Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: The U.S. Government Accountability Office issued its 2023 Lobbying Disclosure Report. The report, based on audits of a random sample of 98 quarterly LD-2 reports and 160 LD-203 reports, concluded that its findings comport with…

Latest Developments: The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Smith v. Helzer, affirmed a lower court’s denial of an injunction to stop the implementation of parts of Alaska’s Measure 2, which…

Latest Developments:  The Oregon Legislature approved HB. 4024, which would impose campaign contribution limits in one of the few remaining states that has no limits. The bill establishes these limits, beginning January 1, 2027, requires related…

 Latest Developments: The Los Angeles City Ethics Commission issued an announcement that it resolved several ethics cases, which include the imposition of fines of $7,500 and $5,000 against two individuals who failed to file lobby…

Latest Developments:  The Federal Communications Commission announced “a unanimous adoption of a Declaratory Ruling that recognizes calls made with AI-generated voices are ‘artificial’ under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).”NPR explains that the net effect…

Latest Developments:  The Federal Election Commission adjusted for inflation the threshold for reporting campaign contributions “bundled” by federal lobbyists. The new threshold is $22,700, up from $21,800 for 2023. In Case You Missed It:  Listen…

Latest Developments:  The Texas Ethics Commission adjusted various thresholds, including those for lobby registration, effective January 1, 2024. The new thresholds require that a person must register if the lobbyist receives compensation of more than $1,870…

Latest Developments:  A U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction in Minnesota Chamber of Commerce v. Choi. The Minnesota Reformer reports that the court granted the order to block Minnesota’s recently enacted law that would have…

Latest Developments: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a series of bills that require the Governor, other statewide officers, legislators, and candidates for those offices, to file annual financial disclosure reports. One of the four bills, SB…

Latest Developments:  The Michigan Bureau of Elections issued its annual update of thresholds under the state’s Lobby Registration Act. Among other things, lobby registration in required when compensation exceeds $775 in any 12-month period (up from $725), lobbyist employers must…