States Archives - Page 2 of 34 - Checks and Balances Project

High-Paying State Government Job Given to Speaker Tim Moore’s Girlfriend Raises Questions

2018-09-27

No Other Applicants Were Considered for the Job Attorney Jennifer Gray was given the newly-created position of associate general counsel of the North Carolina Dept. of Insurance (DOI) on March 6, 2017. A month later, at the Queen’s Cup Steeplechase, she was photographed standing next to powerful House Speaker Tim Moore. According to two sources, Speaker… Read more »

Seitz Phone Log Provides Insights into His Contacts with Ohio Energy Lobbyists

2018-09-25

Today, we’re publishing a searchable log of office phone calls by powerful Ohio House Majority Leader Bill Seitz. Analysis of the call log provides new insights into his contacts with influential energy lobbyists in the state capital of Columbus. Since January, we’ve been asking why the self-styled “free market” Seitz has worked so aggressively to bailout… Read more »

NYC Extends a Monopoly Bike Sharing Contract For 10 Years, Not Five

2018-09-17

Who Benefits by Locking Out Competition While a Mobility Revolution Surges Worldwide? New York City officials agreed in December 2017 to renew a monopoly bike sharing contract with Motivate, formerly the owner and operator of Citi Bike, sticking with the purveyor of docked bike sharing technology in use in a large portions of Manhattan plus… Read more »

Questions Focus on How New York City’s de Blasio Administration Buys Procurement Software

2018-09-11

What Role Did KPMG’s Procurement Practice Leader Play in Securing a Lucrative Contract for the iValua-KPMG Partnership? Since Checks and Balances Project began an examination into the lucrative industry of selling e-procurement software to local and state government agencies, we’ve grown particularly interested in the way in which the software has been purchased by New… Read more »

Lyft’s Monopoly on Bike Sharing in New York City Raises Questions

2018-08-28

New technologies are providing more mobility options than ever for consumers in cities across the country. Why did New York City officials agree as recently as December 2017 to renew a monopoly contract and stick with an older transportation technology in a large portion of Manhattan plus parts of Brooklyn and Queens?

KPMG Lobbying of NYC Officials Raises Questions About French E-Procurement Company’s Lucrative Contract

2018-08-17

In December 2016, KPMG and Ivalua announced an alliance. That same month, they were selected by the City of New York to use Ivalua’s e-procurement software and transform how some 40 agencies spend approximately $15 billion annually. The deal was subject to oversight by the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services. Did Ivalua’s superior technology win the day? Perhaps. Or was it KPMG’s persistent lobbying on procurement that stretched back to at least 2014?

Ohio Seneca County Commission President Mike Kerschner Subject of Public Records Inquiry

2018-08-16

In a recent article in the Advertiser-Tribune of Tiffin, Ohio, a Seneca anti-wind leader lauded Mr. Kerschner for making a “motion to rescind the county’s Alternative Energy Zone.”

While Leading Flawed Inquiry into Seitz, Taft Attorney Represented Former Sen. Hite’s Victim

2018-07-27

Janica Pierce Tucker of Taft Law was selected to lead the investigation into a sexual harassment complaint against powerful House Majority Leader Bill Seitz. The inquiry was driven in part by Seitz’s inappropriate joke about Hite’s conduct that referenced the Marvin Gaye song, “Let’s Get It On.”

Was Policy Followed When North Carolina Speaker Moore’s Fiancée Was Hired?

2018-07-23

Given the power of the Speaker Tim Moore and his ability to influence state government, there are important questions to raise on behalf of taxpayers who pay the salaries of both Moore and Ms. Gray.

Seitz Sexual Harassment Investigators Billed Only $7,962 of $12,000 Budget

2018-07-20

Two ethics complaints have been filed with the Ohio Supreme Court’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel about the conflicts in the Taft Law investigation. The first was by C&BP on June 21, 2018; the second was filed by a southwest Ohio woman one week later.