When gifts from lobbyists to government officials are discussed,
what they consist of is usually money (including campaign
contributions), meals, trips, and services. A pending Missouri House
bill (2059; attached, see below) seeks to extend the
definition of reportable "gift" from lobbyists in this context to
include:<blockquote>
<br>
sexual relations between a registered lobbyist and a member of the
general assembly or his or her staff. Relations between married
persons or between persons who entered into a relationship prior to
the registration of the lobbyist, the election of the member to the
general assembly, or the employment of the staff person shall not be
reportable under this subdivision.</blockquote>
<br>
Fortunately, there is an additional sentence in this paragraph that makes it clear
that reporting such a gift does not require "a dollar valuation." On
the other hand, that sort of self-rating system might make a
lobbyist gift register so popular, the lobbying oversight office
could sell advertising sufficient to fund its program.<br>
<br>
Of course, because there is no definition of "sexual relations,"
Bill Clintonian lobbyists would be free to engage in many acts that some
would consider "sex," but they could argue fall short of it.<br>
<br>
For those of you who take this lightly or think this is a bill
without an issue, think again. In fact, just last year the North
Carolina Secretary of State's office asked the state ethics
commission for a formal advisory opinion on the subject of whether
sex between a lobbyist and a government official is a "gift." The EC
opinion (attached; see below) was that "Consensual sexual
relationships do not have monetary value and therefore are not
reportable." Of course, the opinion continues, if the gift involves
paid prostitution, it is a gift, albeit an illegal one.<br>
<br>
The Missouri bill recognizes that there are important gifts that
have no monetary value. Not only sex, but helping someone get a job
or a college acceptance, for example, each is a valuable, and especially personal, gift that leads to a feeling of personal obligation. Limiting "gifts" to things with
a monetary value, just as limiting only direct and definite gifts,
as opposed to indirect and indefinite gifts (putting a word in with
an employer or admissions officer is not definite) shows a lack of
imagination, at the very least.<br>
<br />
Robert Wechsler<br />
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br />