National News

• The Office of Congressional Ethics is five years old and, despite heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle, doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. Click the link for more detail, but be prepared for the ad that is set to play automatically at an annoyingly high volume. (The Hill)
• Campaign finance reform group United Republic did some polling and found that support for campaign finance reform, already strong, jumps to over 70 percent when changes to the legal structure are pitched as “anti-corruption laws”. (Public Integrity)
• Today in things that make you go “Did he really just say that?” Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told an interviewer for the New Republic that he offered to go easy on Scott Brown (R-MA) in the 2012 election in exchange for a “yes” vote from Brown on the DISCLOSE Act. Brown, apparently, said no and the bill eventually went down to a slim defeat. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren knocked Brown from the seat in 2012. Could Chuck have stopped her if he’d tried? Your guess is as good as mine. ( Washington Post)

International News

• Transparency International released their 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index yesterday. The report, which tracks how corrupt countries are perceived to be, shows widespread belief that countries are super corrupt, with more than two-thirds scoring less than 50 out of 100 possible points. (Tech President)
• Amsterdam, Barcelona, and San Francisco are teaming up on a new data sharing platform, called Cityzenith 5D Smart City. The cities are hoping to pool resources and share best practices. (Future Gov)

State and Local News

• New York State’s Moreland Commission issued their report into the “pay-to-play” political culture in the state on Monday night. The report, commissioned by Governor Andrew Cuomo, focuses mainly on problems in the legislature and recommends a host of changes, many suggested by good government groups. (NY Daily News)
• A brief review of “The Foundation for an Open Source City,” that looks at the topic through the lens of the author’s experiences in Raleigh, North Carolina. (govfresh)

Events Today

• GPO in 2023: Keeping America informed in a post-print world. Committee on House Administration. Wed. 12/4. 10:30 am. 1310 Longworth House Office Building.
• The International Fight Against Corruption: Are the OECD and UN Conventions achieving their Objectives? George Washington Law. Wed. 12/4. 8:00 am – 7:00 pm. George Washington Law, Jacob Burns Moot Court Room, 2000 H Street NW, Washington DC 20052.

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