The Hill News

In a recent article published in The Hill, Wall Street pitted lobbyists against provision of STOCK Act legislation, Kevin Bogardus refers to members of the political intelligence industry as “operatives.”  This definition continues the growing trend of defining the political intelligence industry as a backroom secret swapping between Wall Street and Capitol Hill. Political intelligence, however, is much more than that and shouldn’t be defined by a few bad apples.  
 
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once famously said that “sunlight is the best disinfectant.”  At a time when Americans are profoundly exasperated with the legislative process, the STOCK Act is a positive first step toward exposing M! embers of Congress and their staff who profit from inside information. But in their otherwise laudable effort to shine light on Capitol Hill’s darker corners, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and others’ failed effort to include an amendment to include “political intelligence” as part of the STOCK Act risked harming an industry that also serves the public good.  Let’s be clear on the difference between “political intelligence,” which can promote open, honest government â€" and insider trading, which is what happens when privileged information is used for personal gain.

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