Meetings between lobbyists and North Carolina government officials might be getting a bit steamier.
The North Carolina Ethics Committee has ruled that sex between lobbyists and government officials does not have to be included in disclosure reports.
Ordinarily, lobbyists must report anything they give a government official that is worth more than $10 per day — the ethics committee must not think too highly of lobbyists’ sexual prowess.
This ruling was spurred by an inquiry from the Secretary of State’s lobbying compliance director, Joal Broun.
Broun wrote a letter to the ethics committee asking whether consensual sex acts between a lobbyist and a government official would be considered a gift that would have to be reported.
The committee decided that sex between a lobbyist and a government official would not lead to goodwill lobbying — an indirect attempt to influence legislation — because sex scandals are just so uncommon.
However, the committee does not allow lobbyists to do much delegating.
While they themselves are allowed to perform sexual favors for government officials, they are not allowed to hire a prostitute for the official to perform the same acts.
Along with the general written opinion that gives the overview of the ruling, WRAL was also able to obtain a secondary opinion that goes into more detail about the allowed sexual acts than Shonda Rhimes shows on TV.
In true North Carolina fashion, the report brings up the moral ramifications of sexual acts between two adults out of wedlock but does not address it in any meaningful way.
state@dailytarheel.com
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