[Political Activity Law]

LAWSUIT BACKING.   WFB.  “Members of a group linked to liberal operative and Hillary Clinton loyalist David Brock are involved in a new lawsuit filed by the Democratic attorneys general of the District of Columbia and Maryland against President Trump over his private businesses.”

FORMER CHAIR DEMANDS RETRACTION.   ML. ” Former Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer is warning his successors against defamation and asking them to retract statements after news broke last week of a $500,000 fine over the party’s bingo operation during his tenure.”

NEW SUPER PAC.   WE.  “Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson wants to form a new super PAC in order to win state legislative seats and governor’s mansions ahead of the 2020 redistricting.”

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL.   DC.  “Shuster’s plan gave partial control of the proposed air traffic non-profit’s board to a lobbying group, Airlines for America (AFA), that employs his girlfriend, Shelley Rubino.”

FARA FILING QUESTION.   BF.  “A mysterious filing by a Washington lobbying powerhouse is raising more questions about the firm’s role in lobbying on behalf of foreign governments.”

DMV:  LOCAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULES.   WAMU.  “From Montgomery County’s strict new limits to campaign funding to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s fines for illegal donations, campaign financing remains a major issue in the region.”

TN:  PAC PERFORMANCE.  KN.  “The number of Tennessee political action committees continues to grow, but the amount of money they spend on campaigns has been declining, statistics compiled by the Registry of Election Finance indicate.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

FINE FOR BINGO.  USAT.  “The Michigan Democratic Party has agreed to pay a $500,000 civil fine to the Federal Election Commission, one of the largest penalties that the agency ever has levied.”

ETHICS WARNING.  NBC4.  “White House social media director Dan Scavino violated the law when he used an official-looking Twitter account for campaign purposes, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel has concluded, issuing Scavino a letter of admonishment.”

CA:  BRIBERY AND CONTRIBUTIONS.   PE.   “Prosecutors say Beaumont Councilman Mark Orozco wanted money in exchange for casting a vote favorable to developers.”

ID: REEXAMINING ETHICS.   SR.  “Idaho is one of just three states with no financial disclosure requirements for state legislators – or any elected or appointed state official. It also lacks ‘revolving-door’ laws that in most states prevent elected or appointed officials from immediately moving into related roles in the private sector, cashing in on their government experience.”

KY:  RULES TOSSED.  HD.  “The ruling from U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman says it is now OK for lobbyists who are paid to influence legislation to give gifts to lawmakers. He also said it was OK for lobbyists to donate money to politicians’ campaign accounts and to raise money for their re-election bids.”

NV:  PERSONAL USE ISSUES.   LVN.  “Clark County Democrats are raising issue with how a Republican candidate is spending campaign dollars.”

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BRAZIL:  PRESIDENT CLEARED.  NYT.  “Brazil’s top electoral court cleared President Michel Temer on Friday night of claims that he violated campaign finance laws, lifting a critical burden on the deeply unpopular leader as he resists calls to resign over a simmering graft scandal.”

GERMANY:  LOBBYING IN BERLIN.  DW.  “Germany, it turns out, has one of the least transparent lobbying systems in the industrialized world: There is no EU- or US-style ‘lobby register’ to force private interests to disclose how and why they contact lawmakers – and how much money it costs.”

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HAVE A GOOD DAY.

DON’T REIMBURSE.  Venable.  “The FEC has said that the method for reimbursement does not matter. Bonuses, expense reimbursement, etc. are all impermissible.”

PAC PRIMED.  MDN.  “Priorities USA was the largest — most money raised and spent— of all registered super PACs during the 2016 campaign. Expect it to retain that mantle in the 2018 cycle, as it begins prepping for the midterm elections, 18 months away.”

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AL:  PROBABLE CAUSE.   AL.  “The Alabama Ethics Commission unanimously ruled Wednesday that there was probable cause Brighton Mayor Brandon Dean violated ethics rules when he used a police vehicle for personal transportation.”

AZ:  CASE APPOINTMENT.   USN.  “Attorney General Mark Brnovich has appointed a county prosecutor to review a finding that found his predecessor violated campaign finance laws during the 2010 campaign.”

CA:  COMPLAINT FILED.  LAT.  “In a wide-ranging complaint dated June 1, Skinner raises issues about how properly Peotter disclosed his economic interests during his time as a council member, where he has served since 2014, or as a Newport Beach planning commissioner prior to that.”

DC:  BOWSER FINE.   WP.  “D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s campaign committee has been ordered to pay $13,000 in fines for taking campaign donations in excess of legal limits during her successful run for office three years ago.”

DC:  IGNORING OK.   WP.  “Feel free to thumb your nose at deadlines for providing information. Know that skirting the rules may actually help you get elected. If there is a fine, however paltry, it won’t have to come out of your pocket but can be paid — you guessed it — with campaign funds.”

TN:  LARGE FINE.   NC5.  “Tennessee campaign finance officials have imposed a nearly $465,000 fine on a former lawmaker who was expelled from the General Assembly in 2016.”

WI:  TOUGH LAWS.   WPR.  “A group of Democratic state lawmakers has introduced a package of bills to tighten Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws.”

GOOD DAY.