Abramoff: Is He a Moral Lobbyist?

Student’s Name
Lecturer’s Name
Course
Due Date
Original Post
In the film, Abramoff notes that he thought he was the 'moral lobbyist.' He thinks so because he gave away most of the money he made to communal and charitable causes. I disagree with him due to his lobbying style. His style primarily involved corruption. He used clients’ money to bribe lawmakers in return for legislation and tax breaks favorable to his clients. Bribery is a form of corruption that is unethical. Clearly, Abramoff did not observe lobbying ethics. For a lobbying process to be moral, it must be fair and transparent and contribute to the common good. Any activity that undermines these principles make lobbying unethical. To Abramoff, the end justifies that means that is why he claimed to be a moral lobbyist. However, the fact that the lobbying process was marred by corruption makes it unethical.
Lobbying is frequently seen in a negative light because it is an avenue for powerful groups to influence laws at the expense of the public interest. This may damage effective policymaking through unfair competition, undue influence, and policy capture. For instance, in the video, the lobbyists, Abramoff, and Neil Volz used their power to get a backdoor casino license for Abramoff’s client (CBS News, 7:30-9:32). They did this by asking Congressman Bob Ney to insert some language into a reform bill. Lobbying is also linked to corruption since influential individuals often bribe lawmakers to influence legislation. This has threatened democracy. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 is the regulatory change that might make p...