Essential Ethics

Latest Developments: The Federal Election Commission (FEC) Votes Against Requesting Public Comment on Use of AI in Campaign Ads: At its open meeting on June 22, 2023, the FEC discussed a petition requesting guidance that the prohibition on…

Latest Developments: The State of California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Adopted SB 1439 Regulations: On June 15, 2023, the FPPC held a meeting to adopt final regulations on the application of SB 1439, which expanded the reach…

Latest Developments: California SB 1439 Withstands Initial Legal Challenge: In the lawsuit filed by a coalition seeking to invalidate SB 1439 on the grounds that expanding California pay-to-play rules violates both the California Constitution and the…

Latest Developments: The State of Washington Will Require More Disclosures From Grassroots Campaigns: Washington enacted HB 1317, and effective July 23, 2023, the new law expands the definition of a “sponsor” of a grassroots lobbying campaign, adjusts…

Latest Developments: Minnesota Enacts Voter Registration, Election and Campaign Finance Reform: On May 5, 2023, the Governor of Minnesota signed HF 3 into law, which includes provisions for automatic voter registration and the criminalization of knowingly spreading certain…

Latest Developments: The State of California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Reminds All City and County Attorneys That SB 1439 Is In Effect: On May 3, 2023, the FPPC issued a press release, notifying the public that…

Latest Developments:  Maryland SB 269 and HB 192 Prohibit The Use of Cryptocurrency (or Any Non-US Currency) in Campaign Finance: Effective July 1, 2023, contributions to a campaign finance entity and donations to entities registered with the State Board…

Latest Developments: The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office updated contribution limits for the period from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2024. Among other changes, the maximum that an individual or partnership may contribute to a statewide or legislative candidate…

Latest Developments: The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, in WinRed, Inc. v. Ellison, determined that federal campaign finance law does not preempt a state from enforcing a state’s consumer protection law that prohibits deceptive practices. According…

Latest Developments: The Federal Election Commission posted new contribution limits for 2023-2024 federal elections. Among the changes, individuals may now contribute $3,300 per election to a federal candidate (up from $2,900 for 2021-2022). The California Supreme Court, in Travis v….