Today in #OpenGov 10/10/2014

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Keep reading for today’s look at #OpenGov news, events, and analysis including ActBlue’s success, tobacco lobbying in Europe, and more local election spending. 

A newspaper with the headline Open Gov

National News

  • In a unique move, the Supreme Court is going to take up a high profile whistleblower case. The whistleblower in question, former air marshal Robert MacLean, leaked information that was not labeled sensitive until after he was fired. A bipartisan group of members of Congress have spoken up, saying that the Whistleblower Protection Act should cover MacLean’s disclosure. (Washington Post)
  • ActBlue has helped funnel more than $600 million to Democratic candidates and causes in the past decade, changing the landscape of online fundraising and small donations along the way. (New York Times)

International

  • Tobacco giant Philip Morris International spent more money to lobby members of the European Parliament than any other company last year, topping even oil behemoth Exxon Mobil. (Nasdaq.com)

State and Local News

  • The next step for open data is to meaningfully expand it to smaller municipalities across the country. (PBS)
  • Florida is effectively preventing public access to documents detailing the state’s 17th Judicial Circuit’s policies and procedures regarding foreclosure cases by charging absurd fees for the records. (Public Integrity)
  • Yesterday we linked a story about union spending in state and local races, turns out there’s plenty of dark money flooding those more parochial races as well. (Public Integrity)

 

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