Politics
Little oversight for Cincinnati City Council aides
The 22 aides who work directly for the Cincinnati City Council members handle most of the interactions with the public and do the background grunt work. Yet the city’s system of hiring and overseeing these aides lacks oversight and accountability, according to an Enquirer analysis that found no internal checks and balances for the system.…
Read MoreGovernment computer glitch left thousands in N.C. without food stamps
Thousands of people went without food stamps in North Carolina last year after government computers across the state crashed, according to the Huffington Post. According to the report: “The food stamp delays can be traced to troubles with a computer system designed by Accenture, one of the world’s largest consulting firms. The company is among…
Read MoreGovernor Chris Christie cuts private deals and government contracts to his inner circle
The governor has allowed political cronyism to continue and even flourish, rather than stamp it out, with some of his closest confidants enriching themselves through millions of dollars in state contracts, and legal and lobbying fees, an Asbury Park Press review of thousands of pages of campaign, lobbying and contracting documents found.
Read MoreChris Christie cuts private deals and government contracts to his inner circle
The governor has allowed political cronyism to continue and even flourish, rather than stamp it out, with some of his closest confidants enriching themselves through millions of dollars in state contracts, and legal and lobbying fees, an Asbury Park Press review of thousands of pages of campaign, lobbying and contracting documents found.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: Pollution control plans, juvenile justice and inmate deaths
Wis. freeing more sex offenders from mental lockup | WisconsinWatch.org Wisconsin officials have nearly quadrupled the number of offenders released from state custody after they were committed as sexually violent persons. The risks to residents are reasonable, officials say, because the state’s treatment programs are working and new data suggest these offenders are less likely…
Read MoreSalary loophole allows staff members and aids to defy law, become lobbyists
The experiences of the three Capitol Hill aides-turned-lobbyists — traced through interviews with political operatives and a review of public records — illustrate in new detail the gaping holes in rules governing Washington’s revolving door. Federal ethics rules are intended to limit lobbying by former senior officials within one year after they leave the government.…
Read MoreFree game tickets, hot concert seats: The politics of higher education in Missouri
“Missouri’s public universities have spent almost a million dollars since 2011 on contracts with professional lobbyists to represent their interests in Jefferson City — while plying state legislators with tens of thousands of dollars more in free meals, sports outings, concert tickets and other perks,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Read the full story here.
Read MoreHow Lobbyists Still Fly Through Loopholes
“It’s widely believed that the 2007 rewrite of congressional travel rules spurred by the scandal that sent lobbyist Jack Abramoff to prison banned such international dalliances. But that’s far, far from true,” the National Journal reports. “A National Journal investigation has found that despite efforts to clip the wings of congressional travel planned and paid…
Read MoreChristie stuck in a jam over GWB lane closings
“A cache of private messages linking Governor Christie’s office to vindictive lane closures at the George Washington Bridge in September plunged the administration into a deep crisis on Wednesday, threatening Christie’s national profile as a straight-talker and feeding criticism that his administration has used its power to bully political enemies,” northjersey.com reports. Read/watch the full…
Read MoreTed Cruz Failed To Disclose Ties To Caribbean Holding Company
“Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz potentially violated ethics rules by failing to publicly disclose his financial relationship with a Caribbean-based holding company during the 2012 campaign, a review of financial disclosure and company documents by TIME shows.”
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