Latest Developments:
- Oklahoma Announces New Ethics Rules: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission has announced new rules for 2025. Changes include raising the anonymous donation limit from $50 to $200, raising the monetary meal cost from $500 to $750, raising the gift limit from $100 to $200, and the aggregate limit from $500 to $750.
- Maine Extends Revolving Door Ban to Legislative Employees: The Maine Legislature has passed ME LD 1576, prohibiting former legislative employees from engaging in compensated lobbying for one year after leaving their government positions. The prohibition takes effect January 1, 2026, and broadens the reach of an existing law for executive branch employees.
- DOJ Refocuses FCPA Enforcement: The U.S. Department of Justice has resumed enforcing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act with a more targeted, risk-based approach emphasizing cases tied to U.S. economic interests and national security. Meanwhile, a Reuters investigation reports that the DOJ’s Public Integrity Section has been cut from more than 30 attorneys to just five.
- DOJ Initiative Targets Government Contractors: The U.S. Department of Justice has issued a “Civil Rights Fraud Initiative” that directs vigorous enforcement against “federal-funding recipients or contractors (who) certify compliance with civil rights laws while knowingly engaging in racist preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities, including through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that assign benefits or burdens on race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
- House Ethics Panel to Review Campaign Activity Guidance: Politico reports that the House Ethics Committee is launching a subpanel to review its guidance on campaign activities. The committee’s two members, one Democrat and one Republican, will “review and make recommendations to improve, clarify, and modernize the Committee’s guidance regarding campaign activity by House Members, officers, and employees.”
Reminders:
- Don’t forget to join Evann Whitelam of Nielsen Merksamer for a Practising Law Institute (PLI) one-hour briefing on July 1, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on “Corporate Political Activity and ESG Under the Trump Administration – A Six-Month Review.” Registration is still available.
- And don’t miss this insightful discussion of judicial elections with former state Supreme Court justices, featuring Jason Kaune of Nielsen Merksamer in the American Bar Association seminar, “Justice and Politics: A Discussion of Campaign Finance and Ethical Issues in State Judicial Elections.” To watch on demand, see https://learningcenter.americanbar.org/
In Case You Missed It:
- Executive Order Challenge Dismissed: From Politico, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by Democratic committees claiming a Trump executive order undermined the FEC’s independence. The court held the case was too speculative to justify emergency intervention.
- FEC Issues Fine Before Losing Quorum: From Independent Voter News, the Federal Election Commission fined Rep. Maxine Waters $68,000 for campaign-finance violations in her 2020 campaign, just prior to the Commission losing its quorum.
- Musk PAC Sued over Voter Incentives: NBC News reports that a Wisconsin watchdog group sued Elon Musk and his super PAC for offering cash prizes to voters. The lawsuit claims the actions violated state laws prohibiting voting bribery and unauthorized lotteries.
- Lobbyist Contributions Analyzed: The Washington Examiner explains how lobbyists often make campaign contributions to increase access to the lawmakers they frequently lobby. The article discussed Qatar’s active foreign agents, stating they have donated nearly $700,000 to members of Congress and other government officials since 2020.
- Florida Representative Under Investigation for Earmark: Politico reports that the Office of Congressional Conduct is investigating a Florida Democrat for, among other things, requesting community project funding, also known as earmarks, on behalf of a for-profit entity that donated to her campaign.
- Nationwide Pharmacy Chain under Investigation for Lobbying Using Personal Information: From the Associated Press, Louisiana’s Attorney General announced that she is investigating whether pharmaceutical giant CVS improperly used customers’ personal information to send text messages to lobby against proposed legislation. The bill would have prohibited companies from owning both pharmacy managers and drug stores, but it failed to advance.
- Arkansas Refuses to Appoint Ethics Commissioner: KATV Little Rock/Pine Bluff reports that Arkansas’s attorney general has refused to appoint a new member to the Arkansas Ethics Commission because a state law requires that at least one member be of a minority race. The Attorney General contends the requirement is unconstitutional.