Compliance Notes - Vol. 2, Issue 39
RECENT LOBBYING, ETHICS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE UPDATES
We read the news, cut through the noise and provide you the notes.
Welcome to Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group – a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance, election law and government ethics issues at the federal, state and local level.
Our attorneys, policy advisors and compliance consultants are available to discuss any questions or how specific issues may impact your business.
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Campaign Finance & Lobbying Compliance
The Department of Justice indicted Jesse Benton and Doug Wead on felony campaign finance charges, which included facilitating a contribution by a foreign national, acting as a straw donor and causing the filing of a false campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Benton had previously been convicted of campaign finance related charges, though he had received a pardon from President Trump. (Josh Gerstein & Kyle Cheney, Politico)
U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) filed campaign reports showing that $6,550 worth of payments for rent and utilities were originally paid with campaign funds before Boebert later reimbursed the campaign. (Mychael Schnell, The Hill)
California: The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) received a complaint alleging that a Cathedral City Councilmember had filed incorrect information on his campaign finance forms because he had used an address of a home that he no longer owned. (Eric Rode, Palm Springs Desert Sun)
Ohio: Rebecca Maurer, a candidate for Cleveland City Council, filed a complaint alleging that a political committee controlled by City Council President Kevin Kelley violated campaign finance laws, either by allegedly coordinating campaign mailers with her opponent, a sitting council member, or by failing to include required disclaimers under state law. (Courtney Astolfi, Cleveland.com)
Pennsylvania: Leeretta Payne, the treasurer of the political committee African Americans for Good Government, was criminally charged with a misdemeanor count for failing to properly file a campaign finance report. The charge involves a $60,000 check from another political committee, $50,000 of which was reported as coming from different entities and $10,000 of which was never reported, even though the check was cashed. (Paula Reed Ward, TribLive)
Washington: The Public Disclosure Commission settled a complaint with The Tacoma Weekly in which the publication was alleged to have solicited payments from candidates in exchange for editorial endorsements. According to the complaint, the publication sold a $2,500 package to candidates, which included an editorial, cover story and an endorsement. (The News Tribune)
Government Ethics & Transparency
The Campaign Legal Center has filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against seven U.S. Representatives related to their alleged failure to file transaction reports as required by the STOCK Act. (Deidre Walsh, NPR)
Massachusetts: Jasiel Correia, former Mayor of Fall River, received a six-year prison sentence for extorting hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses who wanted licenses from the city. (NBC Boston)
