NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith, who not so long ago used to be known as Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), has informed leaders of the two judiciary committees that he will require a waiver if he is to participate in Performance Rights Act negotiations.
He reminded the group that as a former senator he is ethically barred from lobbying Congress for a period of two years. He wrote, “…I will need to request and be provided with an ethics waiver that indicates my participation in your November 17 forum is legally and ethically permissible. There is, as I understand, an exception for communications made in the form of congressional testimony. I will need confirmation from the Senate that my participation falls within this, or some other exception.” He also asked that the opening 11/17/09 session be held in the afternoon to avoid a prior, advertised engagement on his schedule.
Recipients of the letter included senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT); and representatives John Conyers (D-MI), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Howard Berman (D-CA) and Darrell Issa (R-CA).
RBR-TVBR observation: Smith should be able to operate freely in the Capitol sometime in January of 2011.
