http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/fraud-failure-no-deterrent-to-federal-contract-awards Companies http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/fraud-failure-no-deterrent-to-federal-contract-awards Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:50:24 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/new-lobbying--ethics-rules-to-become-law Today the http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/new-lobbying--ethics-rules-to-become-law Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:24:10 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/new-lobbying--ethics-rules-to-become-law2 Today the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 will become law. The Act represents far reaching changes to the lobbying and ethics rules that govern the interactions between lobbyists and legislators. “With all the wining and dining paid for by lobbyists, it is been far too easy for officials to lose sight of who they work for,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG). “This legislation challenges the culture in Washington, D.C. and makes it more likely that the concerns of Arizona voters will be heard.” The Act contains some of the most significant changes to the lobbying and ethics rules since the Watergate era. Among the many provisions in are: • Bans on gifts and travel paid for by lobbyists and a ban on trips in which lobbyists are present. • First time disclosure of the fundraising that lobbyists do on behalf of candidates and increased disclosure of lobbyists’ contributions and activities. • Increases to the “cooling off period” from one year to two between when a U.S. Senator or senior staff leaves public service and returns to use their influence as a lobbyist. • First time mandatory conflict of interest rules and disclosure of when members are negotiating with future private employers. • Elimination of discounted rides for members of Congress on corporate jets. • First time disclosure of sponsors of earmarks – pet projects that legislators insert into spending bills -- and a prohibition on earmarks that financially benefit members themselves or their family. • Elimination of the “secret hold,” a practice in which one U.S. Senator can stop a bill from proceeding to a vote, without any accountability. “We applaud the new rules and recognize they are only as effective as the ability to enforce them,” noted Brown. “We look forward to working with Congress on proposals for strengthening enforcement.” http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/new-lobbying--ethics-rules-to-become-law2 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:31:54 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/senate-passes-landmark-lobby-reform http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/senate-passes-landmark-lobby-reform Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:25:55 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/statement-of-arizona-pirgs-diane-e.-brown-on-u.s.-senate-passage-of--landmark-lobby-reform Today’s vote in the U.S. Senate was a very good win for the American people. Following the U.S. House action earlier this week, the landmark bill now heads to the President’s desk where we expect he will sign the bill. The reforms passed this week represent the most sweeping changes to the rules in a generation. Congress has never operated in the way we learn about in high school civics but the workings of Washington, D.C. have become poisoned by the common practices that all too often put lobbyists and the powerful interests they represent ahead of constituents and the American people. The changes take our democracy out of the darkness and open up the process with meaningful disclosure and new, tougher rules on the actions of lobbyists and their dealings with legislators. For the first time, lobbyists will have to disclose the contributions they not only give to candidates but also those they raise. If the public is to truly understand who is building access through campaign fundraising, knowing about an individual’s personal $2,000 contribution is helpful, but knowing about the tens and hundreds of thousands they bundle for candidates is critical. The bill also: http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/statement-of-arizona-pirgs-diane-e.-brown-on-u.s.-senate-passage-of--landmark-lobby-reform Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:09:11 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/historic-reform-passes-u.s.-house Statement of Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) applauds today’s U.S. House vote on lobby and ethics reform. The bill represents a momentous step toward reining in the special access and influence exerted by powerful interests in Washington, D.C. It is without question the most significant change to the rules in a generation. The legislation pulls back the curtain on previously secretive practices in Congress that benefits narrow special interests. For the first time, legislators will have to disclose the names of lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions. There is meaningful and effective disclosure and accountability in the earmarking process. There are stronger conflict of interest and disclosure rules for when members are negotiating for private sector jobs and an extension of the revolving door rules for when members leave Congress. This landmark legislation challenges the culture in Washington, D.C. Arizona PIRG now calls on the U.S. Senate to adopt the bill without any changes. The bill that returns to the U.S. Senate is stronger in several areas than the one they already passed with strong bipartisan support. Efforts to derail the bill at this juncture cannot be done in the name of protecting the public. We must not lose this historic opportunity for change to partisan infighting. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/historic-reform-passes-u.s.-house Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:18:04 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/democracy-advocate-gary-kalmans-statement-on-the-need-for-independent-ethics-enforcement Congressional http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/democracy-advocate-gary-kalmans-statement-on-the-need-for-independent-ethics-enforcement Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:31:28 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/house-adopts-independent-ethics-oversight Statement of Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG The U.S. House of Representatives voted tonight to establish an independent Office of Congressional Ethics. This vote was about going beyond the easy rhetoric of reform and taking a concrete step to correct what has been a dysfunctional ethics process. We now have an opportunity to get past the recent failures of the U.S. House to ensure honest representation on behalf of the American people. It represents a meaningful step toward fixing the broken and discredited ethics enforcement process. The problem of ethics enforcement in Congress can not be fixed by simply calling upon the party leaders to ‘expect it to work’ as was suggested during the floor debate. The existing system is fatally flawed. The public has long since lost faith in the integrity of the institution. The creation of the new Office strikes at the status quo and establishes an independent and open process that will lead to greater accountability. Tonight, the U.S. House leadership made good on their commitments to the public to aggressively work for changes that will rein in the ethical abuses we have witnessed in the past few years. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/house-adopts-independent-ethics-oversight Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:22:20 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/states-can-teach-congress-about-ethics-study-finds The states are far ahead of Congress in establishing independent ethics http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/states-can-teach-congress-about-ethics-study-finds Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:32:57 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/house-overwhelmingly-approves-first-ethics-changes Statement of Diane E. Brown, Arizona PIRG Executive Director The new Congress has taken its first critical steps in changing the way business is done in Washington, D.C. The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) applauds the action taken by the U.S. House this evening on the first pieces of the U.S. House rules package. Speaker Pelosi and the leadership deserve significant credit for bringing meaningful proposals to the floor. The overwhelming support for new restrictions on lobbyist-funded trips and gifts send a powerful message that the new Congress is taking the need for reform seriously. This is a sea-change from the ill-conceived and ineffectual bill considered and passed by the U.S. House during the scandal plagued session last year. These first steps are encouraging and we look forward to working with all members of the U.S. House on additional necessary reforms. Among the changes left to be considered, the most important is the establishment of an independent enforcement entity. The U.S. House Ethics Committee continues to prove its inability to hold members accountable for ethical transgressions. The vote tonight suggests that even some of the most skeptical members of Congress now understand and appreciate the public's frustration with the status quo. We urge the U.S. Senate to adopt these measures and show the same commitment to limiting the influence of powerful interests across the Congress. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/house-overwhelmingly-approves-first-ethics-changes Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:24:41 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/study-finds-states-can-teach-congress-about-ethics The states are far ahead of Congress in establishing independent ethics enforcement for legislators according to a study released today by the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG). The report, Honest Enforcement: What Congress Can Learn From Independent State Ethics Commissions, found that twenty-three states have created commissions, boards or offices that operate largely free of partisan interference to oversee the ethics rules that apply to elected officials. Responding to widespread voter concern about corruption in Congress, the U.S. House and U.S. Senate passed strong new restrictions on gifts and travel paid for by lobbyists in the first weeks of the new Congress. “It is an encouraging first step, but the new rules will only be as effective as the will to enforce them,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG. The report separated out states that allow legislators to review complaints and decide whether to investigate allegations against their colleagues. Those state bodies were not determined to be independent. “Under these basic criteria, Congress would not even make the cut,” noted Brown. “In contrast to these states, Congress currently relies on self-policing. Conflict of interest rules are optional and ethics committee members can and have been removed because they dared to enforce the rules against a powerful colleague.” The report also reviewed oversight procedures in the private sector and found that public businesses and professional licensing boards incorporate many of the conflict of interest elements favored by independent ethics commissions. “Congress is almost alone in choosing to police itself,” concluded Brown. In the report, states in which a citizen’s panel is authorized to review complaints and proceed with investigations were determined to be independent. States were further divided into four categories by the level of independence. States were scored by how well they fared under the following criteria: http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/money-politics/money--politics-news4/study-finds-states-can-teach-congress-about-ethics Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:13:16 -0600