Apr 19, 2015 4 min read

Is there any wonder why the American public feels so disconnected and out of touch with its leaders of government today?

Here’s the latest example. Politico, a Capitol Hill news outlet, reported Thursday that U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg, acknowledged that he has a “private and personal relationship” with Shelly Rubino, an airlines industry lobbyist.

“Ms. 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,” said the 54-year-old Shuster, who represents the 9th Congressional District, which includes all of Fayette, Bedford, Blair, Franklin, Fulton and Indiana counties and parts of Greene, Washington, Cambria, Huntingdon, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

According to Politio, Shuster, 54, was divorced last year after two decades of marriage.

Shuster told Politico he drafted a formal document when he began dating Rubino, stating she couldn’t lobby him or his staff members.

Politico talked to Stan Brand, the former general counsel of the House and an ethics expert, said he didn’t see a problem with the relationship. “Absent some exchange of gifts or things that would otherwise be a problem under the rules, I don’t think the mere fact of her relationship with [Shuster] trespasses any other rules, at least none that I know of,” Brand said.

While Shuster’s relationship with Rubino may not be a violation of the ethics rules in the U.S. House of Representatives, that says more about lax attitudes there than it does about congressmen doing the right thing. Rubino might not be formally lobbying Shuster, but it’s hard to believe that he’s not aware of her wishes. And it’s incredible that the House doesn’t have rules against such relationships.

Overall, we have no problem with what Shuster does in his private life, but there are concerns when it spills over into his job as a congressmen. And clearly there are concerns. The Associated Press said Shuster, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, was the top recipient of airline industry contributions last year, receiving $128,350 in donations. The Associated Press noted that Rubino received nearly $460,00 in salary and benefits from the Americans for Airlines, a powerful industry lobbying group, with members including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, FedEx, Atlas Air, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest, United, UPS and US Airways. Politico said it spent $6.8 million on lobbying in 2014.

According to Associated Press, Shuster’s aviation agenda has closely matched the priorities of Airlines for America. He’s the sponsor of a bill the House passed to roll back a Transportation Department regulation that requires airlines to display the full price of an airline ticket inclusive of taxes and fees in advertising and on websites where tickets are sold.

He’s also spoken out against new taxes on the airline industry in general, reiterating Airlines for America’s call for a “national airline policy” — essentially a government effort to promote the financial health of airlines and reduce their taxes, fees and regulation.

So, who does Shuster represent? Is it the residents of the 9th Congressional District or Rubino and Airlines for America?

We’re not the only people with concerns. Barry Kauffman, executive director of Common Cause/Pa, said Shuster should recuse himself from having anything to do with aviation affairs as long as he has a relationship with Rubino.

“Shuster needs to put the safety and concerns of the American people first, and if he’s unable to do so because of a private relationship then he should recuse himself from all government activity concerning airlines,” said Kauffman.

We couldn’t agree more. Shuster still has a chance to pull himself out of this ethical and moral dilemma by walking away from issues concerning the aviation industry. If he chooses not to recuse himself, the conflict-of-interest questions will linger, and the heat will continue to be turned up. While his actions might be OK with his fellow members of Congress, his constituents in the 9th Congressional District might well think otherwise.