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QUESTION

What specific details are required in lobbying reports regarding the nature of interactions, and how can the reporting be improved for better transparency?

2:15:09

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3 min

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The Committee Counsel explains that the administrative code does not require detailed reporting on the type of lobbying interaction, such as whether it was a mass email or an in-person meeting.

The code only mandates including subject matter details and information sufficient to identify the activity.
It does not require specifying if the lobbying contact was through email, phone call, meeting, etc.
During audits, organizations may be asked to provide more information on the subject details.
Council Member Restler emphasizes the importance of capturing this level of detail for public review and scrutiny of lobbying activities.
He also raises concerns about the lack of clarity in the law regarding lobbying around mayoral discretionary decisions.

Lincoln Restler

2:15:09

I think the other area that I'm kind of interested in drilling down on a little bit more is kind of some of the definitions that we have in reporting.

2:15:17

So we looked online just to see how many folks had lobbied me and my staff over the course of of the year to date and found that there were over a 150 entities that reported lobbying our office so far this year.

2:15:33

But in the reporting, it doesn't indicate whether it was a mass email that was just sent to 51 council members.

2:15:40

Or if I had forced it down meetings with them, which are really different types of interactions.

2:15:46

Have you consumed mattered in these reports, kind of breaking tracking with a little more specificity, the type of interaction that's made, whether it be mass email or or phone call or meeting or multiple meetings to give more insight to the public on kind of how you know, lobbying is is working?

UNKNOWN

2:16:08

So currently, the administrative code doesn't require that they enter that information.

2:16:14

What's required is subject matter details, and the law says they have to enter, include information sufficient to identify the activity.

2:16:23

So as the commissioner mentioned in his openings, for example, if you're talking about a property, you have to include an address.

2:16:29

If you're talking about a law, you have to include an intro a year.

2:16:32

But that's really it.

2:16:34

The admin code doesn't go into more detail, but certainly, whatever is mandated by the admin code, we'd be happy to enforce and carry out.

2:16:42

And when organizations are audited specifically, the subject details are reviewed in more detail, and they often are asked to include more information.

2:16:51

But the law does not require that they state that.

Lincoln Restler

2:16:54

So Well, I think it's, you know, something that we should take a look at because I do think it it would be helpful, and they're already submitting information.

2:17:00

It's just not in the reports.

2:17:01

Right?

2:17:02

And so you're looking at it on the audits.

2:17:06

Right?

2:17:06

So it's we should be able to to gather that information and synthesize it for public review.

2:17:13

You know, I'm always frustrated by The Times, in my experience working in city government, where people will call me and say, I'm an attorney for this client, and they're doing everything that looks smells and acts like lobbying, but it's not lobbying because they're there as the attorney for the client rather than the lobbyists for the client.

2:17:35

I am just gonna say that is something that I find very frustrating and would like to try to figure out a way to to to capture that information more accurately for public review and and really bring more scrutiny to that issue.

2:17:50

Another area that I don't think the lobbying law currently has appropriate clarity is as I understand it around marital discretionary decision making.

2:18:04

And so just to to confirm, if a lobbyist calls the mayor or his team, and lobbies them to not support a given project one way or another.

2:18:18

It's not rulemaking.

2:18:19

It's not local law.

2:18:21

It's just, let's say, a street safety project on McGinnis Boulevard as an example.

Gale A. Brewer

2:18:25

I was wondering if it was gonna come up.

Lincoln Restler

2:18:27

You know?

2:18:30

I'm very predictable.

2:18:31

I guess that's the thing.

2:18:32

You know?

2:18:34

What you see is what you get.

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Is indirect lobbying activity that influences mayoral decisions without directly concerning rulemaking or legislation subject to disclosure requirements?