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    A record $220 million was spent on lobbying activity in 2011, more than three times the $66 million spent in 2000 and more than seven times the $31 million spent in 1991. A record $31 million was spent in 1991 on lobbying activities. The disclosure of only a name will mean little if it is a common name such as "john Smith"

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    A record $220 million was spent on lobbying activity in 2011, more than three times the $66 million spent in 2000 and more than seven times the $31 million spent in 1991. A record $31 million was spent in 1991 on lobbying activities. The disclosure of only a name will mean little if it is a common name such as "john Smith"

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    3K views3 pages

    Cu Testimony J Cope On Disclosure 060712

    Uploaded by

    JimmyVielkind
    A record $220 million was spent on lobbying activity in 2011, more than three times the $66 million spent in 2000 and more than seven times the $31 million spent in 1991. A record $31 million was spent in 1991 on lobbying activities. The disclosure of only a name will mean little if it is a common name such as "john Smith"

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    CITIZENSUNIONOFTHECITYOFNEWYORK TestimonytotheJointCommissiononPublicEthics(JCOPE)on DisclosureofBusinessRelationshipsandSourcesofIncomeofLobbyistsandClients July7,2012 GoodmorningCommissioners.MynameisAlexCamarda.IamtheDirectorofPublicPolicy& AdvocacyatCitizensUnion.CitizensUnionisanonpartisangoodgovernmentgroupbasedinNew YorkCitythatseekstoadvancepoliticalreform. CitizensUnionprovidedextensivecommentary,whichisattachedtothistestimony,inMayforthe promulgationofrulesondisclosureofbusinessrelationshipsandsourcesofincomeoflobbyists andclients. Giventhefiveminutetimelimitfortestimonytoday,Iwouldliketohighlightfourofthetwelve recommendationsCitizensUnionmadepertainingtosourcesoffundingbycertainlobbyistsand clients.

    ts. TheoverarchingprincipleguidingourrecommendationsisthatJCOPEshouldpromulgaterulesto promotetransparencyofthosewhofundlobbyingactivityparticularlybecausethePublicIntegrity ReformAct(theAct)providesnumerousexceptionstoreportingsourcesofincomeforlobbying activity.Arecord$220millionwasspentonlobbyingactivityin2011,morethanthreetimesthe $66millionspentin2000andmorethanseventimesthe$31millionspentin1991.1Thepress coveragethispastweekontherelationshipbetweentheGovernorsOfficeandtheCommitteeto SaveNewYorkhighlightstheneedtorobustlyrevealsourcesofincomeoflobbyingactivity. Strongdemocracyandeffectivegovernmentrequirethatactionsbyregisteredlobbyiststhatseek toinfluenceourpublicofficialsbereportedandmadetransparentsothatthepubliccanknowand evaluatetheimpactthatmethodsofadvocacyandpersuasionhaveondecisionmakingregarding publicpolicy. 1.DisclosureofNamesofSourcesofIncome JCOPEshouldfullydisclosetheidentityofsourcesofincometolobbyistsandclients.JCOPE should,totheextentthelawallows,seekinformationfordonorsbeyondnameslikeasources employerandaddress(asreportedtotheDepartmentofState)todistinguishsourcesofincome fromeachotherandrevealtrendsbycertainemployersorindustriesinfundinglobbyingactivities. ThedisclosureofonlyanamewillmeanlittleifitisacommonnamesuchasJohnSmith.Itmay
    Karlin,Rick.Lobbyingisrecessionproof,saysJCOPEsBiben,CapitolConfidential.March27,2012.Availableat: http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/122539/lobbyingisrecessionproofsaysjcopesbiben/ CitizensUnionoftheCityofNewYork 299Broadway,Suite700NewYork,NY100071976 phone2122270342fax2122270345citizens@citizensunion.orgwww.citizensunion.org PeterJ.W.Sherwin,ChairRobertAbrams,CUFPresidentDickDadey,ExecutiveDirector
    1

    CitizensUnionoftheCityofNewYork Page2 TestimonytoJCOPERegardingGuidelinesandRegulationson DisclosureofReportableBusinessRelationshipsandSourcesofFunding

    evenbemisleadingorconfusingiftherearemultipleidenticallynameddonorsforthesame lobbyingentityorifmultiplelobbyingentitiesappeartohavethesamedonorwheninfactthere arenumerousdonorswiththesamename.JCOPEshouldalsoprescribehownamesofsourcesof incomeshouldbedisclosed.Ourexperienceinusingdatabasesrelatedtocampaignfinance disclosureisthattheinconsistentmannerinwhichnamesareprovidedfrustratestransparency. JCOPEshouldrequirethatofficialfullnamesbereportedratherthanabbreviationsor nicknames. 2.DefiningSourcesofIncome JCOPEshouldalsoclarifywhatismeantintheActbysourcesofincometoensuresingle sourcesofincomearetreatedassuch.Thestatesporouscampaignfinancelawsallowfor entitiestocircumventcontributionlimitsbyspinningofflimitedliabilitycorporations(LLCs)and partnerships(LLPs).Affiliatedunionsengageinsimilaractivity.Similarpracticeswithregardto contributionstolobbyingentitiescouldbedonetoevadedisclosureundertheAct.Forexample, relatedbusinessintereststhatareinrealityasinglesourcecoulddonate$4,999through numerousLLCstoaparticularlobbyingentityandavoiddisclosure.JCOPEshouldclosethis potentialloophole. 3.LimitingExemptionstoDisclosureDuetoHarm,Threats,HarassmentandReprisals Inpromulgatingrulesandguidelines,JCOPEwillalsohavetodeterminethescopeofexemptions todisclosurefor501(c)(4)organizationswhoseprimaryactivitiesareinanareaofpublicconcern thatcreatesasubstantiallikelihoodthatdisclosureofsourcesofincomewouldresultinharm, threats,harassment,orreprisalstoasourceoffundingortoindividualsorproperty.Thelaw alreadyprovidesablanketexemptiontooneareaofconcern:civilrightsandcivilliberties. CitizensUnionrecommendsJCOPEnarrowlyinterpretthisprovisionandbeexceptionally judiciousinprovidinganyfurtherblanketexemptionsforareasofpublicconcernbeyondcivil rightsandcivilliberties. CitizensUnionbelievesforthepurposesofthisprovisionJCOPEshoulddefineharm,threats, harassmentorreprisalsinamannerconsistentwithdefinitionsinpenallawsothatfrivolous claimsdonotserveasthebasisforawholesaleexemptionfromdisclosureofanentireissuearea. Likewise,substantiallikelihoodshouldbeinterpretedasahighthresholdmetonlyifthereare asignificantnumberofrecentlydocumentedcasesofharm,threats,harassmentorreprisalsto actuallobbyistsoradvocatesortheirfundersworkingintheissuearea. Blanketexemptionsfromdonordisclosureshouldnotbeprovidedtoentireissueareassimply becausethereisaperceiveddanger,butratheronlywhenthereisdatatosupportsucha perception.Thelocationanddateofthosedocumentedcasesshouldalsobetakenintoaccount. Anyblanketexemptionsthataregrantedshouldalsobetemporaryinnatureandsubjecttoreview andrenewalbecausethedangerofsupportingparticularpositionsonissueschangesbasedupon thetimeandplaceinwhichadvocacyisdone.

    CitizensUnionoftheCityofNewYork Page3 TestimonytoJCOPERegardingGuidelinesandRegulationson DisclosureofReportableBusinessRelationshipsandSourcesofFunding

    CitizensUnionsupportsaverynarrowapproachtoexemptingwholeissueareasbecausetheAct allowsforlobbyistsandclientstoseekexemptionsforgroupsoforindividualdonors,andappeal unfavorabledecisionsbytheCommission.Thereisalsonothingthatprecludesorganizationsfrom notifyingtheirdonorsinadvancethatsuchdisclosurewilloccur,andenablingdonorsto501(c)(4) organizationstoearmarkfundsforactivitiesthatdonotfallunderthedefinitionoflobbying. Advancenoticeshouldprovideadequateprotectionsuchthatblanketexemptionsforentireissue areasareusedsparingly. 4.ProspectiveImplementation TheeffectivedateinthePublicIntegrityActfortheimplementationofdisclosureofsourcesof incomeoflobbyistsandclientsisJune1stofthisyear,sixdaysago.However,therulesare obviouslynotcompletedyetandmaynotbeforsometime.Itisimportantthatthisneededlevel ofdisclosurebeimplementedstrongly,fairly,andequitably.Giventhedelayinadoptingofthese rules,CitizensUnionbelievesdisclosureoflobbyistsandclientsfundingsourcesshouldbe prospectiveandnotretroactive.Itwouldbeunfairtolobbyists,clientsandtheirdonorstobegin disclosurebeforetheseentitiesandindividualsknowtherulesoftheroad.Itmayalsoresultin unwantedlegalchallengestotherules. Itisalsotroublesomethatthedonorsmustbereportedoneyearpriortothedateofthelastfiling, meaningthatifthestartdatefordisclosureistheDecemberfilingratherthantheJulyfiling, donorswouldneedtobedisclosedforallof2012accordingtoaliteralinterpretationofthelaw. Thisinterpretationwouldagainincludeaperiodbeforetheruleswouldbefinalandpromulgated. Thisshouldnotbethecase.Tocreaterulesthatwouldrequireorganizationswholobbytoreturn totheirlargerdonorsandrequestpermissiontospendtheirmoneyonlobbyingthathasalready occurredwouldnotbefairtotheorganizationorthedonors.Thelawshouldbeinterpretedso thatonlydonationsprovidedaftertherulesarepromulgatedaredisclosed.Thiswaydonors wouldhaveadvancenoticeregardingthemannerinwhichtheirnameswillbemadepublic,and shouldtheynotwanttobeknown,coulddirecttheirmoneytootherelementsofa501(c)(4)s organizationsworksuchaspubliceducationactivities. Thanksyoufortheopportunitytotestify.Iwelcomeanyquestionsyoumayhaveonour testimonyormoreextensivecommentarysubmittedinMay.

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