Under the federal Lobbying Disclosure Act (“LDA”), an organization or lobbying firm must register if it employs an individual who meets the definition of a “lobbyist” and if its total expenses or income for lobbying activities meet certain monetary thresholds. The two non-monetary thresholds determining when an individual becomes a “lobbyist,” discussed below, are usually
Latest from Inside Political Law - Page 2
Understanding H.R. 1 (Part 1): Corporate & Trade Association Campaign Activity
With a growing chorus of support across the progressive landscape, the For the People Act of 2021 has emerged as a key legislative priority for congressional Democrats in the 117th Congress. Envisioned as a “transformational anti-corruption and clean elections reform package,” the bill would enact sweeping changes to federal election laws along with important changes
FEC Provides Short Webinar Training for Candidate Committees
The Federal Election Commission (“FEC”) is offering a 90-minute online training session on Wednesday, April 7th, for campaign committees that use FECFile to file their disclosure reports. The purpose of this training is to address common filing problems and to provide answers to questions committees may have prior to their quarterly FEC filing. FEC staff
Financial Institutions and Congressional Investigations – 2020 into 2021
Financial institutions are consistently targets of congressional oversight interest. In the last Congress, House and Senate committees held hearings with, demanded documents from, requested interviews with, and hosted briefings from a number of bank and non-bank financial institutions regarding a variety of issues. In a recent client alert, we looked at recent trends in
California Increases Campaign Contribution Limits, Applies Limits to Local Elections
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has published contribution limits for 2021-2022. The new “per election” limits are effective for the 2021-2022 election cycle, and the calendar year limits are effective January 1, 2021. Note in particular that this year, for the first time, the state has imposed limits on contributions in city and
Senate Subpoena Power Under the 2021 Power-Sharing Agreement
Recently, the Senate adopted a power-sharing agreement providing some contours for organizing the equally divided body. As we have discussed previously, such agreements are very rarely needed. The Senate has only faced a 50-50 partisan split a handful of times. The most recent instance, in 2001, prompted the first power-sharing agreement, which served as a
Senators Urge Secretary Yellen to Expand IRS Regulation and Enforcement of Political Spending by 501(c)(4) Organizations
In a letter sent to newly confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen last Wednesday, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Elizabeth Warren called for renewed efforts to “rein in abuse by ‘dark money’ organizations” and urged Secretary Yellen to bolster the IRS’s “woefully inadequate” regulation and enforcement related to the political activity of 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations. As
Congressional Investigations with a Democratic House and Senate
In recent months, we have highlighted key developments on Capitol Hill and discussed the implications of the change in Administration on the pace and focus of congressional investigations. With a Democratic majority now in both the House and the Senate, investigations targeting the private sector are primed to take center stage in the new Congress.
Covington Publishes Comprehensive Advisory Comparing Biden and Trump Executive Orders on Ethics
The ethics rules that apply to Presidential appointees shifted Wednesday, in some ways significantly, as President Biden, just hours after being sworn in, signed an “Executive Order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel” and President Trump, just hours before his term expired, revoked his Executive Order on Ethics.
While the Biden
DOJ Announces Arrest in New FARA Case
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the arrest of an alleged agent of the Iranian government, who has been charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). The defendant is an Iranian political scientist, living in the United States as a permanent resident. The Justice Department alleges that for years he has engaged