CABS AND PAY TO PLAY. NLR. “On August 17, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) proposed rule amendments to apply its established ‘pay-to-play’ rules to capital acquisition brokers (CABs) that engage in distribution to, or solicitation of, government entities on behalf of investment advisers for compensation.”
DISCLOSURE DEMAND. CW. “A continuing soap opera for the past several years has been whether the Securities and Exchange Commission will craft a rule on corporate political donations.”
QUESTIONS ON SALE. ABC. “U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s dormant congressional campaign committee recently sold a 2004 motor home at a steep discount to an old friend in the Montana Legislature.”
SLAM ON BOOK TWEET. WE. “Walter Shaub, former U.S. Office of Government Ethics director, hit out at President Trump Sunday, castigating him for promoting a campaign surrogate’s book during Hurricane Harvey.”
RECORDS SOUGHT. CBS. “CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has requested copies of ‘all records concerning authorization for and the costs of’ Mnuchin and Linton’s use of a government plane to travel to Lexington, Kentucky on August 21, as well as all records pertaining to Mnuchin’s use of a government plane for any purpose since his appointment to the Trump administration.”
CA: VOTE ON DISCLOSURE. LAT. “The basic elements of the ‘California Disclose Act’ have been kicking around Sacramento since 2012. In short, it seeks to ensure that voters have more information about donors who increasingly use a series of bland sounding political committees and groups to remove any fingerprints from the cash they’re spending.”
CA: VIOLATION ALLEGED. IV. “An audit by the California Franchise Tax Board found Dixon City Attorney Doug White – serving as the Treasurer for a campaign for State Assemblyman Adam Gray – committed four violations of the California Government Code regarding political campaign finances.”
FL: REPEAL UPDATE. PBP. “Florida Senate Appropriations Chairman Jack Latvala was quick to respond this week to House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s call to abolish public financing for statewide elections.”
MA: LOBBYIST RATIO. TEL. “In the state’s fast-changing business climate, one Massachusetts industry continues to thrive using a tried-and-true business model: Chasing the hearts and minds of state lawmakers and other top politicians.”
NJ: DEALING WITH PAY TO PLAY. OBS. “New Jersey has some strict pay-to-play laws, but contractors are still finding ways to make big donations without running afoul of campaign finance regulations.”
NJ: MONEY ROUTE. NYT. “The process of directing money to candidates in New Jersey through the national groups has been a practice since the state’s pay-to-play law was expanded and toughened in 2004.”
WA: COMPLAINT FILING WAR. TT. “A conservative activist has been taking aim at Democrats and liberal groups for the past year, filing at least 120 complaints saying they’ve broken Washington state’s campaign-finance laws.”
HAVE A GOOD DAY.