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B-202116 1 (1981-05-01)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabjcl0001 and id is 1 raw text is: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON D.C. 205.4, B-202116 MAY 1 1981 The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. House of Representatives Dear Mr. Sensenbrenner: Thi s in response to your~request, that this Office/investigate the possibletmisuse of appropriated funds by the Legal Services Corporation I-'for lobbying and political activities7 'In support of your allega- tdns, ,You provided us with copies of a nd _r of LSC memoranda 'covering the period from March 1980 until March 1981. After reviewing CEiis mate- rial we have concluded that LSC has itself engaged and allowed its grant recipients to engage in lobbying activities prohibited by Federal law. However, we did not find that LSC had engaged in prohibited political activities. Z _The LsC memoranda indicate that LSC developed a detailed plan designed to urge members of the public interested in its legal assistance programs to contact Members of Congress and communicate their support for LSC reauthorization legislation and LSC appropriations measures being considered by the Congress., Over the years, LSC has encouraged groups interested in legal assist,jice at the local, regional, and state levels to support its legislative program. The organizations include such groups as LSC fund recipients; clients' councils; the National Legal Aid and Defense Association (NLADA), an organization of poverty lawryers; the National Organization of Legal Services Workers, an employee organiza- tion of legal assistance workers; migrant farm worker groups; bar associations; and similar groups. The effectiveness of the organization depends heavily on a State Coordinator to serve as link between LSC headquarters and the State organization. Normally, the State Coordina- tor is an employee or official of a recipient organization, as opposed to being an employee of the LSC itself. Officials of LSC's Office of Government Relations communicate frequently with State Coordinators and develop strategy about how local members of the State's Congressional delegation can best be approached, how the local support base can be increased, and how certain methods have proven successful in other states. In addition to serving as a conunications link and coordinat- ing the activities of local groups, State Coordinators are also respon- sible for reporting information back to LSC headquarters. Early in 1980, LSC formed a coalition with the Project Advisory Group (PAG), a national organization of legal services programs, to direct a lobbying campaign in support of LSC reauthorization and appro- priation legislation being considered by the Congress. In April 1980, Dan J. Bradley, President, LSC, and Charles H. Dorsey, Chairperson, PAG, senta joint letter to Legal Services Project Directors,.the heads of recipient organizations, initiating the lobbying efforts as follows:

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