"To many, lobbyists represent all that is bad in Washington, and are credited with having created a ‘culture of corruption' in the in the nation's capital," writes Spulak, who helps corporations and lobbyists comply with laws and regulations on lobbying disclosure, gift-giving, campaign contributions and fundraising. "Long before the scandal involving Jack Abramoff and others began in 2007, lobbyists were routinely derided."

The public, Spulak writes in The Hill, should understand that such incidents involved only a handful of criminals and members of Congress.

"Lobbyists as a class are one of the more regulated professions in Washington. Today, there are approximately 16,000 individuals who are registered as lobbyists under the Lobbying Disclosure Act," Spulak writes. "Yes, there are examples of bad actors in the lobbying profession, just as there are in any other. To paint all lobbyists with the same brush as those who have run afoul of the law, however, is unfair...."

Read Spulak's full column at http://www.thehill.com/