Political Law

Corporations, trade associations, non-profits, other organizations, and individuals face significant penalties and reputational harm if they violate state laws governing corporate and personal political activities, the registration of lobbyists, lobbying reporting, or the giving of gifts or items of value to government officials or employees. To help organizations and individuals …

Continue Reading Covington Releases 50-State Survey of Campaign Finance, Lobbying, and Gift Rules (2022 Edition)

FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel issued a press release on Wednesday stating that she has circulated to her fellow FCC commissioners and proposal that, if adopted by the agency, will clarify that the TCPA and related FCC rules impose a consent standard on “ringless voicemails” delivered to a user’s voicemail inbox.
Continue Reading FCC Chair’s Proposed Order: Ringless Voicemails Require Prior Consent

Recently, the Senate adopted a power-sharing agreement providing some contours for organizing the equally divided body.  As we have discussed previously, such agreements are very rarely needed.  The Senate has only faced a 50-50 partisan split a handful of times.  The most recent instance, in 2001, prompted the first power-sharing…
Continue Reading Senate Subpoena Power Under the 2021 Power-Sharing Agreement

Today Covington released an updated version of its manual for Chiefs of Staff to Members of Congress concerning best practices for responding to government investigations of Members and their staff.  Titled “A How-To Guide for Chiefs of Staff,” the manual describes how government investigations of Members and staff unfold and…
Continue Reading Covington Releases Investigations Manual for House and Senate Chiefs of Staff

With the election over, the process of selecting and vetting individuals to fill the next administration’s key appointed positions is quickly shifting into high gear. For those who are called to serve in such positions, the decision to enter the process may be one of the most important and life-changing…
Continue Reading A Primer for Navigating the Presidential Appointee Vetting and Confirmation Process

Yesterday, a complaint was filed in a Minnesota federal district court against Bernie 2020 Inc. (“the Sanders Campaign”), alleging that the Sanders Campaign transmitted automated text messages to mobile telephone numbers without the “prior express consent” of their recipients in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”).

The complaint…
Continue Reading Political Campaigns Among Entities Alleged to Have Violated TCPA

As we reported in our prior client advisory on the wave of investigations to follow the pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act established three new bodies to conduct oversight and investigations on pandemic-related issues. Separately, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a special committee to conduct additional…
Continue Reading Congressional Pandemic Oversight Bodies Begin to Take Shape

Last month, we highlighted congressional efforts to ensure that Congress is able to continue conducting the business of the American people during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. After weeks of halting progress, those efforts took an important step forward this morning with the release of a proposed resolution that would temporarily…
Continue Reading House Leaders Push Ahead with Proposal for Virtual Oversight

The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), often referred to as Congress’ watchdog, is ramping up its oversight activities in preparation for an influx of investigations into fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of funds distributed in Congress’s $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). The GAO recently signaled…
Continue Reading GAO Set To Launch Flurry of COVID-19 Related Audits