The “other holding” in Citizens United, the one in which eight justices concurred, upheld federal disclaimer and public disclosure requirements as applied to the film Hillary and televised advertisements for the film.  Looking perhaps to the future, the majority reflected … Continue reading →

The holidays are upon us and so are the various gifts that companies send out annually during this time.   Whether it’s a small calendar or an expensive bottle of wine, it is important to be aware of the various gift … Continue reading →

Pay-to-play reforms take many different forms. For example, in New Jersey, the current restrictions are embodied in state statutes, gubernatorial executive orders, municipal ordinances, and State Investment Council regulations. Now, almost five years to the day after the first gubernatorial … Continue reading →

Since April 2007, the New Jersey State Investment Council has subjected firms seeking investment of state pension funds, and associated persons, to a ban on political contributions. The New Jersey regulation makes compliance with the ban a condition of eligibility … Continue reading →

We’re continuing our look at restrictions applicable to lobbyists paying for receptions at the national party conventions. We’ve covered federally registered lobbyists and officials; this week we take a look at New York.

When is it improper for an attorney representing a private client to communicate with a municipal official? This topic was explored at a recent panel discussion presented by the Municipal Law Section of the New York State Bar Association in … Continue reading →

The New York City Clerk’s office recently issued a special report commemorating the first year of enforcing the City’s new lobbying laws. Among other developments, the City penalized lobbyists and their clients over $326,000, more than $301,000 of which was … Continue reading →

It is essential that political committees take steps to protect their assets from misappropriation and errors that lead to misreporting. Earlier this year the Federal Election Commission issued a policy statement creating a Safe Harbor for Misreporting Due to Embezzlement … Continue reading →

If you are engaged in lobbying the City of New York, can you offer a New York City public servant a cup of coffee? The answer is Yes and No.

An “architect of public financing,” Laurence Laufer was profiled in the NY Observer today by Azi Paybarah, also a writer for the the Observer’s political blog, The Politicker.