Caleb Burns Discusses the Limits of U.S. Lobbying Laws

Election Law & Government Ethics Practice partner Caleb Burns commented in a recent Reuters article on lobbying law issues that have been raised regarding GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's prior work.

The article reports that to be a registered lobbyist, a person must meet three criteria: bring in a certain amount of money, make two contacts with senior government officials and spend at least 20 percent of business time on lobbying activities. In an effort to avoid the title of "lobbyist," Mr. Gingrich has claimed that he has not satisfied all three of the requirements.

"The most difficult question we get is, 'Is what we're doing a lobbying contact?'" said Mr. Burns. "A former government official who simply asks for a meeting with one of his or her former colleagues would not be making a lobbying contact. That would change, however, if he or she then participated in the meeting."