Latest Developments:
- Annual Report on Private Ordering: The Center for Political Accountability, a non-profit organization promoting transparency and private ordering (self-regulation) in regard to corporate political spending, released its annual CPA-Zicklin Index. They noted a 102.5% increase in corporations either disclosing or prohibiting election-related expenditures by tax-exempt 501(c)(4) organizations since 2016. They also highlighted companies participating in their model code for political transparency.
- Resignation in the Face of Allegations of Pay-to-Play Violations: From California Healthline, California’s mental health commission announced that its executive director, who has been on leave pending investigation, would resign amid revelations that he traveled to the U.K. courtesy of a state vendor while he sought to prevent a budget cut that would have defunded the vendor’s contract.
- Super Bowl Tickets Cause Ethics Investigation: From the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a library supervisor who accepted Super Bowl tickets will be required to implement ethics training for himself and his staff. The gift fell under the “safe harbor” provision allowing dismissal of the charge if he complies because he relied on advice from counsel, even though that advice was incorrect.
- Indictment of State Supreme Court Justice: As reported by Law & Crime, a jury has indicted a New Hampshire Associate Supreme Court Justice on two felony counts and five misdemeanors after she allegedly attempted to influence the state governor to cut short an investigation into her husband, the State Ports and Harbor Director.
- 2026 Vote Could Restore Campaign Finance Limits in Alaska: The State of Alaska has been without campaign finance limits since 2021, when a federal judge struck down the previous limits, but the Alaska Beacon reports that in 2026 Alaskans will vote on whether to enact new campaign finance limits.
In Case You Missed It:
- Increase in Grey Money Spending as Election Nears: As explained by the New York Times, both political parties have been using “grey money,” or a strategy whereby major donors give to 501(c)(4) nonprofits, which then donate to super PACs.
- Guilty Plea from Orange County Supervisor: From the Daily Journal, an Orange County supervisor who faces up to five years in federal prison pled guilty to federal bribery charges and agreed to immediately resign and pay full restitution and forfeit assets directed to a nonprofit.
- FPPC Investigates LA City Councilman: The Los Angeles Times reports that Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin De León is being investigated by the FPPC for pay-to-play violations after his campaign accepted donations from employees of a company that received a $1.91 million contract with the city.
- LA County Contracting Process Not Corrupt: After the indictment of a county supervisor, LA County conducted an audit of its contracting processes and found no systemic pattern of corruption in the system, but auditors offered a series of recommendations for improving operations and oversight.
- Musk Offer May be Problematic: Elon Musk has offered to give $1 million a day to a registered voter who has signed his petition. Follow the latest out of Pennsylvania, where Musk attempted to move a civil suit brought by the Philadelphia district attorney to federal court.
- “Spitballs, Pine Tar and Vaseline are Now in the Game:” Politico reports a rebuke from a federal judge regarding an attempt by Florida’s governor to restrain advertisements concerning abortion, with the admonition: “To keep it simple for the State of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.”