ETHICS MINEFIELD. FNN. “As the government [shutdown] approaches 18 days and counting, dozens of people describing themselves as federal employees are soliciting donations on ‘GoFundMe’ pages to ease the financial uncertainty ahead of likely missed paychecks. But absent specific guidance from the Office of Government Ethics on this matter, federal employees walk a tricky line in accepting furlough donations and complying with existing ethics rules.”

IL: CONTRIBUTION ISSUE. WTTW. “A mere footnote – three sentences in the 37-page criminal complaint accusing Ald. Ed Burke of attempted extortion – is causing a headache for Cook County Democratic Party chair Toni Preckwinkle as she seeks to become Chicago’s next mayor.”

MT: PROFILE ON MOTL. PS. “He has become the tenacious scourge of dark money in Montana politics, and, in doing so, has set a bold example for other states across the nation that are also contending with the noxious influence of unaccountable election spending.”

NY: CALL FOR REFORM. TU. “You should establish sensible guardrails on political contributions for statewide and legislative races, and limit the potential for conflicts of interest by reining in private outside income for officeholders.”

OH: REFORM SOUGHT. OSU. “Columbus City Council is wrestling with something it has never done before: campaign finance reform. But its loudest critics don’t oppose restrictions; rather, they say Council members aren’t going far enough.”

TN: OFFICIAL LENIENCY. CA. “Campaign finance officials showed leniency to two freshmen lawmakers Wednesday, opting to eliminate a recently imposed fine against one and significantly reducing the penalty another faced.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.