[EL] Legislative ethics probe of non-legislator for stating an intent to criticize a legislator?

[Scarberry, Mark]

>From the linked Denver Post article:
"If[,] after the ethics committee probe[,] legislative leaders believe an ethics violation occurred, they can suspend lobbying privileges, issue a letter of admonition or recommend lawmakers censure Neville."
A legislative committee can suspend the right of a citizen - lobbyist or not - to communicate with legislators? Can withdraw that right because of a statement of intention to criticize a legislator? Or what else would be the effect of "suspend[ing] lobbying privileges? Prohibition on using the legislators' restrooms? :) (I realize that the lobbyist didn't say he would criticize the legislator directly, but that should be irrelevant.)

Mark

Mark S. Scarberry
Pepperdine Univ. School of Law
Malibu, CA 90263
(310)506-4667

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of Rick Hasen
Sent: Tuesday, March 05, 2013 8:08 AM
To: law-election at UCI.edu
Subject: [EL] ELB News and Commentary 3/5/13

"Colorado gun lobbyist faces ethics probe by lawmakers"<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48046>
Posted on March 5, 2013 8:06 am<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=48046> by Rick Hasen<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Free speech or an inappropriate threat from a lobbyist?  This is one<http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_22697222/colorado-gun-lobbyist-faces-ethics-probe-by-lawmakers> to watch (via Steve Klein<https://twitter.com/SteveRKlein/status/308946572291485696>).
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