Wall Street lobbyists find way around meal rules

If Sarbanes-Oxley did anything, it put ethics on the front burner. More companies paid lip service to the idea of ethics, if only for public relations purposes. But when the chips are down, ethics take a back seat. When the ARS market is cratering, the sales mantra is 'move product now, feel bad later.' And when it comes to influencing lawmakers, why let a silly little law, one that prohibits lobbyists from buying meals for lawmakers, get in the way. Financial Week reports that top Wall Street lobbyists put together a brunch for influential Democrats in Denver. But watchdogs got wind of the event and protested. So the lobbyists decided to cut the French Toast into bite-sized pieces and serve them with toothpicks, which make the event a reception not a meal--which is OK under the law. Financial Week notes that no plans have been announced regarding how the bacon and eggs will be served.

For more:
- here's the Financial Week article

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