Well, Maybe Not In North Carolina
The North Carolina Ethics Commission – which is certainly an oxymoron – was asked to make a decision about sexual favors from lobbyists.
You have asked whether consensual ‘sexual favors or sexual acts’ between a lobbyist and a designated individual constitutes a gift or ‘thing of value’ that would trigger the gift ban and reporting requirements,’” the opinion says.
“Consensual sexual relationships do not have monetary value and therefore are not reportable as gifts or ‘reportable expenditures made for lobbying’ for purposes of the lobbying law’s expenditure reporting provisions,” the formal advisory opinion says.
I know some ladies in Las Vegas who would disagree with that.
But, here’s the confusing part.
However, providing a prostitute to a legislator or other covered official would constitute a gift or item of value and would have to be reported on disclosure forms – which, of course, would also be evidence of a crime, the opinion says.
Hellfire, Honey, you’re a lobbyist sleeping with an elected official. That officially makes you a prostitute.
Thanks to Carl for the heads up.
I read this twice. Which prostitute are we talking about, the lobbyist or the elected official?
1Party of family values strikes again.Most people don’t knock knees for the halibut. There is some intrinsic value in swapping spit and other bodily fluids. To pretend otherwise is a direct slap at women all over again.
2Of course, if they had any other honest, legit legislation to work on, this sort of subject would never come up!
3I Las Vegas? Just go to the back pages of the Houston Press!!! They are all over Houston having “monetary values.” LOL
4Has $$ already changed hands?
5One of those many days when I wish I could hit a “like” button on you and your commenters too!
I live in Asheville, and while no one thinks of us as typical of North Carolina, let me say we are shocked – shocked, I say! – that this is even part of our legislature’s discussion.
No, lemme walk that back. The discussion likely came up when Gov McCrony was trying to figure out how to keep the Duke energy folks coming back for more. They’re his old employers…for 28 years!
6LOL Micr!
7@MICR – +1,000
As to the North Carolina Ethics (or lack thereof) Commission – perhaps someone should explain that there’s more to ethics than whether money changes hands. Sexual harrassment, for example: a lobbyist could claim that they were pressured into sexual relations with an official the lobbyist was supposed to influence. “Sleeping one’s way to the top” has a long and sordid past as well – yet the supposed ethics commission don’t think this has ethical implications? Admittedly, there are 2 syllables in “ethics” – so it’s possibly difficult for them to understand…
I understand that there is the theoretical possibility of romance arising between lobbyists and the folks they meet while working. However, most businesses would see a conflict of interest if, say, someone in the purchasing department started dating one of the salespeople whith whom that person routinely does business.
(Interesting that the “family values” folks didn’t see a problem with extramarital relations in this instance.)
8Micr, your point is shrewdly made!
9I suppose to them it would be the difference between accepting tickets to an NFL game and to a high school game. If a player is paid then that makes them a professional. Thus, the comparison between a lobbyist and what we could generously call a “surrogate.” I’m not sure what’s worse, differentiating between pros and amateurs or putting a price tag on it at all.
10I’m gonna go haVe a glass of wine and hang up the laundry. It’s been a long day and these are all just too weird for words.
11If you pay a prostitute with a mink coat or a dime bag or a legislative favor instead of cash it’s still prostitution.
12