Ethics Evasion

The lead article in today’s New York Times is titled, “Ethics Rules for Congress Curb but Don’t End Trips.” It describes the result of legislation meant to prohibit lobbyists from paying for Congressional junkets. While it found that the number of trips declined, it still found suspect arrangements, often with a third non-profit corporation set up as an intermediary.

While Congressional representatives do need to travel to learn about and study the objects of their legislation, there is always a line that should not be crossed when there is undue influence on their resulting opinion. Also, no matter how thorough the ethics legislation may be, there are always loopholes and inconsistencies to be exploited.

For example, while lobbyists can’t pay for Congressional travel, their corporate clients can do so, and the lobbyists can meet the Congresspeople at a site as long as they don’t travel together.

So what should be done? Well, exactly what the New York Times is doing. Good investigative journalism will shame the Congressional representatives into submission, primarily because they want to keep their jobs. The worst abusers of the system will always be exposed as long as we have freedom of the press.

So, kudos to The New York Times for a good job and fulfilling their role in our democratic nation.