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May Representatives Skip the Line for a Flu Vaccine?

Nov. 10, 12 a.m.

Q: I am an in-house lobbyist for a major health care provider that is providing an H1N1 flu vaccine clinic this Saturday. It is widely expected that there will be an enormous turnout. A Representative called me today and asked if there is any way that her family could receive the vaccine a day early. She has two young children and wants to make sure they receive the vaccine before we run out. We really do not want to say no, as we hate the idea of the Representative possibly spending all day waiting in line with her family, let alone not getting the vaccine at all. I discussed this with my supervisor, and the plan we came up with is to allow the Representative to come the day before the vaccine clinic. This way the vaccine will not be a “gift,” and we will not be violating any rules. Is that right?

Is TARP Lobbying Allowed at Widely Attended Gatherings?

Oct. 27, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a lobbyist with a question about the new restrictions on lobbying for TARP funding. As I understand it, we are now prohibited from talking to government officials regarding any pending funding applications. While this seems a bit onerous, I suppose it is OK so long as everyone is playing by the same rules. However, some of my peers in the field have said that they plan to continue discussing specific projects with government officials by utilizing what they say is a loophole in the new rules. According to them, there is an exception allowing discussions regarding pending applications so long as those discussions take place at a widely attended gathering. I’m not sure about this. I don’t want to break the rules, but I also don’t want to lose out to lobbyists who plan to take advantage of this exception. What do the rules say?

When Does a Price Discount Become an Ethics Violation?

Sept. 29, 12 a.m.

Q: I am currently on maternity leave from a position as a Senate staffer, as I have just had a beautiful baby boy named Chase. Chase is our second child, so my husband and I have decided to take the plunge and buy a minivan. We have shopped around at a number of area dealerships and have finally found the car we want at a price that we like. The car salesman told me that the price is typically only available as a loyalty reward for repeat customers as part of a “Favorite Customers” program, but that he would qualify me anyway because I am a Senate staffer. May I purchase the minivan on these terms?

Are Members’ Statements to Ethics Committees Protected?

July 28, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a staffer for a Member of the House, and we suspect that the ethics committee may want to interview him regarding an ongoing investigation. If the committee does ask to interview our Member, he would really like to cooperate, as he is a strong supporter of its role and we know that he has done nothing wrong. However, our concern is that we would not want to risk that anything he says might be used against him in some other proceeding outside the House. Are communications to the ethics committee protected?

May a Senate Aide Date the Office’s Senior Staffer?

July 14, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a Senate staffer and, as much as I hate to admit it, I think I have developed a full-fledged crush on our office’s chief of staff. While he and I have always casually flirted with one another, it has recently escalated to the point that I am now considering pursuing a relationship with him. I sense that the feelings are mutual. Before going for it, I wanted to make sure that the rules allow a staffer to date his or her supervisor. Do the Senate ethics rules prohibit us from dating?

More Light Is Shed on Requirements for Lobbying Registration

June 29, 12 a.m.

As the president of a small local lobbying firm, I read with interest your last column about how it has recently become easier for lobbyists to terminate their registration. We are looking into whether any of our lobbyists can take advantage of the ruling you discussed allowing lobbyists to end their registration if they limit their government contacts to one per quarter for each client.

When May Lobbyists Terminate Their Registration?

June 16, 12 a.m.

Q: In the lobbying firm where I work, we are growing increasingly anxious about the litany of rules that we face as registered lobbyists. One of the questions we have discussed is whether we all need to go through the formal registration process. The thought is that if we have some employees who might not be required to register, perhaps at least they could be freed from all of the rules and obligations that apply to registered lobbyists. But we are unsure of the termination requirements. Once registered, when may lobbyists terminate their registration?

May a Member Use a Staffer as a Personal Assistant?

June 2, 12 a.m.

I am a staffer for a freshman Member of the House with a question about filling out our boss’ staff. We have one more position to fill, and our Member would like to hire someone who has served as his personal assistant for the past eight years. Over the years, the personal assistant has done a little bit of everything for the Member, including scheduling, driving, laundry — even baby-sitting his children. Our chief of staff has concerns about whether someone on the House payroll can perform duties like these. May the Member hire his longtime assistant to perform these duties as a House staffer?

May Former Staffers Help New Staffers Do Their Jobs?

May 19, 12 a.m.

Q: I recently became the chief of staff for a Member of the House, replacing someone who had held the position for several years. I am trying to learn the ropes as quickly as possible and have found that the former chief of staff has been an invaluable resource in getting me up to speed. He is particularly helpful with the Member’s schedule. Given that he is no longer a House employee, are there any restrictions on the help that he can provide me?

Must Senators Disclose Good Deals on Property Sales?

May 5, 12 a.m.

Q: As a member of a Senator’s staff, one of my jobs is to help prepare his financial disclosure report. As we scramble to finish this year’s report, I was interested to read that a watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) alleging that he failed to report what I’ve seen described as a sweetheart deal on property that he purchased. This got me concerned about my own Senator’s financial disclosure reports and whether we need to report any deals that he received on purchases and sales in 2008. In particular, our Senator sold his home last year, and it has subsequently plummeted in value to the point that it is now worth 25 percent less than the selling price. Must we report the sale?

Risks Lie in Submitting Allegations to the New Ethics Office

April 20, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a recently retired employee of a government watchdog group. I have suspicions that the Representative in my district may have engaged in a pay-to-play scheme with a local contractor. I am considering filing a complaint, and am pleased that the newly created Office of Congressional Ethics allows private citizens like me to do so. My wife says that I should be careful, however. She says that if I start trouble, I could wind up in trouble myself. What is the process for reviewing complaints filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics, and do I have anything to be concerned about in filing one?

May Lobbyists Still Lobby for Stimulus Funding?

April 6, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a lobbyist with several clients who are interested in funds from the recent stimulus package and have sought my help. I understand that there are brand new restrictions regarding lobbying for these funds, including an outright ban on talking to federal officials. This really concerns me. I’m not sure how I can do my job without speaking to the officials about funding. Do the new rules really prohibit me from doing so?

May Lobbyists Still Host Campaign Fundraisers?

March 23, 12 a.m.

Q: As a lobbyist in the Washington, D.C., area for many years, I have frequently hosted fundraisers for Congressional campaigns. I am a one-man operation, and these events have been one of my most reliable ways to network with Members and staffers. I am trying to determine whether the recent efforts to crack down on lobbyists’ interactions with Members require me to discontinue these fundraisers. In particular, I know that there a new rules concerning funds raised by lobbyists. Do these rules prohibit me from hosting fundraisers for Members’ campaigns?

May Companies Host Members of Congress for Meals?

March 9, 12 a.m.

Q: I am hoping that you can settle a disagreement my brother and I have been having about providing meals for Members of Congress. I work for a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C., and my brother is an executive for a poultry company in Indiana. He recently told me that every year his company receives an official visit from the Representative in his district. The Representative tours the facility, and the company then treats him to a traditional on-site chicken dinner with company employees.
This surprised me. At our lobbying firm, our attorneys are always reminding us that we may not buy a meal for a Member, even during a visit to our office. They say there are certain events where we can serve Members light food and drink, but that we can never serve them meals. Who is right — me or my brother?

Can the Senate Ethics Committee Expel Roland Burris?

Feb. 23, 12 a.m.

I have a question regarding sanctions Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) could face if it turns out he testified falsely about events leading up to his appointment to the Senate. I know the Ethics Committee is now investigating, and I’ve heard that such an investigation could result in Burris being expelled. I fear that would just drag out the whole mess even further, as it would require yet another appointment to replace Burris. Can the Ethics Committee expel Burris for false testimony?

When Must Members Recuse Themselves From a Vote?

Feb. 9, 12 a.m.

Q: I am chief of staff for a recently elected Member of the House. Much of our staff has never worked on Capitol Hill, so we are taking crash courses on our new obligations. One question that has already arisen is this: When does a conflict of interest require our Member to recuse himself from a House vote?

May Capitol Hill Staffers Sell Their Personal Items?

Jan. 26, 12 a.m.

I apologize if this is a simple question, but I only just recently became a House staffer, and I am still learning all of the rules that now apply to me. My question concerns two Super Bowl tickets that I won in a raffle. Rather than attend the game, I have placed an online ad to sell the tickets. I have received lots of good offers, but yesterday a die-hard Arizona Cardinals fan blew the other offers out of the water. I started e-mailing with him right away, and I was all ready to sell him the tickets when I noticed that his e-mail address domain name belongs to a major lobbying firm. I looked him up and, sure enough, he is registered as a lobbyist. Because the Member I work for is new to the House, I have no idea whether the lobbyist or his firm has any plans to lobby me or my Member. But something still doesn’t feel quite right. Is it OK to sell him the tickets?

May Members Use Campaign Funds for Parking Tickets?

Jan. 12, 12 a.m.

Q: My New Year’s resolution is to stop getting parking tickets. I would be embarrassed to count all the money I send each year to the D.C. treasurer for parking fines. Yet a recent article made me wonder if, as a Member of the House, I have to pay these fines with my own money. The article said that at least one other Member pays for parking tickets with campaign funds and that this is allowed under the rules. If this is true, maybe I don’t need a New Year’s resolution after all. I’m not sure how comfortable I would be using campaign funds for parking tickets. But, just out of curiosity, do the rules allow it?

A Review of 2008: The Year in Congressional Ethics

Dec. 8, 12 a.m.

Last December, this column called 2007 the “Year of Congressional Ethics.” But 2008 has been the year that 2007’s changes were felt.

Does Federal Law Require Stevens to Be Expelled?

Nov. 17, 12 a.m.

Q: I need you to settle a debate. I am an Alaska voter and had always presumed that if the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens (R) resulted in a conviction, he would be required to leave the Senate. However, now that he has been convicted, a friend of mine says that I am wrong. He says that if Stevens is re-elected, the Senate would not expel him. Who is right?

Stevens Verdict Offers Clues on Disclosure Liability

Nov. 4, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a staffer for a Senator and help prepare his annual financial disclosure report. I have been watching closely the trial of Sen. Ted Stevens (R- Alaska) and am concerned about his conviction for filing false financial disclosure reports. It seems to me that lots of Members file financial disclosure reports that may contain inadvertent errors. Are all such Members now vulnerable to criminal convictions? Or, is there something different about Stevens’ situation?

Cell Phone Rules Leave Staffers Out in the Rain

Oct. 21, 12 a.m.

Q: I am a staffer in the district office of a Member of the House. In my spare time, I also volunteer on the Member’s re-election campaign. The campaign issued me a cell phone, which I typically use for all types of calls, whether related to the campaign or to my official work in his district office. Last week, while in the Member’s district office, I received a call on my cell phone from our campaign manager. We spoke for about a half-hour regarding planning for upcoming campaign events. When I got off the phone, a lawyer in our district office chastised me for violating House ethics rules. He said I had to leave the office to have such a call. I don’t think that’s right. My understanding is that I can use a campaign cell phone for both official and campaign purposes. Besides, it was raining! Who’s right?

It’s the Big Game: Are Members Allowed to Accept Tickets?

Oct. 7, 12 a.m.

Q: A lifelong friend of mine attended a state university in our home state and now works as a registered lobbyist for the school. Meanwhile, I attended a private university that is his school’s main rival, and I now work as a registered lobbyist for my alma mater. Later this month is the annual football game between his school and mine.

May Staffers Provide Legal Services to Campaigns?

Sept. 22, 12 a.m.

Q: I am an attorney working as chief of staff for a Member of the House who is seeking re-election. The legal counsel for his campaign recently went on maternity leave, and my Member has asked me to take over in my spare time. Under the arrangement, I would continue my role as chief of staff while being paid $10,000 by the campaign to be its legal counsel. The campaign says there is a limit on the income that staffers may earn while employed by Congress, but the $10,000 addition still keeps me below the limit. In fact, campaign officials say they specifically designed the proposed arrangement to comply with the ethics rules. Does it?

Are There Grounds for a Complaint Against Obama?

Sept. 2, 12 a.m.

Q: I do not believe that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is ready to be president. While I blog about this constantly, my readership is limited so I am looking for other ways to impact the election. I know that watchdog groups sometimes file ethics complaints against Senators who engage in misconduct, and I am considering filing one against Obama. I think that there a number of potential grounds. Most notably, Obama proposed an earmark for University of Chicago Hospitals after they promoted his wife and tripled her salary. In addition, Obama has filed several false financial disclosure forms — the same offense for which Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has been indicted. Aren’t these grounds for ethics complaints?