You want to be involved in the political process—or maybe you already are—by lobbying, making political contributions, issuing endorsements, generating grass-roots communications or influencing the nomination process for yourself or someone else. Whether it’s planning a charitable event with a member of Congress; starting a Political Action Committee (PAC), advocacy group or coalition; taking a staffer to lunch; or making a campaign contribution; there are many rules that restrict what you can do, how you can do it and how you can pay for it.

We help clients navigate this minefield to accomplish their goals at the federal, state and local levels. Whether you are designing your own lobbying and electoral strategy or having Venable help, we work with you to make sure the options you choose won’t land you in trouble—or even in the press.

COMPREHENSIVE VIEW TO POLITICAL STRATEGY

Our team and our approach.

We have been on both sides of the table, serving as PAC treasurers, lobbyists, in-house counsel and more.  Our broad-based experience allows us to draw upon real-world experience and an understanding of the way enforcement officials perceive different activities.

Our attorneys provide clients with creative solutions to their needs.  Some clients need high-level advice, and others prefer an ongoing and close working relationship throughout their political activities. Regardless, we provide prompt and thorough advice to assist with day-to-day needs.

We have experience with compliance, defense of investigations and enforcement actions and policy making in the political law sphere. Venable attorneys have:

• successfully defended one of the nation’s largest companies in an FEC investigation;
• assisted America’s Community Bankers in a petition for rulemaking before the FEC in which the FEC reversed a 30-year-old rule prohibiting payroll deduction for trade association PACs;
• counseled Fortune 50 companies and major trade associations on lobbying disclosure and ethics rule compliance; and
• created PACs and provided ongoing compliance advice for companies and trade associations.

State and federal laws.

Our clients interact not only with the federal government, but also with state and local governments. We have developed resources for lobbying, ethics and campaign finance laws at all levels of government, so that we can assist clients across the country. Whether you are active in one or two states or everywhere, we can provide the answers you need quickly.

Campaign finance law.

Electing and retaining officials who understand your positions is essential. How you get involved in that process is complicated. State and federal laws limit who can give, how much they can give and how it has to be reported. It’s not just a question of “How do I start a PAC?” You must also ask such questions as “What are my options?,” “How can we raise the money?,” “How can we spend it?,” “What can my employees do to help?,” “Can I ask my employees for contributions?” and “Can I host a fundraiser at the office?” We can help answer all of these questions and more.  Our attorneys have counseled some of the largest PACs in the country to small startup PACs and have provided extensive advice on state and local giving.

Lobbying disclosure.

If you interact with the government on a regular basis—sometimes even less than a regular basis—then you face registration and reporting requirements at the federal, state and local level. We have advised clients about these rules in all 50 states, in a number of localities and, of course, at the federal level. Reporting obligations can be complicated, but we help design tracking systems, calendars and other compliance tools to keep it straight.

Gift and ethics rules.

From a casual lunch with a legislator’s staff member to hosting events at the national political conventions to having a legislator attend an annual conference or board meeting, any time something of value is given to public officials, there are likely rules restricting how much can be given, when it can be given and by whom it must be reported.  Our attorneys include former executive branch ethics officers and former legislative staffers, so they understand the rules from both sides.

Nominations.

Whether you are considering a high-level position with the government or are interested in supporting or opposing such a nomination, we can help. Our attorneys have shepherded a number of individuals through the nomination and confirmation process. This includes completing financial disclosure forms, background reviews with an eye for what is and isn’t important and preparing for committee hearings.

Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Foreign governments and political parties lobby the U.S. government every day.  If they use private lobbyists—or agents—to conduct meetings or disseminate publicity information, then the agents must register and report with the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. Unlike domestic lobbying disclosure, the Foreign Agents Registration Act involves complicated and detailed disclosures and ongoing filing of “propaganda” materials.

We can help with your political law needs at every step of the process. Whether you are an old hand, a newcomer who needs to understand what the rules are or someone who is facing an investigation, we can help.

We make participating in the government as simple as possible. We strive to give clients comfort in knowing they are complying with election and lobbying laws, while doing an effective job of making their views and needs known to legislators and agency decision makers.