Disclosure

SEATTLE Conservatives here, a droll minority, say that under this city's quota system, when a conservative enters the city, one already here is required to leave. They also say that Washington is actually two states: There is what you can see from atop this city's Space Needle -- meaning, this liberal city -- and there is everything else, extending to the Oregon, Idaho and Canadian borders. On Tuesday, Washington residents will vote in a referendum that has national significance because of a controversy about disclosing the names and...

Today we publish a commentary by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) , arguing against legislation to require expanded campaign finance disclosure. The senator points to the current furor over how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mishandled applications from tea party and other conservative groups for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. We certainly agree with him that the IRS failed to meet basic standards of fairness in selectively pressing the groups for more information and...

There is a simple solution to the problem that candidates for public office cannot or will not disclose their assets before elections [ "Romney uses rule to cloak wealth," front page, April 6]: Disqualify them from holding public office. That would assure the public there is no conflict of interest. The Office of Government Ethics needs to find the courage of its convictions and enforce the law on financial disclosures instead of yielding to well-heeled candidates, political parties and other pressure groups.

A Richmond prosecutor is investigating whether Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell violated state gift and disclosure laws — a probe that was initiated by state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II. Cuccinelli (R) confirmed Wednesday that he asked Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring to conduct a review of McDonnell's annual economic disclosure forms last November. Cuccinelli's office had previously declined to confirm such a probe, but he acknowledged it after Herring released information about the review...

After an hour of lively debate, the Loudoun Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday not to require the business leaders who advise county officials on economic development issues to file financial disclosure statements. In three separate votes, the board rejected proposals by Supervisor James Burton (I-Blue Ridge) that would have required such statements from members of the county's CEO Cabinet, its Economic Development Commission and an ad hoc committee studying a possible marketing agreement between the county and the Washington Redskins.

The Post justifiably condemned Catherine DeAngelis, editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, for seeking to silence the whistleblower who revealed that the author of a drug study had failed to disclose his financial ties to the drug's manufacturer ["JAMA's Hush-Up," editorial , March 31]. But she's also a victim. Editors at most scientific journals are occasionally misled by researchers with industry ties. No wonder a growing portion of the public agrees that, as the editorial said, "if the information in...

The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday proposed new rules to require local governments issuing municipal bonds, which are used to fund hospitals, roads and schools, to give investors new information about key risks and developments affecting their investments. The municipal bond market, valued at more than $2 trillion, is a popular destination for investors because the returns are often tax-free. More than 70 percent of municipal bonds are owned by individual investors, either directly or through funds.

Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, whose wealth has become a central issue in the 2012 campaign, has taken advantage of an obscure exception in federal ethics laws to avoid disclosing the nature and extent of his holdings. By offering a limited description of his assets, Romney has made it difficult to know precisely where his money is invested, whether it is offshore or in controversial companies, or whether those holdings could affect his policies or present any conflicts...

Last week, in the face of alarming harassment and intimidation of Americans actively engaged in the political process, I spoke out on the need for those on the right and the left to oppose these tactics. My main target was the Obama administration's attempts to single out its critics through federal agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Department of Health and Human Services, and even through a proposed executive...

The Federal Communications Commission should require sponsors of political advertising to disclose their biggest financial backers to the public, according to a petition filed Tuesday by a public-interest law firm. The Media Access Project , which advocates on behalf of consumers in telecommunications issues, argues that the FCC has interpreted federal law too narrowly when it comes to disclosures for political ads. Under current rules, some of which date back to the 1940s,...

The owners of a vineyard who landed Virginia's first deal to sell wine in China were so thankful for the help of the state officials who negotiated the agreement that they decided to show their gratitude. Barboursville Vineyards allowed Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, to host their 35th wedding anniversary party at the vineyard for free. The party for about 100 close friends and relatives took place just a few hours after the couple participated in the 2011...

House Republicans repeatedly warned the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday against dragging the agency into a political fray, evoking the scandal at the IRS over the targeting of conservative groups. During a three-hour hearing , lawmakers said they were disturbed to learn that the SEC is considering a petition that would require publicly traded companies to disclose their political contributions. They described the initiative as...

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama held assets last year that were worth between $1.8 million and nearly $7 million, according to federal financial disclosure forms the White House released Wednesday. Required by law, the forms allow public officials to list their assets in broad ranges, such as between $1 million and $5 million, which makes it difficult to determine a precise net worth. Obama signed the eight-page report Tuesday and...

Hours after actress Angelina Jolie revealed that she had a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society issued a statement Tuesday urging women who might have genetic risk factors for breast cancer to proceed with caution before undergoing surgery. "While only a small number of breast cancers are linked to known genetic risk factors, women facing such a high risk need to know that, and need to be able to discuss their options with genetic...

Officials at the Federal Reserve, Treasury Department and some of the nation's largest financial firms are assessing whether their use of Bloomberg News' ubiquitous financial data terminals has exposed them to a potential privacy breach. Bloomberg News, the worldwide news organization founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, acknowledged late last week that its reporters used the company's terminals to access personal information about subscribers, including Wall Street...

Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who has been leading an inquiry into "political intelligence" firms, said this week that he is not seeking to dismantle such firms or vilify the actions of Capitol Hill staffers who have communicated with them. These firms hire armies of consultants to scour Washington for bits of information on federal actions that could influence the financial markets, and then sell the information to Wall Street investors. The...

The Supreme Court on Friday intervened for the second time this week in a question of whether those who oppose expanding gay rights face threats and harassment by public disclosure of their views. The court agreed to decide whether it was unconstitutional for the state of Washington to make public the names of 138,500 voters who signed a petition for a referendum on whether to overturn a state "everything-but-marriage" law. The statute expanded rights for those who entered into domestic partnerships, both homosexual and...

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell has said his daughter and her husband paid for their own wedding . So a $15,000 check from a major campaign donor to pay for the food at the affair was a gift to the bride and groom and not to him and therefore did not have to be publicly disclosed under the law, the governor says. But documents obtained by The Washington Post show that McDonnell signed the catering contract, making him financially responsible for the 2011 event....

Ridge Vineyards, one of California's premier wineries, recently announced that beginning with the 2011 vintage, its labels will list ingredients and "actions" taken in producing the wines. This move by such a high-profile winery could encourage others to list ingredients and heighten consumer awareness of the use of additives and modern techniques in winemaking. As I wrote here a year ago , wineries are not required to list ingredients on wine labels. A few, such as California's Bonny Doon and Long Island's Shinn Estate, have done...

RICHMOND — Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II announced Friday that he had received more gifts from Star Scientific chief executive Jonnie R. Williams Sr. than he had previously reported and that he had asked the Richmond commonwealth's attorney to review his disclosure filings. Cuccinelli, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, said he failed to report two stays that he and his family made at Williams's Smith Mountain Lake vacation house: one over Thanksgiving in 2010, when Williams also supplied a catered turkey...