That might be a sleuth at the table next to yours

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/that-might-be-a-sleuth-at-the-table-next-to-yours-2007-07-17.html

That might be a sleuth at the table next to yours
By Kevin Bogardus
July 17, 2007

In her job, Mary Fesq has lunched at some of Washington’s finest restaurants. But her attention rarely turned to the wine list — instead, she often was keenly focused on a lobbyist seated nearby.

One, for instance, was representing a trade association that suspected he was entertaining friends, rather than congressional aides, with his meal budget. The group hired Fesq and her colleagues to monitor his movements.

“Surveillance is long periods of boredom broken by high moments of anxiety,” Fesq said of the assignment. “I did have to jump in a taxi once and say, ‘Follow that cab!’ That was the first time I ever had to do that.”

Tipped off by the lobbyist’s secretary whenever he left the office, investigators secured tables as close as possible to eavesdrop on his conversations.

Fesq now runs a one-woman shop, Oriole Research, and ferrets out information in public records. She no longer conducts stakeouts, but surveillance, security and fact-finding through courthouse documents and criminal rap sheets are some of the services she and other private investigators in the D.C. area provide.

There are 305 private detectives licensed by Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department. Statewide, Virginia has 2,644 and Maryland has 1,272, according to estimates from their respective police agencies.

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the lobbying firms want to make sure their people are out there buying influence anyway they can---that larger illegality is fine, but the smaller one of talking with friends instead of congressional staffers is a big NO NO.

Hey, I've got an idea--ban all paid lobbyists. Then BOTH problems go away.

...What? :shrug: