With the end of the Biden Administration, the start of the Trump 2.0 Administration, and a change of power in the U.S. House, the steady churn of high-skill professionals moving in and out of government positions has reached an all-time high. Indeed, beyond the typical cadre of newly unemployed political
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Gratuity or Gift? The Supreme Court May Soon Delineate the Difference
By Peter Koski & Samuel Klein on
Posted in Government Ethics
Federal circuit courts are split on a core question of corruption law: whether state and local officials, and agents of organizations that contract with or receive benefits from the federal government, may lawfully accept gratuities.
It is generally a federal crime for state and local officials to act in their…
Continue Reading Gratuity or Gift? The Supreme Court May Soon Delineate the DifferenceRequesting Congressional Outreach: Key Compliance Considerations
Posted in Government Ethics
Assistance from congressional offices can be invaluable to an organization with interests before executive branch agencies. But it also can pose legal and optics risks to both the organization requesting the assistance and the congressional office and Member of Congress doing the outreach. A number of high-profile scandals, including the…
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Gift Rule Refinements Percolating In New York
By Angelle Smith Baugh on
Posted in Government Ethics, State Law
This week, the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), which is refining New York’s ethics rules, found itself debating whether a cup of coffee is an item of “nominal value.”
What constitutes an item of “nominal value” can be a challenging question, especially if it is not…
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