NEWS ROUNDUP:

DISCLOSE 2012

• DISCLOSE Act to be voted on in Senate today: At 5:30 p.m. today, the Senate will make a cloture vote on DISCLOSE 2012, a piece of legislation requiring comprehensive disclosure of large campaign donations. (The Hill)
• Pro-Ron-Paul group claims DISCLOSE hurts privacy, could cause harassment: The libertarian group Campaign for Liberty sent out an email claiming that the DISCLOSE Act will prompt government meddling with the group’s efforts to repeal the Patriot Act and eliminate the TSA. However, the government already collects the information the group is afraid of releasing; the DISCLOSE Act would just make certain amounts of it public if the group were to release an advertisement. (Republic Report)
• Opinion: McConnell misinterprets Citizens United by opposing DISCLOSE: Despite an 8-1 decision supporting disclosure by the Supreme Court in its Citizens United decision, Mitch McConnell still claims disclosure requirements found in DISCLOSE hurts free speech. In fact, the author claims, this assertion goes wholly against the ruling and the provisions it suggested. (Politico)

Government

• FOIA requests provide glimpses at internal Treasury Department probes: Tales of prostitution and acceptance of corporate gifts within the Treasury Department were revealed due to a Freedom of Information Act request that asked for information from the department’s Office of the Inspector General. (The Hill)
• STOCK Act opposition adds new members: Foreign Service officers: The American Foreign Service Association have echoed the security complaints of numerous other groups who have deemed the disclosure requirements found in the STOCK Act as potentially dangerous. (Government Executive)

State/Local

• N.J. attorney general record release refusal results in lawsuit: In response the withholding of certain records by the state’s Attorney General Office, the ACLU of New Jersey has filed a suit to gain access to this information, which they claim is unlawfully hidden. (NorthJersey.com)
• Minnesota campaign finance regulators hit state Republican Party with fines: Because it set up a corporation to pay itself for the 2010 state gubernatorial recount—a corporation that did not need to disclose its spending—the Minnesota Republican Party was fined $33,000 by regulators for breaking campaign finance laws. The party still owes law firms involved with the recount nearly $600,000. (Pioneer Press)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

• H.RES.730: Urging the Government of Ukraine to ensure free and fair parliamentary elections on October 28, 2012, by adhering to democratic standards, establishing a transparent electoral process and releasing opposition leaders sentenced on politically motivated grounds. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK 7/16 – 7/20:

Events

• Bringing Broadband Adoption to the Nation’s Underserved Populations: Tues. 7/17. 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. Clyde’s of Gallery Place. 707 7th Street NW, Washington, D.C.
• Improving Cyber Security Information Sharing: Thurs. 7/19. 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Bipartisan Policy Center. 1225 I Street NW, Suite 1000, Washington, D.C.
• Digital Development: Connecting People and Technology in Foreign Assistance: Thurs. 7/19. 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. International Foundation for Electoral Systems. 1850 K Street NW, 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.
• U.S. Cybersecurity Threats and Responses Conference: Thurs. 7/19. 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. 2261 Rayburn House Office Building. 45 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C.
• Open Internet Advisory Committee Meeting: Fri. 7/20. 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Federal Communications Commission, Commission Meeting Room, 445 12th Street SW, Washington D.C.

Hearings

• Show Me the Money: Improving the Transparency of Federal Spending: Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Wed. 7/18. 9:30 a.m. 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Full committee hearing.
• Library of Congress: 2012 Inspector General Report on Library-Wide Acquisitions: House Administration. Thurs. 7/19. 10:30 a.m. 1310 Longworth House Office Building. Subcommittee on Oversight hearing.
• Nominations of Walter M. Shaub Jr. to be Director, Office of Government Ethics: Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs. Fri. 7/20. 10:30 a.m. 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building. Full committee hearing.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

• None.

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