City councilmembers are looking to pass a bill that would ban campaign consultants from lobbying their former bosses for one year, should they get elected.
Lawmakers say it would end the advantage that fundraisers and consultants have when their candidate takes office.
It’s part of a larger package that includes two other bills: one prohibits former elected officials from lobbying city agencies for two years upon leaving public office, while the other bans some employees from lobbying city agencies for one year and the agency they served for two years.
One of the sponsors of the bills, City Councilman Lincoln Restler, who represents the neighborhoods of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, DUMBO and Boerum Hill in Brooklyn, sat down with Errol Louis on “Inside City Hall” Thursday to talk about why more regulation of lobbying is necessary.
“The issue that I’m most concerned about is that the most senior officials in city government can leave government on a Friday, and the following Monday, lobby many of their former colleagues,” Restler said. “It’s legal. It’s legal corruption.”
Restler is also the chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation. He discussed the hearing the committee is holding on May 1 to discuss a new engagement form by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration. The form is intended to regulate communications and requests with city agency officials.