JCOPE Imposes $180,000 Fine for Repeated Lobbying Act Violations

Yesterday, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) announced that it has imposed a $180,000 fine on State Advisors, a Long Island-based lobbying firm, for repeated violations of the state’s Lobbying Act over a five year period.

JCOPE found that the firm failed to file, or filed late, 148 lobbyist bimonthly reports between 2011 and 2015, firm failed to pay the required registration fee for 22 lobbying registration statements, and did not file eight client agreements.

JCOPE had previously entered into a settlement agreement with the firm last May, but the firm failed to pay the $62,000 it agreed to pay the state at that time.  The Commission then moved forward with a hearing regarding the firm’s alleged Lobbying Act violations, and the hearing officer recommended a $180,000 fine be imposed for the firms “repeated and consistent violations.”

This is an example – a rather egregious one – showing why lobbyists and clients must understand their registration and reporting obligations under New York’s Lobbying Act.  A relatively small investment of time and effort could have saved this firm a large amount of money and public embarrassment.