Inside Political Law

Updates on developments in campaign finance, lobbying & government ethics law

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Over the last month, we have issued multiple client alerts outlining developments related to the Chinese military company covered lobbyist prohibition enacted by Section 851 of the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025, codified at 10 U.S.C. § 4663. This is a follow-up to those prior alerts to address…

State regulators are beginning to grapple with the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in National Republican Senatorial Committee v. FEC (“NRSC”).  Minnesota may have provided the first clear example of how the ruling could reshape state campaign finance regimes. On June 30, the Supreme Court struck down the federal limits on coordinated party…

The Chinese military company covered lobbyist prohibition enacted by Section 851 of the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025, codified at 10 U.S.C. § 4663, took effect on June 30, 2026. Just before that date, the Department of Defense took steps to implement the prohibition in the Defense Federal…

It’s a common scenario: An employee receives a text from a friend asking them to contribute to the campaign of a candidate the friend supports. Without thinking much about it, the employee makes a $500 contribution. Though the employee has been trained on their company’s political contributions policy, it doesn’t occur to the employee to…

In recent years, investigators in Congress have ramped up scrutiny of government contractors and other recipients of federal funds. This trend has only accelerated in the current Congress, with Republican-led committees pursuing expansive inquiries targeting a wide variety of federal contractors and grantees. Along with familiar allegations of waste or misuse of federal funds, these…

In a major decision today, the Supreme Court in NRSC v. FEC struck down longstanding limits on “coordinated party expenditures” that restricted the amounts political parties could spend in coordination with federal candidates. With this decision, national party committees and the federal accounts of state parties can now spend unlimited funds to support individual federal…

In January 2025, Covington issued a client alert noting that the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025, which sets annual spending and policy for the Pentagon, introduced new China-related prohibitions on defense contractors and their consultants. The provision is finally set to take effect on June 30, 2026. This cli…

As the election season intensifies, companies face a rapidly evolving landscape of regulatory, compliance, and reputational considerations. With heightened scrutiny on political engagement, lobbying, campaign finance, and communications, organizations must be prepared to navigate complex and fast-moving legal requirements.

Drawing on our deep experience in election and political law, public policy, and regulatory compliance, Covington…

With fewer than 180 days until the midterm elections, Democratic Members of Congress are laying the groundwork for future congressional investigations in the event the party regains control of one or both chambers next year. Even as Democratic Members prepare for the possibility of winning the majority, developments such as the Virginia Supreme Court’s redistricting…

On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the IRS plans to revise the Form 990 to improve transparency and provide clearer reporting on certain transactions of 501(c)(3) organizations, including government contracts, government grants, and fiscal sponsorship arrangements. In this alert, we provide a summary of the announcement, an estimate…