May a Senate Aide Date the Offices Senior Staffer?
by C. Simon Davidson Q: I am a Senate staffer and, as much as I hate to admit it, I think I have developed a full-fledged crush on our offices chief of staff. While he and I have always casually flirted with one another, it has recently escalated to the point that I am now considering pursuing a relationship with him. I sense that the feelings are mutual. Before going for it, I wanted to make sure that the rules allow a staffer to date his or her supervisor. Do the Senate ethics rules prohibit us from dating? A: In recent years, the Senate ethics rules have intruded further and further into the personal lives of both Senators and staffers. For example, you may not accept gifts worth more than $50 from anyone, you may not accept any gifts from lobbyists, and at certain events you can only eat hors doeuvres. The restrictions have become so great that some staffers might wonder whether there is any part of their lives that the rules do not address. Well, here is one. As intrusive as the e
