Microsoft Doesn't Have To Disclose Lobbying Efforts
from the backroom-deals-stay-in-the-backroom dept
It seems that the judge in the Microsoft case agrees with Microsoft that its backroom dealings should stay in the backroom. The judge ruled that Microsoft doesn't have to reveal details of its government lobbying efforts - despite a law that says they clear are required to. The original complaint was that Microsoft only listed lobbying efforts with the Justice Department and not any Congressional members. The law reads "any officer or employee of the United States." However, the judge says that it should only apply to members of the executive branch, so Microsoft can keep up its lobbying of the legislative branch with relative secrecy. Seems like a bad interpretation of the law, since Congressional employees are clearly employees of the United States as well.
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