Latest Developments:
Among the recollections of the late Sen. John McCain’s legislative achievements, NPR ran a segment on the Senator’s impact on Campaign Finance, including his essential role in the so-called Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, better known as McCain-Feingold. Unmentioned was McCain’s checkered past as a member of the “Keating Five” corruption scandal, which took place amidst the larger Savings and Loans collapse of the late 1980s. McCain himself cited the scandal as an impetus for his often-Quixotic undertakings for reform.
Nosce te Ipsum: The LA Times reports on Gov. Jerry Brown’s Monday veto of a bill that would have prevented politicians from paying family members an amount greater than fair-market value for goods and services. Sponsored by Assemblyman Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga), the bill sought to ban politicians from making excessive payments to parents, children and siblings working on their campaigns.
Reminder:
Our annual Essential Ethics Workshop will be held on Wednesday, September 5 at the University Club in Washington, D.C. from 12:30 – 2 p.m. We’ll be discussing new developments in political law, sharing experiences and best practices for responding to lobby audits, and discussing the potential changes to the Supreme Court’s campaign finance precedent in light of the upcoming appointment of a new Justice. This event is free and open to all clients. Contact Donna Flanagan for more information.
In case you missed it:
- Ongoing North Carolina litigation, taking place amidst the invalidation of its Congressional districts, has led to an order to halt the printing of ballots pending review of the NACCP’s challenge of the language of two Constitutional amendments set for the November ballot. Analysts claim that these developments threaten chaos for the upcoming general elections.
- Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum’s stunning upset in Tuesday’s Democratic gubernatorial primary has brought attention to the ongoing FBI corruption investigation that appears to be focused on Tallahassee City Since Gillum’s victory, both Slate and Fox News have covered the investigation and its nexus to the mayor.
- Ex-Pa. Mayor Convicted In Pay-To-Play Scheme: Law 360 reports that a Pennsylvania federal jury on Thursday found ex-Reading Mayor Vaughn Spencer guilty on charges of bribery and wire fraud in connection with a scheme in which he solicited campaign donations from city vendors in exchange for lucrative contracts.