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Press Dinners
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Press Dinners
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Records of the Office of Communications (Clinton Administration)
Mark Gearan's Files
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FOIA Number: 2011-0584-F
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Communications
Series/Staff Member:
Mark Gearan
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
7550
FolderID:
Folder Title:
Press Dinners
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
90
4
11
2
Start a file
an
Press Dinners
From the Office of the Chief of Staff
Phone: 202/456-6797 Fax: 202/456-1121
Date: 5oct93
Response needed by: 80ct93
COS Office Contact: Bill Burton, Policy & Staff Director
Action
FYI
Action
FYI
Joan Baggett
Bernie Nussbaum
X
Lee Brown
Leon Panetta
Bill Daley
Howard Paster
Rahm Emanuel
John Podesta
Mark Gearan
X
Jack Quinn
Kristine Gebbie
Carol Rasco
David Gergen
X
Bob Rubin
Jack Gibbons
Eli Segal
Marcia Hale
Ricki Seidman
Alexis Herman
George Stephanopoulos
X
Nancy Hernreich
Christine Varney
Tony Lake
David Watkins
Bruce Lindsey
Maggie Williams
Ira Magaziner
Katie McGinty
Dee Dee Myers
Roy Neel
X
Pls Remarks: review ottached letter from UH Cowesp. Ass'n leaders
($ menoes prepared on subject earlir this year by
Cansel's office) & advise your thoughts.
Thank, MACK /Bill
Response:
WHITE HOUSE
OCT - 4 issa
CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION
1067 NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20045
September 30, 1993
Thomas F. McLarty
Chief of Staff to the President
The White House
Washington, D.C.
Dear Mr. McLarty:
We represent press organizations with annual dinners which
are affected by the Bush administration ethics ruling that
prevents administration guests from accepting invitations
from news organizations. We strongly disagree with any
effort to equate us with lobbyists. We wish to alert you to
the uncertainty, caused by the rule, that hampers our
planning.
As it stands, this rule imperils the traditions of dinners
which date back to 1885 (Gridiron); 1914 (White House
Correspondents) and 1943 (Washington Press Club Foundation
and Radio-TV Correspondents). Large numbers of
administration officials are invited to each of the dinners
and have been for all those years without any ethical
questions raised.
As journalists none of us is happy with a rule that bars
administration: officials from accepting lunches or dinners
from working reporters. As the heads of these press
organizations, we ask you for a prompt ruling on this
matter. We naturally hope for action that will permit these
traditions to continue:
Washington Press Club Foundation
-- Jan. 26
Gridiron
-- March 19
Radio-TV Correspondents
-- March 22
White House Correspondents
-- April 23
We are eager to meet with you to discuss this matter.
Sincerely,
Singe E.
George E. Condon, Copley News
Walter Mears, Associated Press
President, WHCA
Vice President, Gridiron Club
Budrlim
aluguil Trappord
Brian Lockman, C-SPAN
Abigail Trafford, Washington Post
President, Radio-TV Corresp.
President, WPCF
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 9, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR DESIGNATED AGENCY ETHICS OFFICIALS
FROM:
BERNARD NUSSBAUM
COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
Per
SUBJECT:
Press Dinners
My office has received numerous inquiries regarding the
applicability of the Standards of Ethical Conduct, which became
effective February 3, 1993, to the yearly press dinners (e.g.,
Gridiron Dinner, White House Correspondents' Association Dinner,
Radio/Television Dinner, National Association of Black Owned
Broadcasters Dinners). In particular, it appears that the press
was unaware of the new rules and how they would impact their
dinners to which a large number of executive branch employees are
invited.
Under the new rules, executive branch employees cannot attend
widely-attended-gatherings where the cost of their attendance is
paid for by someone (or organization) other than the host of the
event. Executive branch employees can accept the gift of free
attendance from the host or sponsoring organization of a widely-
attended-gathering when the agency determines that it is in the
interests of the agency for the employee to attend.
The press plays an integral role in communicating with the
public. We believe it is important to foster a positive
relationship between executive branch officials and the press
with these particular occasions providing a unique opportunity
for all to interact in a congenial atmosphere. Therefore, in
light of the newness of the rule and the fact that planning for
these events occurred prior to the implementation of the rule,
the White House will hold the application of this rule in
abeyance for six months from February 3, 1993 for press dinners
that otherwise would meet the widely-attended-gathering
exception. Accordingly, during this six-month period, executive
branch officials may attend such press dinners as guests of
individuals or organizations other than the sponsor.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please direct
them to me.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
March 1, 1993
MEMORANDUM FOR MACK MCLARTY
CHIEF OF STAFF
MARK GEARAN
DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF
FROM:
BERNARD NUSSBAUM
COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
CHERYL MILLS can
ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Press Dinners
Pursuant to Mark Gearan's request, we are providing this decision
memorandum to outline the issue regarding organized press dinners
as well as options to address the matter.
Each year, the press has several large dinners to honor their
members and to socialize with executive branch employees and
other prominent officials. These dinners typically are hosted by
a news association (e.g., Gridiron Club, White House
Correspondent's Association, Radio/Television Association) but
are funded by individual employees of the various news
organizations who offer invitations to executive branch officials
and pay for the cost of their attendance at the event (which
ensures these officials' presence at their table). As an
example, Dan Rather might invite Dee Dee Myers to be his guest at
the White House Correspondent's Dinner and CBS would pay the $100
attendance fee for both Dee Dee and himself.
Under the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Executive Branch
Employees, which became effective February 3, 1993, this type of
dinner arrangement is prohibited for executive branch employees.
See 5 C.F.R. $ 2635.204 (g). Under the guidelines, an executive
branch employee may accept a gift of free attendance only when it
is provided by the sponsor of the event, not by a guest attending
the event. Id. at Example 1. Because the news organizations did
not take this factor into account this year when planning their
dinners, the dinners currently are funded in the same (now
prohibited) fashion as they have been in prior years.
On two occasions the sponsors of press dinners have reconfigured
the funding arrangements of their dinners to comply with the
rules so that executive branch employees could attend consistent
with the Standards of Conduct (e.g., Gridiron Dinner -- the
association now is paying for the tickets of executive branch
employees). However, the White House Correspondents' Association
has stated that it is simply impossible for them to reconfigure
the funding for their dinner to bring it into compliance with the
Standards of Conduct for the purposes of executive branch
employees. Accordingly, they have asked the White House to make
an exception to the Standards of Conduct for their dinner, or
alternatively, for press dinners generally.
The following options are available to address this matter:
1. Adhere to the Standards of Conduct (since next year the
dinners can be designed with the rules in mind) and should
executive branch employees wish to attend such an event they
must pay for the cost of their ticket (which can range from
$100 to $250 for these types of dinners) i
2. Provided funds are available, the White House Office could
pay for its employees to attend the dinner, or subsidize the
cost for those who cannot afford the entire cost of
attendance;
3. The President could direct the Director of the Office of
Government Ethics ("OGE") to reinterpret the regulations so
as to exclude the press from the definition of a prohibited
2
source;
4. The President could announce a policy for this year only
that for all organized press dinners, he will not enforce
the Standards of Conduct for violations of the rules; 3 or
5. The President could modify or repeal the Executive Order
implementing the Standards of Conduct.
1
This option, of course, does not resolve the situation
for executive branch employees who work in the agencies (e.g.,
Cabinet members) who also cannot attend the dinners consistent
with the Standards of Conduct.
2
This action would reverse a 1987 opinion by OGE
specifically holding that the press is a prohibited source. In
addition, in some instances it might eliminate another
prohibition with regard to the press -- the current prohibition
on accepting meals paid for by the press valued in excess of $20
per occasion (for an aggregate amount of no more than $50 per
calendar year).
3
From a public relations standpoint, this option, and the
one immediately above, raise the specter of favoritism toward the
White House Correspondent's Association since in other instances
Counsel's Office has refused to ignore (or modify) the rules. In
two such instances, the organizations reconfigured the funding
for their dinners so as to invite executive branch employees as
guests of the sponsor.
Please advise the Counsel's Office as to the manner in which you
would like proceed. Since the first dinner is March 18, 1993, we
need to resolve our policy as quickly as possible. If you have
any questions please contact us.