Opinion Letter No. 239-75
Contents of letter
December 11, 1975
Honorable Vernon King
Representative, District 16
2007 East Ridge Drive
Excelsior Springs, Missouri 64124
Dear Representative King:
This is in response to your request for an opinion from this office as follows:
"Can a person be a paid registered lobbyist for a corporation and hold an elective public office.
"Hallmark Cards employs a registered lobbyist in Jefferson City and this same person serves as Western Clay County Judge."
We are enclosing herewith Opinion Letter No. 147 issued by this office on April 19, 1973, to Honorable William Dick Fickle, in which we stated there is no constitutional or statutory provisions which would disqualify a person for the office of county judge because of private employment. The mere fact that a county judge is employed by a private entity with large property holdings in the county is not grounds for disqualification of his office.
Section 105.470, C.C.S.S.C.S.H.C.S. House Bills Nos. 20, 79, 386, 760, and 765, 78th General Assembly, relating to lobbyists, provides in part as follows:
"'Lobbyist', any person, including persons employed by or representing federal or state agencies and all political subdivisions thereof, who acts in the course of his employment or who engages himself for pay or for any valuable consideration for the purpose of attempting to influence the taking, passage, amendment, delay or defeat of any legislative action by the legislature; or any person who receives any direct or indirect benefits or expenses for lobbying activities, whether by grant or otherwise, from any state, the federal government or any private not for profit foundation or corporation; provided that the term shall not include any member of the General Assembly or elected state officer."
This statute further requires a lobbyist to register with the chief clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate.
We find no provision in this statute prohibiting a county court judge from serving as a lobbyist before the General Assembly for a private corporation.
Very truly yours,
John C. Danforth
Attorney General