1st Issue of NY Commission on Public Integrity !

LOBBYIST SPENDING RISES $20 MILLION

Spending within the lobbying industry increased by more than $20 million last year, according to figures the Commission released in its 2007 Annual Report. In 2007, $171.2 million was spent, up from $151 million spent the previous year. These expenses were disclosed in reports filed by 3,271 clients represented by 5,357 lobbyists and 57 public corporations. For the eleventh straight year, the firm of Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP, reported the highest lobbyist compensation, totaling $9.6 million for 2007; Patricia Lynch Associates, Inc., is the second highest earner, at $6.7 million, followed by Bolton St. Johns, Inc. at $5.7 million. Health and Mental Health organizations reported the highest expenditures from special interest groups, spending $26.7 million. Real Estate and Construction follow at $21.3 million, with Education at $13.2 million. Clients ranked by highest expenditures are Verizon at $3.2 million, The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York at $2.2 million, and New York State United Teachers at $2.1 million.

O'Brien & Gere Limited had the largest lobbying contract, valued at $1,547,812. The firm lobbies on its own behalf. Forest City Ratner Companies, a commercial real estate company, had the second largest contract with Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, valued at $771,170. The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York had contracts with Bill Lynch Associates LLC valued at $636,560; with Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLPvalued at $496,368 and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson, LLPvalued at $492,155. New York State Capitol 

The report also noted the amount of training done, with 217 ethics training sessions for 8,653 employees in 2007. Staff also conducted 16 sessions of a two-credit continuing legal education course entitled "Public Section Ethics for Lawyers" which were attended by 460 people. At the request of the agencies involved, the Commission provided additional training about the electronic filing system on-site. In addition, staff worked with the Governor's Office of Employee Relations to provide information about the post-employment requirements of the ethics laws to approximately 450 State employees.

On the lobbying side, the Commission conducted training sessions for 63 lobbyists and clients and used "electronic blasts" to distribute information to lobbyists and clients more effectively. These "e-blasts" are essentially a monthly newsletter that includes a topic of relevant interest, report due dates, and other news regarding the Commission. The e-blasts are e-mailed monthly to all lobbyists and clients who have signed up to receive this alert.

The Ethics Commission opened 38 cases in 2007 and issued three Notices of Reasonable Cause, a public document alleging a violation of the law. The Commission collected $16,780 from those cases. The Lobbying Commission opened 54 investigations in 2007 and closed 60. The Commission reached 172 settlements for a total of $51,600, and conducted 17 hearings that resulted in civil assessments of $9,000. The report is available on-line in the Publications section of the Commission's website at www.nyintegrity.org.

http://www.nyintegrity.org/pubs/news/CPI_Newsletter_Issue_1.pdf