Employees in the investor relations departments of hedge fund managers and private equity firms typically do not consider themselves “lobbyists.” But state and local regulators sometimes have a different view. This article, published in the Hedge Fund Law Report,
Inside Political Law
Updates on developments in campaign finance, lobbying & government ethics law
Inside Political Law, published by Covington & Burling LLP, focuses on legal and regulatory issues related to political activities and campaign finance in the United States. The blog covers topics such as the formation and operation of super PACs, corporate and industry political contributions, compliance with election laws, investigations involving members of Congress and political staff, and enforcement actions related to nonprofit organizations and foreign agent registration. It provides guidance on navigating complex political law matters, including recent developments in federal and state regulations, enforcement trends, and strategic considerations for political consultants, corporations, and nonprofits engaged in political advocacy and campaign finance.
Latest from Inside Political Law - Page 6
Covington Announces Pay-to-Play Survey (2025 Edition)
Covington is pleased to announce that it has revised and updated its comprehensive 50-state survey of pay-to-play laws for 2025.
Companies doing business with the federal government or state and local governments and companies operating in regulated industries are subject…
Though Unsuccessful, Challenge to Trump Executive Order Yields Potentially Noteworthy Representations Regarding FEC Independence
By Perrin Cooke
As we highlighted in a prior post, in February, President Trump signed an executive order that expanded the President’s authority over independent agencies within the executive branch that could have important effects on future rulemakings and advisory opinions from…
Three Political Law Landmines for Hedge Funds, Private Equity Funds, and Investment Firms
Last year, an asset manager with offices in New York, Texas, and Vermont was publicly censured by the Securities and Exchange Commission and ordered to pay a substantial fine. Its offense? The asset manager hired an individual who had previously…
House Releases Sweeping Oversight Agenda for 119th Congress: Major Focus Areas for Private Sector Entities
As we previewed in a prior alert, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee recently published a complete collection of oversight plans adopted by each authorizing committee of the House of Representatives for the current Congress. Taken together, these…
Arkansas Governor Signs Baby FARA Law
By Derek Lawlor & Alex Langton
Over the past several months, several states have introduced bills that mirror the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”). There has been a trend in the states to propose so-called “baby FARA” laws that apply to foreign-influenced political activity in…
California Updates Pay-to-Play Law Regulations to Reflect Recent Law Changes
Important changes to California’s pay-to-play law took effect January 1, 2025, and now the state’s regulations have caught up to the law.
The state’s Fair Political Practices Commission adopted the new regulations late last month, following statutory revisions to California’s…
Georgia Senate Launches Abrams-Focused Inquiry, Signaling Growing Risk of State Legislative Investigations
Last week, the Georgia state Senate authorized a sweeping investigation of former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, continuing a national trend of increased state legislative investigations. Although state-level investigations continue to lag far behind congressional investigations, state legislatures appear to be…
Preparing Now for Expected Congressional Oversight: Newly Released Oversight Plans Signal Investigations of Private Parties
Recently, three key investigative committees of the House of Representatives—the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Judiciary Committee, and Energy and Commerce Committee—each adopted their respective committee’s oversight plan for the new Congress, offering a window into the…
Tax-Exempt Organizations: Understanding Executive and Congressional Enforcement Priorities
Tax-exempt organizations, including private foundations and other types of nonprofits associated with high-net worth individuals, have been subject to increasing investigative scrutiny in recent years. Last Congress, for example, the House Judiciary Committee and several other committees issued document requests to…