House Ethics Committee extends investigations into Tlaib and 3 other lawmakers

The House Ethics Committee released updates on their investigations into four lawmakers on Thursday, including a high-profile freshman Democratic lawmaker and a Republican lawmaker who they revealed is under investigation by the Department of Justice. CNN's Clare Foran contributed to this report.

Source: House Ethics Committee extends investigations into Tlaib and 3 other lawmakers

Hans von Spakovsky: Ilhan Omar protected – for now – against accusations of campaign finance law violations

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who is accused of improperly using political campaign funds to reimburse her alleged lover for travel expenses, doesn’t need to worry for now about a complaint filed against her with the Federal Election Commission.

Source: Hans von Spakovsky: Ilhan Omar protected – for now – against accusations of campaign finance law violations

Federal judge refuses to dismiss campaign finance violation case against Rep. Duncan Hunter

A federal judge on Monday refused to dismiss the campaign finance violation case against California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter. In San Diego federal court, US District Judge Thomas J.

Source: Federal judge refuses to dismiss campaign finance violation case against Rep. Duncan Hunter

Is attempting to sway Susan Collins’s vote breaking the law? It’s hard to tell.

Bradley Smith is chairman of the Institute for Free Speech, a former Republican chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and a visiting fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University.

Source: Is attempting to sway Susan Collins’s vote breaking the law? It’s hard to tell.

Campaign-finance laws are hopelessly confusing when it comes to hush money

Donald Trump’s critics say his defense of hush payments to women who claim to have had sex with him betrays a misunderstanding of campaign finance law. If so, it is hard to see how the president could have “knowingly and willfully” violated the law, as required for a criminal conviction.

Source: Campaign-finance laws are hopelessly confusing when it comes to hush money

Fmr head of the FEC blows up media narrative that Trump broke the law, by referring to the actual law

No sooner had Michael Cohen pleaded guilty than a Democrat lawmaker called for a new investigation to determine if President Donald Trump committed a crime. Rep.

Source: Fmr head of the FEC blows up media narrative that Trump broke the law, by referring to the actual law

Mark Levin cuts through the propaganda on ‘sleazeball’ Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas and Trump; ALSO interview with former FEC Chair

Tonight Mark Levin cut through all of the Cohen guilty plea propaganda and explained why, from a legal perspective, Cohen’s guilty plea will have no impact on Trump and why the charges against Cohen regarding the ‘hush money’ payoffs aren’t really FEC violations.

Source: Mark Levin cuts through the propaganda on ‘sleazeball’ Michael Cohen’s guilty pleas and Trump; ALSO interview with former FEC Chair

Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump’s Direction

Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s former fixer, made the extraordinary admission in court on Tuesday that he had arranged payments to two women at Mr. Trump’s behest to secure their silence about affairs they said they had with him. Mr.

Source: Michael Cohen Says He Arranged Payments to Women at Trump’s Direction

West Virginia House committee votes to impeach entire state Supreme Court

The charges against the sitting justices include "unnecessary and lavish" spending of taxpayer dollars, maladministration, corruption and neglect of duty, according to the newspaper.

Source: West Virginia House committee votes to impeach entire state Supreme Court

No law prevents Kris Kobach from overseeing the likely recount in his own race

No law requires Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach to recuse himself from a recount in the governor’s race, but legal and political experts say that he should to maintain trust in the election.

Source: No law prevents Kris Kobach from overseeing the likely recount in his own race

Maxine Waters hit with FEC complaint over mailer money

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, one of the most outspoken members of the anti-Trump ‘resistance’ in Congress, is facing fresh questions about a longstanding controversy regarding how her campaign raises money and how those funds have flowed to her daughter.

Source: Maxine Waters hit with FEC complaint over mailer money

Trump says Cohen represented him in "Stormy Daniels deal"

President Donald Trump said Thursday that his personal attorney Michael Cohen represented him "with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal," after previously denying any knowledge of a payment Cohen made to the porn actress who alleges an affair with Trump.

Source: Trump says Cohen represented him in "Stormy Daniels deal"

Watchdog group files ethics complaints against lobbyists joining Trump administration

As many as 30 Trump administration appointees may be in violation of ethics guidelines intended to prevent officials from working in agencies they once lobbied, a government watchdog said Monday.

Source: Watchdog group files ethics complaints against lobbyists joining Trump administration

White House staffer left email passwords on official stationery at bus stop: report

Someone reportedly found the piece of paper and turned it over to The Intercept, which said that it confirmed its authenticity. The aide, who works as a staff assistant in the White House, did not return requests for comment for the report.

Source: White House staffer left email passwords on official stationery at bus stop: report

Plenty of Pitfalls for Hill Staffers Doing Campaign Work

Staffers doing campaign work have to make sure they’re not doing it on government time. But there’s no set way to keep track of that time. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call file photo) With campaign season here, Hill staffers are likely to find their duties expanding with election-related tasks.

Source: Plenty of Pitfalls for Hill Staffers Doing Campaign Work

Robert Menendez and Ed Pawlowski: a tale of two political corruption cases

Even as federal prosecutors this week played out their pay-to-play case against Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, prosecutors just across the river in New Jersey withdrew a political corruption case against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

Source: Robert Menendez and Ed Pawlowski: a tale of two political corruption cases

Trump’s ‘Fake News Awards’ could violate ethics rules

Little is known about what the president intends to do Wednesday, but some experts aren't taking it lightly.

Source: Trump’s ‘Fake News Awards’ could violate ethics rules

RNC to support Roy Moore in Senate race in Alabama, weeks after cutting ties with his campaign

President Trump led an aggressive charge Monday on behalf of embattled Senate nominee Roy Moore, with the Republican National Committee rejoining Moore’s side in Alabama weeks after cutting ties with him following allegations of sexual misconduct.

Source: RNC to support Roy Moore in Senate race in Alabama, weeks after cutting ties with his campaign

Foreign lobbying law open to exploitation

Washington’s foreign agents are able to operate in a legal gray zone thanks to ambiguities in the law and less-than-stringent enforcement. Foreign lobbying has come to the forefront due to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russia and the Trump campaign.

Source: Foreign lobbying law open to exploitation

Pennsylvania Congressman Is Under F.B.I. Scrutiny, Court Records Show

WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. is investigating whether Representative Robert A. Brady of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, illegally paid a political opponent $90,000 to drop out of a 2012 primary race, court documents show. Two of Mr.

Source: Pennsylvania Congressman Is Under F.B.I. Scrutiny, Court Records Show