Democracy 21 --

Last year, Congress enacted major reforms that included new ethics rules for members of Congress and new disclosure requirements for lobbyists and lobbying organizations.

The new congressional ethics rules banned lobbyists and organizations that lobby from providing gifts to members of Congress, including meals, trips and entertainment.

The new ethics rules also included a prohibition on Representatives and Senators participating in lobbyist-funded parties at the national conventions that are held to "honor" or "recognize" the Members. The prohibition applies only to parties held at the national conventions.

Baleful Bundlers

Monday, August 11, 2008

Today an editorial appeared in The New York Times entitled, ''Baleful Bundlers" that discusses the role of bundlers in the 2008 presidential campaign.

The editorial concludes, "What is really needed is an overhaul of the public financing system for presidential campaigns, which has not kept pace with the actual costs of running for office. The only sure way to eliminate the baleful influence of private, special-interest money is to make sure that enough public money is available."

Friday, August 01, 2008

A federal district court in Washington, DC yesterday rejected a challenge brought by EMILY's List against two key regulations issued by the Federal Election Commission to restrict the use of soft money in federal campaigns by federal political committees and other groups, including 527 organizations.

The decision, by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, upheld an FEC regulation that requires contributions to comply with federal contribution limits when they are received by a federal political committee or other group, including a 527 organization, in response to a solicitation that indicates the funds will be used to support or oppose the election of a federal candidate.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

On July 30, 2008, eight reform and watchdog groups sent follow-up letters to Senator Obama and Senator McCain requesting further public disclosures regarding the bundlers raising money for their presidential campaigns.

The groups also sent the Senators a chart comparing the disclosures about bundlers currently being made by each candidate.

The July 30 letters follow letters sent by the groups on June 25, 2008 asking the two presumptive presidential nominees to make specific disclosures about their bundlers to the public. .

Senator McCain responded to the June 25 letter sent by the groups on July 11, 2008. Senator Obama did not respond.

The groups include the Campaign Finance Institute, the Center for Responsive Politics, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters, Public Citizen, the Sunlight Foundation and U.S. PIRG.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Democracy 21 is very pleased that Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican Leader John Boehner today appointed the Board of the new Office of Congressional Ethics, which begins the process of activating the Office.

With this action, the stage is now set for the new Office to be fully operational by January 1, 2009 and it is essential that the new Board take all appropriate steps to ensure that this occurs.