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Former Trump State Dept official Matt Mowers lost his bid to unseat Rep. Chris Pappas in NH-01, but there was an issue in this race I never got around to covering, but which merits some attention because it reveals a shortcoming in laws designed to combat or prevent corruption 
Mowers' personal financial disclosure filing was more interesting than most, as it detailed the extensive consulting work he'd done between his stint as a senior State Dept official and his 2020 campaign. You can read his full filing here https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov/public_disc/financial-pdfs/2020/8217578.pdf
The relevant portion for our purposes is Schedule J. It shows Mowers consulted for companies including, e.g., pharma giant Mylan. He says he worked with them on HIV treatments, which is interesting b/c he previously help lead the federal initiative, PEPFAR, to combat HIV/AIDS.
There are some other notable consulting gigs, including Trade Works for America, the USMCA lobby outfit, GOP consultancy Red Maverick Media, and PR shop Firehouse Strategies. But just as interesting are the consulting gigs that Mowers "disclosed" without actually disclosing.
Here are screenshots of the relevant portion of his filing. Lines 2 and 3 on the left and line 2 on the right are, to my eye, totally illegible. Who are these firms that paid him btwn his State Dept gig and his campaign? I asked Mowers and his spox last week and got no response
These financial disclosure filings are designed to inform voters about their elected officials' private financial concerns and any conflicts of interest or potential areas of self-dealing. It's impossible to do that when the actual contents of the filings are simply unreadable.
The House Ethics Committee "strongly recommends" that members and candidates submit their financial disclosure filings electronically. But it's not a requirement, and many continue to file written forms. This episode shows why that is totally inadequate. End.
