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The ethics rules that apply to presidential appointees have undergone significant changes this month, with wide-ranging implications for incoming Biden appointees and their former employers, as well as for outgoing Trump officials and their prospective employers.

President Biden issued an executive order just hours after being sworn in as president, requiring certain members of his administration to sign an ethics pledge outlining incoming and outgoing employment, gift, and lobbying restrictions. The pledge requires presidential appointees throughout the federal government to commit to the following:Continue Reading Biden Requires Ethics Pledge from Executive Branch Appointees, While Trump Appointees Are Released from Theirs

As states across the country finalize and certify the results of the 2020 general election, President-elect Joseph R. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris have begun preparing to assume control of the executive branch on January 20. The Biden-Harris Transition Team has already assembled and dispatched agency review teams to survey and report on the current organization and priorities of the various executive branch agencies. And while it remains unclear how traditional Inauguration Day festivities will be affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, President-elect Biden’s yet-to-be-organized Inaugural Committee will be responsible for planning and funding any official Inauguration Day parades or galas or any other official events.

As this new chapter of American government unfolds, many individuals, companies, and nonprofits are no doubt interested in reaching out to the Biden-Harris Transition Team and the Biden Inaugural Committee. This short alert sets out high-level guidelines regarding interactions with both the Transition Team and the Inaugural Committee. If you have any questions about these topics, please contact a member of our Political Law Group.Continue Reading Interacting with the Biden-Harris Transition Team and Inaugural Committee

The Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) continues to get attention as the Department of Justice (DOJ) issues more advisory opinions. FARA is the U.S. statute that requires a person to register with the Department of Justice when engaged on behalf of a foreign principal in certain registrable activities aimed at influencing U.S. public opinion, policy,…

As federal and state governments grapple with the health and economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic, business leaders are at the center of the discussion. The White House holds frequent roundtables with CEOs and business owners. State governors have formed task forces comprised of business leaders to advise on strategies for reopening businesses in their…

Federal and state regulators continue to modify their lobbying and campaign finance reporting and enforcement practices and requirements in response to the ongoing upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As states postpone primaries to prevent the spread of coronavirus, agencies have revised reporting deadlines for election-sensitive campaign finance reports. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced…

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, some state agencies are pushing back filing deadlines for lobbying and pay-to-play reports, while others are suspending their legislative sessions, which has the effect of extending in-session reporting requirements and contribution bans.

New Jersey has announced a grace period for government contractors to file annual reports (Form BE) disclosing…

A little-noticed provision tucked away in the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TJCA) will have an effect on businesses that lobby at the local level. Under the TJCA, expenses incurred in connection with attempting to influence legislation at the local or municipal level (including Indian tribal governments) will no longer be deductible.

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With an election year just weeks away, there are steps you can take now to boost the effectiveness of your government affairs program, and help your organization and its principals avoid legal trouble. This is a particularly good time to fill the coffers of your PAC, develop a political contribution plan for next year,…

register nowLast month the Chicago Board of Ethics made headlines when it fined former Obama administration official David Plouffe $90,000 for failing to register as a lobbyist after communicating with city officials by email.

But the story did not end there. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city’s ethics board is now looking into potential lobbying registration violations by dozens of individuals and companies. As with the Plouffe matter, these potential violations trace back to messages sent to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s personal email accounts, which were released in response to a pair of open records lawsuits.

These developments in Chicago serve as a potent reminder of the penalties and reputational risks from ignoring state and local lobbying registration laws.Continue Reading Chicago Crackdown on Unregistered Lobbying May Expand to Dozens of Individuals, Companies

On January 28, 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order that imposes an extra layer of ethics obligations on presidentially appointed members of the White House and Executive Branch.

Overall, President Trump’s Executive Order takes a somewhat different approach than the “Ethics Pledge” issued by the Obama administration, expanding some restrictions and loosening others. In…