BANNING THE FEDERALIST PAPERS. WE. “Based on the Obama administration’s clumsy arguments against what became the Citizens United decision before the Supreme Court, tracts like the Federalist Papers might have been banned from publication altogether. Malcolm Stewart, President Obama’s deputy solicitor general, argued that the federal government had the power to prevent publication of partisan books about candidates for office in the name of campaign finance law.”
CA: WHAT TAPES SHOW. SFE. “Recorded conversations between an FBI agent and fundraisers for Mayor Ed Lee’s 2011 campaign heard in court Tuesday seemed to indicate the mayor knew nothing about the illegal contributions supposedly raised to retire his campaign debt.”
FL: SURPRISE, YOU’RE A LOBBYIST! Lex. “As you can see, the lobbyist net is cast widely. So how do you protect yourself and your clients?”
GA: ETHICS COMMITTEE SUED. AJC. “Former DeKalb County Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton filed another lawsuit Tuesday against the DeKalb Board of Ethics, saying it should be dissolved.”
IL: CHICAGO LOBBYING. CT. “Now, a Chicago Board of Ethics that had long been viewed as toothless is reviewing details on potential lobbying activity it didn’t have the wherewithal to uncover itself because it lacked investigative power. The Emanuel-appointed panel, which is evaluating the emails, enforces the city’s broad lobbying law that covers many types of contact with government officials. The ethics board determines whether individuals have violated the rules, and it handed out a record $90,000 fine last month in the first case to emerge since the emails became public.”
MA: FINE FOR VIOLATIONS. BG. “A Brockton-based construction firm and its owner have agreed to pay a $150,000 penalty after illegally using company funds to funnel campaign donations to such leading political figures as Governor Charlie Baker, Mayor Martin J. Walsh, and former governor Deval Patrick.”
NC: EDITORIAL ON FUND. NO. “A nonprofit group, recently formed, called Moving North Carolina Forward, falls under a category of ‘social welfare nonprofits’ that will allow it to carry out political activities without the rules that apply to PACs, or political action committees.”
WI: COUNCIL FOR REFORM. GBP. “The City Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday supporting a constitutional amendment to allow limits on campaign contributions.”
HAVE A GOOD DAY.