Lobbyists Dodge Regulations Through Reinvention

So, if you happen to have read a recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics and OMB Watch entitled "Lobbyists Terminating Their Federal Registrations at Accelerated Rate", you might be under the impression that finally, lobbyists are being run out of town, in droves. WOO-HAH, BARACK OBAMA'S GOT YOU ALL IN CHECK, maybe? And also, according to the Wall Street Journal, there's this thing called "the recession," which is bringing down lobbyist firms at a slightly slower rate than its bringing everybody else down. Yeah, uhm...woo!

But, as the report points out, it's best not to get ahead of ourselves and form cheering crowds on the sidewalk as your beloved K Street whores scuttle away. That's because lobbyists are reinventing themselves under new names, and sticking around to stick up for various well-monied interests. Back when we reported on this study, our own Jenna Staul noted:

The decline in registered lobbyists, however, doesn't necessarily translate into fewer people working to influence policy. At the federal level, many lobbyists avert disclosure requirements under the Lobbying Disclosure Act by working under titles such as "senior adviser."

Over at TAPPED, Suzy Khimm gets confirmation that this is happening:

As OMB Watch and CRP note, many lobbyists who appear to have left have come back as unregistered lobbyists with executive titles like "senior adviser" or "consultant" to avoid having to comply with federal lobbying restrictions. One lobbyist I contacted confirmed this trend in an e-mail today:

For people wanting to reenter government, or who interact with "covered officials" not having to register as a lobbyist makes a job more attractive. At our firm we have brought attorneys who are not registered and used them to meet with officials who refuse to see lobbyists... I don't think many people have left the profession, in fact I'd bet the business of influencing government has actually grown over the last year - registrations not withstanding.

If the Obama administration really wanted to crack down on the influence of lobbying, it could force anyone who met with officials "covered" under the current lobbying restrictions to register -- and cut down on the legislative earmarks that still abound. Moreover, OMB Watch's Lee Mason told me, the White House (as well as Congress) could decide to disclose the meetings and communications it has with all the lobbyists and advocates it courts.

Ahh, but if they did that, the White House would have to caveat all of the great advice on healthcare it receives from vital "resource" Tom Daschle!

Khimm's anonymous lobbyist concludes that this current oversight arrangement "basically disadvantages the people who play by the rules while creating a whole new underground influence game that flouts a law that can't be enforced." So, hey, yeah, pop Cristal!

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Comments

[research]

Outlaw ALL contributions as the Bribery they are.

The FBI could go after them even now.

[Artos]

The Regulations were probably purposely designed to be porous. I thought that making things ironclad was what highpriced lawyers were paid the big bucks for. If the law is that porous and lawyers and our Legislators that inept than we need better representation.

[KIVPossum]

Forget health care reform, creating jobs, wars, and everything else. If the U.S. can't get control of lobbyists and the politicians they own, there is no future for the country.

[Guitar63]

This whole underground lobbying thing makes me sick. It is obvious that the very people intended to be restricted are the very groups which are benefiting the most. Even though it is evident that resources are running low, greed compels these people to continue their exploitative practices at the disadvantage of the majority. We need to put an end to this. . .

[Ventura Co California]

The people making the rules are giving wall street the blueprints ahead of time. They purposely leave loopholes in so that wall street can take advantage of them. You really think Washington just conveniently FORGOT to put limits on the TARP and bailout money?

GET REAL AND WAKE UP!

[lynettema]

There aren't enough cops to do oversight on all the corrupt creeps in D.C. If they used their intelligence to solve the world's real ills instead of how they can sc.rew the tax payer out of a few more bucks, we would have a pretty good world.

[christianm1973]

Question worth asking: how many lobbyists are on those white house visitor list logs.

[TerrapinCB]

in total? from all the presidents? way too many.

or are you insinuating something?

[wattnot]

Look Guys, the only thing lobbyists want to do is to help elected officials enact the best possible legislation for the people of America. Putting rules and bureaucracy and red tape in the way of this kind of altruism is just the kind of self-defeating liberal hogwash that prevents the country from being as great as it could be.
Let's face it, Washington is not the greatest place in the world, yet there are these selfless people who have forgone all sorts of comforts and privileges so that they can help America to be the greatest country on earth. It seems both un-christian and un-American to pry into or require any kind of accounting for what they do. Let's hope common sense prevails soon and things get back to the way they always were.

[VeroucaSalt]

You must be a lobbyist.

[wattnot]

No Dear, I'm a house maid. I'm just off to do the ironying.

[GrandmaBEE]

Snakes.