Amid Reports Of Lavish Parties Thrown By Lobbyists, Georgia Republican Sponsors Reform Bill
The Atlanta Constitution-Journal reported yesterday that many corporate lobbyists in Georgia have flouted the already weak ethics laws in the state. There is no limit on the amount lobbyists can spend on travel and events for lawmakers, and the rules only mandate disclosure. However, since the disclosure rules do not require receipts or any documentation,
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At Conservative Conference, Retired Police Officer Explains How Lobbyists Profit From Marijuana Prohibition
Interview conducted by Republic Report’s Zaid Jilani and Suzanne Merkelson. Yesterday at CPAC, the conservative convention held this week in Washington D.C., Republic Report ran into retired police officer and anti-drug war activist Howard Wooldridge. We were interested in his take on the role of money in politics in the government’s crusade against marijuana. He
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Cruise Line Industry, Middle East Dictator, Have Relied On The Same DC Lobbying Firm For Public Relations
Following the Costa Concordia disaster near Italy, cruise line business practices have generated headlines from NPR to the New York Times and beyond. In addition to safety concerns, the wake of the Concordia shipwreck has stirred debate around a whole host of cruise line issues: from abusing workers to avoiding regulations while operating in international
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CPAC Opens With Address By Granddaughter Of GOP President Who Fought Back Against Lobbyists
Today, CPAC, the most important conservative convention of the year, opens with an address by Susan Eisenhower. Her grandfather President Dwight Eisenhower represented another era, when many in both parties rebuked special interests. President Eisenhower despised the growing corporate influence lobbies. In 1956, for example, Senator Lyndon Johnson and Congressman Sam Rayburn, backed by aggressive
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Wall Street Consultants Complain: STOCK Act Transparency Proposal Will “Hurt Middle Class Americans”
In the Senate debate last week to amend the STOCK Act, a measure to prevent insider trading by lawmakers and some federal officials, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) successfully attached a smart proposal to the bill to require “political intelligence” firms to face disclosure requirements just as other lobbying firms are forced to disclose their clients. The
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Multimillionaire Lobbying Consultant Rick Berman Plays A Blue Collar Mechanic In Super Bowl Anti-Union Ad
This morning, Republic Report published a post revealing the backers of an anti-union ad that ran during the Super Bowl. We realized after publication that one of the actors playing a disgruntled union mechanic was actually Rick Berman, the consultant advising the anti-union lobbying campaign. A call to Berman and Company confirmed that Berman, who
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Anti-Occupy Wall Street Lobbyist Whines That Disclosure Laws Sound Like “Big Brother”
K Street has been reacting to Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley’s amendment to the anti-insider trading STOCK Act passed in the Senate last week that would force D.C. influence peddlers who collect political intelligence and sell it to corporate clients to register under the lobbying disclosure law. National Journal’s Influence Alley reports that some lobbyists have
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Big Businesses Lobbying Group In Florida Has Received $300,000 In Taxpayer Subsidies
On Saturday, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Workforce Central Florida, a taxpayer-supported regional agency, provided $300,000 in grants to the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce since 2005. The latest grant, a $50,000 check from last year, has sparked outrage in the community, and criticism from both parties: State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and
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