This bill aims to eliminate all forms of lobbying directed at federal, state, and local elected officials. Lobbying, whether domestic or foreign, by means of financial compensation, promises, employment offers, future consulting opportunities, or indirect influence through intermediaries, is prohibited to preserve the integrity of governance and ensure unbiased representation of the people.
Definitions
- Lobbying: The act of attempting to influence elected officials or government decision-making through financial contributions, gifts, promises of compensation, offers of future employment, consulting opportunities, or any other direct or indirect financial or non-financial incentive. This includes providing research, data, or advice with the intent to alter policy decisions or sway legislative actions.
- Intermediaries: Any individual, organization, or entity that acts on behalf of a third party to engage in lobbying activities. This includes consultants, law firms, public relations firms, or any other entities that are hired to influence elected officials indirectly.
- Civic Engagement: Activities such as petitioning, protesting, providing testimony in public forums, or participating in legal advocacy that are conducted transparently without financial incentives. These actions are explicitly protected provided they are conducted without personal financial gain or indirect benefits.
Prohibition on Lobbying
- No person, corporation, organization, or entity may engage in lobbying activities directed toward elected officials at any level of government, including federal, state, and local offices.
- This prohibition applies to both direct and indirect lobbying, including efforts through third parties or intermediaries.
- Foreign entities, including foreign governments, corporations, and non-governmental organizations, are expressly prohibited from engaging in or financing lobbying efforts.
Enforcement
- Responsible Agencies: The Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and state-level ethics commissions, will be responsible for ensuring compliance with this law.
- Independent citizen auditing agencies shall be elected by citizens for a one time term limited to two calendar years to ensure transparency and monitor the enforcement efforts of these responsible agencies.
- Regular audits will be conducted by these citizen agencies, which will have full legal authority to access classified or restricted records as necessary for the performance of their duties. The auditing agencies shall report quarterly to Congress and the public.
Citizen Agencies
- Composition and Appointment: The independent citizen agencies will consist of non-partisan experts in ethics, law, and finance. They will be appointed by a bipartisan committee of Congress and operate independently of any government department.
- Powers: The agencies will have subpoena power and the ability to access all relevant records and documents, regardless of classification, to ensure compliance.
- Transparency: All findings from the audits will be published and made available to the public in a timely manner. These agencies will report directly to Congress and have the authority to refer cases of non-compliance to the DOJ for prosecution.
Audit Scope and Reporting
- Audits will be conducted quarterly, with findings submitted to Congress and made publicly available.
- These audits will examine all government agencies responsible for enforcement, as well as elected officials and lobbying entities, to identify any violations of the anti-lobbying law.
- Investigations will focus on tracking financial records, consulting agreements, employment contracts, and other potential vehicles for lobbying influence.
- Auditing agencies will have the authority to investigate claims of negligence, corruption, or failure to enforce this policy. Findings will be referred to the DOJ for further legal action as necessary.
Consequences for Non-Compliance
- For Government Officials:
- Any government official found guilty of engaging in or facilitating lobbying efforts will face immediate termination of employment, including the forfeiture of pensions and benefits.
- Elected officials found to have engaged in lobbying-related corruption will face federal felony charges, with penalties including imprisonment, fines, and permanent disqualification from holding public office.
- Senior management or agency heads who fail to enforce this law will be terminated and face potential legal prosecution for negligence or corruption.
- For Lobbyists and Entities:
- Entities or individuals found guilty of engaging in lobbying, directly or indirectly, will face fines no less than 500 times the value of the lobbying amounts.
- The entities involved will be permanently disqualified from future government contracts or funding.
- Foreign entities will face additional penalties, including visa terminations, deportation, and blacklisting from any U.S. government engagement.
- Lobbyists, consultants, and intermediaries will face felony charges, imprisonment, and permanent bans from future lobbying activities in the U.S.
Prevention of Circumvention and Loopholes
- Shadow Lobbying Prohibition: Any attempt to circumvent this law through “shadow lobbying” (unregistered influence activities) or reclassification of lobbying services as advisory or consulting work is strictly prohibited.
- Use of Intermediaries: Hiring intermediaries, such as consultants, legal firms, or public relations companies, to influence elected officials on behalf of another party is illegal. Entities engaging in such practices will be subject to the same penalties as direct lobbying.
- Real-Time Publicly Available Tracking of All Financial Transactions: Financial audits will be implemented to trace payments and ensure that elected officials are not receiving hidden compensation in the form of advisory or consulting fees. All transactions must be reported within 12 days from the date of the transaction. All records must be retained for the duration of public service + 12 years.
Prohibition on Lobbying to Amend or Overturn Policy
- Any effort by domestic or foreign entities to lobby, influence, or advocate for changes, amendments, or the repeal of this anti-lobbying policy is expressly prohibited.
- Violations of this prohibition will result in severe penalties, including:
- Fines of no less than $500,000 and up to 10 times the value of any involved transactions.
- Permanent disqualification from government contracts, funding, or employment for any entity found in violation.
- Elected officials involved in such efforts will face immediate termination, loss of pensions, federal felony charges, and imprisonment.
Repeal of Existing Laws and Transition Period
- All existing laws, regulations, and programs that support or enable lobbying activities in any form are immediately repealed upon the enactment of this bill.
- A transition period of 90 days from the bill’s effective date will be provided for lobbying entities to cease operations and terminate existing contracts. During this period, lobbying entities will be allowed to withdraw from existing arrangements without facing penalties.
Appeals Process
- An appeals process will be established through the Office of Government Ethics to allow individuals or entities found in violation of the law to challenge findings. This process will ensure due process while maintaining the integrity of the enforcement framework.
- All appeals must be submitted within 30 days of a ruling, and decisions must be reached within 60 days of submission.
Effective Date
- This law shall take effect 90 days after its passage to allow for orderly enforcement and compliance. All current lobbying practices must cease by this date.
Severability
- If any provision of this bill is found to be unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in effect and enforceable.