[Political Activity Law]

CA:  BIRTHDAY PARTY ISSUES.  LAT.  “Under city rules, registered lobbyists are barred from offering or giving gifts to elected officials. They are also prohibited from giving them to other city officials — those who are not elected — if they are seeking to influence decisions in their agencies. City officials are also prohibited from accepting such donations, according to the Municipal Code.”

DE:  CHARGES REJECTED.  DPM.  “State elections officials say there’s no evidence of campaign finance fraud or collusion on the Democrats’ side with just over a week left to go before a special election.”

IL:  UBER-RELATED FINE.  CC.  “David Plouffe, the onetime campaign manager and adviser for former President Barack Obama, has been fined $90,000 by Chicago ethics officials for illegally lobbying Mayor Rahm Emanuel on behalf of ride-sharing giant Uber.”

MI:  DONATIONS UPDATE.  MPR.  “The Michigan Campaign Finance Network crunched the numbers and found Michigan’s largest PAC’s raised more than $48 million in 2015 and 2016. That’s an increase of seven million dollars over the previous record set in the 2008 presidential election.”

NJ:  FOX DIES.  NBC.  “Jamie Fox, one of New Jersey’s best-known political operatives who was under indictment by the U.S. attorney in an alleged shakedown involving the former Port Authority chairman, died Monday from a long-standing illness.”

NC:  GUILTY PLEA.  RAL.  “Former state Sen. Fletcher Hartsell, R-Cabarrus, pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges related to an investigation into whether he improperly used money raised for his campaign for personal purposes, such as shoe repairs, paying a speeding tickets and magazine subscriptions.”

SD:  CONSIDERING REFORM.  MH. “The full state House is to consider a bill that aims to restrict the flow of out-of-state money into South Dakota ballot question campaigns. A House panel plans to take up a proposal Wednesday that would require more transparency from organizations that contribute $25,000 or more in a year to a ballot measure committee.”

VT:  ELECTION SETTLED.  VTD.  “The Vermont House of Representatives voted Wednesday night, after several hours of debate, to conduct a recount in a contested election between Progressive incumbent Susan Hatch Davis of Washington and Republican candidate Bob Frenier of Chelsea, who was previously declared the winner by a seven-vote margin and took his seat in the Legislature in January.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

NEW CONTRIBUTION LIMIT CHART FOR 2017-2018.   FEC.  “The Federal Election Commission announced updated contribution limits that have been indexed for inflation and are effective for federal elections in 2017-2018.”

KY:  INCREASED LIMITS IN BILL.  MC2.  ” A bill which would increase the limits on individual campaign contributions to candidates, caucus committees, or political parties was passed on Wednesday by the Senate Standing Committee on State and Local Government and then later, the full Senate by a 27-10 vote along party lines.”

MD:  GUILTY PLEAS.   SD.  “A mother and daughter accused of using Del. Michael Jackson (D-Calvert, Prince George’s) campaign funds for personal use pled guilty to conspiracy and felony theft in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court, state prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt announced Wednesday.”

NM:  DISCLOSURE PASSES.  SFNM.  “The bill would require any such group that spends more than $1,000 campaigning during an election cycle to report expenditures and provide information about certain contributors.”

TX:  ALLEGED FAILURE TO REPORT.  K5.  “State Sen. José Menéndez acknowledged Wednesday that he failed to report a combined $50,000 in donations from two groups that are considered arch enemies at the state Capitol — the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and Texans for Lawsuit Reform.”

VA:  ETHICS STRUGGLE.  WT.  “This year’s efforts include clarifying that public officials cannot accept tickets to watch sporting events in luxury boxes and debating whether lobbyists who have a longstanding friendship with lawmakers should be able to give birthday and holiday gifts worth more than $100.”

VT:  LEADER ALLEGATIONS.   WD.  “State GOP leaders allege that Vermont’s House majority leader and the state Democratic Party violated campaign finance law by sending a mass fundraising solicitation to lobbyists during the legislative session.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.

OBAMA OFFICIAL ETHICS ALLEGATION.  DC.  “A non-profit government watchdog group is investigating whether an Obama administration-era appointee violated federal conflict-of-interest laws by taking a job with a company soon after awarding a nearly $650 million taxpayer-funded grant to a related project.”

K ST. MOVE.   WTOP.  “Akin Gump, one of D.C.’s biggest lobbying firms, will leave its longtime New Hampshire Avenue headquarters in Northwest for new construction at 20th and K streets.”

AMPED UP TRUMP ATTACK.  NPR.  “Q:  It’s my understanding the FEC doesn’t actually investigate voter fraud, right?  A:  That is true.”

ETHICS STORM.  WFB.  “Matthew Whitaker, executive director of the watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, told the Washington Free Beacon that Weintraub’s actions could constitute an ethics and legal violation.”

OGE ON CONWAY.  NYT.  “The Office of Government Ethics ‘has not yet received notification of any disciplinary or other corrective action against Ms. Conway,’ Walter M. Shaub Jr., director of the office, wrote in a letter to Stefan C. Passantino, the deputy counsel to the president who is the designated ethics officer at the White House.”

CA:  REPORTING ISSUE.  VVDP.  “Mayor Pro Tem Jermaine Wright’s campaign committee violated state elections law by filing financial disclosure forms more than three months past their deadline.”

RI:  SPEAKER’S PAC COMPLAINT.  RIPR.  “A state Republican Party complaint filed Tuesday with the state Board of Elections charges that House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello’s political action committee exceeded limits on campaign contributions last year.”

SD:  GIFT CAP.  AL.  “South Dakota lawmakers on Tuesday agreed to cap the gifts they can accept from lobbyists at $100 with some restrictions.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.