Lobbying just got a little more lurid in NC.

The Committee’s determination that sex had no value and that sex between a lobbyist and politician was nothing to report or in any way questionable means that a major loophole has opened up for lobbying firms. Now lobbying firms can hire people with the explicit goal to seduce and fornicate with politicians in order to garner favor.

I disagree that the advisory opinion, found here, sanctions blatant third party prostitution as the title at Addicting Info suggests. But this does go along with something a friend of mine told me about sexual favors in relation to securing government contracts – unlike monetary bribes, it’s perfectly legal.

It means lobbying firms can hire increasingly young, virile, promiscuous lobbyists who are prepared to do whatever it takes to get the job done, without obviously being directly compensated for it, since that is clearly illegal.

But Addicting Info makes a good point:

Even more disturbing are the long-term implications. Let us say a politician does partake, yet the person who paid for the night of temptation was a less than honest broker. A few hidden cameras, some veiled threat that did not cross the line into blackmail territory, a night of infidelity could put a politician into a less honorable group’s pocket without major cost, and all now rendered perfectly legal by the Ethics Committee of North Carolina.

This is a sign of a government and nation in very steep decline.