Posts Tagged ‘House ethics’

Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up

Friday, October 1st, 2010 by Vbhotla

GOP members of the House Ethics Committee want Rep. Zoe Lofgren to just schedule trials for Reps. Waters and Rangel already! (Roll Call)

Jack Abramoff was spotted in Dupont Circle on Tuesday, having a discussion with some friends about “writing a book,” according to Roll Call.

Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) has been a public proponent of cutting lobbyists’ ability to give campaign contributions, and has also pledged not to accept any lobbyist campaign contributions himself. The GOP is hitting Rep. Space by claiming that his acceptance of “special interest” PAC money and contributions from lobbyists’ family members constitutes the same thing.

State and Federal Communications has a new e-newsletter up – Compliance Now, October 2010.”

Good government groups point out the continued absence of the Ethics.gov website. Article from The Hill.

Advocacy is all about customization, according to Amy Showalter.

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) was getting in hot water from several groups for her use of a private jet… but the airplane was cleared for her use by the Ethics Committee, since it is owned by her fiance.

Quote of the Week:

“There is definitely a big distance from President Obama’s Ethics.gov campaign promise and what they have done so far… They are failing to live up to their promise, but their promise was aimed very high.” – John Wonderlich, policy director for the Sunlight Foundation, The Hill, 10/1/10

Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up

Friday, September 24th, 2010 by Vbhotla

The Hill reports on Kenya’s lobbying expenditures. According to the article, “Lobbyists for the KenyanWeekly newsgovernment have focused on strengthening security ties, as well as increasing trade, between the two countries. They have also worked to secure a direct flight route between Atlanta and Nairobi.” The article further reports that the African nation has retained Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates (CLS) for PR services and  the Moffett Group to provide lobbying services.

Round-up of some articles on the DISCLOSE vote, from Eric Brown.

Need a quick look at the House ethics process? Ethics lawyer Stan Brand takes you through some of the steps. (Video).

Open Secrets notes this study on the “revolving door” from the London School of Economics, which found that ex-staffers turned lobbyists benefit financially from being in influential offices.

Eliza Newlin Carney of National Journal writes on Rep. John Boehner and Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lobbyist / special interest ties will matter to voters. “Will Boehner’s Bucks Rankle Voters?”

Quote of the week:

“The recession has actually created a map where all roads now lead to Washington.” – Kevin O’Neill,  Patton Boggs, Washington Post, 9/20/2010

“It is true that my fights against powerful special interests have not made me popular with the Washington crowd… I take the fact that I’m considered the lobbyists’ number one enemy as a compliment, because my job is to fight for the people of Wisconsin, not the special interests in Washington.” – Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), Politico, 9/20/2010

“Democrats don’t like to go to K Street as much as Republicans do…  Republicans ‘don’t care. They will work for oil, energy, gas, PhRMA, insurance, cigarette companies, gambling. It’d take something pretty damn bad for them not to do it.’” – “K Street recruiter,” Roll Call, 9/20/2010