Category Archives: Election and Political Law

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Election and Political Law April 23, 2013

A Question of Ethics: Are McConnell Ethics Charges Valid?

Roll Call April 23, 2013 Q: I have a question about the recent news of an audio recording of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. I know that there has been a great deal of focus on the legality of the recording and it being leaked. But, I have now also seen some news about allegations… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law April 11, 2013

A Question of Ethics: May Members and Staff Accept ‘VIP’ Discounts?

Roll Call April 11, 2013 Q: I am a House staffer with a question about members participating in special “VIP” discount programs that some businesses offer. The member I work for is preparing to buy a new boat, and the company he is buying from has placed him in a special VIP discount program. I’m… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law February 26, 2013

A Question of Ethics: OCE Draws Inferences Against Third Parties

Roll Call February 26, 2013 Q. I have a question about investigations by the Office of Congressional Ethics. I’ve read stories about OCE investigations of members where it appeared that the OCE used a witness’s refusal to cooperate with the investigation against the member being investigated, even though the member had no control over the… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law February 5, 2013

A Question of Ethics: Travel Rules Require Planning Ahead

Roll Call February 5, 2013 Q: I am a staffer for a member of the House, and one of my longtime responsibilities has been arranging his travel. This can be time-consuming as there are lots of hoops to jump through and forms to fill out in order to get the Ethics Committee’s approval for travel… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law December 21, 2012

Change Coming to Conflicts of Interest Standards in Congress

The House Ethics Committee is having a busy holiday season, following up on what was a busy overall year for the congressional ethics panel. Late Thursday, the Committee issued a series of press releases and reports to close out this Congress. The Committee’s investigative reports always contain conclusions of interest and sometimes set new precedents… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends December 4, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Government Ethics Stories of the Year

Roll Call December 4, 2012 This column was born in the wake of the government ethics boom of 2006. In elections that fall, Democrats seized control of Congress, in part by riding a wave of heightened concern about government corruption. Legislation followed, and the issue of ethics enjoyed more public attention than it had received… Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Compliance, Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends, Fraud, Deception and False Claims November 15, 2012

SEC and DOJ release long awaited FCPA Guidance

The United States SEC and DOJ have jointly just released their new guidance for businesses under the FCPA… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends November 13, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Are ‘I Voted’ Promotions Illegal?

Roll Call November 13, 2012 Q: I am a coffee shop owner with a question about election law, of all things. Last week on Election Day, we had a promotion giving away a free cookie to anyone wearing an “I voted” sticker. That evening, someone made an angry post on our Facebook page claiming that… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law October 29, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Pay-to-Play Violations Carry Serious Penalties

Roll Call October 29, 2012 Q: I work for a company that makes sales to the government, and one of my roles is to ensure compliance with government contracting laws. In some recent company discussions about so-called pay-to-play laws, some of our business folks have argued that the cost of strict compliance might outweigh the… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends October 16, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Must Members Report Spouses’ Stock Trades?

Roll Call October 16, 2012 Q: I am a staffer for a Member of the House and one of my responsibilities is to help him meet his financial disclosure obligations. I know that there are new rules that require Members to report stock purchases and sales as soon as they are made. My question is… Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Compliance, Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends October 9, 2012

New SFO guidance on self-reporting, business expenditure and facilitation payments

Self-reporting is no guarantee that a prosecution will not follow. Each case will turn on its own facts… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law October 2, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Are Members Liable for Their Staffers’ Actions?

Roll Call October 2, 2012 Q: I am a House staffer with a question about the outcome of the ethics investigation of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). As I understand it, the Ethics Committee concluded that Waters’ chief of staff violated House rules but that Waters herself did not. I had thought that Members were generally… Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Compliance, Election and Political Law September 17, 2012

“Not the serious champagne office” – SFO Director indicates common sense approach to Bribery Act

In response to speculation as to whether corporate hospitality involving tickets to the recent London Olympic Games might result in prosecutions under the Bribery Act, Serious Fraud Office Director David Green QC has stated: "We are not interested in that sort of case. We are interested in hearing that a large company has mysteriously come second in bidding for a big contract. The sort of bribery we would be investigating would not be tickets to Wimbledon or bottles of champagne. We are not the 'serious champagne office'."… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends July 17, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Aren’t False Financial Disclosure Forms Illegal?

Roll Call July 17, 2012 Q: I work for a Member of the House, and one of my responsibilities is to help her gather information for her annual financial disclosure statement. I have been doing this for years, and we have always been as careful as possible to ensure that the statements are free of… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law June 26, 2012

A Question of Ethics: OK to Use Campaign iPads for Official Work?

Roll Call June 26, 2012 Q: I am a staffer for a Senator, and I am hoping you can resolve a question that has arisen about the use of iPads for Senate work. As I understand it, the rules prohibit us from using computers for official Senate business if they are paid for by our… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law June 12, 2012

A Question of Ethics: How to Handle Having Former Staffer Friends

Roll Call June 12, 2012 Q: I am a Senate staffer with a question about communicating with former staffers. I have several good friends who have left the Hill for jobs in the private sector. We remain good friends, and I continue to see them on a regular basis. I recently heard that a Senate… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law May 15, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Communications With Congress Carry New Risks

Roll Call May 15, 2012 Q: I am a lobbyist and I have a question about the insider trading restrictions under the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act. A friend who is a lawyer told me that restrictions on insider trading by Members and staffers mean that I need to be careful about my communications… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law March 13, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Are Government Contractors Barred from Giving to Campaigns?

Roll Call March 13, 2012 Q: I am a college professor, and I have a question about restrictions on campaign contributions. A federal agency recently offered me a contract to perform some fairly minor advisory services for the agency. I’d like to accept the contract, but a conversation with another faculty member has given me… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law February 28, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Can Lobbyists Invite Staffers to Clients’ Events?

Roll Call February 28, 2012 Q: I am a lobbyist with a question about inviting House staffers to clients’ events. One of my clients is an organization that hosts an annual conference regarding developments in the organization’s particular industry. This year, the organization has hired me to help generate interest in the conference, and it… Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Compliance, Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends February 23, 2012

Push back by US business against enforcement of the FCPA

In a separate but well-timed move the US Chamber of Commerce has published its own strong objections to the way in which the FCPA is being enforced and its effect on corporate America… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law January 31, 2012

A Question of Ethics: Senators, Take Care When Helping Contributors

Roll Call January 31, 2012 Q: I am chief of staff for a Senator, and I have a question about providing services to our constituents. Our office constantly receives requests from constituents to help with matters pending before federal agencies, often from campaign contributors. Sometimes it makes me uneasy to help contributors. It almost feels… Continue Reading

Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Compliance, Election and Political Law, Enforcement and Prosecution Policy and Trends December 15, 2011

“No endemic corruption in the police service” – a new report on the British police

It is clear that the police, like employees in commercial organisations all around the world, need to receive much better training and much clearer guidance from their employers as to what is acceptable and what is not in order to avoid the suspicion of corruption… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law December 8, 2011

Why Showtime Needs a Political Law Refresher Course

SPOILER ALERT! On Showtime’s Homeland this week, Sgt. Brody made public the worst kept secret in pretend Washington — he would indeed run for the Congressional seat being vacated by disgraced Congressman Dick Johnson. However, in making his announcement probably Brody broke several laws that could put his fake congressional run at risk (Sgt. Brody has… Continue Reading

Election and Political Law December 6, 2011

A Question of Ethics: A Year in Congressional Ethics Retrospective

The final 2011 installment of A Question of Ethics looks back at the year’s big stories in government ethics. Click here to continue reading.… Continue Reading

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