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Seats of Power: A Return to Skybox Lobbying?
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| Contributor | ArmyDem |
| Last Edited | ArmyDem May 14, 2008 09:04am |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - Washington Post |
| News Date | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 03:00:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 14, 2008; Page D01
Not long ago, lobbyists regularly entertained lawmakers and their aides in skyboxes at local sports arenas. But after a series of scandals on Capitol Hill, the law was changed to forbid congressional officials from accepting anything of value from lobbyists without repayment -- let alone the best seats in the house.
Now the Washington Redskins are talking up a new twist. Their sales force has given a one-page handout to a potential customer that states that congressional officials could accept a free "Suite Guest Pass" to a skybox as long as they have a ticket for anywhere else in the stadium, including a $25 standing-room-only ticket.
The document, a copy of which was obtained by The Post, says that such guest passes allow for only a "short visit." It does not define "short visit" or say who would monitor the requirement.
Several ethics experts and top lobbying managers said they would at a minimum advise caution. "This doesn't sound kosher to me," said Jan W. Baran, an ethics expert at the law firm Wiley Rein. He said he thought it could be seen as a "gimmick" in which a guest could "buy a standing-room-only ticket for $25 and then accept from the lobbyist a free guest pass to the suite." |
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