Democrats are set to institute a raft of lobbying and ethics reforms in the new Congress. Now, as a lobbyist, you could just get depressed about the gift ban, or restrictions on lawmaker travel, or you could get… creative.
From Roll Call (sub. req.):
If certain social interactions become taboo, [a “prominent” Democratic] lobbyist said, she would focus more on cultivating relationships with Members or staff in the context of alumni groups and state societies, or through activities with their children — not to mention through fundraisers that benefit the Members’ coffers….Two well-known lobbyists, one a Democrat and the other a Republican, said that on the cocktail and fundraising circuits, lobbyists already have been abuzz with new ideas about how to sidestep as-yet-unpassed rules.
One said that a few colleagues have raised the possibility of terminating their lobbying registrations and moving into roles within their firms that are officially classified as non-lobbying, to avoid travel or gift bans if they apply only to registered lobbyists…..
And how about getting around new limits on Members using corporate jets? The Democratic lobbyist said he’d heard about lobbyists trying to get state party committees to charter corporate flights for Members.
Another GOP lobbyist said he’s been preparing himself for months to deal with a gift ban, which is expected to keep in place the numerous exceptions for widely attended stand-up receptions and for pre-existing personal friendships.
If the exemption for widely attended events holds, this lobbyist said, he would consider holding quarterly parties instead of just one holiday party each year.
And then there’s one rather unfortunate side effect of the reforms. Because they restrict social interactions between lobbyists and lawmakers unless it’s a fundraiser, lobbyists will probably soon break the taboo of talking up their client’s cause while forking over dollars:
Several lobbyists said that fundraising events, too, will be at a premium, especially if Congress does not enact any campaign finance reforms geared toward lobbyists.“I am going to be embraced and hugged and kissed as long as I’m giving them a check” for their campaign, said one lobbyist.