Is it fair to say that there is a nationwide trend toward pay to play restrictions? The Brennan Center for Justice cites the Rezko prosecution as a data point in favor of additional pay to play rules:
Reasonable contribution limits and tailored pay-to-play regulations that keep lobbyists and/or state contractors from giving large sums to state officials and candidates for state office have been found to be perfectly constitutional by our nation’s courts because they curb corruption and reduce the public perception of politics as a pay-for-access enterprise. For example, 21 states have laws that regulate contributions from lobbyists and 7 states have laws that regulate contributions from state contractors.