Rose Introduces Bill to End Michael Cohen, Tom Daschle Lobbyist Loophole

Press Release

Congressman Max Rose today introduced legislation to close the Lobbyist Loophole that has been abused in the past by the likes of Michael Cohen and former Senator Tom Daschle, in which former elected officials or senior advisors are hired as "consultants" to avoid registering as federal lobbyists.

"If someone acts like a lobbyist, and is paid like a lobbyist, then they ought to register as a lobbyist," Rose said. "The American people are sick and tired of corrupt loopholes designed for politicians and well-connected insiders to exploit on behalf of special interests and donors. This isn't a partisan issue, this is an American issue--so let's close this loophole so we can start regaining the trust of the people."

Rose's Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act would require individuals who provide paid strategic advice in support of a lobbying contact with a government official to register as lobbyists--even if they don't make direct contact. Under current law, trade associations and companies routinely hire outside consultants to provide "strategic advice" as part of their lobbying activities, although because these outside consultants aren't directly lobbying government officials, they are not required to register as a federal lobbyist.

"Lobbyists for big corporations and foreign governments shouldn't be able to hide their lobbying activities--especially when they're retired members of Congress or former senior policymakers in government. This is another way politicians and special interests are rigging the system to benefit themselves at the expense of everyone else," said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. "Max Rose's Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act would put an end to this deceptive tactic so people can find out who's influencing the major decisions that affect their bottom lines. We applaud Congressman Rose for his leadership and we stand with him in support of the bill."

"The well-funded and corporate "advice givers' that interact with our elected politicians must be brought into the sunshine," said Lisa Gilbert, Vice President of Legislative Affairs at Public Citizen. "Public Citizen applauds Congressman Rose's legislation to ensure that we have long overdue transparency into who is engaging with our Members of Congress and what they discuss."

"When lobbying activity is done under the table, Americans are kept in the dark about how key decisions in government get made," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. "Requiring individuals who lobby to register as lobbyists is just common-sense. Common Cause New York commends Congressman Rose for introducing this transparency bill that will help citizens understand who is spending big money to influence the legislative process."

In early 2017, several companies hired President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to obtain advice in lobbying the Administration--which allowed him to avoid registering as a federal lobbyist. Similarly, after leaving office, Daschle joined a law and lobbying firm as a "special policy advisor" in which he consulted without formally registering as a lobbyist.

Rose, who has pledged to clean up corruption in Washington and fight to reign in the influence of special interests and federal lobbyists, is also backing H.R. 1--the strongest anti-corruption legislation in Congressional history.

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