Latest Developments:
- The Wisconsin Ethics Commission issued a formal opinion that lobbyists may make contributions to state candidates during contribution window regardless of whether or not the candidate appears on the ballot in the next election.
- COVID-19 Update: Government officials, agencies, and courts continue to respond to the COVID-19 emergency. Each week we will add the latest information. For more information about filing deadlines, contact our Political Reporting Unit. Among the more notable developments this week:
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- The California Legislature, which was scheduled to return to work last week, has postponed its session until the end of the month due to COVID-19. The Los Angeles Times reports that two members of the legislature have tested positive and one has been hospitalized.
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- The National Conference of State Legislatures has a tracking tool that keeps track of legislative sessions that have been postponed or delayed by COVID-19. In addition to California, both Illinois and Nebraska currently have sessions postponed by COVID-19. One effect of the many delayed or extended sessions is that lobbyist reporting periods and deadlines may be different than in “normal” years.
- The Missouri Ethics Commission announced a new online annual report that contains statistics of activity reported to the Commission. According to the Commission, the report “includes real time data in both graphic and table form, reported to the MEC during a calendar year. Electronic information can be found from calendar years 2017 forward, in the areas of campaign finance, lobbying, and personal financial disclosure.”
- The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission published a summary explaining that members, officials, and other representatives of Business Improvement Districts must register as lobbyists if they meet the threshold qualifications in the city’s lobby ordinance.
- The San Jose City Council is proposing to place a measure on the November ballot to create a strong mayor form of government. Included in the proposal is a ban on contributions and gifts from lobbyists and a ban on gifts from contractors. The Charter amendment would also require the Mayor and Council Members to recuse themselves on any matter that affects a person who has contributed to their campaign committees.
In Case You Missed It:
- Contribution Sources Analyzed: The Campaign Finance Institute issued a new report that indicates that large donors and PACs dominate funds raised in state campaigns. While more than 5% of adults in Wisconsin and Rhode Island donate to those campaigns, 0.5% or less of all adults contribute to statewide or state legislative races in California and Utah.
- California Oil Regulators Adopt Ethics: The Palm Springs Desert Sun reports that the “California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) in particular has been the target of accusations of impropriety related to its leadership’s ethics.” According to the article, the new ethics policy “forbids employees from maintaining financial holdings, such as stocks, in businesses they regulate without written approval from the department’s director.”
- SF Corruption Probe Widens: According to the San Francisco Chronicle, The FBI investigation into corruption at San Francisco City Hall has taken a new turn. New subpoenas indicate that the FBI is looking for information about possible corruption in the City Administrator’s Office, the Planning Department, and the Department of Public Health.
- Bribes or Contributions: The Toledo Blade reports that, in the FBI’s investigation of Toledo City Council Members taking bribes, the “line between what constitutes a campaign contribution and what constitutes a bribe may be fuzzy to some because of a culture in which politicians and businesses, interest groups, and unions symbiotically support each other through campaign contributions and favorable votes on legislation.” The article points out that everyone agrees that there is an “absolute ban on promising to vote for something in exchange for something of value.”