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Essential Ethics

Essential Ethics is Nielsen Merksamer’s popular bi-weekly newsletter focused on developments in campaign finance, lobby disclosure, and government ethics laws across the nation. View our latest and archived posts below.

October 29, 2021

Latest Developments: The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that it will not rehear Thompson v. Hebdon, after the request for a new hearing was withdrawn. The action leaves in place the court’s decision this summer overturning certain Alaska…

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October 22, 2021

Latest Developments: The FBI announced this week the indictment of US Rep. Jeff Fortenberry “on federal charges that he lied to the FBI and concealed information about illegal campaign contributions that he accepted from foreign sources.” Fortenberry denies…

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October 15, 2021

Latest Developments: The Governor of Illinois signed SB 539. The comprehensive ethics reform bill expands lobbyist registration and reporting to include lobbying local government, and revises provisions relating to procurement, revolving door restrictions, and campaign contributions. The measure takes effect on…

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October 8, 2021

Latest Developments: The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission approved an increase in contribution limits. The new limits are: $7,600 for each primary and general election for statewide offices, $4,500 for each runoff election for statewide…

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October 1, 2021

Latest Developments: The United States Supreme Court agreed to hear Federal Election Commission v. Cruz, a case that challenges the limit on the amount of personal loans that can be repaid to a candidate. Current law limits loan repayments…

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September 24, 2021

Latest Developments: The United States First Circuit Court of Appeals, in Gaspee Project v. Mederos, upheld Rhode Island’s “limited disclosure of funding sources responsible for certain independent expenditures and electioneering communications.” The court found that the laws…

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September 17, 2021

Latest Developments: The Illinois Legislature, after rebuffing the Governor’s request to amend SB 539 earlier, passed the requested amendments to the ethics bill at the beginning of a one-day session called to “consider a comprehensive energy package.” The Mattoon Journal-Gazette & Times-Courier explains…

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September 10, 2021

Latest Developments: The Alaska Supreme Court sided with the Alaska Public Offices Commission in determining that limits on contributions to independent expenditure committees are unconstitutional. In APOC v. Patrick, the court found that existing limits are unconstitutional as applied…

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September 3, 2021

Latest Developments: Multnomah County, Oregon (County Seat: Portland) announced that it will implement campaign contribution limits. According to the release, a “Circuit Court judge has ruled that Multnomah County’s campaign contribution limits are constitutional and do not violate free…

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August 27, 2021

Latest Developments:  The California Fair Political Practices Commission adopted a new regulation requiring disclosure when a committee pays for website advertisements or third-party social media advertisements.  The commission also amended two other regulations related to online communications paid for by…

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