Barney Frank Bans Contact With Former Staffer Turned Lobbyist

Under congressional rules, government employees who become lobbyists (usually for the industries they once regulated), are barred from contacting their former employers for one year. Today Barney Frank took that one step further, banning staffers on the House Financial Services Committee from ever speaking with a former coworker now working as a banking industry lobbyist.

By law, [Peter] Roberson is banned from communicating with staff for one year, but Frank said in a statement that period of time is insufficient. "I am therefore instructing the staff of the Financial Services Committee to have no contact whatsoever with Mr. Roberson on any matters involving financial regulation for as long as I am in charge of that Committee staff," said Frank. "Fortunately," said Frank, "examples of staff members doing what Mr. Roberson has done are rare, but even one example is far too much and that is why I wanted to make clear I share the unhappiness of people at this, and my intention to prohibit any contact between him and members of the staff for as long as I have any control over the matter."

Excellent move, Rep. Frank. Now how about some legislation extending the lobbying ban to, say, ten years?