New Rules Didn’t Stop the Revolving Door

The New York Times uncovers “gaping holes in rules governing Washington’s revolving door.”

“Federal ethics rules are intended to limit lobbying by former senior officials within one year after they leave the government. Yet even after the ethics rules were revised in 2007 following a lobbying scandal, more than 1,650 congressional aides have registered to lobby within a year of leaving Capitol Hill… At least half of those departing aides, the analysis shows, faced no restrictions at all.”

“The rules are particularly loose in the House of Representatives, where aides and lawmakers enjoy significant leeway in hopping from job to job — and from government pay to six- and seven-figure private sector salaries.”