TROUBLE FOR BITCOIN? Bloomberg. “The alleged operator of the Bitcoin-based online marketplace Silk Road was arrested in San Francisco yesterday on money-laundering and narcotics-trafficking charges. You can see a copy of the complaint against Ross W. Ulbricht here, and the allegations make for ‘Whoah!’ reading.”
BITCOINS RAISED. Here. “When New Hampshire State Rep. Mark Warden last ran for reelection, his campaign staff urged him to try something that few other political candidates have dared to do: accept contributions in bitcoins.”
LOBBYIST BAN PROPOSED. Politico. “One Democratic member of Congress wants to ban all lobbyists from Capitol Hill during the government shutdown.” ALL reacts here.
REPORTS TO WATCH. Roll Call. “Imminent third-quarter fundraising reports from both House incumbents and current candidates are likely to provide a glimpse into the future as to who may or may not be a member of the 114th Congress.”
LIMITS TO BE WEIGHED. USAT. “The new legal fight targets a cornerstone of election rules: the ability of the government to regulate the amount of money individuals can give to presidential and congressional candidates and political parties.”
GUILTY PLEA. Story here. “The former head of the Boston FBI office has pleaded guilty to an ethics charge in a plea agreement that spares him from prison time but seeks a $15,000 fine.”
ETHICS AND THE SHUTDOWN. The Post. “Federal employees remain covered by conflict of interest laws and other ethical restrictions if they are furloughed in a shutdown, the Office of Government Ethics said Monday.”
SHUTDOWN CAN’T STOP SUPREMES. Here. “The Supreme Court will take the bench Monday to begin a term that touches on a broad variety of hot-button issues such as campaign finance, affirmative action, religion, presidential power and abortion restrictions.”
NJ: DIVENCENZO UPDATE. Here. “The state’s election watchdog Wednesday charged Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo — one of New Jersey’s most powerful Democrats and a crucial ally of Republican Gov. Chris Christie — with misusing more than $16,000 in campaign funds and failing to disclose nearly $72,000 in campaign spending over a two-year period.”
WA: FORMER OFFICIAL CHARGED. Story here. “In a politically charged case creating ripples from the state Capitol to the Seattle mayoral race, the former executive director of the state Senate Democratic Campaign Committee (SDCC) has been charged with embezzling at least $250,000 in campaign donations to fuel his alcohol and gambling problems.”
INDIA: PROBE INCONCLUSIVE. Story here. “An investigation into allegations that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) lobbied Indian government officials ended without any conclusions, according to a government document obtained by Bloomberg.”
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.