New Ethics Rules Cause Confusion for Charities
February 8, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
New ethics rules in the U.S. House of Representatives are leaving lawmakers and their spouses confused as to what is acceptable behavior when relating to charities, reports The Washington Post.
The rules, which ban legislators and staff members from accepting gifts and free tickets to events held by organizations that employ lobbyists, are accompanied by 16 exemptions that have been called complicated, even by legal experts.
Lawyers said spouses would be required to follow the same rules, unless they are connected to an event by the nature of their job or stature. The new rules have inadvertently been a burden for some charities that depend on lawmakers’ celebrity to attract others to their events, the paper says.
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