Ethics complaints filed against candidates in India and three U.S. states

Political watchdogs and residents are challenging alleged ethics and campaign-finance violations involving elected officials and candidates in several jurisdictions. An Association for Democratic Reforms report found that parties in five Indian state elections failed to explain the selection of 191 candidates with criminal cases, despite a Supreme Court disclosure requirement. In New Hampshire, residents filed an ethics complaint alleging Republican lawmakers violated state rules by accepting an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel funded by pro-Israel organizers, while one lawmaker said the allegations lacked legal merit. In South Carolina, a former lawmaker asked regulators to investigate Democratic superintendent candidate Sylvia Wright over alleged inaccurate financial disclosures, prohibited contributions and unexplained campaign deficits. In Alaska, Americans for Public Trust filed a federal complaint alleging Senate candidate Daniel J. Sullivan coordinated with a dark-money group through a consultant who worked for both his campaign and the outside organization.