Recently, many former lobbyists have been appointed to important government positions, including leadership in the very agencies they formerly lobbied.
This revolving door of lobbyists in government creates new pathways for wealthy special interests to exert undue influence over our government.
When lobbyists hold some of the most powerful positions in government, there must be guardrails to stop them from operating in the best interest of their former clients, not the American people.
To that end, we must implement and enforce new laws to prevent the unique conflicts of interest the revolving door presents and ensure that government officials act in the best interest of the public, not on behalf of special interests.
The Trump Administration’s Abandonment of the Rules
Currently, there are no set and permanent rules preventing former lobbyists from holding high power positions in government, and there are very few laws preventing them from using their positions to advance their former clients’ interests.
Previous administrations have taken actions to prevent these conflicts of interest, but the Trump administration has not.
In President Trump's current administration, at least 21 former lobbyists have been appointed to senior government positions. Previous administrations implemented rules that mitigated this problem.
Both the Biden and Obama administrations had rules that prevented lobbyists from working for any government agency they had lobbied within the two years before their appointment.
Even the first Trump administration had rules to limit conflicts of former lobbyists, but these rules have been abandoned in Trump’s second term.
Now, former industry advocates are in charge of regulating the very industries they lobbied on behalf of.
For instance, Wayne Palmer, who was appointed as assistant secretary for Mine Safety and Health at the Department of Labor, previously lobbied the Mine Safety and Health Administration on behalf of the Essential Minerals Association.
Similarly, Alex Dominguez, who was appointed as deputy assistant administrator for Mobile Sources at the Environmental Protection Agency, previously lobbied on behalf of the American Petroleum Institute.
These appointments allow individuals to make decisions that directly affect their former clients, raising concerns about whether they can be impartial.
Why We Need Permanent Rules
While relying on each president to implement executive branch rules has generally worked up until now, it is clear they can be discarded too easily.
Congress needs to step in and pass legislation to ban former lobbyists from serving in these roles. Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is calling on Congress to pass legislation to prevent ethical violations and corruption.
Additionally, if lobbyists are appointed to an agency they did not lobby before joining the government, they should still be prohibited from participating in any matter they had lobbied on within the two years before their appointment.
President Trump’s trail of corruption has time and time again highlighted the need for strong ethics guardrails.
His second administration has proved to have even more disregard for these standards by failing to implement strong ethics rules and showing no regard for the laws that are currently in place.
For an ethical government that works for the people, not wealthy special interests, these ethical guardrails must be in place and enforceable.
Restoring Trust in Government
New laws are important for restoring public trust in government. Americans need to know that government officials are acting in their interest, not for personal gain or the benefit of private industries and the president.
By passing these ethics rules, Congress can help ensure that government officials are serving the public and maintaining the integrity of their positions.
CLC has a long history of fighting for a more ethical and transparent government. Join the fight today to help hold our government officials accountable.
