QUESTION
What activities should be considered indirect lobbying and included in lobbying regulations?
2:20:07
·
132 sec
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions whether certain public campaigns and activities that resemble lobbying but do not fit the current legal definition should be classified as indirect lobbying.
- A specific example is provided of an entity lobbying against a street redesign proposal through mailers, robocalls, and meetings with the mayor
- This campaigning aims to influence the mayor's decision but is not considered lobbying under current laws
- The City Clerk acknowledges these activities likely constitute indirect lobbying, which is not captured by existing lobbying definitions
- In 2013, a provision was added to include attempts to influence elected officials on state/federal rules as lobbying
- This sets a precedent for potentially expanding the lobbying definition to cover indirect campaigning activities
Lincoln Restler
2:20:07
But it's just I I can't fathom that we have a large and lawyer in Greenpoint Broadway stages that's very famously been advocating, spending, you know, 100 of 1000 of dollars, sending out mailers, roboc calls, lobbying the mayor aggressively, reporting on meetings with the mayor to not support a DOT proposed street redesign that's got all the every elected official, 10,000 community members have signed a petition in support.
2:20:35
This entity is aggressively lobbying the mayor, spent in a very public and and explicit way against a DOT proposal, and it's not lobbying.
2:20:47
So so we need to update the laws to capture that kind of information.
2:20:52
Could can that kind of activity for something that is, you know, walks and talks and quacks like a lobbyist, but doesn't actually fit the bill.
Michael McSweeney
2:21:02
I I think, you know, what you're talking about is the indirect lobby, and I don't think that that's captured in the 11, you know, the 11 types of of activity that that cuts its lobbying.
Lincoln Restler
2:21:13
It's the the phrase indirect lobbying, which I'm sure is the technical phrase, is it's like it's hard to stomach because there's nothing indirect about it.
2:21:23
Right?
2:21:23
I mean, it's a public campaign with where they're openly out of city hall saying we met with the mayor to discuss this issue, and he's listen you know, he's changed his mind because of his meeting with us, and he's no longer supporting the Department of Transportation Street Safety Plan.
2:21:36
And yet it's not lobbying.
2:21:38
Right?
2:21:39
I just yeah.
UNKNOWN
2:21:40
And we we do not disagree.
2:21:42
Right.
2:21:42
And I will say that the commission In 2013, the commission did add a new definition, which would be similar to adding a definition of indirect.
2:21:52
They added a provision that's stated if anyone that attempts to influence a New York City elected official or office or employee on any state or federal rule regulation or resolution was captured.
2:22:07
And before 2013 13th, excuse me, that was not part of the law.
2:22:11
So I do think there is sort of like a precedence for adding that type of of of definition into the into the regulations.
