Lifting the Fog Over Lobbying Compliance - updated with impact of COVID-19 on NYS lobbying community
[WEBINAR] "Walking the Line" - Public Agencies', Officials' and Employees' Roles in Local Elections
[WEBINAR] Who Does What? Defining Proper Roles for Staff and Elected Officials
Bribery & Corruption in the Military. A Front-Line View (Part II)
Ethics Laws and the Importance of Transparency for Public Officials
Blogging for Lawyers
Bricker Graydon invites our friends who serve public entities, employees and officials to an Ohio Ethics Law update by Susan Willeke of the Ohio Ethics Commission. Lunch will be provided for in-person attendees!...more
On October 18, 2022, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors don’t need to wait for an investigation by the Ohio Ethics Commission before prosecuting a public official charged with violating Ohio’s ethics laws....more
On May 25, 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed two bills – HB 7001 and HB 7003 – which achieve final implementation of amendments to the Florida State Constitution, first, by extending the period during which certain...more
As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and returns to the new normal, in-person conferences have also returned from their hiatus. Accordingly, it is an appropriate time to review ethics laws regarding public...more
In its January 26, 2022, press release, the Ohio Ethics Commission is urging the Ohio General Assembly to enact enhanced penalties for persons or entities convicted of giving unlawful gifts or payments to any public official...more
If you’ve been out shopping, you’ve likely noticed stores are decking their halls and preparing for the holidays (holiday creep is a topic for another time). Many companies like to send small holiday gifts or tokens of...more
In late September, the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) issued a rather broad advisory opinion underscoring the need for due diligence when making charitable donations at the behest of public...more
On October 1, 2020, the new Instruction on the Investigation and Prosecution of Foreign Corruption for the Dutch Public Prosecution Service ("DPPS") entered into force, indicating certain factors that play a role in...more
Welcome to Compliance Notes from Nossaman’s Government Relations & Regulation Group – a periodic digest of the headlines, statutory and regulatory changes and court cases involving campaign finance, lobbying compliance,...more
As federal, state and local governments grapple with the COVID-19 outbreak, a number of jurisdictions have modified certain ethics, lobbying and campaign finance requirements in response to the crisis. Below, we describe...more
Recently, the Ohio Ethics Commission, in Advisory Opinion Number 2019-01, provided additional guidance on ceremonial gifts for public officials and employees. Public officials are often honored by groups for longstanding...more
In Guydish v. Crestwood School District, AP 2019-0643, the requester sought copies of the statements of financial interests filed by the school district’s current school board members pursuant to the Public Official and...more
On Election Day in 2018, voters in three states approved amendments to rules involving a variety of ethics reforms involving lobbying, contributions and gifts....more
Last week, the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission (“Commission”) entered into a public consent agreement to fine a sitting state representative $14,000 for violating state ethics law. The Commission’s final adjudication,...more
Earlier this year, Brenda Fitzgerald, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, was forced to resign because, shortly after taking the position, she had purchased stock in tobacco and pharmaceutical companies —...more
Most public officials, especially those at the local level, hold private employment, own businesses and have family in the community. This can make avoiding conflicts of interest a challenge when asked to vote on an ordinance...more
Mi casa es su casa is a good rule of thumb in a close, tight-knit community, and welcoming friends and neighbors into the fold for celebrations and gatherings is ingrained in many peoples’ DNA. Nevertheless, when it comes to...more
“In civilized life, law floats in a sea of ethics,” the late Earl Warren, who served as a U.S. Supreme Court chief justice and as California attorney general and governor, stated in a 1962 speech. In a closely related sense,...more
My good friend and colleague, Tom Fox, has written an interesting post on the SEC’s recent United Airlines settlement for $2.4 million for domestic bribery. As Tom has noted, the interesting aspect of the SEC’s enforcement...more
Once, when I had put a lot of time and attention into arranging the particulars of social engagement, an old acquaintance called me a “detallista.” At the time, I think she may have meant it more as a slight than a...more
Ah, summertime. Beaches, BBQs, visits with familia, ethics developments, balmy nights … Wait – ethics? Yes, it’s true. The world of ethics and conflicts of interest es muy caliente this summer, with a couple of...more
The Supreme Court of the United States voted unanimously on June 27, 2016, to vacate former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell’s conviction under the federal honest services and extortion statutes. In doing so, the eight...more
Fifth in a series by BB&K Partner Ruben Duran for the Southern California Latino Policy Center Newsletter - Summer’s approach often brings thoughts of travel. Whether with family or friends, by train, bus, car or plane,...more
Fourth in a series by BB&K Partner Ruben Duran for the Southern California Latino Policy Center Newsletter* Sometimes, it just happens. Tragedy strikes. Disaster hits. Whether self-inflicted or supernaturally caused,...more
Most cities in California (an overwhelming 97 percent) operate under the “Council-Manager form of government,” under which the elected councilmembers directly hire and oversee one top-level employee (the city manager) to...more