Sorry, pal, but I’m not the one being duped. There is a distinction between acting as a registered lobbyist and lobbying for ideas to influence a group of people.
The latter as relates to Congress and the public is clearly a lot of what Gingrich was paid millions and millions of dollars over the years to do.
No, it wasn’t illegal, as most of the way Washington works isn’t. But it is worthy of reporting and it does tie into how voters should consider him as a “conservative” presidential candidate. I.e., if he actively promoted essentially many of the ideas and key concepts and policies embodied in Obamacare, that is worth knowing if you are to assess his ability to campaign against Obamacare in a general election.
But Gingrich wasn’t “lobbying for ideas” at all. He was the one who was advising others who themselves wanted ideas on how to get something they wanted accomplished.