Partner Scott Shaffer was quoted in a Law360 article (subscription required) about the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) and its recent approval by the U.S. House of Representatives. The act would create an online tracking system for virtually every federal government expenditure. Law360 investigated how the bill, if it becomes law, would affect the hotel industry. Shaffer explains that anyone “will be able to criticize what they believe to be wasteful and corrupt spending . . . Someone with a lot of time on their hands can search this website and find the politician staying at a very expensive, first-class hotel.” While the DATA Act transparency could hurt some hotels, Shaffer points out it could also create new opportunities for midscale hotels. The DATA Act has yet to pass the Senate, and Shaffer points out that a similar bill passed the House, but not the Senate in 2012.
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