Prof. Painter's Letter to the Editor on Lobbyist and Ethics in NYT

Professor Richard Painter's letter to the editor in response to a recent New York Times editorial about lobbyists being upset with the White House ethics counsel because the president has barred registered lobbyist from government advisory boards, was published in the NYT. Painter stated, "From my experience as White House ethics counsel under President George W. Bush, I know that allowing lobbyists on government boards gives them an inside advantage they should not have. Lobbyists contribute generously to political campaigns and get their clients to contribute. They then lobby strenuously for these board positions, where they promote clients' interests over the public interest. The president and his ethics counsel are right finally to take action to stop a practice that to all observers but the lobbyists themselves is an obvious abuse."