Chad Marlow

All In The Family

Below is a letter of mine that ran in the New York Times today (May 30). Please take a look and then leave your comments regarding either the practice of intra-family lobbying that I highlighted or about any other lobby reform issues that are on your mind. Thanks!

OPINION

Nepotistic Lobbying

Published: May 30, 2006

To the Editor:

Re "Restrictions on City Lobbying Ignore Loophole, Critics Say" (news article, May 24):
As the only private lobbyist to testify before the City Council in favor of its current lobbying reform efforts, I am sorry that the Council overlooked what is easily the most egregious loophole in the lobbying laws: the legality of council members' close relatives serving as lobbyists.

Can someone seeking to influence city legislation give a $30,000 bribe to a council member? Of course not. But can that person curry favor with and exert inappropriate influence over a council member by giving his brother, sister, son or daughter $30,000 in the form of "lobbying fees"? I am afraid so.

As I testified before the Council, compared with this loophole, all others seem trivial.

Chad A. Marlow
Executive Principal Advocate
The Public Advocacy Group
New York, May 24, 2006

Posted by Chad Marlow at May 30, 2006 04:42 PM