) | Published: 9/28/2021
Both sides in a legal dispute over open records asked the state’s highest court, for the first time, to spell out when New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu can claim executive privilege to keep documents secret. Activist Louise Spencer sued Sununu’s office over email contacts his staffers had with a national Republican PAC before and after Sununu vetoed a 2019 bill to create an independent redistricting commission. The suit maintained that the governor’s office should not be exempt from the state’s Right-to-Know Law.
New Mexico – Ethics Board Hands Gonzales a Reprimand and $2,000 Fine
Albuquerque Journal – Oliver Uyttebrouck | Published: 9/24/2021
The Albuquerque Board of Ethics and Campaign Practices imposed a $2,000 fine and a public reprimand on Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, finding his mayoral campaign submitted 16 forged documents in his bid for public financing. The finding punctuates an unsuccessful monthslong quest by Gonzales to obtain more than $600,000 in public campaign financing. That effort foundered on a pair of complaints centered on the five-dollar qualifying contributions that candidates must collect from city voters to qualify for public money.
New York – MTA Bus Boss Covered License Plate to Avoid Tolls, Had $100k in Outstanding Fines: Watchdog
Yahoo News – Clayton Guse (New York Daily News) | Published: 9/27/2021
A New York City Transit superintendent used a plastic license plate cover to dodge tolls for years across New York, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) inspector general said. The superintendent, identified as Aditya Samaroo, bragged to his colleagues he avoided paying tolls on bridges and tunnels by obscuring his license plate. Samaroo also dodged more than $100,000 in outstanding tolls and late fees by regularly swapping out his car’s license plates.
Ohio – Ohio Governor Lobbyist Resigns; Was Linked to Bribery Probe
MSN – Julie Carr Smyth (Associated Press) | Published: 9/24/2021
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s top lobbyist, a man linked to an ongoing federal bribery probe but never charged, resigned after three years on the job. Legislative Director Dan McCarthy cited “the pace and grind” of the job. Federal prosecutors charged five individuals with orchestrating a $60 million bribery scheme to assure the 2019 passage of a bill bailing out two nuclear power plants. The power plants were operated at the time by a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. McCarthy is a former FirstEnergy lobbyist who was president of one of the “dark money” groups that has been implicated in the alleged bribery scheme.
Pennsylvania – A Leading Addiction Recovery Reformer in Philly Was on the Payroll of a Rehab Center Now Charged with Crimes
MSN – Jeremy Roebuck and Aubrey Wilson (Philadelphia Inquirer) | Published: 9/27/2021
Fred Way has spent the last decade working to improve addiction recovery houses in Philadelphia. But for much of that time, he was on the payroll of a rehabilitation facility now accused of encouraging their worst abuses. He has advised lawmakers on state policy, and the recovery-house certification program created by his nonprofit, the Pennsylvania Alliance of Recovery Residences, serves as the only benchmark for judging the quality of housing in Philadelphia for people in early recovery, and for determining which of those homes will receive coveted city funds. In a state grand jury report this summer, Wray acknowledged taking money from a drug rehab facility under criminal investigation.
South Dakota – As Daughter Sought State License, Noem Summoned Agency Head
Yahoo News – Stephen Groves (Associated Press) | Published: 9/27/2021
Days after a South Dakota agency moved to deny her daughter’s application to become a certified real estate appraiser, Gov. Kristi Noem summoned to her office the state employee who ran the agency, the woman’s direct supervisor, and the state labor secretary. Noem’s daughter also attended. Kassidy Peters ultimately obtained the certification in November 2020, four months after the meeting at her mother’s office. A week after that, the labor secretary called the agency head, Sherry Bren, to demand her retirement, according to an age discrimination complaint. Bren left her job after the state paid her $200,000 to withdraw the complaint.
Texas – Dallas Needs More Oversight and Stronger Ethics Rules, Review Finds
Dallas Morning News – Everton Bailey Jr. | Published: 9/27/2021
Dallas needs a department solely dedicated to investigating misconduct complaints to ensure they are properly handled, according to a report calling for ethics reforms. The city should create an Office of Inspector General and appoint a licensed attorney role who would find, investigate. and issue rulings on cases of alleged fraud, waste, abuse, campaign finance violations and other ethics misconduct, the report said. The move would replace the current process, where complaints are funneled through different channels and not independently investigated.
Texas – ”Home Cooking’ Concerns Revealed in Corruption Prosecutions Outside Texas Capital
KXAN – David Barer and Josh Hinkle | Published: 9/20/2021
The Public Integrity Unit housed in the Travis County District Attorney’s Office was dismantled in 2015, following allegations it was politicizing prosecutions. Texas lawmakers aimed to reform the system by moving state public corruption investigations to the Department of Public Safety’s Texas Rangers and prosecuting accused officials in their home counties rather than Travis County. Six years later, a media investigation found prosecutions of statewide public officials for corruption are nearly non-existent. Since 2015, the Rangers investigated a handful of state-level elected leaders, but few faced charges.
Texas – Texas Appears to Be Paying a Secretive Republican Political Operative $120,000 Annually to Work Behind the Scenes on Redistricting
MSN – Alexa Ura (Texas Tribune) | Published: 9/29/2021
A Republican redistricting operative whose clandestine work helped drag Wisconsin into a legal morass last decade appears to now be on the payroll of the Texas Legislature as lawmakers work to redraw maps that will determine the distribution of political power for years to come. The operative, Adam Foltz, was part of the team that helped craft Wisconsin’s legislative maps after Republicans took control of that state Legislature in 2010. Foltz played a key role in a tight-lipped and questionable redrawing process that shut out Democrats and drew the condemnation of federal judges who described it as “needlessly secret,” according to court records.
Washington – Weekly WA Newspaper Fined $15,000 for Selling Election Coverage
Crosscut – Melissa Santos | Published: 9/28/2021
The Tacoma Weekly agreed to pay a $15,000 fine for telling candidates last year they could buy a news story, and even the newspaper’s editorial endorsement, as part of a $2,500 advertising package. Accepting money in exchange for story placement or positive coverage goes against journalistic standards of ethics. But beyond that, it also violates Washington state law, which forbids news outlets from soliciting money in exchange for “an endorsement, article, or other communication in the news media promoting or opposing a candidate.”
September 29, 2021 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance Illinois: “Former Ald. Ricardo Muñoz Pleads Guilty to Spending Campaign Funds on Sports, Travel and Other Personal Items” by Madeline Buckley (Chicago Tribune) for MSN Elections California: “California Is Now Permanently a Vote-by-Mail State as Gavin Newsom Signs […]
Campaign Finance
Illinois: “Former Ald. Ricardo Muñoz Pleads Guilty to Spending Campaign Funds on Sports, Travel and Other Personal Items” by Madeline Buckley (Chicago Tribune) for MSN
Elections
California: “California Is Now Permanently a Vote-by-Mail State as Gavin Newsom Signs Bill” by Lara Korte (Sacramento Bee) for MSN
Ethics
National: “Two Fed Officials Announce Retirements Amid Controversy Over Ethics and Stocktrading” by Rachel Siegel (Washington Post) for MSN
National: “Trump Loses Case to Enforce Omarosa Manigault Newman’s N.D.A.” by Maggie Haberman (New York Times) for MSN
California: “Oakland Issues Its Largest Ethics Fine Ever, Against a Corrupt Former Building Inspector” by David DeBolt for Oaklandside
Texas: “Dallas Needs More Oversight and Stronger Ethics Rules, Review Finds” by Everton Bailey Jr. for Dallas Morning News
Lobbying
Colorado: “Newly Revealed Interactions Added to Redistricting Lobbying Complaint” by Evan Wyloge for Colorado Politics
Redistricting
National: “As Redistricting Begins, States Tackle the Issue of ‘Prison Gerrymandering’” by Emmanuel Felton (Washington Post) for MSN
September 27, 2021 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance National: “DNC to Host First In-Person Fundraiser of the Covid Era” by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) for Yahoo News New Mexico: “Ethics Board Hands Gonzales a Reprimand and $2,000 Fine” by Oliver Uyttebrouck for Albuquerque Journal Washington: “Tacoma News […]
Campaign Finance
National: “DNC to Host First In-Person Fundraiser of the Covid Era” by Caitlin Oprysko (Politico) for Yahoo News
New Mexico: “Ethics Board Hands Gonzales a Reprimand and $2,000 Fine” by Oliver Uyttebrouck for Albuquerque Journal
Washington: “Tacoma News Outlet Fined for Soliciting Cash in Exchange for News Coverage of Candidates” by Staff for Tacoma News Tribune
Elections
Arizona: “Arizona Recount Results Raise Stakes for GOP-Backed Ballot Reviews in Other States” by Amy Gardner (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
National: “Biden White House Leans Toward Releasing Information About Trump and Jan. 6 Attack, Setting Off Legal and Political Showdown” by Tom Hamburger and Jacqueline Alemany (Washington Post) for MSN
California: “L.A. County Sheriff’s Unit Accused of Targeting Political Enemies” by Alene Tchekmedyian (Los Angeles Times) for MSN
Lobbying
Ohio: “Ohio Governor Lobbyist Resigns; Was Linked to Bribery Probe” by Julie Carr Smyth (Associated Press) for MSN
Redistricting
National: “Without Congressional Action, States Start Drawing New Maps” by Michael Macagnone (Roll Call) for MSN
September 24, 2021 •
News You Can Use Digest – September 24, 2021
![News You Can Use Digest – September 24, 2021](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NYCU-Logo-e1662491950752-1000x563.png)
National/Federal A Republican Fundraising Vendor Wants More Small-Dollar Contributors to Replace Vanishing PAC Money Campaigns and Elections – Staff | Published: 9/22/2021 A large Republican fundraising vendor is pushing its clients to reorient their strategies around small-dollar contributors as PAC donations […]
National/Federal
A Republican Fundraising Vendor Wants More Small-Dollar Contributors to Replace Vanishing PAC Money
Campaigns and Elections – Staff | Published: 9/22/2021
A large Republican fundraising vendor is pushing its clients to reorient their strategies around small-dollar contributors as PAC donations have dried up in the wake of the January 6 insurrection and a move away from Washington, D.C. lobbying by corporations and trade associations. Fundraising Inc., a vendor that is under the Axiom Strategies corporate umbrella, announced it has “revamped the traditional PAC-focused GOP fundraising model” to an “updated approach … to better compete with Democrats for small-dollar donations.”
Dark News: The murky world of undercover EU lobbying
Politico – Mark Scott | Published: 9/16/2021
EU Reporter is not alone in offering companies and governments a paid-for platform to promote their views to European Union officials. Other Brussels-based outlets publish clearly labeled sponsored content from advertisers seeking to influence decision-makers. But EU Reporter presents its coverage as straight news, with rarely an indication that a company or government paid for the articles. In addition to undisclosed paid-for content, the site posts EU and corporate press releases, opinion articles from European lawmakers, and original material, making it impossible for readers to determine who is behind the coverage.
Democrats Begin Effort to Curb Post-Trump Presidential Powers
Yahoo Finance – Charlie Savage (New York Times) | Published: 9/21/2021
House Democrats introduced a package of proposed new limits on executive power on, beginning a post-Trump push to strengthen checks on the presidency that they hope will compare to the overhauls that followed the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. Democrats have spent months negotiating with the Biden White House to refine a broad set of proposals that amount to a point-by-point rebuke of the ways Donald Trump shattered norms over the course of his presidency. The Democrats have compiled numerous bills into a package they call the Protecting Our Democracy Act.
Durham Prosecution Faces Hurdles in D.C. Court
Yahoo News – Josh Gerstein (Politico) | Published: 9/17/2021
For Special Counsel John Durham, obtaining an indictment of lawyer Michael Sussmann for allegedly lying to the FBI during its investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia may turn out to be the easy part. Getting a Washington jury to convict Sussmann could be far harder, judging by a case with significant parallels: the 2019 prosecution of former Obama White House counsel Greg Craig.
Huge Hack Reveals Embarrassing Details of Who’s Behind Proud Boys and Other Far-Right Websites
MSN – Drew Harwell, Craig Timberg, and Hannah Allam (Washington Post) | Published: 9/21/2021
Epik has been the favorite Internet company of the far right, providing domain services to QAnon theorists, Proud Boys, and other instigators of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, allowing them to broadcast hateful messages from behind a veil of anonymity. But that veil vanished when a breach by the hacker group Anonymous dumped more than 150 gigabytes of previously private data – including usernames, passwords, and other identifying information of Epik’s customers. Researchers have treated the leak as a Rosetta Stone to the far right, helping them to decode who has been doing what with whom over several years.
‘It’s Spreading’: Phony election fraud conspiracies infect midterms
MSN – David Siders and Zach Montellaro (Politico) | Published: 9/20/2021
Donald Trump may have started the “Big Lie” movement, but what was once the province of an aggrieved former president has spread far beyond him, infecting elections at every level with vague, unspecified claims that future races are already rigged. It is a fiction that is poised to factor heavily in the midterm elections and in 2024, providing Republican candidates with a rallying cry for the rank-and-file and priming the electorate for future challenges to races the GOP may lose.
Jan. 6 Investigation Accelerates as It Turns Toward Trump
Yahoo News – Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu (Politico) | Published: 9/22/2021
Six members of the U.S. House panel investigating the Capitol attack made clear they are prepared to fly past any obstacles they encounter, mindful of Trump’s past success at stymieing congressional investigators. The calendar makes their job tougher: panel members know they need to show results quickly as the midterms bear down, given Democrats’ thin majority. The potential hurdles are many, from high-powered lawyers representing the former president’s inner circle to the tech companies sitting on potential witnesses’ communications. But they are already getting results from some corners.
Lauren Boebert Paid Rent and Utilities with Campaign Funds, FEC Filings Show
Denver Post – Conrad Swanson | Published: 9/22/2021
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert paid rent and utility bills with campaign funds in violation of federal campaign finance laws, new filings with the FEC show. The filings also indicate Boebert reimbursed her campaign for the $6,650 worth of payments. Each of the four payments in question (two for $2,000 each and another two for $1,325 each) were amended to show payments for the same amount, description, and on the same days to John Pacheco, whose address is the same as Shooters Grill in Rifle, which Boebert owns. Pacheco’s relationship to Boebert was not immediately clear.
Lawmakers Launch Investigation into Climate Crisis Disinformation by Fossil Fuel Industry
MSN – Ella Nilsen (CNN) | Published: 9/16/2021
The House Oversight and Reform Committee announced it is launching an investigation into fossil fuel industry disinformation on the climate crisis. The committee invited the heads of six oil companies and major lobbying groups to testify in October. The announcement comes after reports the industry participated in campaigns aimed at creating confusion about the cause of the climate crisis, or sowing skepticism in the science.
Outside Ethics Group Says 7 House Lawmakers Didn’t Disclose Stock Trades
National Public Radio – Deidre Walsh | Published: 9/22/2021
The Campaign Legal Center filed ethics complaints against seven U.S. House members for failing to report stock trades. It is the latest example of a bipartisan trend that has emerged almost 10 years after Congress overwhelmingly passed a law to provide transparency and show lawmakers are not profiting from their jobs: Members of Congress are ignoring the disclosure law. What makes the complaints filed Wednesday different is that it appears these members never filed reports at all.
Powell Orders Ethics Review After Fed Presidents Disclosed Multimillion-Dollar Investments
CNBC – Thomas Franck | Published: 9/16/2021
Federal Reserve Chairperson Jerome Powell directed staff to review the central bank’s ethics rules for appropriate financial activities after disclosures that several senior officials made multiple multimillion-dollar stock trades in 2020, while others held significant investments. News of Powell’s inquiry broke after U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren sent 12 letters to the Fed’s regional bank presidents demanding stricter ethics from the nation’s top central bank officials. She called on each Fed president to institute a ban on the ownership and trading of individual stocks by senior officials at each regional office.
Roger Stone Served ‘a Big, Big Stack of Papers’ from Capitol Riot Lawsuit During Radio Interview
Seattle Times – Timothy Bella (Washington Post) | Published: 9/16/2021
As he was asked in a phone interview whether former President Trump would run in 2024, Roger Stone paused to answer the front door. Stone, a longtime confidant to the former president, apologized to the St. Louis radio show, but he had a good reason: he was being served with papers related to the lawsuit filed by seven U.S. Capitol Police officers against him, Trump, far-right “violent extremist groups,” and others accused of being responsible for the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The FEC Unanimously Rejected Matt Gaetz’s Complaint Against Twitter Over an Alleged 2018 ‘Shadow Ban’
Yahoo News – Brian Metzger (Business Insider) | Published: 9/17/2021
The FEC unanimously rejected a complaint by U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz against Twitter that alleged the company violated campaign finance regulations by “shadow-banning” Gaetz in 2018, limiting the visibility of his account on the website’s search results. Twitter said Gaetz was caught up in an automated process by the company to improve discourse on Twitter because his account was “associated with other accounts that already had high indicia of misuse or abuse.”
Threats Against Members of Congress Are Skyrocketing. It’s Changing the Job.
Yahoo News – Sarah Wire (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/20/2021
In a year that kicked off with the deadly January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, threats against lawmakers are soaring. In the first three months of 2021, the Capitol Police recorded 4,135 threats against members of Congress. If that pace continues, total threats this year will double those in 2020. It is changing the job for lawmakers, who must tread a fine line between being accessible to those they represent and keeping themselves, their families, and their staffs safe. After January 6, some members temporarily relocated their families over concerns their homes would be targeted. Some wore bulletproof vests to the presidential inauguration.
Trump Campaign Knew Lawyers’ Voting Machine Claims Were Baseless, Memo Shows
Yahoo News – Alan Feuer (New York Times) | Published: 9/21/2021
A team of lawyers allied with Donald Trump held a news conference after the 2020 election and laid out a conspiracy theory claiming a voting machine company had worked with an election software firm, the financier George Soros, and Venezuela to steal the presidential contest from Trump. But by the time the news conference occurred on November 19, Trump’s campaign had already prepared an internal memo on many of the outlandish claims about the company, Dominion Voting Systems, and the separate software company, Smartmatic, according to court documents The memo determined those allegations were untrue.
Trump Just Sued the New York Times and His Niece. If History Is a Guide, He Probably Won’t Win.
MSN – Paul Farhi and Sarah Ellison (Washington Post) | Published: 9/22/2021
Donald Trump has once again sued a news organization alleging its reporting was unfair to him. If history is any guide, this one is also likely to generate a flurry of attention before quietly stalling out. Trump’s latest lawsuit is aimed at the New York Times and his niece, Mary Trump. It centers on the newspaper’s publication in 2018 of a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation of Trump’s alleged tax-avoidance tactics and the history of his family inheritance.
Two GOP Operatives Indicted for Allegedly Routing Money from Russian National to Support Trump Campaign
MSN – Felicia Sonmez and Isaac Stanley-Becker (Washington Post) | Published: 9/20/2021
President Trump after being convicted in a 2012 campaign finance scheme is facing new charges related to an alleged 2016 plot to illegally funnel donations made by a Russian national to support then-candidate Trump’s White House bid. Jesse Benton, who was previously a top aide to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and later ran a pro-Trump super PAC, and Roy Wead, a conservative author and former special assistant to President George H.W. Bush, were charged in the case.
Canada
Canada – Trudeau’s Party Wins Canada Vote but Fails to Get Majority
MSN – Rob Gilles (Associated Press) | Published: 9/21/2021
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party secured victory in parliamentary elections but failed to get the majority in a vote that focused on the coronavirus pandemic, but many Canadians saw as unnecessary. Trudeau entered the election leading a stable minority government that was not under threat of being toppled but was hoping Canadians would reward him with a majority for navigating the pandemic better than many other leaders. Still, Trudeau struggled to justify why he called the election early given the virus, and the opposition accused him of holding the vote two years before the deadline for his own ambition.
From the States and Municipalities
Alabama – Candidates Will Not Be Able to Fundraise During the Special Session
Alabama Reporter – Brandon Moseley | Published: 9/23/2021
Alabama legislators will convene for a special session on September 27. This means state lawmakers, candidates for the Legislature, and statewide officeholders and candidates for statewide office will not be able to accept campaign contributions. The secretary of state’s office said any contribution postmarked prior to the blackout and received after the blackout may be accepted.
Alaska – Protect Juneau’s Future Shared Who Paid for Its Campaign, but No Laws Require It
KTOO – Jeremy Hsieh | Published: 9/21/2021
A deadline passed for local candidates and issues groups all over the state to disclose their campaign finances ahead of local elections on October 5. But the public probably will never know exactly who paid how much for the campaign that helped quash a ballot initiative to limit cruise ships in Juneau. That is because campaign finance disclosure laws would not apply in this case until after it cleared the signature-gathering stage.
California – Kern County Under Investigation After Denying Group COVID Contract Over Support for Defunding Police
Yahoo News – Sam Morgen (Bakersfield Californian) | Published: 9/22/2021
Kern County may end up paying for a decision by the board of supervisors to withhold a $1.2 million coronavirus contract from a nonprofit group that had voiced support for defunding police. The nonprofits were selected because of their community ties. The Kern County Public Health Department said the groups would be a more trusted resource to communities at the greatest risk than county officials. Building Healthy Communities said in Facebook posts funding for the Bakersfield Police Department and the Kern High School District Police Department should be diverted to other causes. That was enough for supervisors to withhold approval of a contract to the organization even though preparation and hiring had already taken place.
Florida – A Local Government Candidate Claimed to Be the City’s ‘Most High-Profile Hispanic Democrat.’ She’s Not Hispanic.
MSN – Jaclyn Peiser (Washington Post) | Published: 9/22/2021
Speaking before a group of Democratic leaders in Florida’s Miami-Dade County on Zoom, Miami Beach City Commission candidate Kristen Rosen Gonzalez made her pitch as to why the party should endorse her. She called herself “the most high-profile Hispanic Democrat in the city of Miami Beach.” Not endorsing her, she continued, “would be upsetting and confusing” for constituents. But Rosen Gonzalez is not Hispanic.
Florida – Anti-Mask FL GOP Bookkeeper Dies of COVID – Leaving Party Without Access to Finance Software
MSN – Brett Bachnman (Salon) | Published: 9/19/2021
After spending months railing against COVID-19 precautions, a Republican Party official in Florida passed away recently, leaving his county-level GOP organization without access to critical financial accounts. Gregg Prentice served as accountant for the Hillsborough County GOP and chaired the organization’s committee for election integrity, and was responsible for filing its monthly reports to the FEC. A filing claims Prentice died without sharing login information for these accounts, or any sort of instructions for how to use them.
Florida – Senate Redistricting Chair Vows to Redeem Process as He Plans to Limit Public’s Input
MSN – Mary Ellen Klas (Miami Herald) | Published: 9/20/2021
The Florida Senate announced new rules that put limits on the input the chamber gets from average citizens, political consultants, and lobbyists. The Senate will require more disclosure from anyone who attempts to address legislators in a public meeting by requiring them to submit a disclosure form that indicates if they are a lobbyist or getting their expenses paid. Legislators will be required to retain all records of communications they get about maps. The goal is to prevent lawmakers from using political consultants to illegally influence redistricting as they did 10 years ago, when the courts invalidated the legislatively drawn Senate maps.
Florida – Tallahassee Ethics Board Proposing Stronger Lobbying Ordinances, Expanded Role
MSN – Karl Etters (Tallahassee Democrat) | Published: 9/17/2021
The Tallahassee Independent Ethics Board wants to strengthen policies governing lobbyists as the glare of a federal corruption probe and investigative reporters have illuminated paid work and deal-making done behind the scenes on projects and policies. The board is recommending two ordinances and one change to the city charter that requires a ballot amendment in language sent to the city commission. The ethics panel has been working for months to add more teeth to its role in regulating lobbying in the city.
Georgia – Fulton Board Gets New Chair as Georgia Reviews Its Elections
Yahoo News – Kate Brumback (Associated Press) | Published: 9/16/2021
Commissioners in Fulton County picked former Atlanta City Council President to lead their election board as a state panel reviews how elections are conducted in Georgia’s most populous county. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican facing a primary challenge next year, objected to what he called a “blatantly political appointment” because Woolard had registered earlier this year as a lobbyist for Fair Fight Action, a group started by Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who narrowly lost the race for governor in 2018.
Illinois – Sources Say Chicago Ald. Jim Gardiner Allegedly Tried to Pay Campaign Worker with Tax Dollars
WBEZ – Mariah Woelfel | Published: 9/19/2021
Chicago Ald. Jim Gardiner allegedly tried to use taxpayer funds to pay an employee for work they did on his 2020 campaign for ward committeeman, sources said. It is the latest allegation to unfold as Gardiner is facing inquiries by multiple agencies, including the FBI, and possible censure by his city council colleagues for crude texts he wrote about constituents and colleagues, as well as allegedly withholding city services from critics.
Indiana – Longest Serving State Senator Forced Out of His Seat in Redistricting Process: ‘This is a classic example of gerrymandering.’
Chicago Daily Herald – Alexandra Kukulka (Post-Tribune) | Published: 9/22/2021
Frank Mrvan, the longest serving member of the Indiana Senate, has been effectively forced out of his seat after the redrawing of Senate maps would require him to move or run against a colleague. “This is a classic example of gerrymandering,” said Lake County Democratic Party Chairperson James Wieser. “It’s disrespectful to a public official that’s given his heart and soul, as has his whole family, to our party for 50 years plus.”
Massachusetts – Ex-Mayor, Elected at Age 23, Gets 6 Years in Corruption Case
Yahoo News – Alanna Durkin Richer (Associated Press) | Published: 9/21/2021
Former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses that wanted to operate in his city. The judge handed down his punishment after tossing several convictions stemming from allegations that Correia swindled investors who backed a smartphone app he created. “If we can’t trust each other, if we can’t trust our government, where are we?” U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Woodlock asked.
Michigan – Facing Tight Timeline, Voter-Led Michigan Redistricting Commission on Steep Learning Curve
MSN – Clara Hendrickson (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 9/20/2021
Michigan’s first-ever citizen redistricting commission is finding itself on a steep learning curve as members race against the clock to draw new maps ahead of the 2022 election, crunching a monthslong process into a matter of weeks following an unprecedented delay in census data. The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission blew past a deadline in the state constitution for proposing the new districts. But with four weeks of mapping under its belt, the commissioners, who have never drawn political districts before, have raised concerns the group might not get the job done in the time it has allotted for itself.
Missouri – Lawmakers Renting from Lobbyists Less Often in Jefferson City
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Jack Suntrup | Published: 9/16/2021
Lobbyists are no longer leasing housing to Missouri lawmakers in Jefferson City, with one exception. State Rep. Adam Schwadron is the only legislator renting from a registered lobbyist, according to disclosures filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Leases between lobbyists and state officials have drawn scrutiny in the past and have been less common in recent years: between 2016 and 2018, lobbyists reported renting to a dozen lawmakers and state officials.
Montana – Montana Doesn’t Always Draw a Straight Line from Groups to Their Lobbying
Helena Independent Record – Sam Wilson (Lee Newspapers State Bureau) | Published: 9/19/2021
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan acknowledged the state does not have a perfect system for connecting principals to the on-the-ground lobbying efforts they are paying for. Along with the inability to track reported lobbying expenses in a centralized database, there were a number of groups that paid lobbyists during the 2021 session without saying what legislation they were lobbying for or against, or that funneled lobbying expenses through other groups. In other instances, the flow of dollars from groups or corporations through multiple lobbying firms further obscured the money’s source.
New Mexico – Grand Jury Indicts Ex-Lawmaker in Alleged Kickback Scheme
MSN – Morgan Lee (Associated Press) | Published: 9/20/2021
Former New Mexico Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton was indicted by a grand jury on charges of racketeering, money laundering, fraud, and ethics violations in connection with an alleged kickback scheme. She was fired in August by the Albuquerque public school system from her position in vocational education amid administrative and criminal probes into her ties to a private contractor for the state’s largest school district.
New York – Aides of Former Gov. Cuomo on Hook for New Legal Bills
MSN – Marina Villeneuve (Associated Press) | Published: 9/23/2021
New York state has stopped paying legal bills for state employees who worked for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as he faced ongoing investigations on the state and federal level. The state stopped paying for those aides’ legal bills after September 2. The Hochul administration is now deciding whether there is a legal basis for the state to pay bills for legal services on or before September 2. The administration did not specify how many staffers had legal bills paid for by the state.
New York – State Inspector General Resigns Amid Controversy
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 9/17/2021
New York Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro, a longtime aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, resigned from her post as the executive branch’s top internal-affairs watchdog. Tagliafierro’s departure comes less than a month after Cuomo’s resignation and two weeks after the Joint Commission on Public Ethics voted to ask state Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the conduct of the inspector general’s office in its probe of an illegal leak of confidential information from the ethics commission to Cuomo in January 2019.
North Carolina – North Carolina Judges Strike Down State’s Voter ID Law
MSN – Gary Robertson (Associated Press) | Published: 9/17/2021
North Carolina judges struck down the state’s latest photo voter identification law, agreeing with minority voters that Republicans approved rules tainted by racial bias to remain in power. Two of the three trial judges declared the December 2018 law is unconstitutional, even though it was designed to implement a photo voter ID mandate added to the North Carolina Constitution in a referendum just weeks earlier. They said the law intentionally discriminates against Black voters, violating their equal protections.
Pennsylvania – New Equity Report Required of Lobbyists & Lobbying Firms in Pennsylvania
JD Supra – Staff | Published: 9/22/2021
Starting this year, Pennsylvania is requiring all registered lobbyists and lobbying firms to file an Annual Equity Report. The report must disclose how much equity, as a percentage, the lobbyist or firm holds or has held in an affiliate principal, and for whom the lobbyist or firm lobbied during the reporting period. The report must be filed even if the lobbyist or firm has no equity to report.
Pennsylvania – Pa. Legislators Promised #MeToo Reforms Inside Capitol. So Far, Few Changes Have Become Law
LancasterOnline.com – Lindsay Weber (Allentown Morning Call) | Published: 9/22/2021
Three years after a handful of sexual harassment and assault cases plagued the state Capitol and prompted calls for reform, little has changed in how Pennsylvania’s political leaders handle new accusations. Legislation inspired by the #MeToo movement designed to hold accountable those involved in sexual misconduct and those who cover it up would have created independent, streamlined ways for staffers and others to report complaints. But those proposals have gone nowhere. Bills that would have banned nondisclosure agreements and prevented the use of taxpayer money for settlements have met the same fate.
Rhode Island – Former State Official to Pay Fine to Settle Ethics Complaint
Bowling Green Daily News – Associated Press | Published: 9/21/2021
A former state official in Rhode Island will pay a $4,500 fine to settle an ethics complaint over his solicitation of campaign donations from state vendors for a mayoral run. Brett Smiley, who is running for Providence mayor, resigned as director of the Rhode Island Department of Administration early this year. The agency oversees hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of state contracting and spending. Smiley admitted that six separate solicitations from an owner or officer of a company that does business with the state violated the code of ethics.
Rhode Island – RI Donor-Disclosure Laws Upheld Again; Conservative Group Says It Will Appeal to High Court
MSN – Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) | Published: 9/16/2021
A federal appeals court upheld Rhode Island’s campaign-spending disclosure laws against a constitutional challenge by a coalition of conservative groups. Those groups say they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals on said the law that makes top donors identify themselves in certain election advertising does not infringe on those donors’ free-speech rights.
September 21, 2021 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance National: “The FEC Unanimously Rejected Matt Gaetz’s Complaint Against Twitter Over an Alleged 2018 ‘Shadow Ban’” by Brian Metzger (Business Insider) for Yahoo News Florida: “Anti-Mask FL GOP Bookkeeper Dies of COVID – Leaving Party Without Access to […]
Campaign Finance
National: “The FEC Unanimously Rejected Matt Gaetz’s Complaint Against Twitter Over an Alleged 2018 ‘Shadow Ban’” by Brian Metzger (Business Insider) for Yahoo News
Florida: “Anti-Mask FL GOP Bookkeeper Dies of COVID – Leaving Party Without Access to Finance Software” by Brett Bachman (Salon) for MSN
Elections
National: “‘It’s Spreading’: Phony election fraud conspiracies infect midterms” by David Siders and Zach Montellaro (Politico) for MSN
Ethics
Illinois: “Sources Say Chicago Ald. Jim Gardiner Allegedly Tried to Pay Campaign Worker with Tax Dollars” by Mariah Woelfel for WBEZ
New Mexico: “Grand Jury Indicts Ex-Lawmaker in Alleged Kickback Scheme” by Morgan Lee (Associated Press) for MSN
New York: “Ethics Panel Apparently Ignored Complaint About Inspector General” by Chris Bragg for Albany Times Union
Lobbying
Europe: “Dark News: The murky world of undercover EU lobbying” by Mark Scott for Politico
Montana: “Montana Doesn’t Always Draw a Straight Line from Groups to Their Lobbying” by Sam Wilson for Helena Independent Record
September 20, 2021 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance Rhode Island: “RI Donor-Disclosure Laws Upheld Again; Conservative Group Says It Will Appeal to High Court” by Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) for MSN Elections Georgia: “Fulton Board Gets New Chair as Georgia Reviews Its Elections” by Kate Brumback […]
Campaign Finance
Rhode Island: “RI Donor-Disclosure Laws Upheld Again; Conservative Group Says It Will Appeal to High Court” by Patrick Anderson (Providence Journal) for MSN
Elections
Georgia: “Fulton Board Gets New Chair as Georgia Reviews Its Elections” by Kate Brumback (Associated Press) for Yahoo News
North Carolina: “North Carolina Judges Strike Down State’s Voter ID Law” by Gary Robertson (Associated Press) for MSN
Ethics
National: “Roger Stone Served ‘a Big, Big Stack of Papers’ from Capitol Riot Lawsuit During Radio Interview” by Timothy Bella (Washington Post) for Seattle Times
National: “Powell Orders Ethics Review After Fed Presidents Disclosed Multimillion-Dollar Investments” by Thomas Franck for CNBC
Lobbying
National: “Lawmakers Launch Investigation into Climate Crisis Disinformation by Fossil Fuel Industry” by Ella Nilsen (CNN) for MSN
Florida: “Tallahassee Ethics Board Proposing Stronger Lobbying Ordinances, Expanded Role” by Karl Etters (Tallahassee Democrat) for MSN
Missouri: “Lawmakers Renting from Lobbyists Less Often in Jefferson City” by Jack Suntrup for St. Louis Post-Dispatch
September 17, 2021 •
News You Can Use Digest – September 17, 2021
![News You Can Use Digest – September 17, 2021](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NYCU-Logo-e1662491950752-1000x563.png)
National/Federal Delta Variant Postpones K Street’s Full Return MSN – Kate Ackley (Roll Call) | Published: 9/14/2021 On the cusp of Memorial Day back in May, most lobbyists were gearing up for a more normal return to their in-person work life, […]
National/Federal
Delta Variant Postpones K Street’s Full Return
MSN – Kate Ackley (Roll Call) | Published: 9/14/2021
On the cusp of Memorial Day back in May, most lobbyists were gearing up for a more normal return to their in-person work life, as they began to reemerge for meetings on Capitol Hill and sessions with clients and colleagues. The rise of the delta variant, however, has prompted most firms to postpone requirements for employees to return to the office, and many K Street denizens said most of their advocacy activities and team meetings remain virtual.
Election Fraud Cases Sow Doubts About Legal Profession’s Future
Bloomberg Law – Melissa Heelan | Published: 9/14/2021
Attorneys behind dismissed cases over alleged fraud in the 2020 presidential election have been cited for violating professional standards requiring candor in the courtroom and barring the filing of lawsuits not backed up by fact or law. Charles Geyh, a legal ethics professor at Indiana University, said courts rose to the occasion, but the discipline might not be enough to stop lawyers from being involved in similar challenges in the future. No one’s been disbarred yet despite calls from some for severe discipline. Sanctions range from a temporary license suspension for Rudy Giuliani to judicial dressing downs and orders to pay court costs.
FEC Finds Twitter Didn’t Break Law by Blocking Spread of Hunter Biden Story
New York Times – Shane Goldmacher and Kate Conger | Published: 9/13/2021
The FEC ruled Twitter did not break election laws when it blocked users from sharing links to a New York Post story about Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. The FEC said Twitter’s actions in blocking the spread of the article were made with valid commercial reason, not a political purpose, making them legal, a decision that is likely to set a precedent for future cases involving social media sites and federal campaigns. The FEC used the same reasoning to side with Snapchat and reject a complaint from the Trump campaign. The campaign argued the company provided an improper gift to Biden by rejecting Trump from its Discover platform.
Fed’s Kaplan, Rosengren to Sell All Stocks Amid Ethics Concerns
MSN – Catarina Saraiva and Craig Torres (Bloomberg) | Published: 9/10/2021
The presidents of the Federal Reserve banks of Boston and Dallas said they are selling their individual stock holdings by September 30, in moves aimed at appeasing ethical concerns over their trading activity last year. Boston Fed chief Eric Rosengren and the Dallas Fed’s Robert Kaplan released near-identical statements after their most recent financial disclosure documents showed active trading in a range of investments during a year in which the central bank took sweeping policy actions to protect the U.S. economy from Covid-19. They both said they would invest the proceeds of their sales in diversified index funds or hold them in cash.
Former Chancellor Philip Hammond Cleared of Breaking Rules After His Lobbying of Treasury Was Ruled Only ‘Incidental’
Yahoo News – Henry Dyer (Business Insider) | Published: 9/10/2021
Lord Philip Hammond, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, was cleared of breaking lobbying rules when he contacted a senior Treasury official on behalf of a bank he was working for. Former ministers are generally barred from trying to influence the government on behalf of clients. But Hammond’s activity was deemed acceptable by an independent regulator on the grounds it was “incidental.” Critics said the ruling highlights flaws in the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, passed in 2014.
Giuliani Associate Igor Fruman Pleads Guilty in Campaign-Finance Case
MSN – Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) | Published: 9/11/2021
A Soviet-born businessperson who assisted Rudolph Giuliani in his Ukrainian political efforts on behalf of former President Trump pleaded guilty to violating campaign finance laws, as others charged in the case prepare to stand trial. Igor Fruman, who was arrested with co-defendant Lev Parnas at Dulles International Airport in 2019, entered a guilty plea to one count of soliciting foreign campaign contributions.
GOP Online Donation Platform Tweaks Fees, Sending Millions More to Midterm Campaigns
Yahoo News – Isaac Isenstadt (Politico) | Published: 9/16/2021
Republicans are making a small change to their online fundraising program that could have a big impact on the party’s finances heading into the 2022 midterm election. WinRed, the GOP’s principal small-dollar donation processor, is lowering the fees it charges candidates and committees for each contribution they receive through the platform. The shift, which follows months of behind-the-scenes deliberations involving the party’s senior officials, could result in millions of dollars more being funneled into campaign coffers next year.
GOP Senate Candidates Backed Legal Challenges to the 2020 Election
MSN – Bridget Bowman (Roll Call) | Published: 9/15/2021
At least nine Republican U.S. Senate candidates have a political résumé with a contentious item: filing or actively supporting one of the failed lawsuits that furthered former President Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was rife with fraud. Since many GOP candidates support Trump’s claims, participating in lawsuits could help some stand out in crowded Republican primaries, where they need to win over Trump supporters who say voter fraud played a role in President Biden’s win. Some Democrats think focusing on the 2020 election could be a liability for Republicans in the midterms with voters who rejected Trump’s divisive rhetoric or his unfounded concerns about the validity of the last election.
McCarthy Asks Supreme Court to Overturn House Proxy Voting Rules Adopted as Pandemic Precaution and Used by Nearly 100 Republicans
MSN – Amy Wang (Washington Post) | Published: 9/10/2021
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review and overturn the House’s proxy voting rules, which were adopted last year to allow lawmakers to cast votes remotely as a pandemic precaution. McCarthy criticized proxy voting as a “power grab” and “a raw abuse of power” by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who along with many Democrats pushed for the historic rule change at the beginning of the pandemic.
Revised Democratic Voting Bill Drops Controversial Provisions, Tweaks Others as Pressure for Action Mounts
MSN – Mike DeBonis (Washington Post) | Published: 9/14/2021
A group of Democratic senators, including key centrist Joe Manchin III, introduced a pared-down voting rights, campaign finance, and government ethics bill in hopes of building momentum for its passage through a closely divided Senate. The new Freedom to Vote Act retains significant portions of the For the People Act, Democrats’ marquee voting legislation that passed the House this year but was blocked by a Senate filibuster. Tt also discards significant pieces and tweaks others, largely to placate Manchin and indulge his hopes of building enough Republican support to pass the bill.
Struggle for Control of Afghanistan Comes to K Street
New York Times – Kenneth Vogel | Published: 9/15/2021
A leading figure in the Afghan resistance has retained a lobbyist to seek military and financial support in the U.S. for a fight against the Taliban. Ahmad Massoud, the leader of one of the most prominent groups of fighters seeking to oust the Taliban from power, signed the contract with Robert Stryk, who built a lobbying practice during the Trump administration working with clients that others on K Street were wary of representing. The contract, which indicates the work will be pro bono, comes as an array of Afghan constituencies are seeking lobbying help as they jockey for recognition in Washington and the international community.
From the States and Municipalities
Alaska – GOP Lawmaker Who Refused to Follow Mask Mandate While Flying Says She Can’t Get to the Alaskan Capital
MSN – Derek Hawkins (Washington Post) | Published: 9/11/2021
An Alaska lawmaker requested an excusal from the state Senate until mid-January, citing the challenges of traveling to Juneau from Anchorage after she was suspended from flying on Alaska Airlines earlier this year. Sen. Lora Reinbold requested the excusal through January 15. She said she was unaware of any other airline flying to the state capital during that period. The airline banned her indefinitely in the spring after she clashed with staffers over the airline mask mandate issued by federal transportation officials.
Arkansas – Dentist Guilty of Conspiring to Bribe Former Arkansas Lawmaker Hutchinson
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette – Ron Wood | Published: 9/14/2021
Benjamin Burris, an orthodontist who operated clinics across Arkansas, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of bribing former state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson to pass laws to benefit Burris’s businesses. Burris paid Hutchinson $157,500 between February 2014 and November 2016. Hutchinson, then a practicing lawyer, was paid monthly retainers that nominally were for legal services. But he was also expected to introduce and lobby for laws or regulatory changes Burris wanted, the indictment said.
California – Newsom Soundly Defeats California Recall Attempt
MSN – Phil Willon, Taryn Luna, and Julia Wick (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/14/2021
California Gov. Gavin Newsom survived a historic recall election, winning a major vote of confidence during a COVID-19 pandemic that has tested his ability to lead the state through the largest worldwide health crisis in modern times. The recall offered Republicans their best chance in more than a decade to take the helm of the largest state. But the effort was undercut when Newsom and the nation’s leading Democrats, aided by visits to California by President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, portrayed the campaign to oust the governor as a “life and death” battle against “Trumpism” and far-right anti-vaccine activists.
California – Recology Agrees to Pay $36 Million for Role in Bribes to City Official
MSN – Megan Cassidy (San Francisco Chronicle) | Published: 9/10/2021
Three waste management companies that are part of Recology Inc. agreed to pay $36 million for their role in a corruption scheme that included kickbacks to former San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. The resolution comes as federal prosecutors announced a charge of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud against the three subsidiaries, which officials said conspired to bribe Nuru for favorable treatment with the trash company’s city contracts. In his former role, Nuru had considerable sway in the rate-setting process with Recology.
Colorado – Unregistered Redistricting Lobbying Complaint to Receive Full Investigation After Colorado Secretary of State Approves Probe
Colorado Springs Gazette – Evan Wyloge | Published: 9/15/2021
An investigation into whether a secretly funded nonprofit organization has been illegally lobbying Colorado’s redistricting commissioners will move forward after the secretary of state found enough evidence to warrant a full probe. The decision to further investigate Colorado Neighborhood Coalition, the 501c4 nonprofit organization run by longtime Republican operatives at the center of the complaint, could have broad implications for the transparency now required around the redistricting process, and comes after several efforts to influence the redistricting commissions without full transparency have emerged.
Florida – Florida Official Sentence to 5 Years in Corruption Case
MSN – Brendan Farrington (Associated Press) | Published: 9/9/2021
A federal judge sentenced former Tallahassee City Commissioner Scott Maddox to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges related to public corruption. Maddox’s business associate, Paige Carte-Smith, was sentenced to two years for her role. Prosecutors said Maddox would send clients to Carter-Smith’s lobbying firm after he returned to the city commission in 2012, and she would then pay Maddox for his influence. Maddox was first elected to the commission in 1990 and later served as the Tallahassee mayor until 2003.
Florida – Tallahassee City Commissioner Calls for Ethics Reforms Following Maddox Trial
WFSU – Valerie Crowder | Published: 9/10/2021
A former Tallahassee commissioner’s public corruption trial has sparked calls for ethics reform. Former Commissioner Scott Maddox was sentenced to five years in federal prison for orchestrating a bribery scheme through his lobbying firm. City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow is proposing six policy recommendations aimed at making it harder for public officials to abuse their power. They include requiring all city officials to detail any meetings related to city business they have with paid lobbyists and report contact logs with anyone paid to influence policy.
Hawaii – What Civil Beat’s Salary Database Tells Us About the Embattled Auditor’s Office
Honolulu Civil Beat – Richard Wiens | Published: 9/12/2021
When the Honolulu Civil Beat published the salaries and job titles of more than 48,000 state workers, they included the payrolls of two agencies whose directors have made a lot of headlines lately: the state auditor’s office and the Hawaii Ethics Commission. Auditor Les Kondo has been under fire from a working group that found his office was producing inadequate performance audits. Ethics Commission Director Dan Gluck generated controversy after he was nominated to become a judge on the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals. The salary database shows how the offices led by Kondo and Gluck have evolved over the last decade.
Idaho – Former Idaho Legislator Faces Arrest Warrant on Two Felony Charges – Including Rape
Idaho Statesman – Hayat Norimine | Published: 9/10/2021
The former Idaho legislator who resigned earlier this year after a House ethics committee hearing now faces two felony charges, including one for rape. An arrest warrant has been issued for former state Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, who stepped down after a 19-year-old legislative intern’s accusation of sexual assault. Von Ehlinger has denied any wrongdoing, saying his actions with the intern were consensual. He resigned just hours after the ethics panel recommended expelling him from his seat, following a finding he engaged in “conduct unbecoming.”
Illinois – Chicago Sky Owner Michael Alter Fined by City Ethics Board for Seeking Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Help on Gambling License Without Registering as a Lobbyist
MSN – Gregory Pratt (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 9/15/2021
Michael Alter, owner of the Chicago Sky basketball team in the WNBA, was fined $5,000 for lobbying Mayor Lori Lightfoot without registering. Alter emailed first lady Amy Eshleman in December to ask for the mayor’s help obtaining a gambling license for his team. In the email, Alter noted he previously discussed the issue with Lightfoot. Lobbyists are required to register with the city and report contact with city departments. Alter has not registered as a lobbyist in Chicago dating back to 2013.
Illinois – Ethics Bill Clears Illinois House on Second Try, Will Head Back to Governor
Journal Gazette and Times-Courier – Peter Hancock (Capitol News Illinois) | Published: 9/9/2021
The Illinois House voted to accept changes to an ethics bill that Gov. J.B. Pritzker requested, paving the way for it to become law once the governor signs it. Senate Bill 539 cleared both chambers during the spring session. It contained enough reforms, such as increased financial disclosure requirements and limits on the ability of elected officials to lobby other units of government, so many lawmakers believed it was the best they could get at the time. But a few weeks after it passed, Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope submitted her intent to resign, saying the bill would weaken her office by limiting the types of investigations she could conduct.
Illinois – Ethics Board Finds Probable Cause Ald. Gardiner Violated Ethics Ordinance Twice
WTTW – Heather Cherone | Published: 9/15/2021
The Chicago Board of Ethics found there is probable cause to believe Ald. Jim Gardiner violated the city’s ethics ordinance by using his office to retaliate against his political foes. Gardiner will have a chance to challenge the board’s determination, which could result in fines ranging between $200 to $5,000 per violation. The finding adds to the beleaguered alderman’s woes. It was reported that Gardiner is under federal investigation for allegedly accepting bribes and demanding payments before taking official actions.
Kentucky – Woman Pleads Guilty to Lying About Boss’s Lexington Council Campaign Donation Scheme
MSN – Jeremy Chisenhall (Lexington Herald-Leader) | Published: 9/15/2021
Elizabeth Stormbringer pleaded guilty to perjury and lying to the FBI in a scheme to circumvent campaign finance laws in a Lexington City Council race. Officials at the time were investigating potential campaign finance crimes committed by her boss at a real estate development company. She also admitted to lying under oath while she testified before the grand jury. Investigators discovered she made a $1,000 donation to a council candidate in 2018 and then received a $1,000 check from her boss, Timothy Wellman. He was an executive at CRM Companies who had a development project the council considered.
Louisiana – Former State Parks Employee Fined for Violating Ethics Laws
KATC – Staff | Published: 9/13/2021
The Louisiana Board of Ethics fined a former parks employee $26,000 after finding he accepted payments from production companies filming in his park in violation of state law. Arthur Schick worked for an agency within the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. The board found he received a total of $13,000 in compensation from various film production companies between 2015 and 2017. When a production company signs an agreement to use a park, they pay a damage fee to cover any costs incurred by their work. The board said Schick was adding on a “site rep” fee, and he was depositing that in his own bank account.
Maryland – Maryland Elections Officials Ask Michael Steele to Prove He’s Following Campaign Law
MSN – Pamela Wood (Baltimore Sun) | Published: 9/14/2021
Michael Steele, the former Maryland lieutenant governor who is contemplating a run for governor, must disclose information about his exploratory campaign to show he is not violating campaign finance laws. The Maryland State Board of Elections sent a letter to Steele requesting the details by October 11. It came in response to a complaint that Steele was improperly using a federal account to raise and spend money for a future state campaign in Maryland.
Massachusetts – Campaign Finance Reform Pitched as Way to Diversify Candidate Pool
WWLP – Chris Lisinski (State House News Service) | Published: 9/15/2021
Lawmakers are again pushing to add childcare to the list of allowable campaign finance expenses in Massachusetts, buoyed by a legislative commission’s endorsement of the change last year, a growing list of more than a dozen states that have already deployed similar reforms, and the possibility that a new top campaign finance regulator will embrace the proposal. A bill before the Election Laws Committee would explicitly allow candidates to use their campaign accounts to cover childcare costs while the parent is occupied with running for office.
Massachusetts – Former Top House Democrat Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud
WWLP – Matt Murphy (State House News Service) | Published: 9/15/2021
A federal judge sentenced former Massachusetts Rep. David Nangle to 15 months after Nangle pleaded guilty earlier this year to illegally using campaign funds to fund a lifestyle that included golf club memberships and casino trips to Connecticut and lying to banks about his debt to obtain mortgages and other loans. Prosecutors said during the period covered by their investigation, Nangle was heavily in debt and gambling at various casinos, using campaign funds to rent cars to travel to casinos and even paying someone at Mohegan Sun to collect his winnings so he did not have to pay income taxes.
Massachusetts – Wu and Essaibi George Will Advance as Top Candidates in Historic Race for Boston Mayor
MSN – Emma Platoff (Boston Globe) | Published: 9/15/2021
Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George, two daughters of immigrants and longtime Boston City Council members who have struck dramatically different tones on the campaign trail to become the city’s next mayor, are advancing to November’s general election. Either would be the first woman of color Boston has ever elected mayor, a historic shift. But the contest between them will nonetheless test the city’s appetite for change.
Michigan – FBI Seized Towing Docs, Electronics and Records for Benson Aide During Detroit City Hall Raid
Detroit News – Robert Snell and Sarah Rahal | Published: 9/14/2021
FBI agents investigating Detroit City Hall corruption seized electronics, towing paperwork, shredded documents, and payroll records for Emberly Vick, an aide of Detroit City Councilperson Scott Benson, during a recent raid. The document confirms media reports that said the corruption investigation was focused on Detroit towing operations in what amounts to the broadest public corruption probe in the eight years since former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted of racketeering conspiracy. Vick has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
New Jersey – Activist Assails ELEC for Deleting Dismissed Campaign Finance Complaints from Its Website
Politico – Matt Friedman | Published: 9/14/2021
The New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) has for years quietly been disposing complaints against politicians it dismissed by deleting them from its website. Now, after an activist whose tips to the commission led to multicount complaints against two Democrats noticed those complaints were dismissed with no public justification and little public disclosure, ELEC said it is taking that policy “under advisement.”
New Mexico – Gonzales Shifts Course, Turns to Private Donors
Albuquerque Journal – Jessica Dyer | Published: 9/14/2021
Hours after losing another round in his prolonged legal fight for public campaign financing, Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales said he will try a new tack in the 2021 mayor’s race in Albuquerque. Gonzales said he would turn to private donors for support, forgoing his quest to get taxpayer money for his campaign. The decision concludes his monthslong battle over $600,000 in public campaign cash. Gonzales’ battle sustained a blow when a state judge ruled City Clerk Ethan Watson had taken the appropriate actions necessary to deny Gonzales the taxpayer money and rejected Gonzales’ claims that Watson was biased.
New York – Hochul Leaves Door Open to Probe of Cuomo Campaign Spending
Albany Times Union – Joshua Solomon | Published: 9/9/2021
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is leaving the door open for a potential investigation into how former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is spending roughly $18 million of campaign cash after he resigned from office in the wake of an investigation that found he sexually harassed multiple women. The response comes as watchdogs are calling for the state Board of Election chief enforcement officer Michael Johnson to investigate Cuomo’s spending from his campaign account. Common Cause filed a formal complaint with the Board of Elections.
New York – James Says JCOPE Leak Referral Was Improper
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg and Joshua Solomon | Published: 9/14/2021
New York Attorney General Letitia James informed the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) that her office will not presently be able to investigate the leak of confidential information to then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2019. JCOPE had passed a motion seeking to make a criminal referral to James’ office, which asked for an investigation into the apparent leak. In her letter, James cited the state law creating JCOPE, which created much-criticized special voting rules that can serve to protect politicians from scrutiny.
North Carolina – NC Lawmakers Turn to Funding Once Ruled Unethical. Are Their $14,000 Salaries the Cause?
MSN – Lucille Sherman (Raleigh News and Observer) | Published: 9/13/2021
Last fall, North Carolina lawmakers repealed a rule that barred lawmakers from collecting state money to cover food, lodging, and travel while working at the General Assembly and simultaneously using campaign accounts to pay for the same housing, meals, and travel in Raleigh, a practice that a campaign watchdog has described as “double dipping.” The move protected at least two lawmakers who had continued to use campaign funds for housing while collecting the state per diem stipends for food and lodging, between May and October last year. This year, about a dozen lawmakers have used both sources of funding.
Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania GOP Lawmakers Approve Wide-Ranging Subpoenas for Personal Information of 2020 Voters
MSN – Elise Viebeck and Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) | Published: 9/15/2021
Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania authorized a series of broad subpoenas for personal information on voters as part of an expanding effort to review the results of the 2020 election. The move drew a sharp rebuke from Democrats, who described the effort as insecure and unwarranted, said they would consider mounting a court fight. Among other requests, Republicans are seeking the names, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, last four digits of Social Security numbers, addresses, and methods of voting for millions of people who cast ballots in the May primary and the November general election.
Tennessee – Tennessee Valley Authority Accused of Funding ‘Dirty Energy Lobbyists’
Courthouse News Service – Rosana Hughes | Published: 9/9/2021
In a federal lawsuit, a coalition of environmental conservation groups are seeking to force the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to address a petition to regulate the agency’s spending, alleging the public utility funds “dirty energy lobbyists” with customer money. The coalition sifted through the TVA’s financial and other public records and counted hundreds of third-party organizations, such as the Edison Electric Institute, that receive TVA dollars. Those organizations, the conservationists say, “routinely make political donations, engage in legislative lobbying, … and pursue other forms of political advocacy that promote fossil fuel interests ….”
Texas – Austin ISD Stands by Hire of Ex-State Official Who Resigned Amid Ethics Allegations
MSN – Nicole Foy (Austin American-Statesman) | Published: 9/10/2021
Austin Independent School District leaders say they are standing behind the decision to hire as general counsel a former state government official who resigned in 2017 amid allegations of ethics violations. The district hired Stuart Bowen, a lawyer and former Texas Health and Human Services inspector general, as its general counsel in August. Bowen in 2017 was forced to resign his position as the state’s top insurance fraud investigator after allegations arose that he was also working for a lobbying firm that represents the Iraqi government.
Texas – Texas Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Social Media Giants from Blocking Users Based on Viewpoint
MSN – Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) | Published: 9/9/2021
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that would prohibit large technology companies from blocking or restricting people or their posts based on their viewpoint, setting the stage for a legal battle with the tech industry. The law applies to social media companies with more than 50 million monthly active users in the U.S., including Facebook, Twitter, and Google’s YouTube, and requires them to create reports on any illegal or potentially policy-violating content, as well as build a complaint system, where people could challenge companies’ decisions to remove content or flag illegal activity.
Virginia – Campaign Funds Can Be Used for Child Care, Virginia AG Says
Virginia Mercury – Graham Moomaw | Published: 9/10/2021
Attorney General Mark Herring said candidates in Virginia can use campaign funds to pay campaign-related child-care expenses, an opinion that puts the state in alignment with federal election rules but has little immediate impact due to Virginia’s anything-goes campaign finance system. Proponents of the child-care exemption say it gives parents of young children, particularly women, more freedom to run for office without worrying about a hit to their family budget.
Wisconsin – How Wisconsin Is Ruled by a Shadow Governor
Yahoo News – Daniel Vock (Politico) | Published: 9/15/2021
For nearly three years, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has used his GOP majority, and the support of the Republicans who control the state Senate, to block, thwart, or resist almost every significant move made by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Governors asserted unprecedented powers in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, and lawmakers in many states chafed at the broad executive reach. But few have done more to constrain gubernatorial power than Vos, the president of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
September 16, 2021 •
Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance New Jersey: “Activist Assails ELEC for Deleting Dismissed Campaign Finance Complaints from Its Website” by Matt Friedman for Politico New Mexico: “Gonzales Shifts Course, Turns to Private Donors” by Jessica Dyer for Albuquerque Journal Elections Massachusetts: “Wu and […]
Campaign Finance
New Jersey: “Activist Assails ELEC for Deleting Dismissed Campaign Finance Complaints from Its Website” by Matt Friedman for Politico
New Mexico: “Gonzales Shifts Course, Turns to Private Donors” by Jessica Dyer for Albuquerque Journal
Elections
Massachusetts: “Wu and Essaibi George Will Advance as Top Candidates in Historic Race for Boston Mayor” by Emma Platoff (Boston Globe) for MSN
Pennsylvania: “Pennsylvania GOP Lawmakers Approve Wide-Ranging Subpoenas for Personal Information of 2020 Voters” by Elise Viebeck and Rosalind Helderman (Washington Post) for MSN
Ethics
National: “Fed’s Kaplan, Rosengren to Sell All Stocks Amid Ethics Concerns” by Catarina Saraiva and Craig Torres (Bloomberg) for MSN
Illinois: “Ethics Board Finds Probable Cause Ald. Gardiner Violated Ethics Ordinance Twice” by Heather Cherone for WTTW
Louisiana: “Former State Parks Employee Fined for Violating Ethics Laws” by Staff for KATC
Legislative Issues
Wisconsin: “How Wisconsin Is Ruled by a Shadow Governor” by Daniel Vock (Politico) for Yahoo News
Lobbying
Colorado: “Unregistered Redistricting Lobbying Complaint to Receive Full Investigation After Colorado Secretary of State Approves Probe” by Evan Wyloge for Colorado Springs Gazette
Illinois: “Chicago Sky Owner Michael Alter Fined by City Ethics Board for Seeking Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Help on Gambling License Without Registering as a Lobbyist” by Gregory Pratt (Chicago Tribune) for MSN
September 15, 2021 •
Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Wednesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance Maryland: “Maryland Elections Officials Ask Michael Steele to Prove He’s Following Campaign Law” by Pamela Wood (Baltimore Sun) for MSN Elections National: “Election Fraud Cases Sow Doubts About Legal Profession’s Future” by Melissa Heelan for Bloomberg Law National: […]
Campaign Finance
Maryland: “Maryland Elections Officials Ask Michael Steele to Prove He’s Following Campaign Law” by Pamela Wood (Baltimore Sun) for MSN
Elections
National: “Election Fraud Cases Sow Doubts About Legal Profession’s Future” by Melissa Heelan for Bloomberg Law
National: “Revised Democratic Voting Bill Drops Controversial Provisions, Tweaks Others as Pressure for Action Mounts” by Mike DeBonis (Washington Post) for MSN
California: “Newsom Soundly Defeats California Recall Attempt” by Phil Willon, Taryn Luna, and Julia Wick (Los Angeles Times) for MSN
Ethics
Arkansas: “Dentist Guilty of Conspiring to Bribe Former Arkansas Lawmaker Hutchinson” by Ron Wood for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
New York: “James Says JCOPE Leak Referral Was Improper” by Chris Bragg and Joshua Solomon for Albany Times Union
Texas: “Texas Governor Signs Bill Prohibiting Social Media Giants from Blocking Users Based on Viewpoint” by Cat Zakrzewski (Washington Post) for MSN
Lobbying
National: “Delta Variant Postpones K Street’s Full Return” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN
September 14, 2021 •
Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance National: “FEC Finds Twitter Didn’t Break Law by Blocking Spread of Hunter Biden Story” by Mychael Schnell (The Hill) for MSN New York: “Hochul Leaves Door Open to Probe of Cuomo Campaign Spending” by Joshua Solomon for Albany […]
Campaign Finance
National: “FEC Finds Twitter Didn’t Break Law by Blocking Spread of Hunter Biden Story” by Mychael Schnell (The Hill) for MSN
New York: “Hochul Leaves Door Open to Probe of Cuomo Campaign Spending” by Joshua Solomon for Albany Times Union
Virginia: “Campaign Funds Can Be Used for Child Care, Virginia AG Says” by Graham Moomaw for Virginia Mercury
Ethics
California: “Recology Agrees to Pay $36 Million for Role in Bribes to City Official” by Megan Cassidy (San Francisco Chronicle) for MSN
Florida: “Tallahassee City Commissioner Calls for Ethics Reforms Following Maddox Trial” by Valerie Crowder for WFSU
North Carolina: “NC Lawmakers Turn to Funding Once Ruled Unethical. Are Their $14,000 Salaries the Cause?” by Lucille Sherman (Raleigh News and Observer) for MSN
Lobbying
Europe: “Former Chancellor Philip Hammond Cleared of Breaking Rules After His Lobbying of Treasury Was Ruled Only ‘Incidental’” by Henry Dyer (Business Insider) for Yahoo News
Texas: “Austin ISD Stands by Hire of Ex-State Official Who Resigned Amid Ethics Allegations” by Nicole Foy (Austin American-Statesman) for MSN
September 13, 2021 •
Maine Ethics Commission Offers Training on New Campaign Finance Laws
![Maine Ethics Commission Offers Training on New Campaign Finance Laws](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Maine-Capitol-2-1000x563.jpg)
Maine Capitol Building
The Maine Ethics Commission announced it would hold a three-hour course covering recent changes to the law governing the registration and reporting requirements for political committees. The course will take place on October 18, both in-person and over Zoom, from […]
The Maine Ethics Commission announced it would hold a three-hour course covering recent changes to the law governing the registration and reporting requirements for political committees.
The course will take place on October 18, both in-person and over Zoom, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Registration for the course is available online and a recording of the training will be available on the commission’s YouTube channel.
September 13, 2021 •
Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup
![Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/LCNR-scaled-e1662491441383-1000x563.jpg)
Campaign Finance National: “Giuliani Associate Igor Fruman Pleads Guilty in Campaign-Finance Case” by Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) for MSN Florida: “Dems Gave $700K to Dark-Money Group That Helped Republicans Win Races in ‘Ghost’ Candidate Scandal” by Jason Garcia and Annie […]
Campaign Finance
National: “Giuliani Associate Igor Fruman Pleads Guilty in Campaign-Finance Case” by Shayna Jacobs (Washington Post) for MSN
Florida: “Dems Gave $700K to Dark-Money Group That Helped Republicans Win Races in ‘Ghost’ Candidate Scandal” by Jason Garcia and Annie Martin for Orlando Sentinel
Ethics
Florida: “Florida Official Sentence to 5 Years in Corruption Case” by Brendan Farrington (Associated Press) for MSN
Hawaii: “What Civil Beat’s Salary Database Tells Us About the Embattled Auditor’s Office” by Richard Wiens for Honolulu Civil Beat
Idaho: “Former Idaho Legislator Faces Arrest Warrant on Two Felony Charges – Including Rape” by Hayat Norimine for Idaho Statesman
Illinois: “Ethics Bill Clears Illinois House on Second Try, Will Head Back to Governor” by Peter Hancock (Capitol News Illinois) for Journal Gazette and Times-Courier
Legislative Issues
Alaska: “GOP Lawmaker Who Refused to Follow Mask Mandate While Flying Says She Can’t Get to the Alaskan Capital” by Derek Hawkins (Washington Post) for MSN
Lobbying
Tennessee: “Tennessee Valley Authority Accused of Funding ‘Dirty Energy Lobbyists’” by Rosana Hughes for Courthouse News Service
September 10, 2021 •
Illinois House Passes Ethics Reform Legislation
![Illinois House Passes Ethics Reform Legislation](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/illinois-springfield-capitol-and-sky-1000x563.jpg)
Illinois State Capitol Building
The Illinois House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 539 with the amendatory veto issued by Gov. JB Pritzker. The bill passed along party lines in a vote taken September 9, after it was rejected in an earlier vote last week. […]
The Illinois House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 539 with the amendatory veto issued by Gov. JB Pritzker.
The bill passed along party lines in a vote taken September 9, after it was rejected in an earlier vote last week.
The bill, which now goes back to Pritzker for his signature, expands state lobbyist registration requirements to the local level; prohibits all fundraising statewide during legislative sessions; expands revolving door restrictions; and requires certain consultants hired by a lobbyist or lobbying entity to register and report.
If signed, the bill will be effective January 1, 2022.
September 10, 2021 •
News You Can Use Digest – September 10, 2021
![News You Can Use Digest – September 10, 2021](https://stateandfed.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NYCU-Logo-e1662491950752-1000x563.png)
National/Federal A Pro-Trump Group Organizing a DC Rally for Jan. 6 Defendants Lost Its Tax-Exempt Status – but Is Still Claiming Donations Are Tax-Deductible Yahoo News – Charles Davis (Business Insider) | Published: 9/8/2021 A group founded by a former Trump […]
National/Federal
A Pro-Trump Group Organizing a DC Rally for Jan. 6 Defendants Lost Its Tax-Exempt Status – but Is Still Claiming Donations Are Tax-Deductible
Yahoo News – Charles Davis (Business Insider) | Published: 9/8/2021
A group founded by a former Trump campaign staffer that is organizing a rally on behalf of January 6 defendants is soliciting “tax-deductible” contributions despite losing its tax-exempt status last year. According to its website, Look Ahead America is a “non-profit organization” founded by Matt Braynard, a former data analyst on the 2016 Trump campaign. Although ostensibly non-partisan, it has clear and avowed sympathies, On September 18, it is organizing what it calls a “#JusticeForJ6” rally at the U.S. Capitol, conflating those arrested for taking part in the pro-Trump January 6 riot with “political prisoners.”
Corporate Boards, Consulting, Speaking Fees: How U.S. generals thrived after Afghanistan
MSN – Isaac Stanley-Becker (Washington Post) | Published: 9/4/2021
The failure of the American mission in Afghanistan became deadly apparent when the Afghan army collapsed as the Taliban took control. But the generals who led the mission – including McChrystal, who sought and supervised the 2009 American troop surge – have thrived in the private sector since leaving the war. They have amassed influence within businesses, at universities, and in think tanks, in some cases selling their experience in a conflict that killed an estimated 176,000 people, cost the U.S. more than $2 trillion, and concluded with the restoration of Taliban rule.
Encryption Poised to Hamper Jan. 6 Investigators’ Phone Records Push
Yahoo News – Nicholas Wu (Politico) | Published: 9/8/2021
The congressional panel investigating the January 6 insurrection escalated its inquiry, sending dozens of requests to social media and telecommunications companies asking them to hold onto individuals’ communications data related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election and the Capitol siege. Several of the companies that received preservation requests said they would comply to the best of their ability. But the encryption used on many of those services will limit the amount of data the select committee is able to gather if it does make a formal request or issue a subpoena for the actual messages, experts say.
Ethics Panel Announces Four Investigations
MSN – Chris Marquette (Roll Call) | Published: 9/7/2021
The U.S. House ethics committee announced it is investigating four members: Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), and Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.). The cases were investigated by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which concluded that in each case there was a substantial reason to believe a violation occurred. The OCE is a fact-finding office and, unlike the ethics committee, cannot discipline members or issue subpoenas.
Fears of Critical Race Theory Unleash Army of School Board Candidates
Yahoo News – Daniel Payne (Politico) | Published: 9/8/2021
Tapping into the trickle-up anger over teaching about systemic racism is now a unifying force in campaigns for Congress, governor, and among Republicans with presidential ambitions. But it is the local school board races – outside the spotlight, in elections that attract just a few hundred voters – that may define what students learn for years to come. The movement has the potential to build a stronger GOP as once-uninvolved conservative candidates flood local government and party races, seeking a platform to fight critical race theory and other culture war issues. While such elections are often nonpartisan, the Republican Party sees an opportunity to build a pipeline of new candidates.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Fined $2,500 for Failing to Wear Mask on House Floor
MSN – Chelsey Cox (USA Today) | Published: 9/9/2021
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was fined for flouting a mask mandate on the floor of the House. The fine is part of an ongoing battle over COVID-19 restrictions as the delta variant surges, with many conservatives, including members of Congress, stridently resisting masks and other measures. Notice of the fine was posted by the House ethics committee when Greene did not submit an appeal within an approved time frame. Greene was fined for the same offense on May 20 and her initial appeal was not approved by the committee.
Human Rights Campaign President Fired After Helping to Advise Cuomo
MSN – Brian Pietsch and Michael Scherer (Washington Post) | Published: 9/7/2021
The president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights group, was fired over his involvement advising former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s response to sexual assault allegations. State Attorney General Letitia James found David, a onetime lawyer in the governor’s office, had been consulted by Cuomo’s staff on a letter the governor helped draft to undermine the harassment allegations of Lindsey Boylan, Cuomo’s first accuser. While leading the HRC, David suggested changes to the never-released Boylan letter, which was later leaked to reporters.
New Texas Voting Bill Deepens Growing Disparities in How Americans Can Cast Their Ballots
MSN – Elise Viebeck (Washington Post) | Published: 9/6/2021
Red and blue states are increasingly moving in opposite directions on how millions of Americans can cast their ballots, exacerbating a growing divide as Republicans in states across the country, most recently Texas, impose new voting restrictions, while Democrats in others expand access. The conflicting trends are widening the disparities in election policy in the wake of the 2020 election, with Republicans heeding former President Trump’s calls to tighten rules and Democrats moving to make permanent many voting policies that helped turnout soar during the pandemic.
Proponents of Post-Trump Curbs on Executive Power Prepare New Push
Yahoo News – Charlie Savage (New York Times) | Published: 9/9/2021
As Donald Trump’s norm-busting presidency careened through two impeachments, his departure set the stage for lawmakers to impose new limits on executive power like the period after Watergate and the Vietnam War. But nearly nine months after Trump left the White House, the legal rules that govern the presidency have yet to be tightened. Would-be reformers, sensing the window for change might close soon, are preparing a major push, one the Biden White House is eyeing warily.
Trump-Appointed Ambassador Directed Government Business to His Hotel, Emails Show
MSN – Amy Wang and David Fahrenthold (Washington Post) | Published: 9/3/2021
Kelly Craft, who was appointed to two ambassadorships under former President Trump, directed government business to Trump’s hotel in Washington, D.C. while in office, emails show. It was not the first time Craft showed an affinity for the hotel owned by Trump’s company. According to the emails, Craft stayed at the Trump International Hotel multiple times while in Washington.
White House Asks Several Trump Appointees to Resign from Military Service Academy Boards
MSN – Felicia Sonmez (Washington Post) | Published: 9/8/2021
The White House said it asked a number of Trump administration appointees to resign their positions on the advisory boards at military service academies, arguing the move was about qualifications, not politics. Among the 11 officials are former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and former White House Press Secretary Sean Spice. Asked whether the White House was concerned the move might risk politicizing positions that have traditionally been nonpartisan roles spanning administrations, Press Secretary Jen Psaki reiterated that the president’s primary concern was an appointee’s qualifications and values.
From the States and Municipalities
Alaska – Alaska Supreme Court Confirms an End to 2 Limits on Cash in Political Campaigns
Yahoo News – James Brooks (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 9/3/2021
In a pair of rulings, the Alaska Supreme Court confirmed that two state limits on spending during political campaigns are unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. The justices said the state cannot limit political contributions to third-party groups because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United. The other ruling confirms a summary order issued that overturned a one dollar-per-signature limit on payments to those who gather signatures for ballot measures.
Arizona – Trump Helped Bankroll Senate Audit, Texts Suggest
Arizona Capitol Times – Dillon Rosenblatt and Kyra Haas | Published: 8/31/2021
Former President Trump may have offered to help pay for Arizona election audit that supporters hope will reverse his election loss, according to records. In an April text exchange with audit spokesperson Randy Pullen, Trump campaign official and former Arizona Treasurer Jeff DeWit offered to send $175,000 to the Guardian Defense Fund, a “dark-money” group run by Rep. Mark Finchem, where Pullen serves as treasurer. It is unclear if Trump’s money eventually made it to the audit. The Senate’s contractor, Cyber Ninjas, announced it raised more than $5.6 million from five different nonprofit organizations, but did not share the original donors.
California – Bell City Manager, Ex-State Senator, Developer Charged in Corruption Case
Yahoo News – Richard Winston (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 9/3/2021
Prosecutors said four men have been charged in connection with the embezzlement and misappropriation of millions of dollars in public funds that were supposed to be used to study whether a solar farm was suitable on land to be purchased by the City of Industry. Paul Philips, the former manager of the City of Industry, former state Sen. Frank Hill, attorney Anthony Bouza, and William Barkett, the developer of the solar project, were charged. The City of Industry advanced $20 million to Barkett’s company to build a 450-megawatt solar project. But it never broke ground, and the money was never paid back. Though some of the allocated money was paid to other vendors, Barkett is accused of spending about $8.3 million on personal items.
California – Favors Aren’t Bribes, Say Ex-LA Councilman’s Attorneys
Los Angeles Daily Breeze – Fred Shuster (City News Service) | Published: 9/8/2021
Attorneys for Jose Huizar filed papers arguing the bribery case against the ex-Los Angeles City Councill member should be tossed because the alleged conduct does not violate laws cited in the 41-count federal racketeering indictment. Huizar, the central figure in a six-year probe of suspected corruption at City Hall, and his associates were allegedly involved in a $1.5 million “pay-to-play” scheme in which real estate developers were shaken down for cash and campaign donations in exchange for help getting building projects through the city’s approval process.
California – Fears Rise Over Disinformation in California’s Recall Election
MSN – Reid Wilson (The Hill) | Published: 9/8/2021
Conspiracy theorists who once spread baseless allegations and disinformation about the results of the 2020 elections have turned their attention to the recall election targeting California Gov. Gavin Newsome in an effort that watchdogs say is meant to further undermine faith in the nation’s electoral system. But less than a year after technology giants came under pressure to monitor and squelch disinformation related to last year’s elections, groups dedicated to fighting conspiracy theories say the companies are letting bad actors run free.
Illinois – Republicans Upend Democratic Efforts to Show They’re Serious About Ethics Reform in Springfield
MSN – Dan Petrella (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 9/3/2021
In a move that appeared to catch majority Democrats by surprise, Illinois House Republicans rejected an ethics proposal tweaked by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and are using the resignation of the General Assembly’s top watchdog to push for what they argue are more meaningful anti-corruption measures. The ethics package, crafted in response to an ongoing federal corruption probe that has swept from Chicago City Hall to Springfield, now faces long odds of becoming law and Democrats who control state government risk losing a chance to show they are taking steps to root out corruption.
Maine – Portland Councilor, a Plaintiff in Lawsuit Against the City, Won’t Recuse Herself from Dispute
Portland Press Herald – Randy Billings | Published: 9/3/2021
Portland City Councilor April Fournier said she will not recuse herself from discussions about a lawsuit that clean-elections advocates filed against the city, even though she is named as a plaintiff in the case. The issue emerged as the council considered how to respond to a court’s request for formal “findings of fact” to explain why it rejected a petition to place a public campaign financing proposal on the ballot in 2019. The council decided such a change to the city’s charter would require a lengthy review process before it could go to voters. Fournier, who was not a councilor at the time, was one of 13 residents to sign on with Fair Elections Portland as plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging that decision.
Massachusetts – Former Mayor Jasiel Correia Could Owe Over $566,000 in His Fraud and Extortion Case
Herald News – Dan Medeiros | Published: 9/8/2021
The federal government has finished totaling up his tab, and they want former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia to repay $566,740 he illegally obtained from investors in his smartphone app and extorted from people looking to open marijuana businesses in Fall River. In May, Correia was found guilty of 21 counts of wire fraud, tax fraud, extortion, and conspiracy conducted both before and during his tenure as mayor.
Michigan – FBI Contacted Wayne County Campaign Finance Office Amid Raids on Detroit City Hall
MSN – Joe Guillen (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 9/8/2021
The FBI contacted the Wayne County clerk’s campaign finance office around the time federal agents searched Detroit City Hall in August as part of an ongoing public corruption investigation. While the exact timing and nature of the FBI’s contact is unclear, investigators’ interest in the county clerk’s office could be a new wrinkle in the corruption investigation of several sitting city council members.
Michigan – Pro-Trump Lawyers Face $200,000 Legal Bill for ‘Frivolous’ Election Case
Yahoo News – Jan Wolfe (Reuters) | Published: 9/8/2021
Michigan officials demanded that lawyers who unsuccessfully sued to overturn former President Trump’s election defeat in the state pay about $200,000 to reimburse for legal fees and related costs. U.S. District Court Judge Linda Parker has ruled state and local election officials in Michigan were entitled to reimbursement of their legal fees but has not yet determined the exact amount. The judge will now review the request to determine if it is reasonable.
Michigan – Time’s Up in Ex-Romulus Mayor Probe Despite New Evidence
PressReader.com – George Hunter (Detroit News) | Published: 9/4/2021
Michigan State Police recently received new evidence in connection with an 11-year-old corruption investigation that, according to public records, focused on former Romulus Mayor Alan Lambert, but the probe was not reopened because the statute of limitations on possible criminal charges expired. Lambert, who served as mayor from 2001 to 2013 and is seeking to regain the position in November, has never been charged with a crime. The probe focused on allegations Lambert forced business owners to pay for political favors and purchase tickets to fundraisers, as well as questions about a money trail involving a Florida real estate transaction.
Montana – How a Small Town Silenced a Neo-Nazi Hate Campaign
Yahoo News – Elizabeth Williamson (New York Times) | Published: 9/5/2021
Richard Spencer once boasted he stood at the vanguard of a white nationalist movement emboldened by Donald Trump. But leaders in Whitefish, Montana, say Spencer, who once ran his National Policy Institute from his mother’s summer house in the town, is now an outcast. His organization has dissolved, and he is facing trial in over his role in the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville. Residents of Whitefish, who joined with state officials, human rights groups, and synagogues, say their bipartisan counteroffensive could hold lessons for others in an era of disinformation and intimidation, and in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot.
Montana – Native Transgender Lobbyist Sues Conservative News Website for Libel
Missoula Current – Darrell Ehrlick (Montana Standard) | Published: 9/7/2021
Adrian Jawort, a transgender lobbyist for Montana Native Voice, is suing the Montana Daily Gazette for claiming she cornered a state senator and Montana Family Foundation President Jeff Laszloffy, who escorted the senator to the sergeant-at-arms for his protection. Jawort denied the allegations and asked the newspaper to remove the written account of the alleged incident and correct the reporting. The Daily Gazette refused to do so. Jawort filed a lawsuit, claiming the publication damaged her ability to do her job and asked for $250,000 in damages.
New Mexico – Gonzales Denied Public Campaign Funding for the Second Time
Albuquerque Journal – Jessica Dyer | Published: 9/2/2021
For the second time in about two months, the Albuquerque city clerk rejected Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales’ application for about $600,000 in public money to run his mayoral campaign. Ethan Watson – whose initial denial on July 9 sparked a series of appeals, hearings, and court filings, wrote he would not certify Gonzales for the money because Gonzales violated city code and related regulations while trying to qualify for the funds. The sheriff’s campaign manager said Watson is biased.
New York – A Deputy Mayor in New York Had a Stash of Weapons and Fake FBI Badges with His Name and Photo on Them, Feds Say
MSN – Andrea Salcedo (Washington Post) | Published: 9/8/2021
When authorities executing a search warrant descended into the basement of Brian Downey’s home, they discovered more than a dozen firearms displayed on a black wall, federal agents said. As officers continued searching the home of the deputy mayor of Airmont, New York, they found a sawed-off shotgun in a closet and an illegally modified short-barrel rifle. They also discovered fake badges that bore Downey’s name from various agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Prisons, and the FBI.
New York – After Cuomo Scandals, NY Lawmakers Tout Need for Recall Option
Press-Republican – Joe Mahoney (CNHI News Service) | Published: 9/8/2021
Up until a month ago, New York and California were both states with governors in deep political hot water. But with Andrew Cuomo having resigned on his own as New York’s chief executive, a major difference in how the two states can deal with issues relating to competency in public office is now in focus: Californians have the power to recall leaders at the ballot box, while New Yorkers do not. Some New York lawmakers are desirous of changing the status quo, proposing what could be a heavy lift at the statehouse.
New York – Ethics Agency Subpoenaed in Investigation of Cuomo’s Book
Alton Telegraph – Chris Bragg (Albany Times Union) | Published: 9/8/2021
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office issued a subpoena to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics for its records on former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s book chronicling his administration’s early response to the coronavirus pandemic. The subpoena was issued in connection with a criminal investigation that the attorney general is conducting into whether Cuomo’s use of government workers to assist him in writing the book violated any laws. It signals the investigation into Cuomo’s and his staff’s potential misuse of government resources for private gain is entering a phase beyond interviews and gathering publicly available records.
New York – Ex-Cuomo Aide, Founding SUNY Poly President See Convictions Upheld in Appeals Court
Minneapolis Star Tribune – Larry Neumeister (Associated Press) | Published: 9/8/2021
The conviction of one of ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s top aides, Joseph Percoco, for fraud and accepting bribes was affirmed by a federal appeals court, as was the separate conviction of founding SUNY Polytechnic Institute President Alain Kaloyeros. The appeals court also upheld the conviction of Steven Aiello, a real estate executive who was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in funneling bribes to Percoco to gain his influence in an ambitious Buffalo Billion development project aimed at encouraging economic development upstate.
New York – Facebook Mum on Staffer Who May Have Broken Law Advising Cuomo on Sex Harass Claims
New York Post – Theo Wayt | Published: 9/8/2021
Facebook communications manager Dani Lever was part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “inner circle” of confidantes who helped plan the then-governor’s response to allegations of sexual misconduct. She joined Facebook in August 2020 after having worked in the governor’s press office since 2014. Legal experts say Lever’s role advising Cuomo likely put Facebook in violation of New York state’s lobbying law. The law bans registered lobbyists from giving gifts worth more than $15 to public officials and Facebook has been a registered lobbyist in New York state since at least 2019.
New York – Trump Tower’s Key Tenants Have Fallen Behind on Rent and Moved out. But Trump Has One Reliable Customer: His own PAC.
MSN – Shayna Jacobs, David Fahrenthold, Jonathan O’Connell, and Josh Dawsey (Washington Post) | Published: 9/3/2021
As Trump Tower dealt with imploding tenants, political backlash, and a broader, pandemic-related slump in Manhattan office leasing since last year, it has been able to count on one reliable, high-paying tenant: former President Trump’s own political operation. Starting in March, one of his committees, Make America Great Again PSC, paid $37,541.67 per month to rent office space on the 15th floor of Trump Tower, a space previously rented by his campaign. A person familiar with Trump’s PAC said its staffers do not regularly use the office space. Also, for several months, Trump’s PAC paid the Trump Organization $3,000 per month to rent a retail kiosk in the tower’s lobby, even though the lobby was closed.
North Carolina – Cooper Vetoes Restrictions on NC Nonprofit Donor Disclosure
MSN – Associated Press | Published: 9/4/2021
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation that would prohibit the public disclosure of donors to North Carolina-based nonprofits, calling the measure unneeded. Republicans who sent the bill to his desk said the restrictions would protect the free-speech and free-association rights of donors. Other bill supporters say the identifying information could be used by those who wish to harass donors for their viewpoints on social issues.
North Carolina – NC Elections Board Fines Political Campaigns Combined $330K for Late or Missing Finance Reports
WCNC – Nate Morabido | Published: 9/7/2021
Some of the most recognizable campaigns in North Carolina failed to meet deadlines to disclose who donated to their cause and how they spent that money. Hundreds of those campaigns now owe hefty fines as a result. Records show the State Board of Elections already assessed a combined $330,000 in penalties to campaigns this year alone for filing their 2020 routine campaign finance paperwork late or failing to file those reports altogether.
Ohio – FBI Suspected Dayton Mayor Whaley of Bribery in 2014, Court Documents Show
MSN – Jake Zuckerman (Ohio Capital Journal) | Published: 9/8/2021
The FBI suspected Dayton Mayor and gubernatorial candidate Nan Whaley in 2014 of accepting cash bribes from a city contractor, according to search warrant applications. Whaley was not charged with any crime. The warrants detail sworn statements from FBI agents to a federal judge outlining their suspicion of impropriety. In both instances, federal magistrates found probable cause to grant the warrants. In the documents, agents told the judge a controller for demolition company Steve Rauch Inc., which pleaded guilty last year to a charge of conspiracy to engage in mail fraud regarding subcontracting work, said in recorded phone calls with another company official that Whaley accepted cash bribes from Rauch on multiple occasions.
Ohio – Most Cleveland Mayoral Candidates Won’t Disavow ‘Dark Money’ Spending
MSN – Seth Richardson (Cleveland Plain Dealer) | Published: 9/8/2021
Outside money has taken hold in the Cleveland mayoral race. Its prevalence has intensified as early voting continues for the September 14 primary with what appears to be a competitive race between seven candidates to succeed retiring Mayor Frank Jackson. Many of the groups are independent expenditure committees, meaning they can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money. The committees will eventually have to disclose their donors, though there are ways of complicating those disclosures to shield donors’ identities. Only two candidate said they outright disavowed any outside spending.
Pennsylvania – ‘Unfortunate but Necessary’: Anthony Hamlet to resign as Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Andrew Goldstein | Published: 9/8/2021
Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, who has faced increasing criticism in recent weeks, said he will resign effective in October. Hamlet has come under fire after the state Ethics Commission found he improperly received travel reimbursements, accepted payments for appearances related to his job, and incorrectly filed financial documents. He has defended his actions, arguing the report showed he was negligent but had no willful intent of wrongdoing. Robert Caruso, executive director of the Ethics Commission, noted Hamlet’s conduct over several years was “an egregious violation of the public trust.”
Rhode Island – Governor’s Former Chief of Staff Faces Fine Over Unregistered Construction Company
MSN – Edward Fitzpatrick (Boston Globe) | Published: 9/3/2021
Days after resigning as chief of staff to Gov. Dan McKee, Anthony Silva has been slapped with a $1,000 fine by the state’s Department of Business Regulation (DBR) for building a home on land in Cumberland without the required contractor registration. The DBR’s investigation was one of three into Silva’s activities during the time he was chief of staff, first in the lieutenant governor’s office ant then in the governor’s office.
South Carolina – SC Ethics Whistleblowers Are Bound by Gag Orders. A Lawsuit Will Challenge That.
Charleston Post and Courier – Avery Wilks | Published: 8/31/2021
In South Carolina, whistleblowers who want to file an ethics complaint against a public official are first sworn to secrecy. They cannot talk about their allegations until the State Ethics Commission has investigated the complaint and decided what to do. Breaking the seal of secrecy is a misdemeanor that carries a fine of $1,000 and up to a year in prison. Observers have long suspected the rules violate free-speech protections guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. But now, a Columbia attorney is mounting a legal challenge to strike down the. gag orders for good.
Washington – Employees Who Blew Whistle on Seattle Mayor’s Missing Texts File Lawsuit Against the City
Seattle Times – Lewis Kamb and Daniel Beekman | Published: 9/3/2021
The city employees who blew the whistle about Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s missing text messages sued the city, alleging they were “constructively discharged” from their jobs in retaliation for their refusal to break the public records law. In May, a Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission investigation report revealed Durkan’s texts from late August 2019 to late June 2020 had not been retained. Several high-profile lawsuits that have been filed against the city focus on decisions the mayor and other officials made in June 2020, during racial-justice protests and unrest on Capitol Hill.
Wisconsin – US Senate Candidate from Wisconsin Charged with Campaign Finance Violations
Courthouse News Service – Joe Kelly | Published: 9/7/2021
Milwaukee Ald. Chantia Lewis, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat, was charged with felony campaign finance violations and other financial misconduct. A criminal complaint alleges Lewis filed false campaign finance reports with inaccurate information on her campaign account balances, contributions. and disbursements, deposited campaign donations to her personal bank accounts, structured a campaign contribution as to avoid limit requirements, and used campaign funds for personal expenses. An embezzlement charge carries the highest penalty, which includes up to a $25,000 fine and a maximum of 10 years in prison, or both.
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