‘How-Not-To’ Guide: Helping Politicians to Go by the Book

With Capitol Hill awash in self-recrimination over the House bank’s check-writing scandal, a new book has begun making the rounds. It is designed to warn congressmen before they do something . . . regrettable.

It’s taxpayer-supported, it’s chock-full of no-nos, it’s the 1992 version of the House Ethics Manual--a “how-not-to” book for pols.

With bigger type, a better index (first entry, “Abscam investigation”), dozens of helpful examples and a friendlier format, it aspires to map a safe path through the ethical minefields laid before elected officials.

No one pretends it will eliminate sleazy behavior. But for those thoughtful congressmen and senior staff members who want to take the high road, it is a surprisingly useful reference work.

“We actually opened it and read a little,” said one member’s press secretary, in a rare moment of praise for a government publication. “It may even save a few phone calls to the Ethics Committee.”

BACKGROUND: First published in 1979 at a modest 220 pages of dense legalese, the manual went through four revisions, the most recent in 1987, a 264-page version with a wimpy lima-bean green cover.

The new manual, with a snazzy tomato-red cover and bolder design, is up to 463 pages, largely because of a major ethics reform law signed in 1989. But editor-in-chief Ellen L. Weintraub wanted to do more than just add the new material.

“The ’87 manual was not a good document. It put people to sleep. It was intimidating. I wanted a manual that was thorough, complete--and readable,” she said.

Weintraub included dozens of examples (“Member C is approached by a constituent business for help in getting a government agency to purchase its product . . . “) to illuminate shades of meaning in the letter of the law. There’s even a simple chart on Page 83 spelling out the details of outside employment and income restrictions.

But her most daunting goal was to rewrite wooden institutional text into readable English. “It’s too early for any reviews, but we have received requests for more copies,” Weintraub said.

CHANGES: The 1989 ethics law wrought significant reforms, included for the first time in the manual.

Among the new rules:

* All honorariums (a fee for any speech, appearance or article) are banned, although some payment for speeches not directly related to official duties may be permissible.

* Gifts to all members, officers and employees are limited to a maximum of $250 a year from a single source.

* For one year after leaving office, members may not lobby before either the House or Senate or any legislative branch office and may not represent foreign government interests.

Of greater practical use, perhaps, the law established a separate office where concerned members could get a quick opinion on a rule. Previously, members feared that an innocent inquiry to the Ethics Committee (officially the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct) could trigger an investigation.

Mark J. Davis, director of the Office of Advice and Education, said his crew last year drafted 750 written opinions--for those members who want an exculpatory document when questions arise over a trip or, perhaps, a mailing.

“We also handle thousands of questions over the phone, 90% of which can be cleared up in minutes,” Davis said.

OUTLOOK: Although the manual seems more than thorough, it does not cover everything. A case in point: the House banking morass. As House leaders have tirelessly repeated, no House rule specifically forbade overdrafts at its now-defunct payroll office.

After working more than a year on the manual, Weintraub said she is proud of the result--and glad it’s over.

But given the members’ knack for inventing ways of getting into trouble, it may only last several years before a new edition is needed.

“I hope this one will remain current for a good long time,” mused Weintraub. “Maybe two years, maybe five years. But that’s an eternity in this town.”