Casey amendment and signature campaign issue would make participating in the activities of the K Street Project a federal crime
WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today applauded the passage of a groundbreaking ethics reform plan. The package includes a Casey amendment to shut down the K Street Project and to make wrongfully influencing hiring practices a federal crime. Senator Casey released the following statement:
“I am proud to be part of the new class in Congress that helped to finally pass strong ethics reform legislation. It is unfortunate that it took a change in leadership in the Congress to send an ethics bill to the President’s desk.
“I first announced my own ethics reform plan in November of 2005. Many of the provisions in my plan are included in the version that passed the Senate today.
“The provisions to close the corporate jet loophole, shut down the K Street project, increase the ‘cooling off period’ for Members of Congress and staff who go on to become lobbyists and improve lobbyist disclosure were all parts of the plan I introduced almost two years ago.
“These new ethics rules and earmark disclosures will go a long way to give the American people more confidence that their government is operating in their best interest and not doing the work of the special interests.”
Senator Casey first introduced his K Street Project amendment in the Senate on January 16th and follows an ethics reform plan that he announced in November 2005 at Jack Abramoff’s former DC restaurant Signatures.
The K Street provision would prohibit a Member of Congress from influencing hiring decisions of private entities. Wrongful influence could include threatening or withholding official action. Those found guilty of such actions would be subject to fine, imprisonment, or disqualification from public office.
The Washington Post described the problem of the K Street Project as: “researching the party affiliation and campaign donations of hundreds of lobbyists, as a way to deny government access and jobs to those who don't share their political views.” These matters were discussed, in part, at private meetings on the Hill. [Washington Post, 8-2-02]
The bill -- that passed the House yesterday -- will be sent to the President for his signature.
