The 508(c)(1)(a) Initiative Workshop

lobbying activities must also be registered. Amounts even slightly below this threshold
are exempt from reporting. The outline for registration includes "name, address,
business telephone number, and principal place of business of the registrant, and a
general description of its business or activities", as well as for the client. The register
must also include a statement of what issues the registrant expects to lobby or what
may have already been lobbied.
After recording, the records are maintained by the Clerk of the House and the Secretary
of the Senate. Due to severe understaffing, these two offices are unable to check for
illegal activities or corrupt practices, which is the most glaring shortcoming of the
legislation.
During a hearing before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, Senator
Christopher Dodd stated that “[s]".Θ< the Office of Public Records has referred over
2,000 cases to the Department of Justice, and nothing’s been heard from them again”.
Disclosure and Domestic Regulations
Generally, the United States requires systematic disclosure of lobbying, and it may be
one of the few countries to have such extensive requirements. Disclosure in one sense
allows lobbyists and public officials to justify their actions under the banner of openness
and with full compliance of the law. The rules often specify how much a lobbyist can
spend on specific activities, and how to report expenses; many of the laws and
guidelines are specified in the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Transparency and
disclosure requirements mean that there are volumes of statistics available for all kinds
of analyses—by journalists, by the public, by rival lobbying efforts. Researchers can
subdivide lobbying expenditures by numerous breakdowns, such as by contributions
from energy companies.
Sometimes defining clearly who is a "lobbyist" and what precisely are lobbying activities
can be difficult. According to the Lobbying Disclosure Act, several authorized definitions
include:
• Lobbying activities means "lobbying contacts and efforts in support of such
contacts, including preparation and planning activities, research and other
background work that is intended, at the time it is performed, for use in contacts,
and coordination with the lobbying activities of others."
• Lobbying contact means "any oral or written communication (including an
electronic communication) to a covered executive branch official or a covered
legislative branch official".
Still, distinguishing lobbyists from a strategic adviser can be difficult, since the duties of
each can often overlap and are hard to define precisely. There have been issues raised
about what constitutes the difference between a lobbyist and a bundler; one report
described bundlers as "supporters who contribute their own money to his campaign and
solicit it from others", and there was a question whether such persons were really
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