Friday’s political law links, 9/27/13

VITTER ETHICS COMPLAINT.  The Hill.  “Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) expanded his ethics complaint Thursday in an attempt to pinpoint and punish the Senate Democrats who leaked draft legislation earlier this month in an attempt to embarrass him.”

SEN. WARREN ON MCCUTCHEON.  HuffPo.  “Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warned Thursday that a coming Supreme Court case that could ultimately eliminate certain campaign contribution limits is a ‘clear danger’ that threatens to expand the influence of large and wealthy corporations on elections.”

LESSIG:  WHAT’S CORRUPT?  Here.  “For a committed originalist, a law aimed at reducing the dependence of Congress on the rich is a perfectly ordinary example of a law aimed at reducing  ‘corruption.'”

“RARE” INDICTMENT.  NR.  “What we do know is that in this case, authorities decided that the law still meant something, and did their job in upholding it. For that small stab against cynical indifference they are to be commended.”

CA:  SAN DIEGO HIRES.  News here.  “Two lobbying firms whose contracts former Mayor Bob Filner ended were rehired by the city to nurture San Diego friendly legislation at the state and federal levels, interim Mayor Todd Gloria said Thursday morning.”

MO MONEY.  Story here.  “Since their last filings in July, candidate and issue campaign committees have brought in more than $6.7 million – and that’s just in contributions that have been more than $5,000, which committees have to report within two days of receiving.”

NY:  EMERGENCY SUIT.  Story here.  “A new political action committee seeking to bankroll TV ads supporting GOP mayoral nominee Joe Lhota sued city and state Board of Election officials Wednesday for the right to accept contributions exceeding the state’s $150,000 annual donation limit for individuals.”

NY:  ANIMAL RIGHTS FINANCING.  Story here.  “In order to determine whether coordination has taken place between a candidate and an outside group, the city Campaign Finance Board considers factors such as whether the person making an independent expenditure is also an agent of the candidate that is benefiting, and whether they share office space.”

SD:  GUILTY PLEA.  Story here.  “Scott Swier, 41, was accused of failing to file or amend a statement of organization for a political action committee, a Class 2 misdemeanor. The plea was entered in Hughes County before Magistrate Judge Leo Disburg, who suspended the $54 fine and $66 of court costs provided that Swier returns the money.”

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.

Good morning, here are Thursday’s political law links, 9-26

IMPROVED CORPORATE DISCLOSURE.  Roll Call.  “A national organization that ranks corporate political disclosure policies announced that there had been a surge in the number of top companies with strong political disclosure politics.”

INDICTMENT UNSEALED.  Here.  “A federal indictment was unsealed today charging two executives at a North Canton company with conspiring to violate campaign finance laws, conspiring to obstruct justice and committing  other related crimes, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Office.”

LEGAL EXPENSE TRUST ESTABLISHED.  Story here.  “A congressman who has been dogged by legal troubles surrounding his family has set up a legal expense trust to help defray legal fees.”

K ST. CRISIS.  Story here.  “The stigma associated with being a registered lobbyist has created an identity crisis for K Street.”

INAUGURAL DONATION REPORTING.  Politico.  “Many of the unions and corporations that underwrote President Barack Obama’s inauguration — including Microsoft, the Coca-Cola Company, and Visa — failed to properly document their contributions, according to a new analysis.”

NV:  PRISON URGED.  USAT.  “Federal prosecutors filed documents Tuesday saying fallen Nevada power-broker Harvey Whittemore should be sentenced to four-plus years in prison for making illegal campaign contributions to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.”

PA:  OPINION RELEASED.  Story here.  “The attorney for a Philadelphia city councilwoman who has had ethical problems in the past is furious at the city’s Ethics Board for making public the board’s opinion on whether she can host a fundraiser.”

PA:  ETHICS BD.  WITH LITTLE POWER.  Story here.  “‘I probably could have knitted quite a few afghans over my time at being at the ethics hearing board,’ he said. At the outset of Bob O’Connor’s service on the board, people seemed excited that the then-mayor had resurrected it. But then, ‘it just kind of faded and no one really paid us any mind,’ Rev. Welch said.”

RI:  INVESTIGATION MOVES.  Story here.  “The Rhode Island Ethics Commission has authorized an investigation into an ethics complaint against House Speaker Gordon D. Fox, in connection with his role as a closing attorney for a troubled Providence economic-development loan program.”

WA:  LOBBYIST TRANSPARENCY SUPPORTED.  Here.  “The PDC staff recommendation is a response to a news story last spring that lobbyists had paid for more than $65,000 worth of meals, drinks and golf enjoyed by state lawmakers during the first four months of the 2013 session. One lawmaker alone accepted 62 free meals.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, here are Wed. political law links, 9-25-13

ETHICS UPDATE.  Roll Call.  “The Senate Ethics Committee has dismissed a complaint made against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Ethics Chairwoman Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., by Republican David Vitter of Louisiana.”

7-11 PAC.  Story here.  “After a four-and-a-half-year absence, 7-Eleven Inc. is getting back into running a corporate political action committee.”

NEW CU.  IBT.  “The case will be a clear sign of whether the court, with five solidly conservative justices, is open to tearing down what remains of the nation’s campaign finance laws.”

CFG WARNS.  Story here.  “A powerful conservative group is trying to block efforts in the Senate to reinstate funding for ObamaCare in a must-pass government spending bill.”

ELECTION WAGER.  Story here.  “A ‘very sophisticated’ trader lost over $4 million dollars placing bets on Mitt Romney in the two weeks leading up to the election, according to new study.”

LOBBYIST NOMINATED.  Story here.  “Catherine Novelli, VP of Worldwide Government Affairs for Apple, has been tapped for a State Department post.”

LERNER HIT.  Politico.  “Lois Lerner is the political piñata that Congress still loves to whack months after she awkwardly acknowledged that the IRS wrongly scrutinized conservative groups for years.”

DELAY:  WHAT’S NEXT.  Roll Call.  “Although his two top lieutenants pleaded guilty to a 2001 contribution scheme, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, had his conviction reversed Thursday by a party-line vote of three-judge panel from the Third District Court of Appeals, but prosecutors announced they would appeal to the full Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.”  As it happens, I’m just finishing up The K Street Gang: The Rise and Fall of the Republican Machine.  You can pick it up for $.01.

TIES QUESTIONED.  The Hill.  “The National Republican Senatorial Committee is launching its next phase in a prolonged attack against Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) focused on her husband’s ties to lobbyists through his real estate work.”

FL:  HERE COME LOBBYIST AUDITS.  Story here.  “As local governments, companies, and third-party groups spend record levels lobbying state government, the Legislature finally is poised to add a long-required layer of transparency to the money that flows to state lobbyists.”

NV:  LOBBYIST SENTENCING.  Story here.  “Lawyers for former Nevada lobbyist Harvey Whittemore are asking a federal judge for an evidentiary hearing before his sentencing next week to prove why he only deserves probation, not four years in prison for breaking campaign contribution laws.”

WA:  LOBBYIST MEAL REPORTING ISSUE.  Story here.  “The staff at Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission has recommended changes to how lobbyists report their meals out with lawmakers.”

WI:  PUBLIC FINANCING REJECTED.  Story here.  “A proposal to provide a taxpayer-funded public campaign finance option for Janesville City Council candidates had no other supporters Monday than the councilman who initially floated the idea late last week.”

HAVE A GOOD DAY.