AFTER HOURS

Congressman Dating Airline Lobbyist

Committee chairman Bill Shuster.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster confessed on Thursday to having a “private and personal relationship” with a top lobbyist for a U.S. airline trade association which has poured millions of dollars into influencing his panel. “Ms. [Shelley] Rubino and I have a private and personal relationship, and out of respect for her and my family, that is all I will say about that,” Shuster said in a statement. He did add that his office “has in place a policy that deals with personal relationships that cover my staff and myself. This was created in consultation with legal counsel and goes further than is required by the law. Under that policy, Ms. Rubino doesn’t lobby my office, including myself and my staff.” Rubino can, however, lobby the other 50 members of the committee.