New State Hire Highlights Loophole in Revolving Door Rules

Robin Raphel has been hired by the State Department, but may either be exempt from the administration's new revolving door rules or require a waiver. Raphel was a senior vice president for Cassidy and Associates since 2007.

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Coming Soon: TARP Lobbying Rules

According to The Hill, the Treasury Department is waiting for the administration's approval before finalizing restrictions on lobbying for Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funding, only ten months after the program began.

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A Case for Disclosure?

The Washington Post follows up on an interesting case revealed last week. An employee of a lobbying firm forged a letter from a Latino social service group to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), urging him to make changes in a bill capping greenhouse-gas emissions. Reportedly, the firm found out about the issue and promptly fired the employee. The letter used the letterhead of Creciendo Juntos, and asked Perriello to add "pro-consumer" changes to the bill.

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Committee Would Get Rid of Earmark Requests Because There Wasn't Enough Space

Roll Call ($$) reports that the House ethics committee is looking into connections between earmarks and campaign contributions. The investigation will likely come across a roadblock; documentation may have been destroyed on earmark requests before 2007.

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Lobbying Guidance Now Clarified

After new guidance was issued regarding when the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) allows individuals to terminate their registrations, many recognized that a new loophole may have been created to avoid lobbying restrictions imposed by the Obama administration. Questions led to a review of last week's new guidance and now, the guidance has been clarified.

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Strategic Giving

USA Today reports that regardless of the gift ban under the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act (HLOGA), signed into law in 2007, lobbyists continue to spend a vast amount of money to honor members of Congress or donate to nonprofits connected to them. The law requires lobbyists and entities that employ lobbyists to report payments to events or groups associated with legislators or top federal officials.

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Food Safety Agency Left Untended; Nomination Forestalled by Lobbying Order

President Obama has yet to nominate an individual to lead the Food Safety and Inspection Service, leaving the agency headless at a time when food safety consistently shows up on the national radar.

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Waiting for Guidance on Stimulus Lobbying Restrictions

After the White House announced on Friday evening changes to rules on communications between registered lobbyists and officials about stimulus projects, several questions remain until any further guidance is released. First, the ban on oral communications regarding specific stimulus matters will be extended to include everyone, not only federally registered lobbyists.

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Obama Backtracks on Mountaintop Mining

Coal industry lobbyists appear to have valuable access to White House officials, and they’re using it to expand mountaintop mining in the Appalachians, according to an article in The Los Angeles Times.

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On Bisphenol-A Policy, the Lobbyists Are in Charge

When it comes to bisphenol-A (BPA), a ubiquitous and likely dangerous chemical found in hard plastic products like water bottles, there seems to be three repeating story lines: state and local governments continue to take action, new studies continue to prove frightening, and evidence continues to surface showing that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no interest in protecting American consumers.

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