Those active in Virginia politics should note that portions of Virginia’s new ethics law take effect tomorrow, July 1, 2014, including the new $250 annual limit on “tangible” gifts from lobbyists and government contractors.
Governor Terry McAuliffe has said that this is not the end of ethics reform in Virginia. Earlier this month, he used…
New guidance from the Florida Bureau of Election Records will be useful to federal PACs and other non-Florida political entities that want to participate in Florida politics but were wary of the state’s registration and reporting requirements. Under the new guidance, available on page 34 of the Florida Political Committee Handbook:
…
Yesterday, the Supreme Court issued its much anticipated decision in the stock-drop case, Fifth Third Bancorp v. Dudenhoeffer. The Court vacated the lower court decision that was adverse to the employer, Fifth Third Bancorp, and remanded the case to the lower courts for further proceedings.
Fiduciaries of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) had hoped…
The charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States is due to expire on September 30, 2014. Based on recent events, it is unclear whether Congress will act before this date to extend the charter.
The Ex-Im Bank is the official export credit agency of the United States. Its purpose is to support…
Last Friday, Florida’s governor signed into law the Florida Information Protection Act of 2014 (“FIPA”), a bill repealing Florida’s existing data security breach notice law and replacing it with what will be one of the nation’s most stringent breach notice laws. This post summarizes the key aspects of the new law, which becomes effective July…
Two items in last week’s news highlight that federal tax law remains an important consideration in the lead up to the 2014 and 2016 elections.
First, the IRS released a letter that denied the application of the Arkansans for Common Sense, a now defunct liberal group, for classification as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The…
The United States and the European Union are currently negotiating a comprehensive, high standard trade agreement. Launched in 2013, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) seeks to unlock economic growth by further opening the US and EU markets, addressing regulatory barriers that result in significant costs to companies operating or seeking to operate on…
Later this summer the first ever African Leader’s Summit will bring heads of state from across the continent to Washington DC to discuss a range of trade and investment matters. A recent study on the attitudes of multinational corporations toward investment in Africa suggests that the leaders looking to attract investors will receive a warm…
The Securities & Exchange Commission hit a Philadelphia-area private equity firm today with a major penalty, in the SEC’s first case involving alleged violations of its 2010 “pay-to-play” rules. More enforcement actions may be coming.
The SEC pay-to-play rules were adopted to prevent, among other things, executives of investment firms from making political contributions in…
New York State’s lobbying and ethics regulator, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), released a number of new rules, effective this week, including rules on the giving and receiving of gifts, honoraria, and payment for expenses.
JCOPE, which was established by the state’s Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011, is the first state agency…
