Lawmakers Exploiting Loopholes In New Ethics Law

The optimistically named Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 was supposed to prevent lobbyists from securing undue influence by taking members of Congress to intimate dinners at fancy restaurants.

But former Senator John B. Breaux, Democrat of Louisiana, said lobbyists had already come up with a way around the new law. They can make a political contribution to a member of Congress, and then have the member pay for the meal.

"If we call it a campaign contribution, that makes it legal," Mr. Breaux said. "I can't buy a $20 breakfast for a senator whom I've known for years, but I can give him a $1,000 campaign contribution."

Starting Monday, Washington lobbyists must file detailed quarterly reports of their activities. In recent weeks, they have been hiring lawyers and going to seminars to decipher the law, passed in response to scandals involving the lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

But even as they try to figure out what the law requires, lobbyists are working to preserve the access and influence they have in Congress and at federal agencies.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[ShawnMichel]

The decline of the United States is underway. Its fall is now assured.

Obama was spot-on with his "bitter" comments. In fact, he wasn't strong enough. We are a nation run by greedmongers, populated by sheep. Sheep that care only about sound bites and American Idol and SUVs and the color of their suburban grass than they are about substance, about truth. And so ... we are falling.

The crooks bending the rules are, of course, utter slime. And they feed the bitterness in the American public--bitterness richly deserved, if not hypocritically embraced. For in their unending sloth and filth, the American sheeple refuse to rise up and revolt. Thus our fall is assured.

Wake up, assholes.

[Average]

Imagine that! We have DISHONEST lawmakers!!! I'm SHOCKED--NOT!

[FreedomCorpse]

The insurgents are on K street, when will the troops be sent in to protect America's interests not the 'special' interests?

[Durango]

I have a friend who was a high powered Washington DC lobbyist.

He wondered, since we pay Congressmen and Senators a pretty good salary, why don't they take the lobbyists out for dinner?

P.S. Not all lobbyists have plenty of cash. And some, many in fact, serve the public interest.

[gakabani]

Congress is the cradle of all corruption. The teaching ground for all that is wrong in this country.
Where killing a man is a crime but killing a million is a statistic, typical Stalinist policies.
Congress no longer represent us, they represent money and the use of money for ulterior motives.
I do not care to generalize, as they, members of congress, tend to dehumanize many other people, including us Americans. So I condemn them as an institution and condemn every one of them as individuals for being part of such corrupt system. Members of congress have no integrity whatsoever, even our present presidential candidates.

[rollingdivision]

Remove all limits and rules on donations with one exception, full disclosure by both the donors and politicians on the internet within 2 weeks of the receipt of any and all donations. Make failure to disclose a federal felony with mandatory jail time for both politician and or donor. If some politician is taking millions from some bad special interest or individual she'll pay the price in the next election.

[MaineMike]

It sounds to me like now there is a better audit trail of what's going on and that's a step in the right direction.

[08timefortruth]

Gee blaming Obama for this is like being a parent. You set rules and try to enforce them but those darn kids are intent on acting irresponsible for their own behavior so when they get caught doing wrong and who gets the blame yup you guessed it the parents for not being there every minute holding little Johnnie's hand (who by the way is 40) get real people...these are supposedly grown adults...they know right from wrong and choose to do wrong...how is that Obama's fault for trying to do right???

[wndrwrthg]

Only one solution. Death to all lobbiests and those who accept their bribes. Drag them to the capital building steps and execute them and leave their bodies to rot. Cleanse these filth from our land. End their foul ways and allow the power to return to the people. EQUALITY, LIBERTY, FRATERNITY.

[vbwr1]

You can't blame Obama for sneaky rats! Obama madea great contribution to creating this law, but you can't turn around and blame him for people abusing it!

[harriscrl3]

When you have a leak you PLUG IT UP!!. The thing about Ethics is that like most things it starts AT THE TOP. Put people of integrity at the top and it filters down.

Carol

[08timefortruth]

Sure you can, just like you'd blame a parent for their their grown childs behavior or a cop for the criminals activities. When it comes to Obama everything is his fault haven't you figured that out yet? if not HC supporters, McCain supporters, and the media would love to convince you.

[gotalife]

The only thing Obama has done in the Senate is a joke.

The guy does not even hold hearings on Afghanistan oversight on his committee.

He should not be in the Senate let alone a candidate for President.

What the hell are you people thinking?

Sober up.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Poor baby. We feel so bad for you.

[harriscrl3]

See this is how rumors and lies spread he is NOT on the committe that holds oversight over Afghansitan its a different committee.

You need to get your facts straight before you tell people to sober up.

Carol

[GrandpaMcCain]

Are you kidding? Desperate Repunklicans care nothing about facts. It's 'ATTACK THE DEM'.

[gotalife]

Nice work Obama.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Poor baby.

[GrandpaMcCain]

Lame try, jagoff.

[drkazmd65]

Wait a minute,... let me think about this for a couple of minutes,... but,... but,... but,...

Nah,... sorry,... can't even feign being shocked about this. Imagine - (mostly) lawyers, with time on their hands and influence to try and peddle, and money burning holes in their pockets,...

Figuring out where the loopholes are in a new law designed (poorly) to try and limit their influence.

Nothing to see here folks,... just the same old same old.

[Shaddup]

No, he passed several bills for transparency in government as first steps to controlling the lobbyists trying to buy our government. But it's so hard to teach things to children...

[GuyInNC]

But Obama told us he fixed all this with the legislation he supported. what happened?

[GrandpaMcCain]

Republicans became involved.