Author Archive, Sam Petulla

Proposed ban on lobbyist gifts causes firestorm, review extended

By | 11.15.11 | 3:17 pm

A rule proposed by the Obama Administration to limit the types of gifts federal employees can receive from lobbyists — including free trade show admittance and paid travel and hotel expenses — has had its review-period extended for 30 additional days. More…

As supercommittee deadline nears, doubts and speculation about backdoor options rise

By | 11.14.11 | 1:41 pm

With just 10 days to go before the deadline for the “supercommittee” to make a deal, news outlets are reporting more reasons to worry that the talks will fall apart — and that Congress may try other maneuvers to address the deficit. More…

Corporations reducing campaign spending but other trends suggest intensification

By | 11.11.11 | 1:27 pm

A new study More… has found that corporations have instituted a number of policies to reduce campaign finance spending while the number of corporate boards overseeing spending has increased, suggesting more corporations with an interest in political spending are intensifying their efforts.

State of Virginia employing PR firm used by Middle East regimes accused of human rights abuses

By | 11.08.11 | 12:10 pm

In August when Bahrain’s police came under pressure to explain its interrogation of Nabeel Rajab, a prominent international human rights activist, for articles and tweets questioning whether the government had tortured its own citizens, the country’s “Ministry of Interior” issued a news advisory on the case More…. Its headline read