NPR: House Lobbying Rules Leave Lots of Loopholes

House Lobbying Rules Leave Lots of Loopholes

The House ethics committee has written new rules for lawmakers who want to become lobbyists. There's been a recent spurt in the number of lawmakers leaving Capitol Hill for lobbying jobs.

House members who become lobbyists have to wait one year before they hit on their colleagues. A new law limits their other lobbying in the meantime.

Now the House ethics committee says those limits permit almost anything that's done "behind the scenes." That includes soliciting and advising clients.

The former lawmakers just can't let their names be openly associated with lobbying on Capitol Hill.

Even those new rules haven't kept up with the spinning of the revolving door.

Maryland Democratic Congressman Albert Wynn lost a primary in February. In March, he signed with a law firm that lobbies for 25 different corporations. But he won't make the move till June.

Nothing in the rules addresses Wynn's slow departure. But he promises to avoid conflicts

-- Peter Overby

10:58 AM ET | 04-10-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

and this interpretation of "ethics" by participants in the current system is surprising exactly how?

albert wynn's promises and fine sense of the high road? oh we're gonna bank on that alright.

Sent by tim in exile | 12:30 PM ET | 04-10-2008

Well at least the left and the right can agree on one thing; congress is filled with self-absorbed miscreants with a withering ethics disease.

Do these idiots think we can't see them doing this stuff or something?

Rules are nice but rules aren't law. How do you enforce a rule on someone who has left?

Sent by deek | 1:11 PM ET | 04-10-2008

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