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The following is a list of links to organizations that are involved with government
relations in the DC area.
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Government Relations Resources |
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TheLobbyingReports.com:
Search the latest in LD-203 filings and find out who's registered, who they've contributed
to and when. Also easily link to in-depth profiles of lobbyists, lobbying firms
and organizations including complete contact information, biographical details and
client lists.
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Center for Competitive Politics:
The CCP focuses on campaign finance law. The organization researches information
on elections and money’s influence in the process. CCP publishes information
related to political action committees and 527 groups, news in the Federal Election
Committee, and interprets the impact laws have on state elections..
- Congressional
Management Foundation:
The CMF is involved in improving the effectiveness of Congress by promoting strong
management practices and provides resources and trainings for congressional staff.
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Center for Public Integrity:
CPI’s mission is to serve as a watchdog on government by producing investigative
journalism. Some of the current projects of CPI include investigations of the pharmaceutical
lobby, the role of military contractors in Iraq, and federal advisory committees.
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Public Agenda:
Public Agenda provides information in the form of issue guides and research
reports on various topics. The organization also provides a forum for grassroots
lobbying with its public engagement site.
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Center for Responsive Politics:
The think tank behind the web site opensecrets publishes information on the role
of money in the political process. CRP includes information in databases on political
action committees, campaign fundraising and lobbying.
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OpenCongress:
OpenCongress, a project of the Participatory Politics Foundation and the Sunlight
Foundation, seeks to make the legislative process more open and transparent using
various Web 2.0 tools. The site includes a blog, a list of the most recent congressional
votes, and allows users to search for bills and congressional members with links
to related news articles and blog entries.
- The National
Conference of State Legislatures:
NCSL provides research on policy issues to state legislators and acts as an advocate
on state issues at the federal level. Additionally, NCSL provides information on
ethics and lobbying-related issues at the state level in publications and other
resources.
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The Council on Governmental Ethics Laws:
COGEL is a membership organization of ethics commissions, government agencies, and
other groups interested in campaign finance, ethics laws, and lobbying laws. COGEL
hosts an annual conference devoted to ethics law and also provides newsletters and
education to its members.
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Government Resources |
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- House Lobbying
Disclosure - Office of the Clerk:
Lobbyists are required to file lobbying disclosure forms for registration and reporting
with the House and Senate. The House's web site for the Office of the Clerk provides
them the mechanism to do so. There are also relevant links to published guidance,
laws and news updates. The House also provides a database of the various filings
in order to find something specific.
- Senate Office of
Public Records:
The Senate's public disclosure site includes links to the relevant laws and guidance.
SOPR also provides databases for lobbyists' filings, disclosures by members and
staffers of travel expenses as well as a list of members and staffers who are affected
by the post-employment restrictions enacted by HLOGA. There is also a link to the
number of cases that the Secretary of the Senate referred to the Department of Justice.
- Department
of Justice - Foreign Agent Registration:
Lobbyists who represent foreign political parties and government entities are required
to register as foreign agents and file semiannual reports with the Department of
Justice. DoJ provides information on how to file the paperwork as well as maintains
a database of foreign agent lobbyist filings dating back to 1942.
- Senate Select Committee
on Ethics:
The Senate Ethics Committee provides forms and advice for members and for private
organizations in order to comply with regulations. The site also publishes reports
on its investigations of Senators and memos regarding training and clarifications
of regulations.
- House Committee
on Standards of Official Conduct:
The House of Representatives’ ethics committee provides forms and manuals
for members and for private organizations in order to comply with regulations. There
are also sets of guidelines and advisory papers known as pink sheets which interpret
laws and regulations.
- Office of Government
Ethics:
The OGE focuses on ethics at the executive branch level, encompassing the Executive
Office of the President and all of the federal agencies. The agency releases DAEOgrams
to agencies on gifts, financial disclosures and the revolving door between the government
and the private sector. Crossword puzzles are also provided by OGE to test employees'
knowledge of the ethics guidelines.
- Federal Election Commission:
The FEC is tasked with administering campaign finance laws and receiving campaign
finance reports filed by candidate committees, leadership PACs and other political
action committees. Lobbying firms, corporations and trade associations that are
involved in a PAC are required to file reports, which are available to search individually
on the site.
- THOMAS:
The Library of Congress allows the public to search for bills in the House and Senate
back to the 101st Congress. Researchers can also look for items in the Congressional
Record. THOMAS is updated daily with the previous day's activities in Congress.
- Regulations.gov:
The federal government site allows researchers and others interested in federal
rules to search for proposed and final rules posted in the Federal Register. The
site also includes public comments on rules and other agency guidance.
- The IRS also provides information about compliance with its regulations regarding
501(c) organizations and 527 groups:
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Last updated 09.16.2009. |
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