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STATUTORY PROHIBITION ON LOBBYIST GIFTS According to Minnesota's Ethics in Government Act, lobbyists and lobbyist principals' "may not give a gift or request another to give a gift to" any member of the Metropolitan Council, and members are prohibited from accepting a gift from lobbyists and lobbyist principals. The term "gift" means: money, real or personal property, a service, a loan, a forbearance or forgiveness of indebtedness, or a promise of future employment, that is given and received without the giver receiving consideration of equal or greater value in return. The statutory prohibition applies to gifts from lobbyists or lobbyist principals. The statutory prohibition does not prohibit the receipt of a gift from an individual who is not registered as a lobbyist, or the receipt of a gift from an organization or entity that does not qualify as a lobbyist principal. The statutory prohibition on lobbyist gifts also does not apply if a gift is: (1) a [political] contribution as defined in [the Act ]; (2) services to assist an official in the performance of official duties, including but not limited to providing advice, consultation, information, and communication in connection with legislation, and services to constituents; (3) services of insignificant monetary value; (4) a plaque or similar memento recognizing individual services in a field of specialty or to a charitable cause; (5) a trinket or memento of insignificant value; (6) informational material of unexceptional value; or (7) food or a beverage given at a reception, meal, or meeting away from the recipient's place of work by an organization before whom the recipient appears to make a speech or answer questions as part of a program. Finally, the statutory prohibition on receipt and acceptance of gifts does not apply if a gift is given: (1) because of the recipient's membership in a group, a majority of whose members are not officials, and an equivalent gift is given to the other members of the group; or (2) by a lobbyist or principal who is a member of the family of the recipient, unless the gift is given on behalf of someone who is not a member of that family. The statutory prohibitions on lobbyist gifts are mandatory and a person charged with a duty under the Ethics in Government Act is "personally liable for the penalty for failing to discharge" the duty.' -2