Compliance Notes - Vol. 2, Issue 32
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
Alaska: The Public Offices Commission has fined Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson $33,500 for failing to file campaign finance reports on time. (Emily Goodykoontz, Ancorage Daily News)
Georgia: A nonprofit organization filed a complaint with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission alleging that former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s acceptance of contributions from four different entities was in fact an excessive contribution because the businesses were affiliated and shared a single contribution limit. (Wilborn P. Nobles III, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Massachusetts: A nonprofit is challenging the truthfulness of paperwork filed by a ballot measure committee, “Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers,” which is supported by gig-economy companies. The complaint alleges that the committee spent funds to help support a proposed ballot initiative to classify drivers for companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash as independent contractors prior to filing formal paperwork with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance. (Lisa Kashinksy, Politico)
New Mexico: The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request to invalidate Santa Fe’s campaign finance provision that required a nonprofit to disclose underlying donors of a $7,700 internet campaign video. (Morgan Lee, AP)
Washington: In an attempt to represent Tim Eyman, who is subject to a $2.6 million state court fine for operating as an unregistered “continuing political committee,” the Institute for Free Speech sued the state’s Public Disclosure Commission over whether pro bono representation of Eyman would be an in-kind contribution. (Alexis Krell, The News Tribune)
Government Ethics & Transparency
California: San Francisco Mayor London Breed settled a series of ethics charges, including improper use of her position to ask the governor to release her brother from prison and the receipt of improper gifts. She agreed to pay a fine of $22,792 as part of the settlement. (Trisha Thadani, San Francisco Chronicle)
New Mexico: Former Rio Arriba County Commissioner Barney Trujillo was convicted of violating the state’s pay-to-play law for making contributions to school board candidates while also holding a contract for marketing services worth $50,000 with the same board. (Victoria Traxler, Santa Fe New Mexican)
