Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: The New Mexico Legislature finally introduced a bill to implement a state ethics commission.  Following adoption at the November election of a state constitutional amendment that required creation of an independent ethics commission, a 49-page…

Latest Developments: The Federal Election Commission announced revised contribution limits for the 2019-2020 election cycle based on changes to the consumer price index.  For example, under the new contribution limits, individuals may contribute up to $2,800 to federal…

Latest Developments: The Governor of New York has signed A 776 and S 1101, which make clear that limited liability companies are subject to the prohibition on corporate contributions and require LLCs to file annual disclosure reports with the…

Latest Developments: The Mayor of Washington, D.C. signed a major campaign finance measure, Bill 22-107 (now C. Act 22-578).  Among other things, the measure enacts pay-to-play restrictions on contractors, prohibits lobbyists from bundling contributions, and moves the Office of…

Latest Developments: The United States Supreme Court denied a petition to hear an appeal from the Ninth Circuit decision in Lair v. Mangan, a case that raised two issues:  (1) whether Montana’s base candidate contribution limits on individual and political…

Latest Developments: The United States District Court for the District of Maryland, in Washington Post v. McManus, found that the state’s Online Electioneering Transparency and Accountability Act, which was intended to curb foreign online/social media activity in domestic…

Latest Developments: President Trump signed the JACK Act (“Justice Against Corruption on K Street Act of 2018”; 2896).  That measure requires federal lobbyists to disclose convictions for certain financial crimes on their lobbyist registration and quarterly reports.  Bloomberg has a…

Latest Developments: The U.S. Congress passed the JACK Act (“Justice Against Corruption on K Street Act of 2018”; 2896).  That measure would require federal lobbyists to disclose convictions for certain financial crimes on their lobbyist registration and quarterly…

Latest Developments: The Federal Election Commission met on December 13.  The agenda included a discussion of an opinion, as requested by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), on whether a Member of Congress may use campaign money to pay for…

Latest Developments: The Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland signed Ordinance 18-0230 on December 3, 2018.  That measure will require semi-annual lobbyist activity reporting on July 31 and January 31, in place of the annual reports previously required.  The ordinance…