Thursday’s political law links

LOBBYISTS ON TWITTER. Sunlight’s watching. “The nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation is today launching a tool designed to track the personal Twitter activity — be it musings about the Kardashians or latest meeting with a congressmen — of Washington’s influence class.”

KAISER LOAN TALK. Politico. “Advisers to Obama fundraiser George Kaiser discussed Solyndra and other government contracts during their visits last year to the White House, according to emails released Wednesday by House Republicans.” The Post has coverage here.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR CURRIE. Story here. “Maryland state Sen. Ulysses Currie has walked out of federal court a free man, but he could still face sanctions by an ethics panel of fellow lawmakers for failing to disclose work he did for a grocery store chain that paid him more than $245,000 between 2003 and 2008.”

MEMBERS TRADES IN THE NEWS. Story here. “U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey may have received stock benefits in violation of congressional ethics rules from his role as an insider of two Georgia banks, one of which failed, according to a report Wednesday by Thomson Reuters.”

AMERICANS ELECT AND TAX LAW. Roll Call. “In a letter to the IRS, Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center complain that Americans Elect and three other politically active nonprofit groups do not deserve tax-exempt status.”

NC LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTION BAN UPHELD. The opinion is here. “Applying the ‘closely drawn’ standard of scrutiny that we conclude is applicable to such contribution restrictions, we hold that the statute is constitutional, both facially and as applied to Preston, as a valid exercise of North Carolina’s legislative prerogative to address potential corruption and the appearance of corruption in the State.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY. The next set of links will be prepared on Monday, November 14th.

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