Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Ethics and Lobbying Reform: Real World Changes?

Well now that the lobbying and ethics bill is awaiting the President's signature, many are now asking how much the legislation will actually change the way business is done. An article from today's Washington Post is appropriately titled, "Draining the 'Swamp' Is Not So Easy." For example, now that lobbyists can't buy dinner for a member of Congress, will this only force them to spend more money at political fundraisers instead?

Government watchdogs and ethics lawyers generally agree that the bill would shed new light on the Washington influence game but wonder how those who don't play ball would be found and punished. Without an effective bureaucracy for managing the flow of new disclosures provided by the law, they say, the legislation won't mean much.

And the New York Times reviews the concerns now being expressed among lobbyists and their exposure to increased risk.

By requiring them to certify the good behavior of their employees, the law puts lobbyists at new legal risk and could subject them to new pressure from prosecutors. And new centralized disclosures of lobbyists' campaign contributions, fund-raising activities and even their achievements — in the form of Congressional earmarks in spending bills — make it only easier for federal investigators to paint unflattering portraits of lobbyists' influence.