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Posts Tagged ‘Revolving Door’
Monday, February 10th, 2014 by Vbhotla
IT’S WELL KNOWN in Washington that congressional staffers tend to be underpaid and overworked. One might assume that they accept these conditions in exchange for the connections and prestige that Congress affords. Increasingly, however, the motivation is a lucrative job on K Street.
Despite HLOGA, more than 1,650 former Congressional aides have registered to lobby less than a year after leaving Congress, according to the New York Times. These freshly-minted lobbyists often return to the Hill to lobby on the very legislation that they worked on while they were staffers. The rules that intended to prevent this “revolving door” effect are so weak, particularly in the House, as to be practically nonexistent. As the Times points out, former House staffers can avoid the one-year moratorium on lobbying as long as their salaries are less than the paltry sum of $130,500.
In fact, restrictions on the revolving door have been so easily circumvented that, according to the Sunlight Foundation, the number of registered lobbyists with previous government experience actually peaked in 2009, two years after the passage of HLOGA. To make matters worse, as LobbyBlog reports, even though lobbying registrations are on the decline, there is a well-known shadow industry of unregistered lobbyists who are working as “strategic advisors” while still technically complying with current disclosure rules. It stands to reason that there are even more former staffers who are “unlobbyists” to whom the current lobbying restrictions don’t apply at all.
So why is this a big deal? The biggest concern is that staffers and members who are eyeing a cushy job on K Street will try to influence legislation to favor their future employers before they even leave Capitol Hill. Indeed, as the Times points out, staffers are often hired because of specific legislation or issue areas on which they worked, and when the turnaround from staffer to lobbyist can be measured in months or even weeks, the current system’s potential for abuse becomes apparent.
Tags: HLOGA, LobbyBlog, New York Times, Revolving Door, sunlight foundation
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Revolving Door Spinning at Cyclone Speed
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 by Vbhotla
Jack Abramoff sat down with 60 Minutes’ Leslie Stahl in a segment called “The Lobbyist’s Playbook,” and had a lot of criticism about the current political system, saying nothing has changed to improve ethics since he worked on K Street, despite HLOGA and other reforms enacted largely in response to the scandal that erupted around him.
Early in the interview, Abramoff responded to an astounded Stahl, who inquired whether his actions were legal, “We would certainly try to make the activity legal if we could. At times, we didn’t care.” He went on to tell her that the problem with our system is that “our system is flawed and has to be fixed. Human beings populate our system. Human beings are weak.”
Abramoff suggested that one way to improve ethics is to close the revolving door between K Street and Capitol Hill. “If you make the choice to serve the public, public service, then Buy Cialis serve the public, not yourself. When you’re done, go home. Washington’s a dangerous place. Don’t hang around.” He explained how the revolving door benefited him as a lobbyist trying to wield influence over congressional offices:
“When we would become friendly with an office and they were important to us, and the chief of staff was a competent person, I would say or my staff would say to him or her at some point, ‘You know, when you’re done working on the Hill, we’d very much like you to consider coming to work for us.’ Now the moment I said that to them or any of our staff said that to ’em, that was it. We owned them. And what does that mean? Every request from our office, every request of our clients, everything that we want, they’re gonna do. And not only that, they’re gonna think of things we can’t think of to do.”
Tags: 60 minutes, congressional hires, Jack Abramoff, Revolving Door, the lobbyists playbook
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Abramoff tells ’60 Minutes’ “Nothing has changed.”
Friday, March 4th, 2011 by Vbhotla
Perhaps the biggest news of the week was the announcement that former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) assumed the position of chairman and CEO for the Motion Picture Association of America, effective March 17. Dodd will bring his “stature and talent to support the creative efforts of our filmmakers and the many people who work in our industry, here and around the world,” said Fox Filmed Entertainment CEO Jim Gianopulos.
According to the association’s official press release, Dodd is excited to represent an industry that “consistently produce[s] and distribute[s] the most sought after and enjoyable entertainment on earth. Protecting this great American export will be my highest priority.” He expects the position will be “a continuation of my work in the Senate from advancing the VigRX interests of children and families and creating and safeguarding American jobs to the protection of intellectual property and the expansion of international trade.” Tackling piracy and protecting the studios’ intellectual property will be amoung Dodd’s primary duties in his new position.
In less circulated revolving door news, former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) has joined agriculture lobbying shop Olsson Frank Weeda Terman Bode Matz as a principal. Herseth Sandlin may provide strategic advice –which would be worth heeding, considering her recent post as chair of the Agriculture Committee — but may not lobby directly for clients for one year, per House revolving door rules. She told Roll Call that lobbying, “after the first year, is definitely something I’m interested in doing.”
Tags: agriculture, agriculture committee, chris dodd, democratic lobbyists, fox filmed entertainment, Motion Picture Association of America, olsson frank weeda terman bode matz, rep. stephanie herseth sandlin, Revolving Door, sen. chris dodd
Posted in Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up | Comments Off on Lobbying News Round-up
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011 by Vbhotla
Former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) left his perch on the powerful Senate Banking Committee with the conclusion of the 111th Congress, and today was named chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America. For some, this is an eyebrow raiser; does Dodd’s new position with MPAA pit him in conflict with the Senate’s revolving door rules?
Though the chairman/CEO does not actually lobby the government, there is no question that Dodd will have some influence over the association’s lobbying activities, which makes this case a little tricky to hold up to the rules light. The rule says that a Senator may not lobby any Member, officer, or employee in either chamber for two years , and may not assist with any official actions by U.S. government officials on behalf of foreign governments. It also says a senator is prohibited from engaging in any discussions to accept such a position until after his successor has been named (which, in Dodd’s case, has happened), including positions that could involve a former senator in “indirect lobbying” — activities in support of other people’s lobbying, but which do not involve actions that would trigger registration.
Sen. Dodd’s acceptance of the position, which was made public today, is not in direct violation of the rules, assuming Dodd does not lobby Congress on any issues until the 113th Congress. The Senate does not have the specific guidelines on “advocacy contacts” that the House details. So, as long as Dodd does not directly contact a Member of Congress with the intent to influence action, he is not in violation of any Senate revolving door guidelines, but he should probably tread lightly.
Tags: CEO, chairman MPAA, chris dodd, lobbying restrictions, Motion Picture Association of America, Revolving Door, sen. dodd, Senate
Posted in Ethics Tip | Comments Off on Tuesday Ethics Tip: Dodd’s Revolving Door
Monday, January 3rd, 2011 by Vbhotla
Last year saw Executive Orders and court rulings and legislative movements and the passing of some of the profession’s most dearly-loved members. Here is a look back at the top headlines of 2010:
- Trials, convictions and releases – Kevin Ring was convicted on five counts of corruption November 15 and awaits sentencing, after a 2009 trial resulted in a hung jury. Paul Magliocchetti pleaded guilty in September to making illegal campaign contributions. The justice department is seeking a 57 month imprisonment for what prosecutors are calling “one of the largest criminal schemes in U.S. history to violate federal campaign finance laws.” Jack Abramoff, initially sentenced to six years for fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to bribe public officials, was released from federal prison in June, and his term at a work-release-like program at a Baltimore pizzeria ended in early December.
- Court rulings – In January, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission corporate funding of independent campaign ads could not be limited under the First Amendment. Many consider the March Speechnow ruling to be a follow-up to Citizens United; the spring case allowed for unlimited giving to “independent expenditures committees.” Both cases, however, upheld disclosure requirements while lifting spending restrictions.
- Legislative Bullying – Congress sought to “fix” the Citizens United ruling with the DISCLOSE Act, which would require organizations that back federal election campaigns to disclose the names of large donors, as well as list said donors in any campaign ads the organizations run, and ban foreign governments, government contractors, and TARP recipients from donating to campaigns. The act passed in the House in June, but failed in the lame duck session in the Senate. In addition, a proposed ban on earmarks failed in the Senate November 30.
- Executive Orders – In June, President Obama issued an order banning lobbyists from advisory boards of federal departments and agencies. It also banned all gifts from lobbyists to executive branch appointees, appointees-turned-lobbyists from lobbying the branch for the duration of his administration, and tightened revolving door policies.
- Deaths – Patti Jo Baber, executive director of the American League of Lobbyists, passed in December. She was described as the “backbone” of the organization and a prominent member of the lobbying community.
Tags: American League of Lobbyists, Citizens United, DISCLOSE Act, earmarks ban, Executive Order on lobbying, Jack Abramoff, Kevin Ring, Paul Magliocchetti, Revolving Door, Speechnow.org v FEC
Posted in Government Relations Alert | Comments Off on Top Headlines of 2010
Monday, September 27th, 2010 by Vbhotla
A recent academic study on the financial benefits that lobbyists draw from the practice of the “revolving door,” found that “Lobbyists with experience in the office of a US Senator suffer a 24% drop in generated revenue when that Senator leaves office.” The study found that committee assignments and length of time in office (things which add up to “influence”) also increase revenue for ex-staffers turned lobbyists.
The researchers point out that “While there is no scarcity of anecdotal evidence, direct econometric evidence on the extent to which previous officials are able to convert political contacts into lobbying revenue remains, to the best of our knowledge, non-existent.” But the study purports to provide such evidence. The authors point out that “measured in terms of median revenues per ex-staffer turned lobbyist, this estimate indicates that the exit of a Senator leads to approximately a $177,000 per year fall in revenues for each affiliated lobbyist.”
Several recent articles have pointed out the lobbyist potential for Hill staffers with close connections to members who may be in positions of even greater power after November, such as Reps. John Boehner, Eric Cantor, or Dave Camp, all Republicans who are in line for powerful House majority jobs should the chamber flip.
The researchers used several tools, including the Center for Responsive Politics’ database, Legistorm.com, and Lobbyists.info. The entire report is available at http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/abstract.asp?index=3654.
Read more at the Lobby Blog:
Tags: CRP, Lobbying Research, London School of Economics, OpenSecrets, Revolving Door
Posted in Government Relations Alert, Lobbying Research | Comments Off on Revolving door financially benefits staffers
Friday, September 24th, 2010 by Vbhotla
The Hill reports on Kenya’s lobbying expenditures. According to the article, “Lobbyists for the Kenyan government 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
Tags: DISCLOSE Act, House ethics, john boehner, Kenya lobbyists, Nancy Pelosi, Revolving Door
Posted in Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up | Comments Off on Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up
Friday, September 17th, 2010 by Vbhotla
After last week’s surprise upset in Alaska (Joe Miller over Lisa Murkowski in the GOP Senate primary), Roll Callreports that lobbyists were quick to shift their financial and fundraising support from Murkowski to Miller. Article here.
The New York Times‘ report on John Boehner’s lobbyist ties is examined a little more fully in our post, here. Boehner also responded via the Washington Examiner.
Pepsi and Coke both have new lobbyists in DC… maybe this will spark the huge Pepsi v. Coke epic battle we’ve all been waiting for. (Although I won’t lie, as a Michigander, I prefer Faygo).
John Doolittle, who earlier this year complained that the (cleared) ethics investigations against him were making supporting work difficult, has found a job lobbying for Colfax City, California.
Lots of ethical dilemmas and strong words being traded back and forth regarding House ethics.. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), one of the Ethics Committee members, faces his own ethics and disclosure issues. Various public interest groups try to get Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner to publicly agree to support the OCE in the next Congress.
Ross Garber comments on Public Corruption charges post Skilling (discussion of Kevin Ring case included). See our posts about Kevin Ring and Skilling.
Following up on our report earlier this week that lobby shops are looking to up their GOP quotient ahead of the midterms, Roll Call reports on the Democratic job prospects on K St.
We anxiously await word on the fate of DISCLOSE.
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-District of Columbia) was recorded leaving a voicemail on an unnamed lobbyist’s phone, asking for campaign contributions, and doing it in a manner that implied a reminder of Holmes Norton’s power status in the lobbyist’s “sector.” More on this story in our Monday post on lobbyist campaign contributions.
From the Canadian Society of Association Executives, a post on “Enhancing Grassroots Advocacy Through Social Media.” Worth a read.
The LA Times has an article on Kevin Spacey’s role as Jack Abramoff in the upcoming “Casino Jack.”
Reports abound that Paul Magliocchetti is changing his “not guilty” plea in his 11-count indictment.
Three Obama administration employees never deregistered as lobbyists before taking their new jobs, according to OpenSecrets blog.
Quote(s) of the week:
“There may be a new gang in town after November,” said Hellmann, a former aide to then-Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). “The climate will be better for the business community on taxes.” (Roll Call, 9/13/2010)
“A lot of people want to have coffee now.” – Gordon Taylor, Ogilvy Government Relations, about staffers seeking advice on how to navigate the job market (Roll Call, 9/14/2010)
“Once he’s done with his house arrest, he may decide to speak out about the lobbying industry… He’d be credible if he takes responsibility for what he did, which he has, and exposes the hypocrisy he was a part of.” Kevin Spacey on Jack Abramoff (LA Times, 9/14/2010)
Tags: Casino Jack, Coca-Cola, DISCLOSE Act, Grassroots advocacy, Joe Miller, john boehner, John Doolittle, Kevin Spacey, Lisa Murkowski, Paul Magliocchetti, PepsiCo, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. Michael McCaul, Revolving Door, Skilling
Posted in Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up | Comments Off on Weekly Lobbying News Round-Up
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 by Vbhotla
Candidate for U.S. Senate Alexi Giannoulias (D-Ill.) is no fan of lobbyists. Mr. Giannoulias, currently the Illinois State Treasurer, is running for the seat currently occupied by appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.).
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Giannoulias would work to enact major legislative ethics reforms if elected to the Senate.
“In Washington, D.C., everywhere you go you see a lobbyist,” Giannoulias said. “They run that town. Nine out of 10 people [you see as] you walk down the hall are all lobbyists.”
The Sun-Times reports that “[Giannoulias] wants a total ban on corporations and lobbyists donating to candidates and a lifetime ban on senators or congressmen ever becoming lobbyists.”
Giannoulias’ Senate candidate site is at www.alexiforillinois.com.
Giannoulias’ official state site is at www.treasurer.il.gov.
Tags: Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois, Revolving Door
Posted in Congress Views | Comments Off on (Potential) Congress Views: Alexi Giannoulias
Monday, June 21st, 2010 by Vbhotla
President Obama formalized his administration’s policy of excluding registered lobbyists from executive branch advisory boards and commissions on Friday afternoon.
The White House blog announced that the President has directed advisory boards and commissions to not re-appoint currently serving members if they are also lobbyists, and not appoint new members who are lobbyists. This is a continuation of the September 23 White House directive that “strongly discouraged” the appointment or re-appointment of lobbyists to the boards.
The American League of Lobbyists’ Dave Wenhold, who pushed back against the policy when the less formal version was announced in September, said that he still believes the policy is a bad idea, because organizations that could not afford to have multiple subject specialists could now be excluded from the process.
The White House blog commented that while some lobbyists have made positive contributions, “phasing out those who simultaneously serve as lobbyists will have the added benefit of opening these boards up to fresh faces and engaging more Americans in our governing process.”
Read the memo from the White House here.
Tags: advisory boards, lobbyists, Revolving Door
Posted in Government Relations Alert | Comments Off on Lobbyists banned from advisory boards
Monday, May 17th, 2010 by Vbhotla
From time to time, we’ll post “Congress Views” on lobbying. These will be opinions published by or attributed to members of Congress, on lobbying, lobbyists, and the lobbying community as a whole.
First up, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.):
Sen. Bennet, in introducing his bill to ban former members of Congress from the “revolving door” (moving from Congress to lobbying):
“The need for reform in Washington is glaring when 1,500 Wall Street lobbyists can drown out the voices of the American people and block a bill that reforms the big Wall Street banks,” Bennet said. “By preventing Members of Congress from lobbying when they leave Capitol Hill and preventing congressional staff from going back and forth through the revolving door, public officials can get about the business of helping the country.”
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) has co-sponsored the bill. In his press release on co-sponsoring, Sen. Tester used similar language to Sen. Bennet:
“When Montanans sent me to the Senate, I imposed strict ethics rules on myself and my staff because Montanans expect open and honest government,” Tester said. “It’s about time for all of Congress to make sure decisions are being made based on what’s right for our country, not based on who hires well-connected lobbyists.”
Tags: Jon Tester, Lobbying, Michael F. Bennet, Revolving Door
Posted in Congress Views | Comments Off on Congress Views: Sens. Bennet & Tester
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 by Vbhotla
Note: From the Eyes of the Editors will be a recurring post each week. From our team of editors, who spend hundreds of hours scouring thousands of lobbying registrations and filings, these pieces will look at common errors, misperceptions, and ways to improve your understanding of lobbyist filings.
Last week it was reported that Washington-based non-profit Public Citizen approached retiring senators and congressmen, suggesting that they sign a pledge promising to avoid future jobs with lobbying firms. In a bit of humorous commentary, The Huffington Post noted that the spokeswoman for Public Citizen, the very woman leading the charge against public servants becoming lobbyists, is herself a registered lobbyist. Her response was “I’m like a people’s lobbyist.”
This got me thinking, “Aren’t all lobbyists representative of the people?” In reality, each lobbyist on K St. is representing the interests of some person or some group of like-minded individuals. In fact, of the thousands of lobbying reports I have read, the only client I have encountered that seems to include no people is a filing on behalf of “Boo,” a family dog from Staten Island who is being represented on a number of issues including disaster planning, housing, and animals (obviously).
Lobbyists represent groups of American citizens. For example, former Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio) represented Cleveland in the House for 30 years and is now Senior Counsel at Squire, Sanders, and Dempsey. Though he has left Congress, Stokes is still representing Cleveland on the Hill through one of his clients, the Cuyahoga County Board of County Commissioners. While in the House, Stokes represented one area of the city. By now lobbying for the entire county, Stokes essentially represents twice the number of people he did as a Congressman. Given the role that the county plays in the entire region, one could argue that the number of people his actions affect has quadrupled. Now in my opinion, Cleveland, though it has its problems like all places, is the greatest city in the country.
As a lobbyist, former Rep. Stokes is able to continue representing his hometown as he lobbies on issues including alcohol and drug abuse, economic development, and water quality. And, given that the Cuyahoga River is about to enter its 41st fire-free year, I can only assume that he’s doing a good job. Also, go Cavaliers!
Members opting to lobby makes sense. Lobbyists can work to serve the needs of former constituents, hometowns, home states, and the variety of industries that play integral roles in the daily lives of Americans. Former Members intimately understand the legal process and how to disseminate information on the Hill. Lobbyists don’t inherently serve the forces of evil and former Members who become lobbyists are no exception. Besides, all citizens have the right to petition their government. Should former Members be asked to sign away that right?
Tags: Ethics, Lobbying, lobbyists, Revolving Door
Posted in From the Eyes of the Editors | Comments Off on Lobbying in the Public Interest
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