About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

B-202787 1 (1981-12-29)

handle is hein.gao/gaobachbu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 1 w~ET NO CICVUL!N(FoT* 30(. 9 COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON D.C. 20W48 1041 B-202787 December 29, 1981 The Honorable Vin Weber House of Representatives Dear Mr. Weber: You requested this Office to act imediately to halt certain lobbying activities of the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services Corporation, a recipient of Federal funds from the Legal Services Corporation (ESC), and recover any appropriated funds that may have been expended in violation of laws precluding lobbying activities with Federal funds. Our review leads us to conclude that the grantee recipient had engaged in prohibited lobbying activities. As explained below, this Office lacks statutory authority to halt lobbying activities by grantees of the Legal Services Corporation or to recover appropriated funds illegally expended by them on such activities. On June 1, 1981, the Managing Attorney of the Southwest Area Office of the Soue n mnesota Regional Legal Services, Inc., located in Worthington, Minnesota, made a mass mailing of a form letter to attorneys practicing in that area of Minnesota. The purpose of the letter was to inform attorneys that the continued existence of the Legal Services Program was in jeopardy and to solicit their active support and assistance in a lobbying campaign designed to continue the program. It was pointed out that both the Senate and House of Representatives were considering proposals in connection with the Legal Services Corporation Act Amendments of 1981, (H.R. 3480) that would drastically reduce funding for the Program. Moreover, it stated that the Reagan Administration had recomended that no funds be appropriated for the Legal Services Corporation in fiscal year 1982. The letter emphasized the serious impact these funding reductions would have on the 10 which could resut in the closing of the Southwest Area Office. reported that W had discussed this matter with you and that you inicated an intention to vote against the continuation of the Legal Services Program on the basis that the local Bar could serve the needs of those currently being served by the recipient. The remaining part of the letter reads as follows: Rep. Weber has other reasons for voting against Legal Services too, but I thought you might want to communi- cate with him before the upcoming House vote on the capacity of the private bar to give free legal service to the 18,000 poor people in this area. He would not vote to abolish Medicare on the grounds that doctors could give free medical care; but somehow he assumes that lawyers can give free legal care to all the poor people, and so legal aid is unnecessary.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most