As we previewed in a prior alert, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee recently published a complete collection of oversight plans adopted by each authorizing committee of the House of Representatives for the current Congress. Taken together, these plans outline an expansive and aggressive agenda for congressional investigations
Continue Reading House Releases Sweeping Oversight Agenda for 119th Congress: Major Focus Areas for Private Sector EntitiesArkansas Governor Signs Baby FARA Law
By Derek Lawlor & Alex Langton on
Posted in Foreign Agents Registration Act, State Law
Over the past several months, several states have introduced bills that mirror the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). There has been a trend in the states to propose so-called “baby FARA” laws that apply to foreign-influenced political activity in the states, though the proposals vary in the scope of…
Continue Reading Arkansas Governor Signs Baby FARA LawCalifornia Updates Pay-to-Play Law Regulations to Reflect Recent Law Changes
By Andrew Garrahan & Kimberly Railey on
Posted in Pay-to-Play, State Law
Important changes to California’s pay-to-play law took effect January 1, 2025, and now the state’s regulations have caught up to the law.
The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission adopted the new regulations late last month, following statutory revisions to California’s complex pay-to-play law found at California Government Code § 84308…
Continue Reading California Updates Pay-to-Play Law Regulations to Reflect Recent Law ChangesGeorgia Senate Launches Abrams-Focused Inquiry, Signaling Growing Risk of State Legislative Investigations
By Perrin Cooke, William Sokolove & Samuel Klein on
Posted in State Law
Last week, the Georgia state Senate authorized a sweeping investigation of former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, continuing a national trend of increased state legislative investigations. Although state-level investigations continue to lag far behind congressional investigations, state legislatures appear to be replicating what we see on the federal level with increasing…
Continue Reading Georgia Senate Launches Abrams-Focused Inquiry, Signaling Growing Risk of State Legislative InvestigationsPreparing Now for Expected Congressional Oversight: Newly Released Oversight Plans Signal Investigations of Private Parties
By Perrin Cooke, William Sokolove & Stephanie Nnadi on
Posted in Congressional Investigations
Recently, three key investigative committees of the House of Representatives—the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Energy and Commerce Committee—each adopted their respective committee’s oversight plan for the new Congress, offering a window into the committees’ investigative priorities for the next two years. The newly…
Continue Reading Preparing Now for Expected Congressional Oversight: Newly Released Oversight Plans Signal Investigations of Private PartiesTax-Exempt Organizations: Understanding Executive and Congressional Enforcement Priorities
Tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations and other types of nonprofits associated with high-net worth individuals, have been subject to increasing investigative scrutiny in recent years. Last Congress, for example, the House Judiciary Committee and several other committees issued document requests to multiple nonprofit organizations, and in this Congress the trend…
Continue Reading Tax-Exempt Organizations: Understanding Executive and Congressional Enforcement PrioritiesLDA’s Registration Thresholds Increase for Lobbyist Employers and Lobbying Firms
By Derek Lawlor & Elizabeth Upton on
Posted in Lobbying Compliance
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. Usually, the two non-monetary thresholds determining when an individual becomes…
Continue Reading LDA’s Registration Thresholds Increase for Lobbyist Employers and Lobbying FirmsNew Executive Order Gives President Veto Power Over Some FEC Rulemaking
By Perrin Cooke on
Posted in Campaign Finance
In the latest in a series of executive actions that aim to reshape much of government, President Trump signed an executive order on February 18 expanding the President’s authority over so-called independent agencies within the executive branch. The impact of this executive order will be felt across the federal government…
Continue Reading New Executive Order Gives President Veto Power Over Some FEC RulemakingAttorney General Issues Memorandum Regarding FARA Criminal Enforcement
By Robert Kelner, Brian D. Smith & Alex Langton on
Posted in Enforcement, Foreign Agents Registration Act
On her first day in office, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a significant memorandum to all Department of Justice employees regarding the Department’s criminal enforcement policies, including a notable directive related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). The memorandum provides that “[r]ecourse to criminal charges under the Foreign Agents…
Continue Reading Attorney General Issues Memorandum Regarding FARA Criminal EnforcementCalifornia Adopts New Contribution, Gift Limits for 2025-2026
By Andrew Garrahan & Zoë Brown on
Posted in Campaign Finance, State Law
The California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) has adopted higher political contribution limits and public officer gift limits for the 2025-2026 political cycle. The new limits took effect January 1, 2025.
Contribution Limits
Under the new limits, an individual, business entity, or PAC can contribute $5,900 per election to candidates…
Continue Reading California Adopts New Contribution, Gift Limits for 2025-2026