"Since Washington DC is largely run by lawyers, it should come as no surprise to anyone that lawyers and law firms find themselves the hired communicators of the politically active. The Top DC lobby firms reads like a who’s who of the Bar Association. If one truly seeks to stop all hired lobbying in Washington DC, one should begin by not sending any more lawyers to Washington DC."
JB Williams
Canada Free Press
July 23, 2008
Payment of the Costs of Travel—and of Fundraising—for the Conventions
8.8.2008
One of the questions that lobbyists and other raise is whether the law restricts the payment of travel to a convention. The convention is a political event; and the convention week is heavily scheduled with events, some of them fundraising events, that lobbyists attend. The same question is of interest to other representatives of "prohibited" sources: officers and employers of corporations that cannot donate funds to the national party, or to federal candidates.
Conventions and "Widely Attended Events"
8.7.2008
The Senate recently issued guidance, in the form of a Dear Colleague letter, addressing the requirements for attending "widely attended events" such as lunches and dinners at the national conventions. It referred to pages devoted to this issue in the Senate Manual, and one question of interest that it raises is whether certain requirements, that would apply on occasions other than conventions, are relaxed for convention-related events.
Influential, Even on the Way Out
8.4.2008
One question, to which the Senate has given an answer, is whether a party in honor of a staff member's retirement or departure from government service would constitute a reportable event "in honor of" the staff member. The answer is: yes.
Robert F. Bauer, Chair
Political Law Group
