US judge upholds Obama ban on lobbyists serving on boards

A federal judge upheld an attempt by President Barack Obama to cut down the influence of lobbyists, ruling that President Obama was within his authority when he barred them from serving on government boards.

The ruling dismisses a lawsuit brought by six lobbyists who argued the ban unfairly penalizes them for exercising their right to petition the government. The lobbyists failed to show that they lost something by not serving on government boards, such as a committee that advises on trade issues, wrote U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. Even if they had shown a real benefit, they are not entitled to serve on the boards, the judge added. Although the lobbyists "may aspire to obtain this privileged access in order to advance their clients' interests and their own careers," the government is not required to "underwrite" their activity by giving them an advantage, she wrote.