LAWSUIT IN ETHICS MATTER. The Hill. “Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is suing Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and six other lawmakers, charging that they mishandled the ethics investigation that led to his public censure in late 2010.”
OFA IN THE NEWS. Here. “Organizing for Action, the activist group that grew out of President Obama’s 2012 campaign, plans what it calls a ‘major day of action’ next month to gather support for the bipartisan Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill.”
POLITICAL ACTIVITY AND NEWS CORP. DEAL. Story here. “As part of the deal, News Corp said it would adopt enhanced corporate governance procedures – including a policy to disclose to its shareholders political contributions made directly by the company.”
CHAIR CONTRIBUTIONS. USAT. “In the first three months of Congress, newly installed House committee chairmen collectively saw a 74% increase in donations from special-interest political action committees from the same period in the last Congress, a USA TODAY analysis shows.”
BACHMANN UPDATE. Here. “Congresswoman Michele Bachmann knew of and approved payments to her 2012 presidential campaign manager in Iowa but did not know the arrangement may have violated the state’s Senate ethics rules, according to an affidavit from her former chief of staff.”
CISPA LOBBYING. Link. “Activists and Internet users protesting the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act – a cybersecurity bill that passed the House of Representatives Thursday – have spun the battle as big business interests versus the privacy of individual citizens. If lobbying dollars are anything to go by, they’re right: Pro-CISPA businesses and interests have spent 140 times more money on lobbying than anti-CISPA interests, according to the Sunlight Foundation.”
CT: LOBBYIST ISSUE. Link. ”The hospital lawyers point out that Wright is not only the lobbyist for Fairpay, but he’s also chairman of the state’s Workers’ Compensation Advisory Board. It’s an unpaid, non-voting position with no binding authority — but, in the hospital lawyers’ opinion, it puts him too close to government decision-makers whose actions may affect Fairpay’s fortunes.”
IL: EMANUEL DEFENDS DONATIONS. Trib. “Mayor Rahm Emanuel today defended accepting tens of thousands of dollars in political donations from hotel developers who need the approval of his administration for their projects.”
NY: ETHICS BOARD UPDATE. Story here. “Gov. Andrew Cuomo is replacing the chairwoman of the troubled state ethics board he created more than a year ago.”
NY: CFR PUSH. Story here. “A coalition supporting public financing of state election campaigns is gearing up for a new ad push targeting the state Senate, sources say.”
PA: CFR BILL UPDATE. Here. “The Pennsylvania Senate recently unanimously approved bills which state Sen. Bob Mensch says will improve and expedite access to lobbying disclosure and campaign finance data, and create an online voter registration system.”
HAVE A GOOD DAY.