Good morning, here are today’s political law links (1/9/13)

SEC AND DISCLOSURE. Politico. “Coming off the most expensive election in the country’s history, the Securities and Exchange Commission is weighing a move to force public companies to stop hiding their political spending of shareholders’ dollars.”

PRIZE TACTICS. The Hill. “The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is reusing a fundraising ploy that worked well for President Obama, offering donors added entries into a sweepstakes to win a free trip to inauguration if they donate to the committee.”

FEDERAL CONTRACTORS AND THE INAUGURAL. USAT. “A long-standing U.S. law bars federal contractors from spending to influence presidential and congressional elections, but few limits are imposed on post-election fundraising to pay for swearing-in festivities.”

LDA FILING REMINDER. Here. “The fourth quarter report is due Tuesday, January 22, 2013, covering October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.”

PIC SOLICITATIONS.  Story here.  “Planners of President Barack Obama’s second inauguration are soliciting high-dollar contributions up to $1 million to help pay for the celebration in exchange for special access.”

LATOURETTE UPDATE. Story here. “Former congressman Steven LaTourette of Ohio will run a law firm’s new lobbying subsidiary in the nation’s capital along with his wife.”

MEAL RULES IN THE NEWS.  The Post.  “Members of Congress frequently eat meals there that they list in federal filings as “campaign” or “political” expenses, apparently counter to House rules barring them from conducting their campaign business on House property, according to an upcoming report. That rule — the same one that sends lawmakers scurrying from their offices to nearby rental spaces to make fundraising calls — is designed to keep taxpayer-funded official business separate from the dirtier matter of pursuing reelection.”

KS: ETHICS ENFORCEMENT. Story here. “Some conservative Republicans’ long-standing frustrations with the Kansas ethics commission are likely to prompt legislators to consider overhauling the watchdog agency this year or even stripping it of its enforcement duties.”

MN: MORE DISCLOSURE? Story here. “A Minnesota ethics board is crafting recommendations for expanded economic disclosure requirements for lawmakers amid concern that the current reporting system is too weak to catch conflicts of interest.”

NC: LOBBYING CASE IN THE NEWS. Story here. “The question of whether Don Beason and his son Mark should pay fines for lobbying violations made its way to the N.C. Court of Appeals on Tuesday, where judges will decide the bounds of Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s ability to levy fines under state lobbying law.”

VA: LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS. Here. “The General Assembly meets annually, beginning on the second Wednesday in January, for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years, with an option to extend annual sessions for a maximum of 30 days.” Virginia is one of a number of states with legislative session fundraising restrictions. NCSL (2011).

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Political law links, 1/8/13

FAHRENKOPF LEAVING. The Hill. “The president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA) will leave the trade association this year, putting a lucrative position up for grabs on K Street.”

GIFFORDS LAUNCH.  Politico.  “Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband on Tuesday unveiled a new anti-gun violence initiative – two years after she was shot in the head at an event with constituents in Tucson, Arizona.”

BLOOMBERG ADS.  Politico.  “The anti-illegal guns group founded by New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is going on air tomorrow with a spot that invokes the Sandy Hook massacre and features the mother of the young girl slain in the Tuscon, Ariz., rampage two years ago urging Washington to ‘stand up to the gun lobby.’  Bloomberg’s effort in California was reported on extensively in the Baca/Negrete McLeod race.

THE REAL TRUTH WILL HAVE TO WAIT. HuffPo. “The Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from an anti-abortion group that wanted to be exempted from campaign finance disclosure regulations.”

OCE ISSUES. Roll Call. “Attorneys who represent members during ethics proceedings say the process at the independent Office of Congressional Ethics is flawed and should be changed.”

MORRIS AND SUPER PAC. Here. “Dick Morris’ lawyers have reportedly confirmed that the conservative commentator’s website received money in a fundraising scheme involving his mailing list, the conservative outlet Newsmax, and his organization Super PAC for America.”

GAO SEARCH.  The Post.  “The Government Accountability Office on Monday launched a new online database in an effort to make the agency’s reports easier to find and access.”

CO: GESSLER REQUEST DENIED. Story here. “Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission on Monday denied Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s request to end its investigation of his use of public funds.”

IL:  JACKSON SPECIAL.  Roll Call.  “Twenty-two candidates filed to run in the special election for former Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr.’s seat before Monday’s deadline.”

RI: QUICK TO REGISTER. Story here. “Any guess as to the first lobbyist to register for the 2013 legislative session? Answer: the National Rifle Association’s Darin Goens.” Need to re-register? According to this RI Secretary of State website, “If you were a standard, limited, or governmental lobbyist last year, then you will need to re-register this year. If you were an executive lobbyist last year, you are still an executive lobbyist. There is no re-registration required.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, here are today’s political law links (1/7/13)

CAMPAIGN FINED. Roll Call. “The Federal Election Commission has imposed a $375,000 fine on President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign for reporting violations, Politico is reporting, citing as-yet-unpublished FEC documents.”

POKER-PLAYING LOBBYIST. Mickey Leibner’s confessions of a young lobbyist appears in Roll Call. “The most useful strategies I develop often comes out of these kinds of off-campus interactions with staffer friends. When we start nerding out over possible bill co-sponsors at our monthly poker game, for instance, we know we don’t have to filter our ideas — which means we can be more open, bold and innovative. These ideas aren’t always perfect, but the number of times a key strategy or piece of intel has come out of casual discussions during poker or Sunday football would probably surprise you.”

DISCLOSE 13. Roll Call. “The Democrat-authored campaign finance transparency bill known as the DISCLOSE Act failed to win approval in either the 111th or the 112th Congresses, but its backers have set out to try again in this session.”

INAUGURAL DONORS. Bloomberg. “The list released by the presidential inaugural committee doesn’t provide the size of the contributions. Four years ago, the committee identified its contributors by employer, city, and amount.” PIC’s list is here.

INAUGURAL ALERT. Covington: “While less regulated than pre-election political activities, presidential inaugurations are nonetheless subject to a number of easily-overlooked rules.”

POST-ELECTION RULES WEBINAR. Public Affairs Council. “The elections may be over, but that doesn’t mean your compliance concerns are.”

COMMISSIONER STEPPING DOWN. InsidePoliticalLaw.com. Former Commissioner Robert Lenhard and Covington’s Kevin Glandon note Commissioner Bauerly’s recent departure announcement here.

YESTERDAY’S WJ. Yesterday’s C-SPAN Washington Journal featured Sunlight’s Daniel Schuman discussing congressional pay and related topics.

PELOSI AND CFR. Dem. Leader Nancy Pelosi mentioned campaign finance both in her address to the opening session and in a press conference the next day: “Yesterday on the floor, I presented several issues that I think we can work together on, extend a hand of friendship to the Republicans to say, let’s work together for job creation, for good paying jobs here in America, build our infrastructure, address our energy challenges… We talked about clean campaigns, building confidence in the electoral process, all of this, building confidence that we can create jobs, building confidence that we can keep our people safe, building confidence that our campaigns are clean and that we remove obstacles to participation, increase civility, reduce the role of money.”

STATES AND NONPROFITS. Eliza Newlin Carney’s latest is online here. “Tax-exempt groups that spent hundreds of millions on the 2012 elections without disclosing their donors have stirred no response from federal regulators but have drawn the ire of state officials who are moving aggressively to restrict them.”

CA: STRONGER FPPC SOUGHT. Story here. “Ronald Rotunda, a Fair Political Practices Commission member, said he does not defend the Arizona group’s donation but that Ravel’s handling of the case amounted to ‘self-aggrandizement.'”

CT: ARREST. Story here. “Disgraced former state Sen. Ernest E. Newton II found himself back in trouble with the law Friday after he was busted on campaign finance fraud charges stemming from his failed bid to regain his old seat in Hartford.”

GA: ETHICS REFORM? Story here. “McKoon has been advocating a $100 limit on what lobbyists can spend on lawmakers. McKoon also wants a consistent stream of revenue tied to the state budget to fund an ethics commission with enforcement power.”

ID: ETHICS COMMITTEE? Story here. “Ethics was one of the big issues at the Idaho Statehouse last year, but some lawmakers say not nearly enough was done about it.”

MD: GUILTY PLEA. Story here. “Catonsville developer Steve W. Whalen Jr. pleaded guilty Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court to five counts of election-law violations for illegally funneling money to a county councilman’s campaign and exceeding political contribution limits.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.