Each one of Donald Trump's 4,000 political appointees has to sign an ethics pledge agreeing not to lobby the agencies where they work for five years after leaving. That compares with a two-year ban Barack Obama's appointees had to sign. Yet ethics specialists say a subtle tweak in the language of Trump's order may open the door to more "shadow lobbying," or influence peddling that doesn't quite meet the official definition of lobbying. Under Obama, former appointees were banned from "communicating" with employees of their former agencies. That behavior included sending e-mails, having phone conversations, attending or arranging meetings with lawmakers, or even attaching one's name to a particular interest group's cause. Trump's ban instead focuses on "lobbying activities," language that may narrow the scope of what is forbidden.
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