Association lobbyists score victory three years after filing lawsuit over ban; new guidance seeks to ‘clarify' committee appointments. Lobbyists can once again serve on federal advisory committees and boards after the Obama administration reversed its previous blanket ban. The Office and Management and Budget, in a "notice of revised guidance" published Aug. 13, said the ban does not apply to registered lobbyists if they are appointed expressly to represent the views of a nongovernmental entity (such as an association) or a state or local government. However, lobbyists will remain barred from serving in an "individual capacity," meaning their role is to assist the… Read More