TARP Lobbyist Restrictions?

Sec. of Treasury Geithner apparently took steps to limit lobbyist influence on investment decisions, according to this report.

The new rules will limit the influence of lobbyists and special interests in the EESA process and ensure that investment decisions are guided by objective assessments in the best interest of the health and stability of the financial system, the Treasury Department said.

In addition, political influence will be kept out of deciding how to spend the remaining $350 billion, the Treasury Department said. The objectivity of decision-making will be reported to congress by the Office of Financial Stability, which will ensure that each investment with the remaining funds is not influenced by lobbyists and/or politicians.

The Treasury Dept. release is here.  If the Office of Financial Stability has a website, I haven’t been able to find it here, where I might expect to see a link.  Reading the press release closely, it’s difficult to see the concrete proposals.  The Emergency Economic Stablization Act has its own site, but as of this writing the last press release was posted during the Bush administration.

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