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Articles by Danielle Caputo
30-Plus Lobbyists Face Ethics Inquiry for Donations to President Trump’s Legacy Projects
Campaign Legal Center has filed a new complaint asking the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia to investigate whether 35 corporate lobbyists failed to report donations to four of Trump’s pet projects, as required by federal lobbying law. President Donald Trump’s pay-to-play approach to his second term has been well documented.
The Lack of Ethics Enforcement in Government Provides the Blueprint for Reform
The first year of President Donald Trump’s second administration featured consistent patterns of unethical behavior across the government, and little enforcement of ethics laws in response. Campaign Legal Center (CLC) identified 27 violations of ethics norms and rules and impaired enforcement in just the first 100 days in office, while filing 10 complaints against executive branch officials in 2025.
Stopping The Revolving Door: Preventing Conflicts of Interest from Former Lobbyists
Recently, many former lobbyists have been appointed to important government positions, including leadership in the very agencies they formerly lobbied. This revolving door of lobbyists in government creates new pathways for wealthy special interests to exert undue influence over our government. When lobbyists hold some of the most powerful positions in government, there must be guardrails to stop them from operating in the best interest of their former clients, not the American people.
Congress Has an Ethics Problem; Now It’s Trying to Get Rid of Ethics Enforcement
Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents’ interests. Yet leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives is attempting to effectively shut down the only independent office that can investigate misconduct by members of Congress: the Office of Congressional Conduct (formerly the Office of Congressional Ethics).
A Healthy Democracy Requires Transparency
Transparency is at the heart of a healthy democracy: Americans have a right to know who is spending money to influence their vote, and that their government is working for them, not to help special interests. Without strong, well-enforced transparency laws, the people are left wondering if elected officials’ actions are for the public good or just for their personal interest.
Is Musk Using the FAA to Benefit Himself and His SpaceX Subsidiary, Starlink?
Elon Musk spent roughly $300 million to elect President Donald Trump and has the opportunity to profit from taxpayer dollars at the expense of the American people. As part of his work with the so-called U.S. DOGE Service, it appears that Musk corrupted decision-making at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and unfairly influenced government decisions to benefit his satellite business, Starlink — a clear and illegal conflict of interest.
The People Want Accountability: The Case for an Independent Senate Ethics Body
The American people need an independent ethics committee in the U.S. Senate to reduce corruption and hold lawmakers accountable to high ethical standards. Current ethics enforcement in the U.S. Senate is based on a system of self-policing, in which members are responsible for enforcing ethics rules against their own colleagues. As a result, the Senate consistently fails to hold its members accountable for unethical behavior.
Campaign Legal Center Partners With New York Times for Exclusive on Trump Cabinet Conflicts of Interest
Voters have a right to know whether their elected officials are focused on the needs of the public or are prioritizing their own personal wealth or the wants of special interests. Campaign Legal Center partnered with The New York Times to highlight research that shows that President Donald Trump’s Cabinet and other senior official nominees have a total of 467 conflicts of interests that require them to remove themselves from certain matters.
Elon Musk Has Grown Even Wealthier Through Serving in Trump's Administration
Ethics experts have been sounding the alarm since before Election Day that wealthy special interests were poised to have an excessive amount of influence on the federal government under a second Donald Trump administration. Now, billionaire tech mogul and prominent Trump donor Elon Musk has been gifted a role in the Trump administration that gives him the ability to line his own pockets.
Elon Musk Stands to Gain Even More Wealth by Serving in Trump’s Administration
Ethics experts have been sounding the alarm since before Election Day that wealthy special interests were poised to have an excessive amount of influence on the federal government under a second Donald Trump administration. Now, billionaire tech mogul and prominent Republican candidate donor Elon Musk has been gifted a role in the Trump administration that gives him the ability to line his own pockets.
The Significance of Firing Inspectors General: Explained
President Donald Trump ended his first week in office by firing inspector generals (IGs) across 17 different federal agencies, effective immediately. This blatantly illegal and incredibly concerning mass firing removes the only independent offices within agencies designed to protect taxpayer money and root out corruption, fraud, waste and mismanagement.
Menendez Sentencing Reveals Exactly How Senate Ethics Enforcement Is Broken
Former Sen. Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption and bribery. Why did it take a second federal prosecution to deliver justice and reveal what is apparently blatant corruption in the so-called “world’s greatest deliberative body”? Clearly, federal investigators have been on Menendez’s trail for some time; Menendez was also prosecuted on corruption charges in 2015.
CLC Files Legal Demand for Accountability and Transparency of DOGE
The executive branch makes decisions every day that impact the lives of everyday Americans. How it makes those decisions — and who influences them — must be public information if we want to keep the government working for the people, by the people.
On Day One of His Presidency, Trump Ignored Yet Another Ethics Norm
Despite signing more than two dozen executive orders on his first day in office, President Donald Trump has yet to release ethics rules for his administration. At the very beginning of presidential administrations, presidents are expected to issue an executive order outlining ethics constraints for all political appointees in that administration.
President Trump Again Politicizes the Federal Workforce
Nonpartisan civil servants, who make up a majority of our federal government and serve regardless of presidential administrations, are the first line of defense in upholding our system of checks and balances. In the first hours of his second administration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) that could pave the way for him to fire thousands of these career civil servants and replace them with loyalists.
President Trump Again Threatens to Politicize the Federal Workforce
Nonpartisan civil servants, who make up a majority of our federal government and serve regardless of presidential administrations, are the first line of defense in upholding our system of checks and balances. In the first hours of his second administration, President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) that could pave the way for him to fire thousands of these career civil servants and replace them with loyalists.
Judicial Conference Decision Lowers Ethics Standards for Federal Judges and U.S. Supreme Court
In a letter to Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the Judicial Conference quietly shared a decision that will significantly hamper ethics enforcement across the federal judiciary. The Judicial Conference, which is charged with enforcing the financial disclosure law for the federal judiciary, was asked to determine whether there was evidence to support allegations that Justice Clarence Thomas engaged in a 30-year pattern of intentionally filing false financial disclosure reports.
Confirmation Hearings: Explained
Those who are in America’s top positions of power should be chosen for their experience and ability, not for their loyalty to a particular party or president. The Senate confirmation process serves as an important check on the president’s power and is a crucial vehicle for transparency and accountability.
Biden’s Failure to Advance Ethics Reform May Embolden Unethical Behavior in the Next Administration
President Biden had four years to make good on his promises to reform ethics and transparency laws in the wake of the first Trump administration. Biden proposed to create a government that works for the people, not wealthy special interests, lobbyists or big political donors. Despite having opportunities to do so, Biden only fulfilled three of the 25 promises he made and has left the door open to future unethical behavior in the next administration.
New CLC Report Highlights Threats to Ethics Commissions
Voters have a right to know that government officials are working for the public, not wealthy special interests. For over 50 years, state ethics commissions have been critical to our democracy by ensuring officials adhere to high ethical standards to preserve public trust in government. Their role in implementing and enforcing lobbying, conflicts of interest, and campaign finance laws is essential for promoting transparency and accountability.
Trump’s Nominees May Try to Skip Required Ethics Reviews
President-elect Donald Trump may attempt to have the U.S. Senate confirm his political nominees without a complete investigation into their financial holdings and potential conflicts of interest. This ethics investigation, conducted by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), is a legal requirement and an indispensable part of our system of checks and balances that ensures any public official nominated by the president will dutifully serve the American people.
Trump Ethics Plan Shows Little Effort to Avoid Presidential Conflicts of Interest
President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team has submitted an ethics pledge that does not require Trump to address the potential conflicts of interest that may impact his decisions during his second term. By doing so, Trump is skipping a key part of upholding transparency and accountability for the executive branch.
CLC Op-Ed Urges House Ethics Committee to Release Matt Gaetz Report
The House Ethics Committee produced a report on its investigation into former Rep. Matt Gaetz that has yet to be publicized because he immediately resigned from his role in Congress after President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to serve as U.S. attorney general.
Gaetz Withdrew from Attorney General Consideration. The Report Should Still Be Released
After public outcry from elected officials and voters, both liberal and conservative, former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration to be nominated attorney general of the United States. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee was investigating Gaetz for allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use before President-elect Donald Trump nominated him to be attorney general.
How a Second Term Introduces More Conflicts of Interest for Trump
When President-elect Trump first assumed office in 2017, he publicly vowed not to let his millions of dollars of personal interest conflict with his duties as president. He appeared to genuinely follow through with this pledge, handing over control of his real estate company to his sons and selling off his stock shares prior to beginning his 2016 campaign.
Musk and Ramaswamy Stand To Gain Even More Wealth by Serving in Trump’s Administration
Ethics experts have been sounding the alarm since well before Election Day that wealthy special interests were poised to have an excessive amount of influence on the federal government under a second Trump administration. These concerns came after Trump made public promises that his most fervent surrogate, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk, would have a role in his presidential cabinet. President-elect Trump is making good on his promise.
Trump Is Stalling His Presidential Transition With an Unprecedented Ethics Stalemate
In a highly unprecedented move, President-elect Donald Trump is holding up the presidential transition process by refusing to provide the legally required ethics pledge. The Presidential Transition Act requires the president-elect to sign an ethics agreement that applies to everyone on the transition team and includes a pledge vowing to avoid conflicts of interest once sworn into office.
Trump's Nominees and the Conflicts They Carry
Each new administration has the power to nominate policymakers and leaders who will help the president execute the goals the American people elected them to put forth. No matter their political allegiance, these appointees are public servants who should be beholden to the highest ethical standards that ensure they will work to advance the public interest. This was not the case for the first Trump administration.
When Our Public Officials Act Unethically, Young Voters Pay Attention
Voters have a right to know that the officials who write, implement and interpret the laws that govern this land are prioritizing the greater public good over their own personal interests. But just a few days away from a presidential election, the perception that many voters have toward candidates for public office — and whether they are trusted leaders of the public good — seems more dubious than hopeful.
Trump Campaign Misses Important Ethics Code Deadline
Former President Donald Trump has failed to provide the public with an ethics code for his executive transition team as required by the Presidential Transition Act. By October 1, both major party presidential candidates are required to establish ethics plans for their transition teams, which manage critical pre and postelection matters before a candidate assumes office.
Crypto Political Fundraising Raises Questions About Senate Ethics Committee Efficacy
Cryptocurrency companies have reportedly made more political contributions than any other industry thus far in the 2024 election cycle, spending close to $119 million as of the most recent available reporting. In particular, the industry is pouring money into contributions supporting senators and Senate candidates who back the fast-growing financial technology.
Fixing the Supreme Court’s Ethics Problems Starts With the Judicial Conference
The Judicial Conference of the United States will meet this week to consider a matter of issues concerning the judicial branch, including its ongoing investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas for willfully omitting tens of thousands of dollars of gifts from wealthy GOP donor Harlan Crow from his financial disclosures. This investigation has taken nearly a year and half, with the only results being frustratingly little information and repeated delays.
Congressional Stock Trading Continues to Raise Conflicts of Interest Concerns
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) alleging that Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) violated the Stop Congressional Trading on Insider Knowledge (STOCK) Act by failing to timely disclose over 100 stock transactions worth up to $1.6 million. The STOCK Act requires members of Congress to file Periodic Transaction Reports (PTRs) within 45 days of trading any stock.
CLC Again Asks Senate Ethics Committee To Enforce Disclosure Laws Against Candidates
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) has filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee alleging that six candidates running for U.S. Senate have not filed the required personal financial disclosure reports. These disclosures provide voters with crucial information about their prospective elected representatives’ personal financial interests and potential conflicts of interest. Voters have a right to know this information before they step into the ballot box so that they can make informed decisions.
The CLEAN Act Will Preserve and Protect the Office of Congressional Ethics
In an important development for congressional ethics, Representatives Katie Porter of California and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire have introduced the Clean Legislating and Ethical Accountability Now (CLEAN) Act, H.R. 9355. This bill strengthens independent ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives by making the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) permanent, which plays a vital role in informing voters of whether their elected officials are complying with ethics laws.
Following Committee Action, Campaign Legal Center Urges Congress: Pass the ETHICS Act
For the first time since early 2020, when CLC revealed that members of Congress made over 1,500 controversial stock trades at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a bill prohibiting congressional stock trading is moving forward. During a July 24 business meeting, the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Relations voted 8-4 to advance the bipartisan Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks (ETHICS) Act, sending it to the Senate floor for consideration.
The Judicial Conference Again Delays Decision on the Justice Thomas Investigation
Over a year after beginning its investigation into allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas violated financial disclosure laws, the financial disclosure committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States revealed on July 15 that it has again delayed making a final decision on the matter.
Congressional Ethics Enforcement: Which Chamber is Closer to Meeting the Bar?
With numerous recent ethics scandals in the House, Senate and Supreme Court making headlines, rules and oversight to hold elected officials and civil servants accountable for ethical violations are as important as ever. Yet in Congress, there is a deepening ethics enforcement gap between the House and the Senate that coincides with a particularly concerning moment for America’s democratic institutions.
The House’s Failures That Led to the OCE Mirror the Senate’s Failures
(This article is Part 2 of a three-part series examining the failed effort to enforce ethics in the U.S. Senate. See Part 1 here. Part 3 will debut on Friday, June 21.) The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) serves a vital role in democracy by providing independent, nonpartisan oversight that safeguards the U.S. House of Representatives against corruption and holds members accountable for ethics violations.
How to Fix Senate Ethics Enforcement
As other blogs in this series have shown, the Senate Ethics Committee, the lone body in charge of investigating ethics complaints against U.S. Senators, clearly does not enforce ethics laws. The Ethics Committee’s system of self-policing has resulted in findings of no wrongdoing in 97% of all investigated ethics complaints and failure to produce a public report in 96% of investigations. But it does not have to be this way.
The Failed Effort to Enforce Ethics in the Senate
The U.S. Senate Ethics Committee is responsible for guarding the integrity of the Senate and upholding the public’s right to know that their elected officials are being held accountable for unethical and unlawful behavior. The list of misdeeds the committee is tasked with investigating includes acts such as insider trading, accepting illegal gifts, and accepting campaign contributions in exchange for official acts.
Where is the Judicial Conference’s Update on Justice Thomas’ Ethics Investigation?
The Judicial Conference is one of the only bodies that can enforce ethics laws against Supreme Court justices. That is why CLC wrote a letter to the Judicial Conference asking them to release the summary of their most recent meeting held nearly three months ago. This Report of the Proceedings for the meeting should contain information about its investigation into Justice Clarence Thomas for willfully violating the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA).
Alito Flags the Fatal Flaw of Supreme Court Ethics Code
Last fall, while adopting a new “code of conduct,” the U.S. Supreme Court stated that there was a “misunderstanding that the Justices of this Court, unlike all other jurists in this country, regard themselves as unrestricted by any ethics rules." The adoption of these new ethics rules had come on the heels of a string of questionable ethical conduct by numerous justices.
Will Senate Ethics Hold Cruz Accountable This Time?
The Senate Ethics Committee is the only body responsible for ethics enforcement in the Senate. It has a responsibility to investigate allegations of ethical misconduct so that the public can be sure that their elected officials are acting ethically.
New Florida law is an attack on ethics accountability. DeSantis should veto it | Opinion Original
Most Floridians are unaware that the protections that ensure their elected officials prioritize the public’s best interest are currently at risk — that their leaders in Tallahassee may soon become essentially immune from accountability thanks to one state senator’s attack against ethics enforcement. Sen.
CLC Asks Senate Ethics Committee To Enforce Disclosure Laws Against Nearly 50 Senate Candidates
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee alleging that 41 Senate candidates have not filed required financial disclosure reports. Senate hopefuls are required to file financial disclosure reports with the Senate Ethics Committee once they have declared their candidacy and have raised or spent $5,000 in support of their campaign. None of the candidates included in CLC’s complaint have requested or been granted an extension to their filing deadline.
Next Steps for the Review of Justice Thomas’s Ethics Controversy
Next month, the Judicial Conference will meet and should report out regarding the current review they are conducting into the allegations that Justice Clarence Thomas violated federal financial disclosure laws. Today, in anticipation of that meeting, Campaign Legal Center submitted additional information for this body to consider in its role as the investigator of financial disclosure law violations for federal judges.
Michigan Senate Candidates Defy Transparency Rules, Leaving Voters in the Dark
When a person decides to run for one of the country’s highest elective offices, voters have a right to know the candidate’s financial interests. Information about Tweetable quote: a candidate’s financial background is vital for the public’s trust because it allows voters to assess what influences may come to bear on a candidate or whether there are possible conflicts of interest that may arise if the candidate is ultimately successful.
Senate Ethics Committee Proves Again Why Senate Needs an Independent Ethics Body
The Senate Ethics Committee (Ethics Committee) just released its annual report for 2023. For 13 months, the public has had no idea what the Ethics Committee has been doing. Despite the long wait, and a prominent ethics scandal surrounding a committee chairman, the annual report reveals that we haven’t missed much. Once again, the Ethics Committee has dismissed nearly all of its ethics investigations and issued no penalties.
Judicial Conference Indicates Ethics Review of Justice Thomas
After receiving CLC’s letter asking that the Judicial Conference’s September 2023 Report of the Proceedings be made public, Tweetable quote: the Judicial Conference provided the smallest glimmer of hope that it is taking enforcement of Justice Thomas’s Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) violations seriously — it provided an update in the newly released Report of the Proceedings about its “ongoing review of public written allegations of errors or omissions in a filer’s financial disclosure...
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