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Jan 7
3 min

What Trump's Pardon of Chris Collins Means

Trump’s pardon of Collins has been decried as a politically motivated favor to his earliest congressional supporter, and it is.

2020 Audit: Not All States Require Officials To Disclose Conflicts of Interest

FinePrint

Nov 20, 2020
3 min

2020 Audit: Not All States Require Officials To Disclose Conflicts of Interest

Our 2020 Audit grades all 50 states on their requirements for financial disclosure by their elected officials.

Minor Party Candidates Seldom File Required Financial Disclosures

Jerold Jacobs

Oct 21, 2020
2 min

Minor Party Candidates Seldom File Required Financial Disclosures

We have found an unsurprising but disappointing trend; third-party candidates almost never file their required financial disclosures.

Rep. Garcia Falls Through STOCK Act Filing Cracks

FinePrint

Oct 19, 2020
2 min

Rep. Garcia Falls Through STOCK Act Filing Cracks

Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA25) is the only Member of Congress not to file 2020 STOCK Act Disclosures, due to the unique nature of his election.

Anti-Corruption and the Protecting Our Democracy Act

FinePrint

Oct 8, 2020
2 min

Anti-Corruption and the Protecting Our Democracy Act

The new Protecting Our Democracy Act is designed to challenge presidential power and give Congress power to check the executive branch...

FinePrint

Sep 24, 2020
4 min

DeJoy's Stocks vs. the 2020 Election

Postmaster DeJoy has a massive (187 to 1) conflict-of-interest between his stock in his ex-company, XPO, and his role as Postmaster General

FinePrint

Sep 15, 2020
4 min

EIGA: What Politicians Have to Disclose

Senior members of government are required to disclose their finances under the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA). Here's what that means.

FinePrint

Jul 31, 2020
2 min

Biden's Unprecedented Decision

Earlier this week, Joe Biden announced that all campaign staff members were forbidden from trading stocks without permission.

Does Congress Beat the Market? Part 1: Ziobrowski 2004

Marvin

Jun 29, 2020
2 min

Does Congress Beat the Market? Part 1: Ziobrowski 2004

Does Congress Beat the Market? The first study of this question says "Yes," although later studies have been mixed.

SmithWeekly Podcast on June 9 (excerpts)

FinePrint

Jun 26, 2020
3 min

SmithWeekly Podcast on June 9 (excerpts)

Excerpts from the June 9 SmithWeekly podcast. Host Andrew Weekly and cofounder Marvin Barron talked political investments and the economy.

Why It Matters: On Tracking Political Investments

Marvin

Jun 22, 2020
2 min

Why It Matters: On Tracking Political Investments

Why does political investment data matter? Answer: because less corrupt countries make more money.

A Brief Legislative History of The STOCK Act

FinePrint

Jun 5, 2020
3 min

A Brief Legislative History of The STOCK Act

History of the STOCK Act of 2012 which covers Congressional financial misconduct and disclosure, and was watered down in 2013.

Presidential primary elections and financial transparency

FinePrint

Mar 17, 2020
1 min

Presidential primary elections and financial transparency

Joe Biden has publicized various proposals for reforms to federal ethics legislation

FinePrint

Feb 18, 2020
1 min

State level financial disclosures

The United State is home to some 7,400 state legislators holding office at any time. And in every state - with the exception of Idaho and...

FinePrint

Feb 4, 2020
1 min

Executive Power Over Time

The office of the president commands tremendous power. In the Trump era it’s easy to focus on the flamboyant individual holding court rat...

Insider Trading Conviction for Chris Collins

Joe

Jan 18, 2020
1 min

Insider Trading Conviction for Chris Collins

While at a White House picnic on June 17th of 2017, Chris Collins, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013-2019, received...

Dem. Candidates and Financial Transparency Reform

Joe

Dec 10, 2019
1 min

Dem. Candidates and Financial Transparency Reform

While the democratic primary field remains crowded, Elizabeth Warren is noteworthy for her explicit policy platforms regarding transparen...

Joe

Nov 20, 2019
1 min

US Corruption Control at All-Time Low

In 2018, the United States received its lowest score ever for...data that measure the controls on government corruption...

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