What is a Senator?  Today’s political links are here

WHAT IS A SENATOR?  NYM.  “On the second day of jury deliberations in Robert Menendez’s corruption trial, one juror asked a question that cut to the heart of the case — and, also, to the rudiments of fifth-grade civics: ‘What is a senator?’”

SENATOR COULD REMAIN.  POL.  “As the bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez concludes, Senate Democrats could face a stark question — how long will they stick by the New Jersey Democrat if he’s convicted?”

CAB PAY TO PLAY RULE UPDATE.  TA.  “The Securities and Exchange Commission approved Monday new Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules allowing capital acquisition brokers to engage in distribution and solicitation activities for RIAs consistent with the anti-pay-to-play rules.”  The Regulatory Notice is here.  

CA:  HEARING FOR GROUP.  BER.  “One year after the contentious 2016 elections and nine months since a complaint was filed, the Berkeley Fair Campaign Practices Commission will hold a hearing on charges that a group representing Berkeley property owners violated campaign finance laws.”

CA:  FACING FINES.  DR.  “Pam Bertani faces $18,500 in state Fair Political Practices Commission penalties for allegedly failing to comply with filing and disclosure requirements for contributions, expenditures and contributor information during her 2014 campaign for Solano County supervisor.”

CA:  TRANSFER SCRUTINY.  FB.  “Nelson Esparza, accused of improperly transferring money from a school board campaign committee to a Fresno City Council campaign committee earlier this year, is paying a $500 penalty to the city and must repay the questionable transfer.”

NM:  SYSTEM NEEDS HELP.  USN.  “Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said Wednesday that her office needs more money to meet a legislative mandate to update New Mexico’s campaign finance reporting system in order to provide more transparency and improve public access.”

TX:  ETHICS REPRIMAND.  NBC.  “There was indeed a bitter debate before the rest of the Dallas City Council unanimously decided on a reprimand and ethics training for Kingston over a Facebook campaign video he recorded in his City Hall office. Use of city facilities for political purposes is prohibited.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

11.8 political law links

FARA ALERT.  COVINGTON.  “The proposed change to private sector reporting has significant implications for anyone engaged in the U.S. political system on behalf of entities based abroad, including U.S. subsidiaries of foreign headquartered businesses, U.S. companies with foreign subsidiaries or affiliates operating outside the United States, foreign individuals who travel to the United States to engage the U.S. political system on matters affecting their businesses, and U.S.-based lobbying, law, public relations, and consulting firms that provide services to individuals and companies abroad. This alert provides a summary of FARA’s registration and reporting requirements, as they relate to private sector entities, and reviews the Grassley legislation’s proposed amendments to the statute.”

TAX REFORM AND POLITICAL SPEECH.   HILL.  “The reduction of the top corporate tax rate to 20 percent in the GOP bill would impact four main areas: taxation of political committee investment income, taxation of political activity by nonprofits, the non-deductibility of lobbying and political expenses and the proxy tax paid by some trade associations.”

FEINGOLD ON REFORM.  GUA.  “The California Disclose Act, which passed the California Senate and Assembly with bipartisan support, requires political advertisements to list the top three donors of $50,000 or more.”

CA:  LOBBYIST SPENDING.   SB.  “Those lobbyist employers spent $85.2 million trying to influence policy in the third quarter of the year, slightly less than the $86.4 million spent in the same period in the 2015-16 session, according to data from the California Secretary of State. Through the first nine months of the year, however, lobbyist employer spending stood at $253.6 million for 2017, nearly 8 percent more than the $235.5 million spent during the same period in 2015.”

MO:  FIGHTING FINE.  USN.  “A former state lawmaker’s attorney argued to Missouri Supreme Court judges Tuesday that the former candidate shouldn’t have to pay $230,000 for alleged campaign finance violations.”

MO:  COURT HEARS CASE.  CM.  “Wright-Jones and the campaign committee were required to pay 10 percent of fees, within 90 days of the decision.”

NY:  NO RENT.  CSNY.  “New York City Council candidate Christopher Marte’s campaign headquarters at 230 Elizabeth St. is being leased to his campaign for free, his campaign manager told City & State.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

11.7 political law links

CA:  FINED FOR TICKETS.  SFC.  “Former San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar will pay more than $26,000 for state and city ethics violations associated with concert tickets he took from Another Planet Entertainment within months of sponsoring a board resolution to extend the company’s permit for its Outside Lands festival in Golden Gate Park.”

CO:  TARGETING RULES.  PNS.  “As Coloradans cast their ballots today, a grassroots effort to limit the influence of big money in politics is setting its sights on Denver’s 2018 election.”

MD:  FORGOING FUNDS.  WP.  “Only two of the eight Democrats vying to replace Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2018 say they might seek public matching funds for their primaries, which Hogan did during his underdog run nearly four years ago.”

NV:  SUPER PAC SUPPORT.  USN.  “A conservative super PAC is sponsoring a million dollar ad campaign for Attorney General Adam Laxalt who recently announced his bid for governor.”

NY:  CONTRIBUTION LESSON.  NYT.  “The public is entitled to both the appearance and reality of honest justice in criminal cases. But given the legality of large contributions to district attorneys and the frequency of contributions from criminal defense lawyers, the appearance of influence is inescapable.”

SD:  PETITION SUBMITTED.  FOX.  “Mickelson says he also turned in slightly over 18,000 signatures for the measure that would ban out-of-state political contributions for ballot questions.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.