Cabinet Meeting, September 8, 1976

As of May 1998, the Ford Library had not located any formal typed minutes for this Cabinet meeting. The following document has been substituted. It was probably distributed at the meeting or soon after.

MEMORANDUM TO:    The Cabinet
FROM:    Jim Baker
RE:      Advocate Travel

In order to assure an effective Advocate Program and to reduce the possibility of adverse comment, the PFC has decided to simplify the manner in which political events are scheduled and the manner in which the PFC pays for such expenses. For the general election period the following rebuttable presumptions have been established in order to guide both the PFC and the Advocates regarding their travel and payment for related expenses:
1. All public appearances by Cabinet Members after the nomination will be considered candidate related in nature and paid for by the PFC, except those official activities scheduled by the respective Executive Agency prior to August 19, 1976; and 2. All public appearances by Cabinet Members after October 16, 1976, including those official activities scheduled by the respective Executive Agency prior to August 19, 1976 will be considered candidate related in nature and paid for by the President Ford Committee.

Thus, official activities scheduled prior to the date of nomination (August 19, 1976) may remain on the Cabinet Member's official schedule. The previous determination by PFC and White House counsel that it would be appropriate for the PFC to add supplemental political activities to the official schedule once the latter has been established will continue as our policy. The PFC will, of course, pay a reasonable portion of the expenses incurred for such political activity in accordance with previously issued allocation memoranda. Finally, the PFC Advocate Scheduling Office will forward to your office by the close of business this week a recommended plan regarding your travel during the general election.

The President Ford Committee: Rogers C. B. Morton, Chairman, Robert Mosbacher, National Finance Chairman, Robert C. Moor, Treasurer. A copy of our Report Is filed with the Federal Election Commission and is available for purchase from the Federal Election Commission, Washington, D.C. 20463.

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