Policy Intern Adeeb Sahar wrote this post.

Here is your serving of today’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and local events involving open government.

NEWS ROUNDUP:

Government

• Tisei calls for ethics investigation into Rep. Tierney: Republican congressional candidate Richard Tisei is calling for an official Ethics Committee investigation into the financial disclosures of his opponent, Rep. John Tierney’s (D-Mass.), in an attempt to keep the focus on the financial scandal that currently surrounds Tierney’s family. (The Hill)
• NY Commission levies lobbying fines: New York’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics says it’s reached agreements with eleven entities to pay a total of more than $20,000 in fines to settle allegations they failed to file required lobbying disclosure reports. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Grimm failed to disclose privately funded trip: Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) failed to report a privately financed trip he took to Cyprus last August and also didn’t list it as a gift on the first two iterations of his annual financial disclosure form. (Roll Call)
• Column: Value of transparency is still not clear to all: Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune shines a light on legislators’ motives to protect anti-disclosure behavior. (The New York Times)

International

• Citizens wield web tools to combat petty bribery: Citizen website and mobile apps are popping up from Colombia to South Africa encouraging people to report the bribes they pay to get a drivers’ license, a birth certificate or even to see an emergency doctor.. (TrustLaw)
• Surge in lobbyists’ complaints to press council: The Australian Press Council has rejected concerns its complaint process is being manipulated, despite its own statistics showing a surge in activity by lobby groups. (The Australian)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

• None.

OVER THE WEEKEND:

• None.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

• None.

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