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Obama lawyers defend lobbyist restriction

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WASHINGTON | Fri Feb 24, 2012 4:47pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama has the authority to bar lobbyists from serving on government boards because doing so reduces "special interest influence," lawyers for his administration said on Friday.

The Obama administration announced the ban in September 2009 and six lobbyists are testing it in a federal lawsuit.

Five of the lobbyists used to serve on trade advisory boards, representing industries such as retail and textiles, according to their complaint. The sixth wants to serve on a board but expects he will be turned down.

The lobbyists allege that the ban violates the U.S. Constitution by punishing them for exercising their right to petition their government for redress of grievances.

In a court filing, administration lawyers said that the industries still have access to the trade boards and that the ban serves an important goal.

"It effectively serves the president's compelling interest in promoting public confidence in the government and reducing special interest influence in policymaking," they said.

The Obama administration has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, and a ruling on the motion could come at any time.

(Reporting By David Ingram; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh)
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Comments (1)
kritik1 wrote:
Serving special interests groups should be banned altogether if it caters to the interest of the promoter and the promoter classification of business. Furthermore there should be a clause for giving public notice on what the lobbyist agenda is 24 to 48 hours for public to evaluate and respond to such activity. The onus should be on the lobbyist to prove that the proposal will benefit other industries and the public.

Feb 24, 2012 6:54pm EST  --  Report as abuse
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