December 14, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance New York: “Many New York Judges Spend Their Way Toward Seats on the Bench. And It’s Perfectly Legal” by Sam Mellins (New York Focus) for The City Elections National: “Trump and His GOP Allies Vow to ‘Fight On’ […]

December 11, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – December 11, 2020

National/Federal Barr Taps Durham as Special Counsel, Pushing Probe into Biden Era Politico – Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein | Published: 12/1/2020 Attorney General William Barr appointed U.S. attorney John Durham as a special counsel to investigate the origins of the […]

National/Federal

Barr Taps Durham as Special Counsel, Pushing Probe into Biden Era
Politico – Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein | Published: 12/1/2020

Attorney General William Barr appointed U.S. attorney John Durham as a special counsel to investigate the origins of the FBI’s probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. The appointment formalizes Durham’s ongoing probe but more significantly, would give Durham latitude to continue the politically explosive investigation after President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January. Democrats have long viewed Durham’s efforts as political payback by President Trump and his allies, seeking to deflect from evidence the Trump campaign capitalized on the Kremlin’s efforts.

Biden’s Choice for Pentagon Faces Questions on Ties to Contractors
New York Times – Eric Lipton, Kenneth Vogel, and Michael LaForgia | Published: 12/8/2020

Raytheon Technologies makes fighter jet engines, weapons, high-tech sensors, and dozens of other military products. Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin III of the Army, a member of Raytheon’s board, has been named by President-elect Joe Biden to be the next secretary of defense. Raytheon is not Austin’s only link to military contractors. He has also been a partner in an investment firm that has been buying small defense firms. The decision to nominate Austin has drawn a new wave of questions about the corporate ties of people Biden is choosing for his administration. Those ties are especially relevant when it comes to the Pentagon, which spends hundreds of billions of dollars every year on weapons and other supplies.

Conservative Nonprofit Group Challenging Election Results Around the Country Has Tie to Trump Legal Adviser Jenna Ellis
MSN – John Swain, Rosalind Helderman, Josh Dawsey, and Tom Hamburger (Washington Post) | Published: 12/7/2020

A conservative legal organization that has filed lawsuits challenging the election results in five states has a tie to President Trump’s legal team, raising questions about the independence of what has appeared to be an endeavor separate from the president’s last-gasp legal maneuvering. Senior Trump campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis serves as special counsel to the Thomas More Society, which has filed lawsuits through the newly formed Amistad Project alleging problems with the vote in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Her affiliation with the organization, as well as other links between Trump’s team and the conservative group, suggest a coordinated effort to flood the nation’s courts with repetitive litigation that allows the president to claim the election results remain contested.

Could Trump Pardon Family Members and Other Close Associates? His Prior Pardons May Set the Stage for More
USA Today – David Jackson, John Fritze, and Kevin Johnson | Published: 12/4/2020

As President Trump weighs granting pardons to close associates – and perhaps family members and even himself – experts said he may not pay much of a political price, no matter whom the recipients are. The number of pardons with a political sheen that Trump has signed, along with the unorthodox way he has wielded the power, may have desensitized the public to the issue. The reaction to former national security advisor Michael Flynn’s pardon, though muted, underscored the president’s broad clemency powers are increasingly viewed, like much else, along partisan lines: Democrats express outrage, and supporters of Trump cheer. That division, several experts said, may partly explain why some Americans shrug their shoulders.

EU Lobby Register Falls Short of Transparency Demands
Politico – Cristina Gonzalez | Published: 12/8/2020

It was hailed as a victory when negotiators from the European Parliament, Commission, and the Council found compromise on establishing a joint mandatory lobby register, but the definition of “mandatory” remains to be seen. The provisional agreement, which must still be approved by the respective institutions, sets out to make it compulsory for lobbyists to be registered in the European Union’s Transparency Register to carry out certain activities like meeting with top officials. But there is nothing explicitly mandatory in the compromise text. Instead, it gives each institution the license to individually interpret what it means, “and to define the activities that they decide to make conditional upon registration in the register,” the compromise reads. Now, each institution must outline its view in a forthcoming joint political statement.

GOP Women’s Record-Breaking Success Reflects Party’s Major Shift on Recruiting and Supporting Female Candidates
Washington Post – Rachael Bade | Published: 12/7/2020

There are 17 newly elected Republican women who will give the party a record number of female lawmakers in Congress, the results of a successful strategy of recruiting and supporting women running for office. Of the 13 Democratic incumbents who lost their seats on election night, Republican women were responsible for defeating 10. In January, Republicans will welcome their most ethnically diverse and gender-diverse freshman class in history as women and lawmakers of color join their predominantly White and male ranks. The recruitment effort behind their success reflects a major shift.

Justice Department’s Interest in Hunter Biden Covered More than Taxes
Politico – Ben Schreckinger | Published: 12/9/2020

The federal investigation into President-elect Joe Biden’s son has been more extensive than a statement from Hunter Biden indicates, according to a person with firsthand knowledge of the probe. Hunter Biden said he had been contacted about a tax investigation out of the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware. The securities fraud unit in the Southern District of New York also scrutinized Hunter Biden’s finances, according to the source. The person said as of early last year, investigators in Delaware and Washington, D.C. were probing potential money laundering and Hunter Biden’s foreign ties. In addition to the probe into Hunter Biden, federal authorities in Pennsylvania are conducting a criminal investigation of a hospital business in which Joe Biden’s brother James was involved.

Murdoch’s Son and Daughter-in-Law Spent Millions on Progressive Causes in 2020 Cycle
Center for Responsive Politics – Ollie Gratzinger | Published: 12/4/2020

The Murdoch name has come to be associated largely with right-leaning politics, as Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns Fox News and other outlets spanning three continents, has built a family dynasty based largely on conservatism. But Kathryn and James Murdoch, daughter-in-law and youngest son of the news tycoon, are forging a new reputation for the Murdoch name, contributing heavily this cycle to progressive political groups, including super PACs supporting President-elect Joe Biden. James Murdoch resigned from his position at Fox last July over “disagreements over certain editorial content.”

Neera Tanden, Biden’s Pick for Budget Chief, Runs a Think Tank Backed by Corporate and Foreign Interests
MSN – Yeganeh Torbati and Beth Reinhard (Washington Post) | Published: 12/5/2020

Now that President-elect Joe Biden picked Neera Tanden to run the Office of Management and Budget, her ties to some of the most powerful players in the U.S. economy are drawing scrutiny from advocates for accountability in government. Tanden would have a hand in policies that touch every part of the economy after years spent courting corporate and foreign donors at the think tank Center for American Progress. Between 2014 and 2019, the center received at least $33 million in donations from firms in the financial sector, private foundations primarily funded by wealth earned on Wall Street. Critics also argued the hundreds of hours of relationship-building that goes into securing large donations from corporations and wealthy people give private interests the opportunity to influence the views of Tanden and others in her position.

Senate Restores FEC as Agency Confronts Massive Backlog of Cases
Center for Responsive Politics – Karl Evers-Hillstrom | Published: 12/9/2020

The U.S. Senate confirmed three new members of the FEC, giving the campaign finance regulator a full slate of six commissioners for the first time since February 2017. Senators confirmed Sean Cooksey, Allen Dickerson, and Shana Broussard, who will be the agency’s first Black commissioner in its 45-year history. The FEC faces a backlog of 388 enforcement cases. Broussard said during a Senate Rules Committee meeting that she would prioritize addressing important cases set to expire due to the agency’s statute of limitations. Commissioners are also tasked with changing outdated rules.

Steakhouses, Hill Bars and Ski Trips: GOP carries on amid the pandemic
Politico – Sarah Ferris, Melanie Zanona, and Daniel Lippman | Published: 12/7/2020

It is not just the White House flouting pandemic rules to mark Washington, D.C.’s schmooziest season. Some corners of the GOP, including members of Congress, are refusing to let the coronavirus intrude on their holiday gatherings and in-person fundraisers, whether it is on the slopes of Utah or in the steakhouses of Washington. Meanwhile, discussions are underway about holding the Conservative Political Action Conference in person early next year. The event planning comes as the nation is battered by another surge in coronavirus cases, prompting a fresh round of warnings from public health experts to avoid group settings, particularly indoors. And it underscores the resistance by many in the GOP, led by President Trump, to adjust to the new normal of the pandemic.

Supreme Court Denies Trump Allies’ Bid to Overturn Pennsylvania Election Results
MSN – Robert Barnes and Elise Viebeck (Washington Post) | Published: 12/8/2020

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute attempt by President Trump’s allies to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania, a blow to the president’s continuing efforts to reverse his loss to Joe Biden. The court’s brief order denying a requested injunction provided no reasoning, nor did it note any dissenting votes. It was the first request to delay or overturn the results of the presidential election to reach the court. The lawsuit was part of a blizzard of litigation and personal interventions Trump and his lawyers have waged to overturn victories by Biden in a handful of key states. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a sweeping complaint that asked the court to overturn Biden’s wins in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Georgia.

Women Make Record-Breaking Gains Across State Legislatures
The Hill – Julia Manchester | Published: 12/8/2020

Women broke barriers in state Legislature races across the country in November, with a record number of women from both parties winning their races at the state level. According to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, women will hold more than 30 percent of seats in state Legislatures for the first time in American history. The gains women made at the state level this cycle appeared to have reflected the record gains women made at the federal level as well. For Republicans, this marks an improvement for a party that has struggled to recruit women to its ranks.

Canada

Canada – ‘Loophole’ in Civic Election Act Breeds Unfairness and Financial Secrecy, Experts Say
CBC – Angela King | Published: 12/5/2020

A section of Ontario’s Municipal Elections Act creates an unequal playing field, undermines transparency, and should be changed, election experts say. Concerns have been raised about a part of the legislation that allows a corporation to pay an employee while volunteering for a political campaign after a Toronto man revealed he was paid by a lobbying firm to help campaign for candidates in the 2018 civic election. Kevin Haynes said he felt like an “election hitman” when he was paid $20 per hour in cash by a major lobbying group to knock on doors for nine candidates, seven of whom won.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – FBI Questions Alaska Lawmakers on Topics Including Permanent Fund Dividend Votes
Anchorage Daily News – James Brooks | Published: 12/8/2020

The FBI has interviewed or sought to question at least 11 Alaska legislators this year, asking in at least some of the interviews whether any lawmakers received a financial benefit in exchange for their vote on the Permanent Fund dividend. Not all interviewed lawmakers would say what they were asked about, and it is not clear what the FBI is searching for. An interview may not mean a legislator is under investigation – several lawmakers said the FBI told them during the interviews that they were not personally under investigation. Uncertainty over the motive for the interviews is roiling lawmakers, particularly in the Senate, where Republicans are attempting to form a majority government.

Arizona – Arizona Legislature Shuts Down after Rudy Giuliani Possibly Exposed Lawmakers to COVID-19
MSN – Maria Polletta (Arizona Republic) | Published: 12/6/2020

The Arizona Legislature closed for a week “out of an abundance of caution” after Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, possibly exposed several Republican lawmakers to COVID-19. Giuliani tested positive for the virus on December 6, less than a week after he visited Arizona as part of a multistate tour aimed at contesting 2020 election results. Giuliani had spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans, including two members of Congress and at least 13 current and future state lawmakers. He led the meeting maskless, flouting social distancing guidelines, and posing for photos.

Arizona – Judge Dismisses Dem Lawsuit Challenging Independent Redistricting Candidates
Arizona Mirror – Jeremy Duda | Published: 12/7/2020

Democratic legislative leaders’ lawsuit to disqualify two of the five finalists for independent chair of the state’s next redistricting commission fell flat after Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Janice Crawford ruled the disputed applicants did not violate the criteria set out in the Arizona Constitution. Crawford ruled Thomas Loquvam, an attorney for the utility company EPCOR, does not violate the constitution’s prohibition on lobbyists serving on the Independent Redistricting Commission, and gun store owner Robert Wilson meets the qualifications to serve as an independent.

California – L.A. Fines Former City Official, Company $45,000 for Lobbying Violations
MyNewsLA.com – Staff | Published: 12/8/2020

The Los Angeles Ethics Commission imposed a fine of $45,000 on Daniel Ahadian and nur Corporation for violating city lobbying laws. Ahadian is a former city official who worked with the Planning Department, and the sole owner of nur, a planning and land use consulting firm. Ahadian and nur admitted failing to register as lobbying entities and file quarterly disclosure reports from the first quarter of 2018 through the fourth quarter of 2019. Lobbying entities are required to register with the Ethics Commission and report their activities on a quarterly basis to help the public identify who is attempting to influence city action.

California – L.A.’s Ethics Commission Gets a New Boss: A 29-year employee of the watchdog agency
Yahoo News – Dakota Smith (Los Angeles Times) | Published: 12/8/2020

David Tristan, deputy executive director of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, was named as the new executive director of the commission, replacing Heather Holt, who faces term limits. Commissioner Jeff Daar cited Tristan’s decades of experience at the agency. “Obviously, he has a passion for the mission of the Ethics Commission,” Daar said. Rob Quan, an organizer with Unrig LA, a good-government advocacy group, described Tristan as extremely responsive. He described how advocates have called Tristan over the years to discuss a variety of topics, including campaign filings and broken links on the commission website.

California – Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty in Sprawling L.A. Campaign Money Laundering Case
Los Angeles Times – David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes | Published: 12/3/2020

Businessperson Samuel Leung pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit campaign money laundering, admitting he took part in a scheme to reimburse campaign donors between January 2009 and February 2015 – just as his apartment project was being reviewed and approved at Los Angeles City Hall. State law prohibits donors from making political contributions in the name of another person. The guilty plea came more than four years after a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed a sprawling network of more than 100 people and companies with direct or indirect ties to Leung made political donations totaling more than $600,000 while Leung’s project was under review. The project was approved in 2015.

Connecticut – Audit Finds Lax Oversight of Public Campaign Financing
CT Examiner – Emilia Otte | Published: 12/3/2020

For the last nine years, the State Election Enforcement Commission (SEEC) has failed to report the use of grant money financing candidates running for the Connecticut General Assembly, according to a recent audit. The SEEC is responsible for the Citizen’s Election Program, which gives grant money to campaigns for state Senate or House through the Citizen’s Election Fund, a pool of money that comes from the sale of abandoned property. By law, the SEEC must report annually on the amount of money in the fund and the number of people who have contributed to it. The commission is also required to present an analysis each cycle to the General Assembly of the amount of grant money issued, how campaigns have spent the money, and how much leftover money was returned to the fund.

Florida – Disgraced Republican Lawmaker Planted No-Party Candidate in Key Senate Race, Sources Say
Miami Herald – Ana Ceballos and Samantha Gross | Published: 12/3/2020

As the results for a key Florida Senate race appeared on television screens in an Irish pub, former Sen. Frank Artiles boasted he planted a no-party candidate in the race, which Republican Ileana Garcia won by 32 votes over incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez. “That is me, that was all me,” Artiles boasted to a crowd at Liam Fitzpatrick’s restaurant, according to a person who was there. Artiles recruited Alexis (Alex) Rodriguez, a longtime acquaintance. The no-party candidate with the same surname as the incumbent Democrat had been a registered Republican until just before his qualifying papers were filed to make him a Senate candidate. Sources have indicated Artiles’ involvement in launching Rodriguez’s bid was extensive.

Florida – Florida Police Raid House of Fired Data Scientist Who Alleged State Manipulated Covid-19 Stats
MSN – Reis Thebault (Washington Post) | Published: 12/7/2020

Florida police with guns drawn raided the home of an ousted health department data scientist, searching Rebekah Jones’ computer, phone, and other hardware that supports the coronavirus website she set up after accusing the state of manipulating its official numbers. Law enforcement officials allege Jones may have also used the devices to hack into a health department website to send an unauthorized message to Florida emergency personnel, urging them to speak out against the state’s pandemic response. After her dismissal, Jones launched her own data portal, advertising it as independent alternative to the state dashboard. Now, Jones says, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s raid is an attempt to silence her work.

Florida – Florida Voters Barred Ex-Lawmakers from Lobbying for 6 Years, but Revolving Door Still Swings
MSN – Gary Roher (Orlando Sentinel) | Published: 12/7/2020

The “revolving door” between government and lobbying firms in Florida was supposed to end after voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 banning elected officials and agency heads from lobbying for six years after leaving their posts. But that amendment does not take effect until the end of 2022, meaning the movement will continue for another two years. Since the November election, three Florida lawmakers have taken jobs as lobbyists, and one state agency director left her position in October to lead a trade group for an industry she used to regulate.

Georgia – Savannah Council Accepts Apology Kesha Gibson-Carter Says She Didn’t Make
Savannah Morning News – DeAnn Komanecky | Published: 12/9/2020

Savannah City Council members who filed ethics complaints against fellow Alderperson Kesha Gibson-Carter said they were ready to forgive the alderwoman. An ethics board found Gibson-Carter had violated the city’s ethics code. The three said they were ready to move forward instead of pushing for the only remedy available, a reprimand or censure, since Gibson-Carter had apologized privately to City Manager Michael Brown. Gibson-Carter is adamant she had not apologized to anyone, including the city manager, and had no intentions to do so.

Illinois – Ex-State Sen. Martin Sandoval, Snared in Political Corruption Investigation, Dies of Coronavirus: Attorney
Chicago Sun-Times – Jon Seidel, Mark Brown, and Mitchell Armentrout | Published: 12/5/2020

Former Illinois Sen. Martin Sandoval, who became a crucial figure in a series of ongoing public corruption investigations early this year when he admitted taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, has died from COVID-19. The Senate’s former Transportation Committee chair also agreed to “cooperate in any matter in which he is called upon” by federal prosecutors. In November, prosecutors told a judge that Sandoval had “provided valuable cooperation that is expected to last at least several more months.” Now, legal experts say Sandoval’s death has the potential to complicate the aggressive probe of Illinois politics.

Iowa – Iowa’s Contact-Tracing Firm Helped Trump, Reynolds Campaigns
Associated Press News – Ryan Foley | Published: 12/4/2020

After facing a workforce shortage for months, Iowa awarded an emergency $2.3 million contact-tracing contract to a company that has worked for the campaigns of President Trump and Gov. Kim Reynolds and is owned by a Republican insider. The Iowa Department of Public Health selected MCI for the two-month contract out of 14 applicants, saying it submitted the best proposal and its political connections were not considered. MCI is owned by GOP donor Anthony Marlowe, who has boasted it played a key role in Trump’s 2016 victory and was among the state’s top backers of Trump’s reelection bid.

Kentucky – Woman Faces 3 Counts of Lying to FBI, Jury in Bribery Case Tied to Lexington Council
Lexington Herald-Leader – Beth Musgrave | Published: 12/4/2020

A Kentucky woman was indicted by a federal grand jury for lying to the FBI and making false statements about campaign contributions to Lexington council members during the investigation trial of a former real estate executive. Elizabeth Stormbringer was charged with three counts related to lying about whether she was reimbursed by former CRM Executive Timothy Wellman for campaign contributions she made to Lexington council members in 2018. Wellman had a project the council would consider. He was found guilty on 11 charges relating to obstructing a federal investigation into illegal contributions.

Michigan – ‘Unambiguous, Loud and Threatening’: Trump supporters protest at home of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson
USA Today – Miriam Marini (Detroit Free Press) | Published: 12/6/2020

Dozens of protesters gathered in front of Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home recently, shouting through megaphones against the certification of the election and demanding a forensic audit. A portion of the demonstration was broadcast live on Facebook. The protesters are seen walking up to Benson’s home, some wearing President Donald Trump paraphernalia and carrying American flags. Throughout the election, Trump circulated false conspiracies about election fraud in Michigan. Benson said the protesters gathered in front of her home as she and her four-year-old son were finishing putting up Christmas decorations, just when the two were preparing to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Missouri – Medical Marijuana Subpoena May Have Been Connected to Independence FBI Probe
Columbia News Tribune – Jason Hancock (Missouri Independence) | Published: 12/7/2020

Lyndall Fraker, director of medical marijuana regulation at the Missouri Department of Health and Seniors Services, testified a grand jury subpoena his agency received was likely connected to an FBI investigation in Independence. The revelation is the first indication of the target of the federal subpoena. The FBI questioned officials in Independence about a pair of contracts issued by the city council. One called for the city to pay a company $9.75 million to tear down a power plant. The bid was more than twice that of the other bidder. The other contract called for the city to pay nearly $1 million to purchase a golf club to build a solar farm with Gardner Capital. Days before the vote, PACs funded by Gardner made four $2,500 donations to Independence Mayor Eileen Weir, who has denied the donations were connected to her vote to endorse the project.

Nevada – Nevada Supreme Court Rejects Trump Campaign’s Appeal to Overturn Biden’s Win
MSN – Timothy Bella (Washington Post) | Published: 12/9/2020

The Nevada Supreme Court unanimously rejected an appeal from President Trump’s campaign to overturn the state’s election results, the latest loss in the president’s ongoing legal efforts to have states he did not win declare him victorious. The decision from the court came after a lower court gave a full-scale ruling against the Trump campaign’s efforts in the state. Nevada District Court Judge James Russell ruled there was no evidence supporting the claims of fraud and wrongdoing made by the campaign in a state that President-elect Joe Biden won by more than 33,000 votes.

New York – Election Reformers Love Ranked-Choice Voting, but NYC Immigrants See Doom
Courthouse News Service – Nina Pullano | Published: 12/9/2020

Some of New York City’s multinational communities say they are being left behind in the Board of Elections’ plans to implement ranked-choice voting, a system that lets voters choose multiple candidates in order of preference. These groups teamed up with local politicians in a complaint that asks a court to block the change. The complaint accuses the elections board of violating city charter requirements to implement ranked-choice voting in a timely manner, while also contending that the city’s software is not up to snuff and changes of this nature should not be contemplated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Paired with a failure to educate people on ranked-choice voting, the BLA Caucus says New Yorkers of color, seniors, and those who speak limited English are among 5 million voters in danger of disenfranchisement.

Ohio – Householder Dark Money Group Reputedly Broke Deal with AEP-Backed Nonprofit to Fund
MSN – Randy Ludlow and Marc Kovac (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 12/5/2020

A board member of an American Electric Power-funded nonprofit said a separate group central in the nuclear plant bailout scandal appears to have used grants, including $550,000 newly disclosed in tax filings, for political purposes in violation of its agreement. J.B. Hadden, an attorney who serves on the board of Empowering Ohio’s Economy Inc., said the nonprofit’s grant agreement with Generation Now required the funding be used in compliance with IRS laws and for social welfare purposes only. Part of the agreement with Generation Now stated the money was not to be used “in furtherance of any political or campaign intervention activities.

Ohio – P.G. Sittenfeld Accepts Suspension from Cincinnati City Council After Arrest on Bribery Charges
MSN – Sharon Coolidge (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 12/7/2020

Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld accepted a suspension from his seat, a process initiated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost after Sittenfeld was arrested on federal bribery charges. Sittenfeld is one of three council members arrested and accused of “pay-to-play” schemes this year and the second member of council to accept a state suspension, which bars them from working, but allows them to collect their salary. The city charter does not address what happens in the event an elected official is arrested or convicted on charges of corruption, something that would directly affect their ability to do their job. But state law allows for the suspension of an elected official in the event of an arrest.

Ohio – Should an Ex-FirstEnergy Lobbyist Lead the Hunt for Ohio’s Next Utility Regulator? Consumer Advocate Asks
MSN – Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 12/3/2020

Consumer advocates question whether a former FirstEnergy lobbyist should lead the effort to replace ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairperson Sam Randazzo, who resigned after the FBI searched his property and a filing implied he received $4 million to terminate “a purported consulting agreement” with FirstEnergy. A nominating council is led by Michael Koren, a former FirstEnergy lobbyist. Koren lobbied for the company when House Bill 6 to subsidize FirstEnergy’s nuclear plants in Ohio was introduced. The bill is at the heart of a corruption scandal allegedly involving FirstEnergy.

Pennsylvania – Firm Ran Pa. Senator’s Campaign and Worked with Super PAC to Attack Opponent, but Denies Coordination
Spotlight PA – Sam Janesch (The Caucus) and Angela Couloumbis | Published: 12/8/2020

In the closing days of this year’s election, an ad attacking Democrat George Scott appeared in his race for the Pennsylvania Senate against incumbent John DiSanto, which was paid for by the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC). Direct coordination between groups like the RSLC, which run super PACs, and campaigns is forbidden. To create the ad, the group turned to a middleman, the same firm running DiSanto’s campaign: Red Maverick Media, headed by strategist Ray Zaborney. No one has accused Zaborney’s firm or RSLC of wrongdoing. But watchdogs and campaign finance experts said the arrangement is another example of how weak state and federal campaign finance rules, combined with meager oversight, create gray areas and loopholes.

Pennsylvania – Trump Asks Pennsylvania House Speaker for Help Overturning Election Results, Personally Intervening in a Third State
MSN – Amy Gardner, Josh Dawsey, and Rachael Bade (Washington Post) | Published: 12/7/2020

President Trump called the speaker of the Pennsylvania House twice to make an extraordinary request for help reversing his loss in the state, reflecting a broadening pressure campaign by the president and his allies to try to subvert the 2020 election result. The president’s outreach to Pennsylvania’s Republican House leader came after his campaign and its allies decisively lost numerous legal challenges in the state in both state and federal court. Trump has continued to press his baseless claims of widespread voting irregularities both publicly and privately.

Tennessee – Rutherford Mayor Bill Ketron Faces Audit Hearings on Campaign Finance Violation Accusations
MSN – Scott Broden (Murfreesboro Daily News Journal) | Published: 12/7/2020

Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron will face audit hearings in 2021 on campaign finance accusations. The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance approved staff audits of Ketron’s state senate and Quest PAC accounts between January 2018 and July 2019. Another pending audit of Ketron’s mayoral campaign finance account is expected to be done by February. The registry issued subpoenas in 2019 while the mayor’s daughter, Kelsey Ketron, faced insurance fraud charges as part of an indictment pertaining to her job with the family-owned insurance company. Kelly Ketron served as treasurer during his campaigns, and indictments accused her of pocketing over $65,000 from her father’s political funds.

Texas – California-Based Independent Voter Project Hosts Trip to Hawaii for State Legislators, Raising Ethics Filing Probe
The Center Square – Bethany Blankley | Published: 12/9/2020

A California-based organization paid for roughly 100 legislators from four states, including Texas, to attend a four-day fundraising event in Hawaii. The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a 501(c)3 organization created to “re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reforms through initiatives, litigation, and voter education.” Despite Hawaii’s stringent lockdown, IVP received special permission to hold a conference with more than the 12-person limit. The Dallas Morning News found that over the last three years of IVP hosting this trip, potential financial disclosure violations exist for Texas lawmakers who attended.

Texas – Texas Senate Affairs Committee Holds Hearing on Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
The Center Square – Bethany Blankley | Published: 12/9/2020

Each year, local governments in Texas spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on lobbyists whose job it is to persuade state lawmakers to allow for bigger government. It is a practice some legislators say must end. The Senate Affairs Committee held a hearing on the issue of taxpayer-funded lobbying at the Capitol. State Sen. Bob Hall filed legislation to end the practice after a companion bill was filed in the House. Hall said at the meeting that taxpayer-funded lobbying has been used to work against taxpayers. Tom Forbes, president of the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, said if the Legislature were to ban the practice next year, taxpayer-funded lobbying would continue, it just would not be as visible and would operate in the shadows.

Washington DC – Ivanka Trump Confirms She Was Questioned by the D.C. Attorney General’s Office Over Inaugural Committee Spending
MSN – Jacqueline Alemany and David Fahrenthold (Washington Post) | Published: 12/2/2020

Ivanka Trump said she was questioned for more than five hours by investigators from the District of Columbia attorney general’s office, which has accused President Trump’s Inaugural Committee of wasting donating money on an overpriced ballroom at the president’s hotel in the city. In early 2017, when the Inaugural Committee booked ballrooms at the hotel, that meant the president was effectively on both sides of the transaction: his committee paid his hotel, using donors’ money. Attorney General Karl Racine said the committee and the hotel took advantage of that arrangement.

December 10, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Senate Restores FEC as Agency Confronts Massive Backlog of Cases” by Karl Evers-Hillstrom for Center for Responsive Politics Pennsylvania: “Firm Ran Pa. Senator’s Campaign and Worked with Super PAC to Attack Opponent, but Denies Coordination” by Sam […]

December 8, 2020 • Written by Joanna Kamvouris

New Mexico Launches New Campaign Finance Information System

New Mexico Capitol Building - Ken Lund

New Mexico lobbyists and lobbyist employers may begin registering and paying their registration fees in the new Campaign Finance Information System available at: https://login.cfis.sos.state.nm.us/#/index. Both lobbyists and lobbyist employers will be required to register and create an employer/employee relationship to […]

December 8, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Canada: “‘Loophole’ in Civic Election Act Breeds Unfairness and Financial Secrecy, Experts Say” by Angela King for CBC Ohio: “Householder Dark Money Group Reputedly Broke Deal with AEP-Backed Nonprofit to Fund” by Randy Ludlow and Marc Kovac (Columbus […]

December 7, 2020 • Written by Joanna Kamvouris

Oklahoma Ethics Commission to Consider Campaign Finance, Lobbying Amendments

Oklahoma Capitol Building

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission will hold a regular meeting and public hearing on December 11 to consider lobbying and campaign finance rule changes. Amendment 2021-01 would modify ethics rules applicable to candidate committees formed for elections held prior to January […]

December 7, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Senate Panel Approves Nominees to Fill All FEC Vacancies” by Kate Ackley (Roll Call) for MSN California: “Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty in Sprawling L.A. Campaign Money Laundering Case” by David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes for […]

December 4, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – December 4, 2020

National/Federal 12 Votes Separated These House Candidates. Then 55 Ballots Were Found. New York Times – Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Jessie McKinley | Published: 12/2/2020 After all the votes had been counted in a heated U.S. House rematch in Central New York, […]

National/Federal

12 Votes Separated These House Candidates. Then 55 Ballots Were Found.
New York Times – Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Jessie McKinley | Published: 12/2/2020

After all the votes had been counted in a heated U.S. House rematch in Central New York, only 12 votes separated Republican Claudia Tenney from U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat. But the razor-thin margin is far from the only reason the race is engulfed in chaos. There was the case of the missing Post-it notes, which had mysteriously fallen off a stack of disputed ballots, making it unclear whether they had been counted and why they had been challenged. The scandal has been christened “StickyGate” by local media. The other unresolved House race is an open seat in Iowa’s Second District, where Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican, was recently certified the winner following a recount in which she led the Democrat, Rita Hart, by just six votes. Hart has indicated she intends to challenge the result.

2,596 Trades in One Term: Inside Senator Perdue’s stock portfolio
New York Times – Stephanie Saul, Kate Kelly, and Michael LaForgia | Published: 12/2/2020

Along with U.S. Kelly Loeffler, a fellow Georgia Republican, David Perdue faces an unusual runoff election in January. With control of the Senate at stake, and amid renewed concern about the potential for conflicts-of-interest in stock trading by members of Congress, Perdue’s investment activity, and especially his numerous well-timed trades, has increasingly come into the public glare. Data from Senate Stock Watcher, a website that aggregates publicly available information on lawmakers’ trading, shows the breadth of trades Perdue made in companies that stood to benefit from policy and spending matters that came not just before the Senate as a whole, but before the committees and subcommittees on which he served.

20 Days of Fantasy and Failure: Inside Trump’s quest to overturn the election
MSN – Philip Rucker, Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 11/28/2020

However clear-eyed President Trump’s aides may have been about his loss to Joe Biden, many of them nonetheless indulged their boss and encouraged him to keep fighting with legal appeals. The result was an election aftermath without precedent in U.S. history. With his denial of the outcome, despite a string of courtroom defeats, Trump endangered America’s democracy, threatened to undermine national security and public health, and duped millions of his supporters into believing, perhaps permanently, that Biden was elected illegitimately.

Criticized by Moderates and Pressured by Their Base, Liberals Fight for a Voice in the Democratic Party
MSN – Sean Sullivan and Rachael Bade (Washington Post) | Published: 11/29/2020

The left is toiling to exert their influence on a Democratic Party led by President-elect Joe Biden, an avowed centrist, and his moderate allies on Capitol Hill. After an election in which the country opted for a reset, not a revolution, moderate Democrats hold the power in the party. Many blame the polarizing themes championed by the left for the party’s shrunken House majority and Senate losses. This recrimination from party leaders, along with skepticism from some Biden allies, could limit liberals’ influence. But liberals offer a different take, arguing their base won Biden the White House. The shifting dynamics in the party have thrust the movement to a crossroad on the eve of the Biden presidency.

Disputing Trump, Barr Says No Widespread Election Fraud
Associated Press News – Michael Balsamo | Published: 12/1/2020

Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. His comments come despite President Trump’s repeated baseless claims that the election was stolen, Trump’s effort to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election, and his refusal to concede his loss to Joe Biden. Barr said U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they have received, but they have uncovered no evidence that would change the outcome of the election.

‘Mercenary’ Donor Sold Access for Millions in Foreign Money
Associated Press News – Alan Suderman and Jim Mustain | Published: 11/30/2020

Federal prosecutors say Imaad Zuberi’s life was built on a series of lies and the lucrative enterprise of funding American political campaigns and profiting from the resulting influence. They describe Zuberi as a “mercenary” campaign donor who gave to anyone, often using illegal straw donors, he thought could help him. “Pay-to-play,” he explained to clients, was just “how America work(s).” Zuberi’s story underscores how loosely regulated campaign finance and foreign lobbying laws are and raises an embarrassing question: how does such a cynical fraudster find favor with so many officials at the highest levels of the U.S. government? There are unanswered questions about Zuberi’s foreign entanglements and who benefited from his actions.

New Administration, House Turnover Raise Prospects for More Diversity on K Street
The Hill – Alex Gangitano | Published: 11/19/2020

Business groups in Washington, D.C. are hopeful the incoming Biden administration will prompt a round of hiring that will lead to more diversity on K Street. Diversity among lobbyists has been little changed over the past two years, but the arrival of a new administration and the departure of several House lawmakers increases the odds of more employment opportunities at trade associations, lobbying shops, and law firms. Congressional Democrats led the way on diversity in 2018, when a record number of women and minority lawmakers were elected to Congress. That was followed two years later by Republicans, with 17 GOP women elected to the House earlier this month. But those trends have not extended to K Street.

‘No Corporate PAC’ Pledges Hit Record in 2020, But May Face Uncertainty in 2022
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 12/2/2020

A record 155 incumbents and challengers vowed to reject corporate PAC money during the 2020 campaign for Congress. That stance helped attract small-dollar donations and generated enthusiasm among voters who favor a broad campaign finance overhaul. But many candidates lost anyway. Now, as Democrats face a 2022 midterm cycle in which, traditionally, the president’s party loses seats in the House, incumbents and future challengers are assessing whether the pledges pay off. On the other side, the PACs of companies continue to grapple with diminished clout partly due to contribution limits set long ago that do not budge for inflation. So, the future of such pledges, along with the influence of corporate PACs, remains uncertain.

NRA Reports Alleged Misspending by Current and Former Executives to IRS
MSN – Beth Reinhard and Carol Leonning (Washington Post) | Published: 11/26/2020

After years of denying allegations of lax financial oversight, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has made a stunning declaration in a new tax filing: current and former executives used the nonprofit group’s money for personal benefit and enrichment. The NRA said it continues to review the alleged abuse of funds, as the tax-exempt organization curtails services and runs up multimillion-dollar legal bills. The assertion of impropriety comes after the attorney general of New York state filed a lawsuit accusing NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre and other top executives of using NRA funds for decades to provide inflated salaries and expense accounts.

Supreme Court Wary of Quick Ruling on Trump Drive to Exclude Many Immigrants from Census
Politico – Josh Gerstein and Zach Montellaro | Published: 11/30/2020

The U.S. Supreme Court seemed reluctant to issue an immediate, sweeping ruling on President Trump’s plans to exclude undocumented immigrants from the decennial census used to allocate House seats. During an oral argument session, there appeared to be few, if any, takers on the high court for Trump’s effort to leave all unlawful immigrants out of the critical count. Several of the court’s most conservative justices seemed skeptical of the constitutionality of the president’s move, but they expressed misgivings about ruling on that issue now when thorny questions about smaller groups of unlawful migrants could be just weeks away.

Trump Era Court Battles Weaken Congressional Power
Roll Call – Todd Ruger | Published: 12/1/2020

Congress will emerge from the Trump administration with weakened power to check a president or oversee the operation of the federal government, the most consequential fallout experts see for lawmakers after four years of nearly constant high-profile courtroom showdowns with a defiant president. Democratic lawmakers often had no other recourse than to go to court because of President Trump’s approach. Once there, lawmakers fell short or did not get what they sought, and it does not bode well for similar oversight efforts in administrations to come.

Trump Has Discussed with Advisers Pardons for His 3 Eldest Children and Giuliani
New York Times – Maggie Haberman and Michael Schmidt | Published: 12/1/2020

President Trump has discussed with advisers whether to grant pre-emptive pardons to his children, to his son-in-law, and to his personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani, and talked with Giuliani about pardoning him as recently as last week, according to two people briefed on the matter. Trump has told others he is concerned that a Justice Department under President-elect Joe Biden might seek retribution against the president by targeting the oldest three of his five children – Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump – as well as Jared Kushner, a White House senior adviser. The speculation about pardon activity at the White House is churning furiously, underscoring how much the Trump administration has been dominated by investigations and criminal prosecutions of people in the president’s orbit.

Trump Pardons Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, Who Pleaded Guilty to Lying to the FBI
Washington Post – Rosalind Helserman and Josh Dawsey | Published: 11/25/2020

President Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, ending a three-year legal saga that included Flynn’s guilty plea for lying to the FBI, his later effort to withdraw that plea, and then a controversial decision by Attorney General William Barr to try to drop the case altogether. Trump’s move marks a full embrace of the retired general he had ousted from the White House after only 22 days on the job, and a final salvo against the Russia investigation that shadowed the first half of his term in office. The pardon for Flynn underlines how Trump has used his clemency power to benefit allies and well-connected offenders.

Trump Raises More Than $150 Million Appealing to False Election Claims
MSN – Josh Dawsey and Michelle Yee He Lee (Washington Post) | Published: 11/30/2020

President Trump’s political operation has raised more than $150 million since Election Day, using misleading appeals about the election to shatter fundraising records set during the campaign. The influx of political donations is one reason Trump and some allies are inclined to continue a legal onslaught and public affairs blitz focused on baseless claims of election fraud, even as their attempts have repeatedly failed in court and as key states continue to certify wins for President-elect Joe Biden. Much of the money raised since the election is likely to go into an account for the president to use on political activities after he leaves office.

Trump to Restart Foreign Deals, Breaking a Post-Presidency Norm
Politico – Anita Kumar | Published: 12/1/2020

President Trump’s namesake company plans to resume foreign real estate projects after he leaves office as it grapples with a tarnished brand in the United States and the need to pay off hundreds of millions of dollars of debt. The arrangement is already being criticized as one that could be used to pay back Trump for his policies as president or to influence U.S. policy through a former president – and possibly a future presidential candidate. Other former presidents have faced allegations they were monetizing the office with their post-presidency ventures, But Trump’s return to overseas deal-making as a private businessperson raises a new set of ethical issues no ex-president has ever confronted.

Canada

Canada – Lobbying Watchdog Says Three Cases Have Been Sent to RCMP for Criminal Investigation Since Start of Pandemic
National Post – Christopher Nardi | Published: 11/28/2020

The federal lobbying watchdog says she has referred three files to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for criminal investigation since the beginning of the pandemic in a year that has seen a significant uptick in lobbying. Commissioner of Lobbying Nancy Bélanger was called to detail her office’s work as questions have swirled throughout the summer about the lobbying activities by WE Charity and the husband of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff. Both have denied any wrongdoing. During her testimony, Bélanger said 2020 has been a busy year for lobbyists, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the States and Municipalities

Alabama – Mike Hubbard’s Prison Sentence Cut from 4 Years to 28 Months
AL.com – Associated Press | Published: 11/25/2020

Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker slashed former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard’s prison sentence from four years to 28 months, significantly reducing the time the once-powerful Republican will spend behind bars for an ethics conviction. Walker reduced Hubbard’s sentence at the request of defense attorneys after part of his conviction was overturned earlier this year. In his order, Walker noted Hubbard was convicted of 12 felonies when he handed down the four-year sentence, but that six counts were reversed on appeal.

Alaska – Junior Staffer Says Top Alaska Official Told Her to Keep Allegations of Misconduct Secret
ProPublica – Kyle Hopkins (Anchorage Daily News) | Published: 11/18/2020

Officials in the office of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy, including his chief of staff, knew for months his appointed attorney general had sent unwelcome personal text messages to a staff member but told the woman to keep it quiet, the staffer said. The woman said Tara Fradley, the manager in the governor’s Anchorage office, helped her compose a text to then-Attorney General Kevin Clarkson asking him to stop inviting her to his home at night, something he had done at least 18 times. The woman also said Dunleavy’s chief of staff, Ben Stevens, became aware of the texts by April but no human resources investigators contacted her until two months later, after a whistleblower wrote an anonymous letter that was obtained by news organizations and by an attorney working on an effort to recall Dunleavy from office.

Alaska – Lawsuit Challenges Alaska’s New Ranked-Choice Voting Ballot Measure
Anchorage Daily News – James Brooks | Published: 12/1/2020

The Alaskan Independence Party, its chairperson, and two Anchorage residents are suing to overturn Ballot Measure 2, a sweeping election reform initiative approved in November that would install ranked-choice voting in Alaska’s general elections. The plaintiffs claim the measure would violate their rights “to free political association, free speech, right to petition, right to due process” and other rights guaranteed by the Alaska and U.S. constitutions. In addition to making Alaska the only state other than Maine using ranked elections for almost all contests, the ballot measure imposes new campaign finance disclosure requirements for legislative and local races.

California – Inglewood Caps Campaign Contributions at $100,000 to Avoid New State Law
Los Angeles Daily Breeze – Jason Henry | Published: 11/24/2020

Inglewood will not follow a new state law limiting local campaign contributions to $4,700, instead opting for a cap 21 times higher than what a state senator can accept from a single source. The Inglewood City Council voted unanimously to set the city’s donation limit at $100,000, one of the highest caps in the state. The city of roughly 110,000 residents previously had no limit, but a new state law taking effect in January forces cities and counties to adhere to the limits set for state legislators unless they establish their own law first.

California – Raymond Chan, Former L.A. Deputy Mayor, Charged in Federal City Hall Corruption Case
Los Angeles Times – David Zahniser and Joel Rubin | Published: 11/30/2020

Raymond Chan, a former Los Angeles deputy mayor, is the latest figure to be accused of playing a part in a scheme allegedly run by ousted city Councilperson Jose Huizar. Prosecutors say both men were involved in shaking down developers who sought help pushing real estate projects through the city’s approval process. Prosecutors also announced corruption charges against Wei Huang, chairperson of a Chinese real estate company, and developer Dae Yong Lee. The superseding indictment added new allegations, signaling the government’s intention to prosecute Chan, Huizar, and the two developers as a group. Chan is accused of an array of illegal activities, including arranging “indirect bribe payments” to city officials by securing employment contracts for the officials’ relatives.

California – San Francisco Public Utilities Commission GM Harlan Kelly Charged with Fraud as Part of Corruption Scheme
KPIX – Staff | Published: 11/30/2020

The FBI reportedly raided the home of Harlan Kelly, Jr. on the same day authorities announced he had been charged with honest services wire fraud. Following the charges, Kelly resigned from his post as general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Prosecutors say Kelly engaged in a long-running bribery scheme and corrupt partnership with construction executive and permit expediting consultant Walter Wong. Nine people have been charged in a corruption scheme allegedly involving the former head of the city’s Department of Public Works, Mohammed Nuru. The complaint alleges Wong provided Kelly with bribes in exchange for official acts by Kelly that benefited or attempted to benefit Wong’s business ventures.

Colorado – Special Session Catches Secretary of State’s Office Off-Guard
Colorado Politics – Marianne Goodland | Published: 12/1/2020

Colorado’s special legislative session has apparently caught the secretary of state’s office off-guard when it comes to how lobbyists report which bills they are working on. A lobbyist said the special session was not listed on the secretary of state’s lobbyist page, a full day after the session started. If someone entered one of the bills from the special session, the website would default to a 2020 bill from the regular session and could not recognize the nomenclature of the special session bills. And for at least the first 24 hours of the special session, lobbyists had no idea what they were supposed to do.

Delaware – Wilmington Councilman Rebuked: ‘City employees must not be threatened for doing their jobs’
Wilmington News Journal – Jeanne Kuang | Published: 11/25/2020

Wilmington City Councilperson Vash Turner received a public reprimand from the city’s Ethics Commission, which found he violated city code when he threatened cutting an auditor’s salary during a public meeting. The Ethics Commission received a complaint from the auditor, Terence Williams, who refused to conduct a forensic audit of the insolvent nonprofit Wilmington Housing Partnership’s finances as requested by council members in a resolution, saying he believed it would be expensive and unnecessary in lieu of a traditional audit. Turner asked council staff in an email to “work on a resolution or ordinance to reduce the Auditor salary for insubordination of council legislation,” according to the commission.

Georgia – ‘Someone’s Going to Get Killed’: GOP election official in Georgia blames President Trump for fostering violent threats
Anchorage Daily News – Amy Gardner and Keith Newell (Washington Post) | Published: 12/1/2020

A top Republican election official in Georgia lashed out at President Trump during a news conference, blaming him for a flood of threats that have besieged his office and calling on the president and other Republicans to condemn the behavior. Gabriel Sterling, a voting systems manager for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, was visibly angry and shaken as he approached a lectern in the Georgia Capitol. Sterling’s public chastisement represents one of the strongest rebukes yet of Trump’s baseless attacks on the election’s integrity by a member of his own party.

Hawaii – Ex-Hawaii Prosecutor, Police Chief Get Prison for Corruption
Yahoo News – Jennifer Sinco Kelleher (Associated Press) | Published: 11/30/2020

A judge sentenced a former high-ranking Honolulu prosecutor to 13 years in prison and her retired police chief husband to seven years, saying she stole money from her own grandmother and then used his law enforcement power to frame her uncle for a crime he did not commit – all to maintain the couple’s lavish lifestyle. Louis Kealoha agreed to retire amid a wide-ranging federal investigation. The judge described how Katherine Kealoha orchestrated a reverse mortgage scheme that forced her grandmother to sell her home, framed her uncle for stealing the Kealohas’ mailbox, stole money from children whose trusts she controlled as a lawyer, cheated her uncle out of his life savings, convinced her firefighter lover to lie about their affair, and used her position as a prosecutor to turn a drug investigation away from her brother.

Illinois – City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin Denies Wrongly Firing Chief of Staff, Other Employees
Chicago Tribune – Gregory Pratt | Published: 11/23/2020

A former top aide to Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin alleged in an email to a city ethics official that she was fired after refusing to participate in unspecified “illegal and unethical conduct.” Conyears-Ervin said that is false. Conyears-Ervin’s former chief of staff, Tiffany Harper, was fired along with three colleagues. Conyears-Ervin said she pushed the workers out as part of an office shake-up designed to move her office in a different direction. But in an email to Steve Berlin, executive director of the city’s ethics board, Harper said she believes she and two other officials were let go “without cause or reason.”

Illinois – New Cache of ComEd Documents Shows Indicted Madigan Confidant Pressing Utility for Jobs and Contracts
Yahoo News – Dan Petrella, Jamie Munks, and Ray Long (Chicago Tribune) | Published: 11/26/2020

Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) released a trove of documents in an Illinois House committee probe into Speaker Michael Madigan’s actions. ComEd has admitted to operating a scheme to influence Madigan. Federal prosecutors say the company hired Madigan’s political allies to win favorable legislation, including electricity rate hikes. They allege those payments were arranged by ComEd executives and lobbyists and funneled to subcontractors who often performed little or no actual work. The developments broaden what is known about the indirect but ethically questionable interactions between Madigan and ComEd at a time when the utility had major legislative business pending at the statehouse that depended on the speaker’s blessing.

New Jersey – Christie’s 2013 Campaign Hasn’t Paid Off $1M in Debt to 2 Firms
Politico – Matt Friedman | Published: 12/1/2020

Seven years after his 2013 reelection, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s gubernatorial campaign still owes $1 million in debt stemming from the Bridgegate scandal. But the moribund campaign may be allowed to stop filing campaign finance reports this year. And there’s no sign that the campaign has sought to pay back its debts, or that either of the companies that are owed the money – a prominent law firm and a cybersecurity firm that billed large monthly amounts to taxpayers during the Christie administration – have made an effort to collect.

New Jersey – NJ Attorney General’s Probe Seeks Records Connected to Democratic Power Broker
Bergen Record – Terrence McDonald | Published: 11/23/2020

An investigation by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal into public health brokerage contracts and potential “pay-to-play” violations appears to go beyond Bergen County, with investigators now probing Plainfield’s work with a firm run by a Democratic power broker out of Middlesex County. Plainfield received a subpoena seeking contracts and related documents to be reviewed by a state grand jury, five days after the office subpoenaed Bergen County for similar records. The subpoena demands the city hand over a host of documents going back to 2015 related to its employee health insurance broker. The subpoena does not name the firm, but Plainfield’s broker is Acrisure.

North Carolina – Court Upholds North Carolina’s Voter Identification Law
Washington Post – Ann Marimow | Published: 12/1/2020

A federal appeals court upheld North Carolina’s law requiring voters to present photo identification before casting ballots, even as it acknowledged the state’s “long and shameful history of race-based voter suppression.” A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit said North Carolina’s past practice does not indefinitely prevent the state from enacting new voting restrictions. The panel said a lower-court judge had improperly considered the state’s “past conduct to bear so heavily on its later acts that it was virtually impossible for it to pass a voter-ID law that meets constitutional muster,” according to the opinion from Judge Julius Richardson.

Ohio – Bankruptcy Judge Orders Lobbyists to Testify About Any Ties to Householder Bribery Case
Akron Beacon Journal – Jim Mackinnon | Published: 11/25/2020

A bankruptcy judge is ordering four Ohio lobbyists who work for the top law firm in the FirstEnergy Solutions bankruptcy to answer questions under oath about any possible ties to a bribery case. Bankruptcy Court Judge Alan Koshchik told the four lobbyists, known as the “Ohio statehouse team” with law firm Akin Gump, to answer his questions in writing by January 8. The four lobbyists “were the timekeepers involved who interacted with currently-indicted individuals or entities …,” according to the court filing. The judge said about $2.8 million is being sought by Akin Gump related to state government lobbying, including work tied to the passage of House Bill 6. The bill, now law, is at the center of the $61 million federal bribery investigation.

Ohio – Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld Arrested on Federal Charges
Cleveland Plain Dealer – Andrew Tobias | Published: 11/19/2020

Cincinnati City Councilperson P.G. Sittenfeld was arrested and charged with bribery and attempted extortion. The complaint says Sittenfeld solicited and accepted $40,000 donations, made to a PAC supporting his bid for mayor, from a city developer and two undercover FBI agents posing as the developer’s business partners. In exchange, Sittenfeld in December 2018 promised to “deliver the votes” on city council for a development project, according to the complaint. The arrest is the latest in a string of high-profile corruption cases federal officials have undertaken in Ohio this year.

Ohio – Councilman Mann Seeks Independent Commission to Audit City Council Development Deals Saying the City Is in a ‘Crisis Unlike I Have Seen’
Cincinnati Enquirer – Sharon Coolidge | Published: 11/30/2020

Cincinnati City Councilperson David Mann is putting forward a plan to create a commission that will do an independent assessment of past city development deals. He is calling it the Commission to Clean Up City Council. It comes in the wake of three sitting Cincinnati City Council members being arrested this year on charges that allege they participated in “pay-to-play” schemes. None of the three arrests are related to each other. The commission would review links between campaign contributions and development contracts with the city. In addition to the review, Mann said it would also be tasked with making recommendations to keep corruption out of city deals and recommend any needed changes to the charter.

Ohio – Former Ohio Senate President Admits Ethics Violation for Not Disclosing Lobbying Clients
MSN – Randy Ludlow (Columbus Dispatch) | Published: 11/30/2020

Former Ohio Sen. Tom Niehaus admitted an ethics violation after turning himself in for failing to disclose lobbying clients while serving on the board of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority. Niehaus, who served as Senate president from 2011 through 2013, reached a settlement approved by the Ohio Ethics Commission in which he received a reprimand for violating ethics laws. The investigation uncovered no evidence that Niehaus’ actions benefited any of his lobbying clients while he served on the authority’s board.

Ohio – Watchdog Group Aims to Turn Lights Back on with Open Records
The Record-Herald – Farnoush Amiri (Associated Press) | Published: 11/30/2020

A watchdog group is hoping to turn the lights back on at the Ohio Statehouse by opening long-closed records to see who is influencing the legislative process after a $1.3 billion nuclear plant bailout that is now under federal investigation. A proposal from Common Cause Ohio hopes to persuade lawmakers to once again bring transparency and accountability to the process behind a bill becoming a law. The records surround discussions and decisions at the Legislative Service Commission, a nonpartisan agency that assists lawmakers with drafting and researching legislation. The records, also called bill files, include memos from a bill’s sponsor and material provided by lobbyists who asked the House or Senate sponsor to propose it.

Pennsylvania – Ex-State Lawmaker Found Guilty in Bribery Case Loses Appeal of Her Convictions, Probation Sentence
PennLive.com – Matt Miller | Published: 11/30/2020

A Pennsylvania appeals court panel refused to overturn the convictions of former state Rep. Vanessa Brown on conflict-of-interest and bribery charges stemming from an undercover sting operation. The Superior Court judges reached that decision despite Vanessa Brown’s claims of racial bias and prosecutorial impropriety. Brown in 20108 was sentenced to 23 months of probation and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution. Investigators said Brown took that amount of money in payoffs from an undercover agent with the state attorney general’s office who was posing as a lobbyist during an investigation into corruption in state government.

Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh Looks to Tighten Campaign Finance Reports for PACs, Independent Expenditures
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Ashley Murray | Published: 11/24/2020

Pittsburgh’s Ethics Hearing Board wants to track so-called dark money in local political campaigns. A bill before the city council would allow the board to do that by requiring tighter reporting rules for PACs and allowing further tracking of funds that back direct political mailers and ads. As the city law stands now, residents seeking local elected office must file a financial disclosure report for their respective candidate committees on the first business day of each month for three months leading up to the election. The proposed legislation would require the same reporting rigor for independent groups of individuals funding a campaign for or against a candidate or a ballot question.

Tennessee – Memphis City Council Votes Against Reforms to Bring Lobbying into the Light
MSN – Samuel Hardiman (Memphis Commercial Appeal) | Published: 12/1/2020

The Memphis City Council voted against adopting an ordinance that would require those lobbying the council to register and name their clients. The proposal would have required those paid to lobby council members to register with the city permits’ office, pay a $50 annual fee, and have their name on a list available to the public that includes who has hired them. Councilperson Martavius Jones called the ordinance “unnecessary.” Jones said the measure would not make council more transparent and there is nothing stopping council members from saying “no” to meetings with lobbyists.

Texas – Lawyers for Nate Paul Gave AG Ken Paxton $25k After He Waded into Civil Suit
Houston Chronicle – Taylor Goldentein and Jay Root | Published: 12/1/2020

Several weeks after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton made the unusual move of intervening in a civil lawsuit involving his friend and campaign donor Nate Paul, Paxton received a $25,000 donation from the law firm hired by Paul in the case, records show. Involving his office in the civil case was just one of a handful of apparent interventions by Paxton on behalf of Paul that troubled the attorney general’s top aides, leading seven of them to report Paxton to law enforcement for potential corruption charges in October, including bribery and abuse of office. Those accusations are now being investigated by the FBI.

Virginia – As Virginia Democrats Rein Themselves In with Bill Limits, Some Legislators See Lost Opportunities
Washington Post – Laura Vozzella | Published: 11/29/2020

Because the coronavirus has made the logistics of legislating more difficult, Virginia’s House and Senate will strictly limit the number of bills that can be introduced for the General Assembly session that begins January 13. Delegates will be allowed to propose seven bills apiece, down from the usual 15. Senators – who have not had a hard limit in years, if ever – will be capped at 12 each. That is forcing Virginia’s 140 legislators to be especially selective about what bills they submit. The first casualty of that policy could be the handful of lighter and quirky bills that usually leaven each session. The second could be the Democrats’ agenda.

Washington DC – Outgoing D.C. Council Member David Grosso Will Work as a Lobbyist for Arent Fox
Washington Post – Julie Zauzmer | Published: 12/1/2020

Outgoing District of Columbia Councilperson David Grosso will take a job as a lobbyist for a firm representing clients with business before the council. Grosso (I-At Large), who decided not to seek reelection this year, said he will lobby his former colleagues on behalf of clients including hospitals and cannabis businesses, in addition to working on national issues, in his new role as a partner at Arent Fox. A critic during his time in office of too-cozy relationships between business interests and public officials, Grosso said he views his decision to go from lawmaker to lobbyist as different from the conduct of predecessors he has criticized.

December 3, 2020 • Written by John Cetor

Lobbying Ordinance Voted Down in Memphis

Memphis Skyline - by WillyBearden

Memphis City Council voted against adopting an ordinance requiring those lobbying the council to register with the city and name their clients. The ordinance would have required lobbyists to register annually and pay a registration fee of $50. The ordinance […]

December 3, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “‘No Corporate PAC’ Pledges Hit Record in 2020, But May Face Uncertainty in 2022” by Kate Ackley for Roll Call Texas: “Lawyers for Nate Paul Gave AG Ken Paxton $25k After He Waded into Civil Suit” by […]

December 1, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “‘Mercenary’ Donor Sold Access for Millions in Foreign Money” by Alan Suderman and Jim Mustain for Associated Press News California: “Inglewood Caps Campaign Contributions at $100,000 to Avoid New State Law” by Jason Henry for Los Angeles […]

November 30, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance Pennsylvania: “Pittsburgh Looks to Tighten Campaign Finance Reports for PACs, Independent Expenditures” by Ashley Murray for Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Elections National: “Wisconsin Recount Confirms Biden’s Win Over Trump, Cementing the President’s Failure to Change the Election Results” by Rosalind […]

November 23, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Campaign Finance National: “Biden Transition Steps Up Fundraising as Trump Withholds Federal Money” by Elena Schneider and Theodoric Meyer for Politico California: “After Divisive Election Cycle, San Jose to Explore New Campaign Finance Laws” by Maggie Angst for San Jose […]

November 20, 2020 • Written by Jim Sedor

News You Can Use Digest – November 20, 2020

National/Federal 6 Lawmakers in 5 Days: New COVID-19 infections put spotlight on Congress’ loose guidelines USA Today – Christal Hayes | Published: 11/18/2020 As rampant nationwide coronavirus spikes force states to reexamine reopening efforts, Congress is still struggling to maneuver around […]

National/Federal

6 Lawmakers in 5 Days: New COVID-19 infections put spotlight on Congress’ loose guidelines
USA Today – Christal Hayes | Published: 11/18/2020

As rampant nationwide coronavirus spikes force states to reexamine reopening efforts, Congress is still struggling to maneuver around the pandemic as it encroaches on legislative business and endangers its members. COVID-19 has loomed over Congress for much of the year, yet lawmakers are still bickering over wearing face masks and not social distancing. Congressional leaders have refused to make coronavirus testing mandatory for lawmakers traveling back and forth to their home states. A rash of recent cases has infected a handful of lawmakers and sent several others into quarantine all while the U.S. Capitol welcomed back more than 500 legislators in the House and Senate.

Biden’s IRS Could Finally Give Trump’s Tax Returns to Democrats
Politico – Brian Faler | Published: 11/16/2020

President Trump’s defeat will make it easier for Democrats to get his tax returns, and some prominent lawmakers plan to keep the heat on the incoming Biden administration and House leaders to deliver. Once Biden controls the Treasury Department, his administration could simply hand over the records to its allies in Congress, who have been fighting in court to force Trump to turn them over. But Biden is casting himself as a uniter and releasing the returns risks looking like a vindictive investigation of his predecessor. Yet, if Democrats were to suddenly say “never mind,” it would not only be an embarrassing about-face, it would also infuriate people such as U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, head of the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee.

Corporations and Foreign Nations Pivot to Lobby Biden
New York Times – Kenneth Vogel and Eric Lipton | Published: 11/17/2020

While Joe Biden has taken steps to demonstrate his distance from lobbyists, his presidency is being welcomed on K Street. Lobbyists and other advisers who help clients navigate Washington are highlighting ties to Biden and his team in pitches to prospective clients, while firms and interest groups that lack such ties are scrambling to secure them. Such connections are plentiful because aides and colleagues of Biden’s have been cycling between government and the influence industry going back to his 36 years in the Senate and his eight years as vice president. It is a far cry from four years ago, when Donald Trump swept into town with few connections to established gatekeepers and lobbyists.

Fewer Opportunities and a Changed Political Environment in the U.S. May Have Curbed Moscow’s Election Interference This Year, Analysts Say
MSN – Ellen Nakashima (Washington Post) | Published: 11/17/2020

Russia failed to mount any major hacking or disinformation operations to interfere in the presidential election, and the Kremlin’s hackers did not even attempt to target elections systems in the way they did in 2016, according to U.S. officials. Analysts said it is too early to know why, but they point to a variety of possible reasons. Those include cyber and other operations that helped keep the Russians at bay, harder targets at the state and local level, and a political climate in which Americans themselves were the largest purveyors if disinformation, dwarfing Moscow’s efforts to influence the campaign through social media and its propaganda channels.

GOP Shows Limited Appetite for Pursuing Biden Probes
The Hill – Alexander Bolton | Published: 11/15/2020

Republicans are showing little appetite for aggressively pursuing investigations into President-elect Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden if they keep their U.S. Senate majority in 2021. Sens. Charles Grassley and Ron Johnson, who led a joint investigation of Hunter Biden this year, are signaling they will take a tough stance on the incoming administration. But other GOP senators are taking a wait-and-see approach. One of the considerations among Republicans is a desire by some to lower the partisan temperature and possibly explore common ground with Democrats.

NASA Official Asked Boeing If It Would Protest a Major Contract It Lost. Instead, Boeing Resubmitted Its Bid
MSN – Christian Davenport (Washington Post) | Published: 11/17/2020

Boeing’s bid to build a spacecraft capable of flying astronauts to the moon did not meet NASA’s requirements, and the company was going to lose out on a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars. But NASA was worried Boeing would protest the contract award, potentially holding it up for months at a time when the space agency was trying to meet a White House mandate to get astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024. in February, Doug Loverro, then the head of NASA’s human exploration directorate, called Jim Chilton, the senior vice president of Boeing’s space and launch division, to explain the company was going to lose the contract and to inquire whether it would file a challenge. That call occurred during a period when the agency was to have no contact with any of the bidders.

Palazzo’s Campaign Spending Under Investigation. ‘What We Saw Was Outrageous,’ Rival Says
Biloxi Sun Herald – Margaret Baker and Anita Lee | Published: 11/13/2020

U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo is being investigated by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) for allegedly using campaign funds to pay expenses associated with a farm he used to own. The Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint asking the OCE to investigate Palazzo’s campaign spending. It centered on campaign expenditures to rent a farm and to pay an accounting firm Palazzo founded and is now run by his former wife. Palazzo’s campaign spent $60,000 to rent a farm he owned from 2018 to 2019, the complaint said. The farm is located more than 30 miles from his campaign committee.

Pelosi, Democrats Renew Push to Overhaul Election, Campaign Finance Laws
Roll Call – Kate Ackley | Published: 11/16/2020

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would press ahead early next year with a campaign finance and elections overhaul, even as the measure may face the same Senate fate it did this Congress: doom. Even though the Senate majority for the 117th Congress hinges on two runoff elections in Georgia, Democrats and their outside allies said they would still push for the measure, spotlighting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s resistance.

Senior Justice Dept. Official Stalled Probe Against Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Sources Say
MSN – Juliet Eilperin and Matt Zapotosky (Washington Post) | Published: 11/12/2020

Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen deferred a bid from line prosecutors to move forward with possible criminal charges against former Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke, saying they needed to gather more evidence and refine the case, according to people familiar with the matter. The move last year by Rosen, an appointee of President Trump, angered some career prosecutors and has delayed for months the release of an Interior Department inspector general’s report. At issue is whether Zinke made false statements to investigators who were looking into his decision not to grant a petition by two Indian tribes to operate a commercial casino off reservation land in East Windsor, Connecticut.

Trump Fires Top DHS Official Who Refuted His Claims That the Election Was Rigged
MSN – Ellen Nakashima and Nick Miroff (Washington Post) | Published: 11/17/2020

President Trump fired a top Department of Homeland Security official who led the agency’s efforts to help secure the election and was vocal about tamping down unfounded claims of ballot fraud. Trump fired Christopher Krebs, who headed the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and led successful efforts to help state and local election offices protect their systems and to rebut misinformation. Krebs in a tweet refuted allegations that election systems were manipulated, saying “59 election security experts all agree, ‘in every case of which we are aware, these claims either have been unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent.'” Krebs’s statement amounted to a debunking of Trump’s central claim that the November election was stolen.

Watchdogs Urge Transparency as Executives from Powerful DC Firm Floated for Biden Administration
ABC News – Matthew Mosk and Mike Devine | Published: 11/12/2020

As speculation swirls over who President-elect Joe Biden will tap for top posts at intelligence and national security agencies, a number of names being publicly floated come from a Washington, D.C.-based firm packed with Obama-era powerbrokers. The company, WestExec Advisors, describes itself as a “strategic advisory firm” that helps private businesses navigate potential challenges around the world, including international laws, “geopolitical trends,” and “changes in Washington and in other capitals.” Unlike lobbying firms, which are usually required to disclose to the names of clients and government agencies they contact, WestExec falls into a different category of company, allowing it to operate with far less transparency.

With Trench Warfare Deepening, Parties Face Unsettled Electoral Map
New York Times – Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns | Published: 11/15/2020

America’s two major parties had hoped the 2020 presidential election would render a decisive judgment on the country’s political trajectory. But after a race that broke records for voter turnout and campaign spending, neither Democrats nor Republicans have achieved a dominant upper hand. Instead, the election delivered a split decision, ousting President Trump but narrowing the Democratic majority in the House and perhaps preserving the Republican majority in the Senate. As Joe Biden prepares to take office and preside over a closely divided government, leaders in both camps are acknowledging voters seem to have issued not a mandate for the left or the right but a muddled plea to move on from Trump-style chaos.

Canada

Canada – Fitzgibbon Is the First Cabinet Minister to Be Reprimanded by National Assembly
Montreal Gazette – Jocelyne Richer | Published: 11/12/2020

Quebec Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon became the first provincial minister to be reprimanded by the National Assembly. While he maintains he did nothing wrong, Fitzgibbon will have to live with the unanimous vote for the rest of his political career. An investigation by concluded Fitzgibbon placed himself in a situation where his personal interest could influence his independence and judgment as a cabinet minister because of his close friendship with businessperson and lobbyist Luc Laperrière. The report criticized Fitzgibbon for allowing Laperrière privileged access to him while the latter was promoting three business dossiers being handled by Fitzgibbon’s ministry.

From the States and Municipalities

Alaska – Voters Approve Alaska Ballot Measure 2 Which Adopts Top-Four Primaries, Ranked-Choice General Elections
Ballotpedia News – Ryan Byrne | Published: 11/18/2020

Ballot Measure 2 was approved by Alaska voters. It makes several changes to election policies, including: replacing partisan primaries with open top-four primaries for state executive, state legislative, and congressional offices; establishing ranked-choice voting for general elections, including the presidential election, in which voters can rank the candidates; and requiring persons and entities that contribute more than $2,000 that were derived from donations, contributions, dues, or gifts to disclose the true sources of the money.

California – California Lawmakers Head to Maui with Lobbyists Despite Pandemic, Travel Warnings
Politico – Katy Murphy | Published: 11/16/2020

The coronavirus pandemic did not derail an annual gathering of lobbyists and California lawmakers on the shores of Maui that brought people from across the country to a luxury resort. Roughly 100 people from four states converged at the Fairmont Kea Lani for a four-day legislative conference organized by the Independent Voter Project, said the group’s executive director, Dan Howle. The 18th annual event was a third of its regular size, Howle said, but it still drew nearly 20 lawmakers from California, Texas, and Washington state. The theme was how to reopen states’ economies amid the public health crisis.

California – Former Consultant for California High-Speed Rail Project Is Cleared of Ethics Violations
Yahoo News – Ralph Vartabedian | Published: 11/12/2020

The Fair Political Practices Commission investigation into the top consultant working on the California bullet train last year found he did not violate state law, following allegations he was among those who approved a contract modification for a company in which he held stock. The probe found Roy Hill, formerly the top official at the state’s main consulting firm, WSP, did not violate state laws for conflicts-of-interest. Hill was deputy chief operating officer for the project. The matter involved allegations Hill signed a $51-million change order for the construction team led by the Spanish firm Dragados. It happened in the same year he may have owned more than $100,000 of stock in Jacobs Engineering, which is part of the Dragados team.

California – Newsom’s Cozy Ties with Top Lobbyist Showcased by French Laundry Dinner Party
Politico – Jeremy White and Debra Kahn | Published: 11/16/2020

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is being criticized for his decision to attend a celebration for political operative Jason Kinney at the French Laundry in Napa County. After the private dinner was reported, Newsom said while the outdoor meal did not violate coronavirus restrictions, he showed poor judgment in attending. The meal also cast a brighter spotlight on Kinney and the dual clout he wields in the insular world of California politics. Kinney is not the first operative to blur the line between politics and policy. The doors between campaigns, administrations, and Sacramento’s lobbying corps have long swung open for people with contacts and experience to leverage.

Florida – State Investigating Mysterious Candidate Who Swayed Tight Florida Senate Race
Tampa Bay Times – Samantha Gross and Ana Ceballos | Published: 11/17/2020

The razor-thin victory that delivered Ileana Garcia to the Florida Senate and ousted Democrat José Javier Rodríguez continues to raise eyebrows for one reason: a mysterious third candidate named Alex Rodriguez. A one-time mechanic with no history in local politics, Alex Rodriguez never started a campaign website, attended no candidate forums, and received no donations, save for a $2,000 loan from himself. Mailers pitching his name sent to voters in the Coral Gables area were sent by a shadowy political group that, so far, has been untraceable. When a television reporter recently tracked Alex Rodriguez down, he pretended to be someone else.

Georgia – Ga. Secretary of State Says Fellow Republicans Are Pressuring Him to Find Ways to Exclude Ballots
MSN – Amy Gardner (Washington Post) | Published: 11/16/2020

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said he has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who he said questioned the validity of legally cast absentee ballots, in an effort to reverse President Trump’s narrow loss in the state. Raffensperger expressed exasperation over a string of baseless allegations coming from Trump and his allies about the integrity of the Georgia results, including claims that Dominion Voting Systems, the manufacturer of Georgia’s voting machines, is a “leftist” company with ties to Venezuela that engineered thousands of Trump votes to be left out of the count.

Illinois – City Council Divided Over Changing Naperville’s Campaign Finance Disclosure Rules
Chicago Tribune – Suzanne Baker (Naperville Sun) | Published: 11/18/2020

Proposed changes to the Naperville campaign ethics regulations to include finance disclosures for city council members raised as many questions as it did support. Council member Theresa Sullivan originally sought to amend the city’s ethics code to require council members and the mayor to recuse themselves from voting on any agenda item if the petitioner, or a representative of the petitioner, donated more than $500 to their most recent campaign. Sullivan said she has since realized a mandatory recusal opens the door to more unintended consequences than she anticipated. Instead, Sullivan said she supports an option where council members must announce any campaign donation of $500 or more before voting on any pertinent issue where a donor was either a petitioner or opponent.

Illinois – Feds Charge Former Top ComEd Executives, Lobbyists in Springfield Corruption Case
WBEZ – Dan Milhalopoulos, Dave McKinney, and Tony Arnold | Published: 11/18/2020

Federal prosecutors marched deeper into Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s inner circle, charging longtime confidant Michael McClain and former Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) Chief Executive Officer Anne Pramaggiore in a bribery scheme designed to curry favor with the powerful speaker. Also charged are ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker and Jay Doherty, the former president of the City Club of Chicago, who was accused of helping to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to three people with ties to Madigan. ComEd admitted in July to an effort to win Madigan’s favor for rate increases and other legislation by funneling consulting payments to his allies for doing little or no work for the utility.

Louisiana – After IG’s Ouster, Stronger Whistleblower Laws Considered by New Orleans Ethics Review Board
Nola.com – Jeff Adelson | Published: 11/17/2020

The ouster of New Orleans’ inspector general could spark a move for more expansive whistleblower protection laws or more detailed oversight of that office, city council members were told. Following allegations of rampant absenteeism against Inspector General Derry Harper and reports he warned staff against taking their concerns over his head, Ethics Review Board Chairperson Michael Cowan said efforts were underway to tighten the reins. The potential challenge, he said, would be balancing greater oversight of the watchdog office with the need for it to remain independent of political influence.

Maine – Ethics Commission to Review Records of Maine Legislative ‘Leadership PACs’
Portland Press Herald – Kevin Miller | Published: 11/18/2020

The Maine ethics commission will review the finances of 15 so-called leadership PACs run by state lawmakers to ensure the groups are keeping accurate records and not violating state laws prohibiting personal use of PAC money. Members of the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices stressed the reviews were being conducted “without any suggestion of impropriety.” But they also acknowledged the structure of “leadership PACs” – political action committees set up by legislators to raise and spend money – means there may be fewer “checks and balances” than in larger organizations.

Michigan – Trump Coronavirus Adviser Tells Michigan to ‘Rise Up’ Against New Shutdown Orders
MSN – Katie Shepherd (Washington Post) | Published: 11/15/2020

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer closing colleges, high schools, workplaces, and in-person dining for three weeks as coronavirus cases have spiked. After she appealed to the Trump administration to intervene in the pandemic, White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas responded with a call to action. But instead of supporting Whitmer’s efforts to slow the spread of the virus in Michigan, he urged residents to reject the state’s public health guidelines. “The only way this stops is if people rise up,” Atlas said in a tweet, which quoted a reporter who had shared information about Whitmer’s new restrictions. Critics condemned the rhetoric, which mirrored President Trump’s statements that correlated “tyranny” with the restrictions put in place previously by Whitmer, who was the target of an alleged kidnap plot that was thwarted.

Michigan – U.S. Attorney Sought Records from Joan Jackson Johnson’s Charity; City Must Repay $234K in HUD Grants
Lansing State Journal – Sarah Lehr | Published: 11/13/2020

Federal prosecutors requested records from One Church One Family, a private charity formerly managed by Joan Jackson Johnson. Meanwhile, Lansing is preparing to repay $233,710 in federal grant money the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development concluded the city mismanaged during Jackson Johnson’s tenure as director of Human Relations and Community Services. Jackson Johnson retired in February after an external audit found she mismanaged city money and may have sought to “conceal” conflicts-of-interest by not properly disclosing them.

Michigan – Wayne County Republican Who Asked to ‘Rescind’ Her Vote Certifying Election Results Says Trump Called Her
MSN – Tom Hamburger, Kayla Ruble, and Tim Elfrink (Washington Post) | Published: 11/19/2020

President Trump called a Republican canvassing board member in Wayne County who announced she wanted to rescind her decision to certify the results of the presidential election. “I did receive a call from President Trump, late Tuesday evening, after the meeting,” Monica Palmer, one of two GOP members of the four-member board. “He was checking in to make sure I was safe after hearing the threats and doxing that had occurred.” The call came after an hours-long meeting in which the canvassing board voted to certify the results of the November 3 election, a key step toward finalizing President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state. The state said Palmer’s board has done its job and cannot retract its votes.

Missouri – Failure to Pay Ethics Fine Could Cost Bruce Franks About $75,000
St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Joe Hollerman | Published: 11/16/2020

After not making a payment in 10 months on a negotiated $14,000 fine, the Missouri Ethics Commission now contends that former state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. owes more than $89,000. The state filed suit against Franks, saying he has not made a payment on the lower fine that was negotiated last year. The suit says Franks’ failure to make a payment on the agreed-upon amount now causes the remaining $75,000 of the fine to be restored.

Nevada – Former Tourism Exec Strikes Ethics Deal in Misuse of Gift Cards
Las Vegas Review-Journal – Jeff German | Published: 11/13/2020

Brig Lawson, a former executive with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, agreed to pay $13,881 in state ethics fines for using agency-bought airline gift cards on personal travel. Lawson also will pay another $8,881 fine the Nevada Ethics Commission said is twice the value of the Southwest Airlines gift cards he and his domestic partner and his partner’s parents used for personal trips.

New Mexico – Modest Sunshine Still Leaves Campaign Cash in Shadow
New Mexico In Depth – Sara Swann (The Fulcrum) and Bryan Metzger | Published: 11/18/2020

What is happening in New Mexico illustrates that improving the transparency of how campaigns are financed can be done, but making progress often requires incremental steps that take a lot of time. It is an example of what states across the country must grapple with when they seek to slow the influence of money over their own politics, at a time when federal regulation of presidential and congressional elections has shriveled. Money still floats through the state’s elections while remaining out of public view because a new law did not strengthen donor disclosure requirements for PACs.

New York – After Cuomo Book Approval, Ethics Commissioners Quash Greater Scrutiny
The Telegraph – Chris Bragg (Albany Times Union) | Published: 11/17/2020

Staff for the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) has long issued informal advisory opinions to public officials seeking advice about how to conduct themselves properly under state ethics and lobbying laws. In 2012, commissioners passed a resolution allowing staff to do that work between meetings. At the same time, state law requires JCOPE to engage in a formal process: approving or disapproving requests by state employees to earn over $5,000 in outside income. In practice, JCOPE’s informal advisory opinions have become conflated with the formal approval process. Staff has used the opinion letters to approve or disapprove the formal requests to earn income, even though nothing in the resolution passed by commissioners granted staff that authority.

New York – Despite State Law, Democrats’ Seats on Ethics Panel Remain Vacant
Albany Times Union – Chris Bragg | Published: 11/16/2020

The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) has been short two commissioners for more than a year, due to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins not following that law that a commissioner must be replaced within 30 days by the government leader responsible for making that appointment. Gov. Andrew Cuomo appoints six commissioners, three Republicans and three Democrats. Among Republican lawmakers, Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt has three picks and Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay has one. Senate Democratic spokesperson Mike Murphy said JCOPE has “well-documented problems which make it hard to find people that would want to serve.”

Ohio – FBI Searches Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo’s Home
Cleveland Plain Dealer – Jeremy Pelzer and Andrew Tobias | Published: 11/16/2020

FBI agents searched a home owned by Sam Randazzo, chairperson of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). An FBI spokesperson declined to provide details about why the home was searched. The PUCO chair is one of the most powerful positions in state government, wielding influence on matters regarding the regulation of utilities in the state to include profits and rates charged to customers. The search comes after the FBI arrested then- House Speaker Larry Householder and four others in connection to a $60 million bribery scheme allegedly funded by FirstEnergy, which was seeking a $1 billion legislative bailout for its two nuclear power plants in the state.

Ohio – How FBI Agents Posed as Cincinnati Hotel Developers to Catch Suspects in 2 Ohio Bribery Scandals
MSN – Jessie Balmert (Cincinnati Enquirer) | Published: 11/12/2020

Lobbyist Neil Clark did not realize, while chatting with hotel developer clients after a Cincinnati Reds game, that he was talking with undercover FBI agents working to uncover two bribery schemes. The first was against Cincinnati City Councilperson Jeff Pator, who is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for his vote on development projects. The second was against Clark, former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, and three others. They are accused of orchestrating a nearly $61 million bribery scheme to seize control of the House, pass a bailout for nuclear plants, and defend those subsidies against a ballot initiative. Those two apparently unconnected, widespread bribery investigations converged in Cincinnati.

Ohio – Sundermann, Landsman Propose Reforms After 2 Council Members Accused of Taking Bribes
MSN – Jennifer Edwards Baker (WXIX) | Published: 11/16/2020

Cincinnati City Councilmembers Greg Landsman and Betsy Sundermann separately announced a series of proposed City Hall reforms, including a charter amendment that would allow for recall of people in office and a creating a city Ethics Commission. The announcements come on the heels of two councilmembers, Tamaya Dennard and Jeff Pastor, being arrested on charges that allege “pay-to-play” schemes. Pastor was accused of taking $55,000 in bribes, allegation he has vowed to fight. Dennard, who has resigned, was arrested after she promised a developer she would vote for a development project in exchange for $15,000.

Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Supreme Court Rejects Complaints About Philadelphia Election Observations
Politico – Zach Montellaro and Josh Gerstein | Published: 11/17/2020

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled observers’ rights to watch ballot counting was sufficient in Philadelphia, rejecting a claim from President Trump’s campaign that poll observers did not get “meaningful access.” The Trump campaign argued observers were stationed too far away to see the process of counting votes, and a lower court initially agreed with them, ordering that they be allowed closer to the process. The state Supreme Court, which had previously rejected other Republican arguments, vacated that lower court order.

Pennsylvania – Top Pa. Senator’s Campaign Revives Lawsuit Against Journalists Over Public Records Fees
PennLive – Mike Wereschagin (The Caucus) | Published: 11/12/2020

The campaign of Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati renewed its lawsuit against a Spotlight PA journalist and others, asking the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas to overturn a lower court’s dismissal of the case. Scarnati’s campaign sued The Caucus, Caucus Bureau Chief Brad Bumsted, and Spotlight PA reporter Angela Couloumbis for $5,070. The suit claims they owe an accounting firm the money for producing public records that documented questionable spending by Scarnati’s campaign. The campaign also wants $1,000 for attorney fees and court costs. A judge ruled Scarnati’s campaign should pay the accounting firm.

Tennessee – Nashville Council Members Call for Ethics Review of Actions by Colleague Robert Swope
The Tennessean – Yihyng Jeong | Published: 11/16/2020

Council members are calling for an ethics review of Metro Council member Robert Swope’s conduct after recent reports say he tried to steer government contracts to his company. A letter has circulated gauging interest among council members in asking Swope to seek an advisory opinion from the Metro Board of Ethical Conduct. The concerns follow news reports that uncovered emails showing Swopes last year tried to get city contracts Intelligent Transit and also attempted to initiate a loan proposal to lend Metro $500 million from a company he is affiliated with, in exchange for ownership of some future city infrastructure.

Texas – FBI Is Investigating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, AP Report Says
Texas Tribune – Emma Platoff | Published: 11/17/2020

The FBI is investigating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Associated Press reported, vetting allegations made by eight of Paxton’s former top aides that he illegally used the power of his office to benefit a political donor. Sources said the bureau was examining claims made by the whistleblowers that Paxton broke the law by intervening several times in legal matters involving Nate Paul, a real estate investor and friend who donated $25,000 to Paxton’s campaign in 2018. Aides told authorities they believed Paxton had committed crimes as part of his relationship with Paul, citing bribery and abuse of office. Since then, four aides have been fired, three have resigned, and one has been placed on leave, sparking a whistleblower lawsuit.

Virginia – Charges Dismissed Against State Sen. Louise Lucas in Vandalism of Portsmouth’s Confederate Monument
Virginian-Pilot – Margaret Matray | Published: 11/16/2020

A judge dismissed charges against Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas and all others charged in a June protest at Portsmouth’s Confederate monument at the request of the city’s top prosecutor, who said the elements of the charges were not properly met. The felony charges against Lucas and 18 others – including local NAACP leaders, several public defenders, and a school board member –stem from a protest and vandalism at the city’s Confederate monument. Activists and Democrats questioned the timing of the charges, which came a day before a General Assembly special session. Lucas, a veteran Democratic legislator, has been an outspoken advocate for police reform.

Washington – After Years of Preamble, Tim Eyman’s Trial Begins. Could It Mean the End of His Initiatives?
Wenatchee World – David Gutman (Seattle Times) | Published: 11/16/2020

Tim Eyman has spent decades running initiatives to lower taxes and advance conservative policies in Washington. He now stands accused of laundering political donations to enrich himself, accepting kickbacks from a signature-gathering firm, and a years-long refusal to comply with campaign finance laws. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, whose 2017 lawsuit precipitated the civil trial, seeks millions of dollars in damages and hopes to permanently bar Eyman from accepting money on behalf of any political committee or handling their finances. Eyman has personally received and concealed more than $1 million, Ferguson says.

West Virginia – W.Va. Lobbyist Puccio Crosses Political Streams to Advise Democrat Manchin, Republican Justice
West Virginia MetroNews – Brad McElhinny | Published: 11/15/2020

Larry Puccio has been walking a political tightrope. His path crosses influence, access, politics, loyalty, friendship, and no small degree of personal finance against the backdrop of a West Virginia that is transitioning from longtime Democratic dominance toward Republican power. He is a lobbyist, former state Democratic Party chairperson, and ex-chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin when he was governor. But this political season, Puccio pushed for the re-election of Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican who first won office as a Democrat.

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

News You Can Use Digest – December 11, 2020

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

New Mexico Launches New Campaign Finance Information System

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Oklahoma Ethics Commission to Consider Campaign Finance, Lobbying Amendments

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

News You Can Use Digest – December 4, 2020

Lobbying Ordinance Voted Down in Memphis

Thursday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Tuesday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

Monday’s LobbyComply News Roundup

News You Can Use Digest – November 20, 2020

Popular Categories

Sort by Month

Sort By State

Popular Categories

Sort by Month

Sort By State

Celebrating 30 years in business!