Judge Myron Thompson Analyzes When Campaign Contributions Can Be Bribes
For those interested in the subject, this opinion is likely to be very influential.
Category Archives: conflict of interest laws
“Tandem press briefings”
Politico: “President Barack Obama’s White House is taking a new approach to straddling the tricky legal line between governing and campaigning: the tandem press briefing. Starting last week, Obama for America traveling press secretary Jen Psaki joined White House… Continue reading
“Shelley Berkley faces formal ethics investigation”
WaPo: “The House Ethics Committee has voted unanimously to launch a formal investigation into allegations that Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) used her position to benefit the financial interests of her husband — a blow to her candidacy in one… Continue reading
“Members of Congress Trade in Companies While Making Laws That Affect Those Same Firms”
The Washington Post reports here that: “One-hundred-thirty members of Congress or their families have traded stocks collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies lobbying on bills that came before their committees, a practice that is permitted under current… Continue reading
“Ethics Case Against Congresswoman to Resume”
NYT: “Leaders of the House Ethics Committee said Wednesday that they would move ahead with a long-delayed inquiry into allegations of impropriety by Representative Maxine Waters after concluding that committee missteps had not denied Ms. Waters a fair hearing in… Continue reading
“Sen. Tom Coburn admonished for helping former John Ensign aide”
WaPo: “The ethics panel focused its ‘qualified admonition’ on Coburn for his role in helping Hampton’s work as a lobbyist during the one-year period after leaving Ensign’s office, when he was still legally forbidden from lobbying the Senate.”
Siegelman Cert Petition on Supreme Court Docket for May 31
“Congress ethics office clears Bachus of insider trading”
WaPo reports.
“Obama nominates elite fundraiser for top diplomatic spot”
iWatch reports.
“‘Presidential’ vs. ‘Political’ Trips: A Blurry Line, and Tricky Math”
NYT: “Officials at the White House, the Chicago campaign headquarters and the Democratic National Committee declined to say how they decide which events are political and how much to reimburse the government. That secrecy has a tradition dating at… Continue reading
“Why Lobbyists Dodge Calls From Congressmen”
Interesting NPR report on rent extraction. I deal extensively with lobbyist fundraising and the problem of rent seeking/extraction in my recent Stanford piece.
Same as It Ever Was Dept.
“White House abandons push for federal contractors to disclose political giving”
The Hill reports.
“Romney using ethics exception to limit disclosure of Bain holdings”
Extensive WaPo report quoting Cleta Mitchell, Joe Sandler and others.