As former Speaker of the House Jim Black (D-Mecklenburg) sits in a federal prison for abusing millions of dollars of campaign money and paying off other politicians and Rep. Thomas Wright (D-New Hanover) faces six felony charges for illegally misusing $350,000 in campaign funds, it seems somewhat of an over reaction that the new lobbying laws (largely enacted in response to the above) prohibit all lobbyists from sending holiday cards to elected officials.
HO HO HO: ‘Tis the season, but those holiday greeting cards may not be showing up on the desks of too many top state officials or legislative liaisons this year. The State Ethics Commission staff is advising those covered under the new ethics law to return holiday cards, which could be deemed to have monetary value. Christy Tillery, paralegal with the Ethics Commission, said the commission has not yet ruled on whether Christmas cards fall under the definition of gifts prohibited by the 2006 legislation. The staff, though, is erring on the side of caution, she said. “Our interpretation right now is that holiday cards, birthday cards are gifts,” Tillery said.
The interpretation is backed up by legislators’ actions this past year providing a specific exemption in the law for sympathy cards and flowers given because of a death. No such exemption was granted for holiday or birthday cards. The commission is expect to take up the issue of holiday cards at a future meeting, but it won’t meet again until next year. Although lobbyists may have gotten the message and curbed holiday cards this season, Tillery acknowledged that many vendors doing business with the state have no idea about legal change. Agency officials, though, are being advised to return cards addressed to them from vendors, potential vendors or lobbyists. (THE INSIDER, 12/18/07)
Seems to me that if a lawmaker is going to be influenced to enact or not enact legislation because of a holiday card, we?ve got more problems in state government than we thought.
* Since I am a registered lobbyist, if you are a lawmaker or state government official, please ignore as this greeting is not meant for you.
