Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.), who is forming a new congressional caucus on piracy and copyright issues, also wants to run the music industry’s lobbying organization in Washington, a spokeswoman said Monday.
Replacing the departing chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America would be her “ideal job,” spokeswoman Cindy Hartley said. She added that Bono isn’t actively pursuing the job and plans to run for re-election.
Political watchdog groups in Washington questioned the idea of someone being a possible job candidate for the music industry’s lobby and also a founding member of a caucus focused on some of the industry’s most important policy concerns.
“It certainly raises eyebrows,” said Steven Weiss of the Center for Responsive Politics. “Angering the RIAA is certainly not going to advance her job prospects, so one must wonder whether her views on this issue are motivated more by personal beliefs or her future career.”
The director of Consumers Union, which has battled the RIAA over the rights of consumers to make digital copies of music they purchase, complained that Bono’s remarks about wanting the industry job raised questions.
“We certainly hope the congresswoman is not putting her own personal interests ahead of the policy concerns of her constituents or the nation,” Gene Kimmelman said. “It certainly creates an appearance question about what her true motivation is.”
Bono, who easily won re-election in 2002 in a relatively safe congressional district for Republicans, is a member of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. Campaign records indicate that Hollywood and the music industry were among her top contributors in the 2002 election, giving $22,100
Source: Wired.com
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