Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission met and adopted a new rule that revises lobbyist gift rules. The change creates an exception for informational materials provided by a lobbyist or lobbyist employer. Gifts of informational material valued at less…

Latest Developments: The North Dakota Attorney General issued an opinion approving regulations of the state’s Ethics Commission. The regulations expand the definition of who qualifies as a lobbyist for purposes of gift rules to include all public officials. The opinion…

Latest Developments: A Superior Court in Los Angeles issued an order turning down a suit to invalidate a California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regulation. That regulation requires disclosure of public money spent by public entities on election campaigns,…

Latest Developments: The United States Senate confirmed the nominations of three new Commissioners to the Federal Election Commission. The three Commissioners, approved on rollcall votes, are Shana M. Broussard (92-4), Sean J. Cooksey (50-46), and Allen Dickerson (49-47). Politico notes that…

Latest Developments: The President-Elect of the United States’ Inaugural Committee is in business and accepting donations. However, the Committee’s donation page makes clear that it “does not accept contributions from lobbyists,… foreign agents…. or fossil fuel companies, their executives, or from…

Latest Developments: The United States Senate Rules and Administration Committee held a hearing on three nominees to the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday. The President nominated Shana M. Broussard, Sean J. Cooksey, and Allen Dickerson to fill empty seats on the…

Latest Developments: The Supreme Court of the United States, on Monday Nov. 9th, refused to grant cert to a case “challenging the legality of super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money in…

Latest Developments: Oregon Voters approved Measure 107, which permits the state legislature and local governments in Oregon to enact laws to “limit contributions made in connection with political campaigns or to influence the outcome of any election…” It also…

Latest Developments: The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics met and considered revisions to the Comprehensive Lobbying Regulations. The newest revisions are subject to formal notice and the state’s rule-making process and will be put through a new 45-day…

Latest Developments: The Michigan Secretary of State released inflation-adjusted lobby reporting thresholds, fees, and penalties for 2021. The changes include an increase in the threshold that requires registration from expenditures of more than $2,535 in a 12-month period to…