Trump May Be Skirting Transparency Law on Advisory Boards
Public-interest advocacy groups say the Trump administration appears to be deliberately structuring the president’s growing roster of business-focused advisory groups in order to avoid becoming subject to a federal transparency law that requires such meetings be formally announced in advance and open to the public, reports Politico.
“A 1972 law aimed at limiting back-room influence by special interests, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, regulates the operation of federal government advisory council,” writes Josh Gerstein. “Normally, the meetings of such groups are announced at least ten days in advance in the Federal Register and the sessions are open to the public.”
Although there have been no official notices of any meetings and no executive orders laying out the duties of the “Strategic and Policy Forum” or any other groups Trump is convening, a White House office insisted the meetings are in compliance with the law.
