Compliance Notes - Vol. 6, Issue 24
RECENT LOBBYING, ETHICS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE UPDATES
Campaign Finance & Lobbying Compliance
Fugees rapper Pras Michel was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for running a years-long, multimillion-dollar foreign influence scheme funded by Malaysian billionaire Jho Low. Michel was convicted in 2023 for acting as an unregistered foreign agent, campaign finance violations, witness tampering and lying to banks. Prosecutors said he took more than $100 million to influence U.S. politics during the Obama and Trump eras and “betrayed his country for money.” They had sought a life sentence. Michel’s attorney called the punishment disproportionate and said he will appeal. (Nardine Saad, BBC)
New Mexico: New Mexico Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino is asking the 10th Circuit to overturn a ruling that upheld the state’s limit on using campaign funds for charitable donations, arguing the statute violates the First Amendment by allowing contributions only to 501(c)(3) organizations. The dispute stems from his $200 donation to help a student attend a college workshop, which the Secretary of State, Maggie Toulouse Oliver, referred for prosecution. Ortiz y Pino’s attorney argued the law engages in unconstitutional content discrimination and that all donations represent expressive conduct, while state attorneys said the payment carried little political message. Judges pressed both sides on who decides what counts as “expressive” speech and whether the senator has standing, given that campaign funds are held in trust for donors and governed by statute. (Joe Duhownik, Courthouse News Service)
Government Ethics & Transparency
Colorado: Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission voted to advance complaints against 16 Democrat lawmakers who attended an October 2025 retreat in Vail, after a nonprofit called One Main Street Colorado paid for their lodging, food and drinks. Colorado Common Cause alleges the lawmakers violated the state’s gift ban because the nonprofit does not disclose its donors, preventing lawmakers from verifying whether it meets the rule allowing nonprofit-funded expenses only if less than 5% of its revenue comes from for-profit sources. The commission deemed the complaints “nonfrivolous” and opened an investigation; respondents now have 30 days to reply. The Opportunity Caucus, which organized the retreat, denies wrongdoing and calls the complaints politically driven, while internal Democrat divisions continue to grow over the fallout. (Taylor Dolven, The Colorado Sun)
Ohio: Ohio utility regulators ordered FirstEnergy to pay more than $250 million in penalties and customer refunds for its role in the HB 6 bribery scheme. That total includes $187 million returned to ratepayers and nearly $180 million in penalties for misusing grid-modernization fees. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio said the sanctions are a necessary response to FirstEnergy’s admitted funding of the $60 million operation that helped secure a $1 billion nuclear bailout, a scandal that sent former House Speaker Larry Householder to prison and left former executives facing trial. Regulators said the remedies are meant to deter future misconduct and push the company to continue rebuilding public trust. (Julie Carr Smyth, AP News)
Elections
The Supreme Court will review a ruling blocking Texas from using its new 2025 congressional maps after Justice Samuel Alito granted the state’s request for an administrative stay. The stay temporarily restores the maps approved by Republican lawmakers over the summer, pausing a three-judge panel’s order requiring Texas to revert to its 2021 districts after finding “substantial evidence” of racial gerrymandering under the Voting Rights Act. A sharply worded dissent rejected that conclusion and criticized the process. The timing is urgent ahead of the March 3, 2026 primary, with candidate filing already underway and a December 8, 2025 deadline. (Jack Fink, CBS Texas)
We read the news, cut through the noise and provide you the notes.
Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group is 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. If there is a particular subject or jurisdiction you’d like to see covered, please let us know.
