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January 22, 2021
This week in money-in-politics

Biden ethics rules aim to curtail revolving door, ‘shadow lobbying’

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President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday that aims to prevent his administration officials from joining the lucrative Washington influence industry shortly after leaving the executive branch.

Biden’s ethics rules prohibit officials who leave the administration from lobbying the executive branch or registering as foreign agents for two years. Unlike past presidents’ ethics pledges, Biden’s plan looks to crack down on “shadow lobbying” where former government officials influence policy but don’t register as lobbyists. The executive order prevents ex-officials from communicating with administration officials for two years after leaving government. It also prohibits senior officials from holding out to lobby or assisting with lobbying activity for one year.

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** Democrats prioritize campaign finance overhaul with ‘For the People Act’
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Congressional Democrats are prioritizing campaign finance reform and voting rights with a sweeping bill being praised by progressive groups and advocates for electoral reform. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that the upper chamber will consider the For the People Act before any other bill, designating it as S.1. Democrats in the House made a similar move earlier this month. The bill aims to tackle corporate influence, “dark money,” foreign attempts to influence American elections and voter suppression practices in the wake of the 2020 election cycle, which broke campaign spending records.
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** Corporations rethinking PACs leave the door to ‘dark money’ open

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Several major corporations started the New Year with resolutions swearing off corporate PAC spending after violent attacks on the U.S. Capitol. But they appear to have left the door open to continue bankrolling less transparent groups. “Dark money” groups and other politically active nonprofits received more than $100 million since 2015 from 24 companies that are cutting off political donations to the 147 members of Congress who voted against certifying presidential election results, reviewing corporate PAC giving or pausing contributions from their PACs entirely. That’s according to an OpenSecrets investigation using data from the Center for Political Accountability.
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** Never-Trump ‘dark money’ group to spend millions backing Republicans who impeached Trump
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A new anti-Trump group helmed by Republicans announced Tuesday that it would raise $50 million to encourage lawmakers to break with Donald Trump. Behind the project is Defending Democracy Together, one of the top-spending “dark money” groups in the 2020 cycle. The new effort — the Republican Accountability Project — promises to use its cash to “ensure that ample resources are available for those principled Republicans who do the right thing and hold Trump accountable for inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol.” The campaign joins The Lincoln Project in its efforts to sway Republicans who might otherwise hesitate to break from Trump.
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Impeachment vote leaves GOP lawmakers’ 2022 chances uncertain

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Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Jan. 13 may face the consequences of their vote in 2022.

Ten House Republicans voted to impeach Trump after his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. The Republicans who voted for impeachment include Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.).

While they may face primary challenges in 2022, the lawmakers likely won’t see the donor backlash that fellow colleagues who voted against impeachment faced — and they could garner support from groups that do support impeaching Trump.

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OpenSecrets in the News

See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:

* ** Corporate America Flexes Its Political Muscle (The New York Times) ([link removed])
The longstanding alliance between big business and the Republican Party has been tested this month in ways it has never been tested before as corporate America turns its back on many senior Republicans, and flexes its political muscle.

* ** Businesses begin backing away from Republicans after Capitol attack (PBS NewsHour) ([link removed])
Following the riot at the Capitol, dozens of corporations suspended political contributions to the 147 members of Congress who refused to certify the election of Joe Biden. OpenSecrets Executive Director Sheila Krumholz joins PBS NewsHour.

* ** Trump leaves behind diminished GOP (Politico) ([link removed])
Looking at the three major financial powerhouses that had fueled Republican gains in recent years, the Koch network has pulled back activity, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has shifted to a more bipartisan approach and the NRA has filed for bankruptcy.

** The Washington Post ([link removed])

** The New York Times ([link removed])

** CNN ([link removed])

** Reuters ([link removed])

** The Hill ([link removed])

** Roll Call ([link removed])

** The Center for Public Integrity ([link removed])

** Adirondack Daily Enterprise ([link removed])

** Greenville News ([link removed])

** Port City Daily ([link removed])

** The Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])

** Newsweek ([link removed])

** Sludge ([link removed])

** Business Insider ([link removed])



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