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

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Posted at 4:42 PM, May 30, 2006 in Governmental Reform | Letter To The Editor of the Week | New York
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