$38.6 Million Spent on Lobbying in 2009

[Trimble, Meredith]

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

$38.6 Million Spent on Lobbying in 2009

 

February 2, 2010

 

On the eve of the 2010 legislative session, data from the Connecticut Office of State Ethics (OSE) shows that a total of $38.6 million was spent on lobbying in 2009, 83% of which was spent on legislative lobbying activities.  $24,284.68 of the total went directly to public officials.

 

These statistics and more are contained in the “State of Lobbying” report released today by the OSE, which gleaned the information from lobbyist reports filed with the agency.  The report is available on the OSE’s website, www.ct.gov/ethics.

 

Filers completed the reports using the new online filing system, introduced for the 2009 legislative session, which enables the OSE as well as any interested member of the public to search and sort through the information filed.  This results in increased transparency regarding who is spending money on lobbying, what issues are being targeted, and how the money is being spent.

 

Reports include:

·         Total Lobbyist Expenditures;

·         Top 10 Issues;

·         Top 10 Client Lobbyists (by expenditures);

·         Top 10 Communicator Lobbyists (be revenue received);

·         Top 5 Lobbyists for Media Spending; and

·         Lobbyist Spending to Benefit Public Officials.

 

“Lobbying is an integral part of our democratic process,” said OSE Executive Director, Carol Carson.  “The Code of Ethics for Lobbyists seeks to restrict certain types of spending and to provide the public with information about the role of money in this Constitutionally-protected activity.”

 

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Contact:  Meredith Trimble; meredith...@ct.gov; 860-263-2397

 

Connecticut State of Lobbying 2009 Report Attached.