Latest Developments:
- The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics ordered former Governor Cuomo to repay money he earned from a book deal. NPR explains that the Governor “promised it would have nothing to do with the ins and outs of his role as the state’s leader. He also pledged to write it on his own time and without tapping into any of the state’s vast resources. But New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics says that’s not at all what happened…” An attorney for the former Governor said that the commission’s actions “‘exceed its own authority and appear to be driven by political interests rather than the facts and the law…’”
- U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin introduced HR 6283, which would “apply the ban on contributions and expenditures by foreign nationals under [the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971] to foreign-controlled, foreign-influenced, and foreign-owned domestic business entities.” The Hill explains that the reintroduction of the House measure “would block foreign-owned corporations from spending company funds to influence U.S. elections”
- The Dallas City Council approved an ordinance in response to corruption issues in city government. The Dallas Morning-News explains that the City Council approved several of the Mayor’s proposals to “strengthen transparency and accountability to residents as well as make reporting ethics violations and rules more clear.” The package creates an Inspector General in the City Attorney’s Office, bolsters ethics training, expands conflict-of-interest rules, bans those seeking public subsidies from lobbying for them, and expands the Ethics Advisory Commission. The ordinance also includes a $300 annual limit on gifts from lobbyists. The measure takes effect immediately, with some exceptions.
- The City of Portland Open and Accountable Elections Commission adopted new regulations governing its Small Donor Elections Program. The program caps small contributions at $250, but permits seed money contributions of $500, and allows loans and in-kind contributions of up to $5,000 under certain circumstances.
- The Delaware County (adjacent to Philadelphia), Pennsylvania Council approved Ordinance 2021-13, which requires county contractors to disclose campaign contributions with their bid and annually thereafter. The measure applies to contracts that require County Council approval ($50,000 or more) beginning April 1, 2022.
In Case You Missed It:
- The Federal Election Commission selected Allen Dickerson as its chair and Steven T. Walther as its vice chair for 2022.
- Coffee Brews Campaign Cash: The Miami Herald explains that Tampa General Hospital, a 501(c)(3) charity, is prohibited from making political donations, but three of its top officers run a for-profit coffee company that operates a Starbucks and another coffee house in its hospitals. The coffee company has given over $300,000 since 2019 to its PAC, the Friends of Tampa General Hospital, which has doled out the cash to politicians in the state. “Two campaign finance experts told the Herald/Times that there didn’t appear to be anything illegal or improper about the hospital-related coffee business’ donations.”
- January 6 Contributions: According to The Hill, the “nation’s biggest companies have steadily ramped up their donations to GOP lawmakers who voted against certifying the 2020 election results… Corporate America expressed concern about the state of U.S. democracy after supporters of former President Trump attempted to overturn the election results. But companies have signaled they don’t want to lose influence with the GOP, which is broadly favored to win back control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections.”
- Colorado Group Fined: Colorado Public Radio reports that the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office fined a group $40,000 for failure to reveal its donors. “Critics of the group argued that Unite for Colorado crossed the line between nonprofits and political groups. A complaint filed in August 2020 argued that the group was spending so heavily — and was so closely involved in politics — that it should have registered as a political issue committee and reported more detail on its financial activities.” The group spent “about $4 million on three different ballot initiatives,” and is affiliated with Unite for Colorado Action IEC, which supports candidates.
- $25,000 Fine for Personal Use: The Associated Press reports that a Georgia Appeals Court Judge agreed to a $25,000 fine after he “used campaign money to pay for trips to Hawaii and Israel.” He had also been accused of “transferring money from his old legislative campaign account to financially prop up his former law firm between 2015 and 2019.” A former legislator, the judge is suspended during judicial disciplinary hearings.