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Posts Tagged ‘howard marlowe’
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011 by Vbhotla
The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission has hired Jack Abramoff to teach an ethics class to state legislators. Howard Marlowe, president of the American League of Lobbyists, calls this decision “disgusting,” saying in a statement, “How in the world do people think this man has any credentials to teach ethics to lawmakers? Not only does he not know a thing about ethics, he has never apologized or accepted responsibility for the crimes that sent him to jail.”
Abramoff, who will earn $5,000 for the gig, says, “I have not only reduced my speaking for this event, but like all income I earn, it will enable Online Pokies the victims of my case to receive restitution payments.”
Abramoff took issue with Marlowe’s statements, saying “Does Mr. Marlowe find that objectionable? Or is he just acting as the lobbyist for the lobbyists in trying to silence the messenger?”
According to Politico, Abramoff continued, “It must be particularly galling to him to have someone with my experience and knowledge of the tricks of their trade spilling them in my book and in speeches. Undoubtedly he is petrified that I am addressing the state Legislature in Kentucky, as they have been most effective in reducing lobbyist corruption and political foul play.”
Tags: American League of Lobbyists, howard marlowe, Jack Abramoff, lobbying ethics
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Abramoff, Marlowe square off
Friday, October 7th, 2011 by Vbhotla
The Office of Management and Budget has issued final guidance on the June 2010 White House directive which banned lobbyists from serving on executive branch advisory boards and commissions. The guidance, which will go into effect Nov. 4, impacts only active federally-registered lobbyists, not those who have terminated their registrations or lobby only at the state and local levels. Also excluded from the ban: individuals employed by organizations that lobby but who are not actually registered themselves.
Lobbyists appointed prior to June 18, 2010 will be permitted to serve out the remainder of their terms on commissions and advisory boards, but agencies will have to request resignation from any individual who registered as a lobbyist June 19, 2010 or after. No waivers will be granted.
“Special interests exert this disproportionate influence, in part, by relying on lobbyists who have special access that is not available to all citizens,” President Obama said in the memorandum.
American League of Lobbyists President Howard Marlowe calls the move “shameful,” saying “It’s clear that the president has begun his reelection campaign by resurrecting Pokies professional lobbyists as his punching bag.”
“Although lobbyists can sometimes play a constructive role by communicating information to the government, their service in privileged positions within the executive branch can perpetuate the culture of special interest access that I am committed to changing,” Obama said in the statement.
Marlowe contends, “[The president’s] actions reflect a disdain for open government based on transparency and the free flow of information. It is political hypocrisy to say that those lobbyists who are not registered are welcome within the inner circle, while anyone who for whatever reason has registered as a lobbyist is shut out.”
OMB spokeswoman Meg Reilly told Politico Influence “The president has taken steps from the start to close the revolving door between the federal government and special interests, to end the culture of powerful lobbying influence, and to dramatically expand the level of transparency in government. This guidance is an important step in those efforts, but we will continue to identify new ways to expand transparency and accountability and look forward to working with the public on this.”
Tags: American League of Lobbyists, howard marlowe, lobbying ban, Lobbying ban in the Obama Administration, lobbyist ban, Obama and lobbyists, obama's lobbying ban, Office of Management and Budget, OMB, special interest group
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on OMB Releases Final Guidelines on Lobbyist Ban
Monday, January 31st, 2011 by Vbhotla
In one of Howard Marlowe’s first acts as president of the American League of Lobbyists, he decried President Obama’s State of the Union remarks as being “inflammatory,” saying “The President’s State of the Union remarks were especially disheartening, because they were made in a speech that was focused on unifying, not dividing our nation.”
Obama has been notably harsh on lobbyists in his speeches, beginning even with the primary campaign leading up to the 2008 election. Despite these remarks, there have been multiple reports that he has consulted lobbyists on several matters, including the budget proposal on which he is currently working. Marlowe mentioned the president’s not-so-quiet history of working with lobbyists, saying “The Administration often reaches out to representatives of industries, labor unions, and other ‘special interests’ to get their advice.”
He goes on to retort that professional lobbyists provide an invaluable service to citizens, legislators and regulators in addition to the clients they represent. Marlowe also argues, in what seems to be in response to Obama’s assertion that “lobbyists have rigged the tax code,” that “When members of Congress weigh the information provided by professional lobbyists, it is they and not lobbyists who have the votes to decide what is in the best interests of their constituents and the nation.”
Marlowe called on Congress to not cede the authority to review, examine and adjust the budget proposals that are submitted by the executive branch. He states, “ALL is opposed to any action that limits elected officials from fully representing their constituents,” which he contends earmarks help them to do. Read Marlowe’s full statement on the League’s facebook page.
Tags: American League of Lobbyists, Earmarks, howard marlowe, Obama and lobbyists, SOTU, state of the union, state of the union address
Posted in Government Relations Alert | Comments Off on American League of Lobbyists reacts to State of the Union address
Monday, January 31st, 2011 by Vbhotla
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) shrugged off the president’s decree in the State of the Union address that Congress should publish its meetings with lobbyists online, saying to The Hill reporters “I think he feigns perfection without having yet achieved it,” referring to reports that Executive Branch officials meet with lobbyists outside of the White House to avoid disclosure of their own such meetings.
Issa, like much of the Republican majority in the House, believes that the president should reign in his attempts to control Congress, citing the recent election as a message that the American people do not share Obama’s views.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) also seemed to side with lobbyists, referencing the Constitutional right of citizens to seek redress.
“I’m for transparency. I want to have more of it,” Issa says. “At the same time, if you send me a letter, that letter should not automatically be public. You have an expectation that you can address your member of Congress, and you can do so with a degree of confidentiality. It happens every day. It needs to happen every day.”
ALL president Howard Marlowe is not opposed to the policy, assuming records regarding meetings with all visitors are published. “I don’t see why lobbyists who are registered should be singled out,” he said. “If they want to do it for every advocate, I see no problem with it.”
Tags: American League of Lobbyists, Congressional transparency, darrell issa, eric cantor, government transparency, howard marlowe, Obama mandate, oversight & government reform committee
Posted in Government Relations Alert | Comments Off on House leaders ignore president’s transparency mandate
Friday, January 28th, 2011 by Vbhotla
There were not a tremendous amount of headlines about lobbying or lobbyists this week, but the stories that hit the press were big ones.
First, Howard Marlowe, the new president of the American League of Lobbyists, released his take on Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. And suffice it to say he was not impressed with the president’s remarks. In fact, Marlowe reported that the league “deplore[s] the inflammatory rhetoric about lobbyists,” and called the president out on several instances in which he himself has consorted with lobbyists. He also reiterated the stance that earmarks are a Constitutional right and an important part of the democratic legislative process.
Also this week, the trial of Fraser Verrusio, a former House aide who is the final conspirator charged in connection with the long-running Jack Abramoff probe, began. Opening statements took place Wednesday, and neither side mentioned the disgraced former lobbyist. Verrusio is being charged with public corruption for accepting what prosecutors are calling the “illegal gratuity” that was his ticket to the 2003 World Series. His defense lawyer, Joshua Berman, called this “a case about nothing,” because the New York trip was “a legitimate, run-of-the-mill, third party trip.”
Over the weekend, the 2010 lobbying numbers were released: last year, with the combination of stalled Congressional action in anticipation of mid-term elections and the still-slow economy, lobby shops saw a decline in the bottom line. Large firms saw booming revenue, thanks to acquisition of flailing boutique operations, but as a whole, most lobbying offices saw stagnant or declining numbers in 2010. The current Congressional climate — including uncertainty about the budget and appropriations process, and a heavy concentration of power within the regulatory agencies — have some concerned that this year may not be much better. Patton Boggs, which acquired Breaux Lott Leadership Group in July, and Akin Gump, which reported a $3 increase over 2009, remain the top earners, according to recently filed LD-203 reports.
Tags: akin gump, American League of Lobbyists, Breaux Lott, fraser verrusio, howard marlowe, Jack Abramoff, LD-203, lobbying revenue, Patton Boggs, SOTU, state of the union
Posted in Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up | Comments Off on State of Lobbying: Weekly News Round-up
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