This afternoon the Department of Justice filed a response to several motions to unseal the affidavit it used to convince a judge to issue a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago. The DOJ opposes unsealing the affidavit, arguing that it has “a compelling, overriding interest in preserving the integrity of an ongoing …
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The unsealed Mar-a-Lago search warrant and FBI receipt for materials seized
Today a magistrate judge has ordered unsealed the FBI search warrant for Mar-a-Lago and the FBI’s subsequent receipt for materials it seized.
Continue readingEthics and Elections Commission proposes reforms to democracy voucher program
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, which oversees the Democracy Voucher program, is considering two rules changes for the program in an effort to curb what it considers a “corrosive” practice: paying outside companies to harvest democracy vouchers. The DV harvesters leverage the existence of a simple form that one …
Continue readingDemocracy Voucher Program 2021 Biennial Report
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, which administers the Democracy Voucher Program, has completed its 2021 Biennial Report on the program. Over the 2020-2021 period, the program spent a total of $5,347,010; $3,397,050 in program disbursements to campaigns, and $1,949,960 in administration costs. That’s a 36.4% overhead rate. Participation in …
Continue readingAnnual financial disclosures for Seattle elected officials
Every year the City of Seattle’s elected officials (the Mayor, the City Attorney, and the nine City Councilmembers) are required to submit a form disclosing their financial activity for the previous year: income (including the sources of income), savings, investments, property, and debts (including a list of creditors). The forms …
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