Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: A United States District Court Judge in Wyoming found the state’s ban on campaign robocalls to be unconstitutional.  According to Government.com, the ban on political calls was far more restrictive than the limits on commercial robocalls. …

Latest Developments: A federal District Court Judge in Washington, D.C. issued a 113-page opinion invalidating a 38-year old Federal Election Commission regulation that required any person’s federal Independent Expenditure Report to only disclose contributors to the ad addressed by that report….

Latest Developments: The New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) met on July 31.  The Commission highlighted its efforts to educate the public on the new lobby regulations that take effect on January 1.  The…

Latest Developments: The Governor of Montana has filed suit against the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service seeking to block the revenue procedure that eliminates the reporting of the identity of contributors to politically active…

Latest Developments: The United States Treasury Department announced that it will no longer require the names and addresses of donors to be included on Schedule B, which is filed with IRS Form 990, for any nonprofit other…

Latest Developments: Sexual Harassment Developments: In Maine, SB 695 was enacted. It requires Legislators, legislative staff and lobbyists to attend and complete a course of in- person education and training regarding harassment, including sexual harassment, at…

Latest Developments: The California Fair Political Practices Enforcement Review Task Force meets next Wednesday, June 11.  The Commission created the task force to obtain input from the regulated community and other interested parties regarding creating/revising the…

Latest Developments: California Governor Jerry Brown appointed a new Chair of the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission last Friday.  According to the Sacramento Bee, Alice T. Germond joins the Commission after a lengthy political career that includes serving as…

Latest Developments: The Oklahoma Ethics Commission raised lobby registration fees by $100 to $250, beginning July 1.  According to The Oklahoman, the increase follows a dispute with the state’s legislature which gave the commission no general fund monies for support for…

Latest Developments: The United States Supreme Court says it’s “OK” to wear your “political” T Shirt to the Polls.  In Minnesota Voters Alliance v. Mansky, the court (in a 7 to 2 decision) struck down Minnesota’s ban on…