Proposal To Further Executive Branch Employees' Acceptance Of Gifts From Lobbyists
Client Alert | 1 min read | 09.14.11
On September 13, 2011, the Office of Government Ethics proposed amendments to the regulation governing the acceptance of gifts by executive branch employees for the purpose of (a) implementing the lobbyist gift ban already applicable, by Executive Order of the President, to most political appointees; and (b) imposing limits on the use of gift exceptions by all executive branch employees (not merely political appointees). The proposed rule would render existing exceptions to the gift restrictions inapplicable when the gift giver is both a prohibited source (e.g., a person doing business with the employee’s agency) and a lobbyist or lobbying organization, thus limiting the use of exceptions such as the $20 de minimis exception, the widely attended gathering exception, the social invitation exception, and the exception for meals, refreshments, and entertainment from private entities in a foreign area.
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Client Alert | 3 min read | 09.15.25
On August 19, 2025, the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (“Senate Finance Committee”) sent Paul Atkins, Chairman, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a letter calling on the SEC to investigate White River Energy Corp (“White River”). In the letter, the Senate Finance Committee confirmed a criminal investigation into White River related to the sale of so-called “tribal tax credits” that according to both Congress and the IRS, do not exist. The letter further states that White River allegedly earned millions of dollars selling these credits and has not been forthcoming with investors regarding the existence of the criminal investigation. According to the Senate Finance Committee, White River has failed to file financial disclosure documents with the SEC since March 15, 2024, missing six consecutive reporting periods. The letter instructs White River to disclose the existence of the DOJ criminal tax investigation, and calls on the SEC to take action if White River fails to do so.
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