Weekly Lobbying ArticlesMarch 24, 2017

Albany Times UnionMarch 17, 2017

Lobbyist in Libous case reaches $10k settlement, as legal questions remain

http://blog.timesunion.com/capitol/archives/273178/lobbyist-in-libous-case-reaches-10k-settlement-as-legal-questions-remain/

Lobbyist Fred Hiffa has agreed to pay $10,000 in a settlement with the state’s lobbying and ethics watchdog, in connection with his former firm’s arrangement with the son of now-deceased ex-state Sen. Tom Libous a decade ago.

According to a press release issued Friday by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, Hiffa agreed that he caused the then-lobbying firm, Ostroff Hiffa, to retain and pay Matthew Libous $4,166 per month for one year at the law firm of Santangelo, Randazzo & Mangone.

While Matthew Libous was employed at the law firm, Hiffa lobbied Sen. Tom Libous, who was Chair of the Transportation Committee, on behalf of his clients, according to the release.

The Times Union reported in August that JCOPE was probing potential violations relating to the state “gift ban” law by companies and people who gave jobs to the adult sons of formerly powerful Senate Republicans.

That included Libous, the former deputy leader who was convicted of a single count of lying to the FBI about his son’s arrangement; and ex-Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, who has been convicted on federal corruption charges relating to companies’ hiring of his son, Adam Skelos, and is appealing. These companies had extensive business before the legislative leadership.

But while the JCOPE cases could arguably hold firms people accountable that were spared criminal prosecution – including people at firms like developer Glenwood Management that got non-prosecution agreements to testify – the JCOPE cases also raise legal questions.

The “gift ban” law at the center of JCOPE’s cases does not seem to apply in the Skelos and Libous cases, some legal experts said.

According to state lobbying law, lobbyists and their clients cannot give valuable gifts to a state employee, their spouse or their “unemancipate child” if it appears intended to influence the official.

By its most liberal definition, “unemancipated child” is defined as someone under 21, and defined by JCOPE itself as someone under 18.

The law does not say anything about a ban on gifts to a lawmaker’s adult child. Both Adam Skelos and Matthew Libous were well above 21 at the times of their hirings by the firms with business before the state.

The JCOPE settlement released today indeed notes that Matthew Libous was “emancipated.”

In addition, gift ban cases have historically focused on presents from lobbyists or their clients to public officials like plane tickets, not on jobs given to lawmakers’ adult children.

A JCOPE spokesman did not immediately return a request for comment about how the gift ban law applied in the Libous or Skelos matters, and has not commented in the past when asked by the Times Union.

Hiffa now works at a different lobbying firm, Park Strategies.

In December, JCOPE settled similar cases separately with Glenwood Management and Administrators for the Professions, Inc., the two companies at the heart of Skelos prosecution. Glenwood was also central to the case against ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Telegram.comMarch 19, 2017

Home-rule petition sought to control municipal lobbying

http://www.telegram.com/news/20170319/home-rule-petition-sought-to-control-municipal-lobbying

A city councilor is seeking to increase the transparency and accountability of the city government by initiating an effort to regulate municipal lobbyists.

Councilor-at-Large Khrystian E. King has filed an order calling on his colleagues to request the city administration draft a home rule petition that would regulate executive and legislative lobbying, modeled after existing lobbying laws at the state level.

He said his order is not in response to any existing problems at City Hall, but rather is intended to be proactive going forward.

Mr. King said the regulations he is seeking would require lobbyists doing business with the city, including the Worcester Redevelopment Authority, to register and publicly report their efforts to influence public policy at the local level.

He said they would also have to file reports twice a year indicating any campaign contributions they made, the names of their clients and the local policy decisions they had tried to influence.

"I'm not trying to single out anybody or any group," Mr. King said. "This is for transparency purposes and providing an open (city) government. If anyone or any organization is trying to influence public policy through their dealings with the city administration or City Council, they would have to register.

"The people have the right to know who is trying to influence policy and the decision-making in their city," he added. "It's all about open government and accountability."

Mr. King's order goes before the City Council Tuesday night.

He is asking that it be referred to the council's Rules and Legislative Affairs Committee for a public hearing before it considers filing the home rule petition with the Legislature.

Mr. King said a number of cities across the country regulate municipal lobbying, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and San Francisco.

Last year, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh introduced a similar proposal in that city, but it has yet to advance to the Legislature, where he is also seeking a home rule bill.

In January 2010, the Legislature approved sweeping reforms to the lobbying laws governing the state government – the biggest changes since the 1990s.

According to state law, a lobbyist is a person who for compensation or reward tries to influence public policy through at least one lobbying communication with a government employee.

The law also recognizes "other lobbying organizations" as groups that do not employ a lobbying agent but spend more than $250 a year to promote, oppose, influence or attempt to influence the decisions at the state level.

The City Council does not have any current rules governing lobbying.

Rule 45 requires any individual, except an attorney, appearing before the council at a public hearing and claiming to represent another as an agent in a matter being heard, to file with the council a written authorization signed by the individual, organization or corporation whose interests that individual represents.

Mr. King said his proposal would not have an impact on small neighborhood or community groups or organizations, as long as they do not employ a lobbying agent, realize a profit, or make campaign contributions to political candidates or committees.

Dallas Morning NewsMarch 19, 2017

John Wiley Price bribery trial shines light on hidden world of lobbying within county government

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/03/17/john-wiley-price-bribery-trial-shines-light-secret-world-lobbying-county-government

If you’re an outsider looking to win a local government contract and you don’t know any of the players or decision makers, you call a lobbyist.

It’s a perfectly legitimate way to promote your services and get information to busy public officials.

But in the case of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, lobbying crossed over into bribery, prosecutors say, when the commissioner accepted money from a Dallas lobbyist to help her clients.

Testimony from Price’s bribery and tax evasion trial has provided a rare look into the world of people who are paid to cozy up to politicians for access and influence. It also has revealed weaknesses in regulations governing lobbying at the county level, which made conditions ripe for the type of abuse alleged in the Price trial. Some of those conditions remain.

Lawmakers don’t have time to become experts on every topic, said Jack Gullahorn, a lawyer who until recently headed a trade group for Texas lobbyists and spent 35 years in the industry. Because of the size of government, the system wouldn’t work without the flow of information from lobbyists, Gullahorn said.

Generally, state and local laws say there can’t be a quid pro quo between lobbyists and politicians, meaning taking an action in exchange for an action, he said. It is a felony to offer or solicit or accept any benefit, he said.

“We have got to act ethically and responsibly to make things work right,” Gullahorn said.

Dallas County officials passed new lobbying guidelines several years ago, prior to the Price indictment. Businesses seeking county contracts are not allowed to contact county commissioners during the bid process, and they are encouraged not to give to their campaigns.

But Gullahorn says the guidelines aren’t strong enough to prevent influence peddling. Counties get their authority directly from the state Legislature, which has not given counties the ability to require that lobbyists register and document their activities, for example.

Unlike cities, counties can only pass regulations that are allowed by state laws. The more stringent lobbying regulations apply only to the legislative and executive branches of state government. And even those laws have been watered down by loopholes.

Many cities such as Dallas and Austin have passed their own mandatory lobbyist registration laws.

Former executives of companies that hired Kathy Nealy to lobby for them testified during the trial about how they sought to influence Price and other county officials.

It doesn’t happen this way in every county or with most contracts, elected official or county employees. But according to court testimony and the prosecution’s allegations, this is how lobbying can unravel and become something questionable.

Underdog

Nealy, a longtime Dallas lobbyist and close associate of Price, was a gatekeeper for access to the powerful and influential commissioner. Prosecutors say Nealy paid almost $1 million in bribes to Price over a decade in the form of cash, cars and land in exchange for official action that benefited her corporate clients. She will be tried after Price.

Nealy also got her clients meetings with Price during the “no-contact” or no lobbying period while they were actively seeking contracts. Executives promoted their companies to Price during the visits, according to testimony.

And she charged her clients a “success fee” for specific outcomes regarding county contracts, which is illegal at the state level.

Eric Frazier, a former Schlumberger sales executive who previously worked for local government in Ohio, told the jury Schlumberger hired Nealy in 2002 when it successfully sought a $43 million IT outsourcing contract.

Schlumberger, a large oilfield services company based in France, was an unlikely candidate for the multi-year outsourcing contract to run and maintain all of Dallas County’s computer systems.

Although it was worth billions, the company considered itself an underdog in the race because it had only recently gotten into the local government IT outsourcing business. And it was going up against established computer technology giants such as EDS and ACS.

Frazier, an entrepreneur who lives in Denver, said he had experience working for the city of Columbus, Ohio, and could “speak the language” to sell computer technology to governments. His firm had been purchased by Schlumberger, which saw the potential for great profits in the emerging IT field that blossomed in the 1990s.

The company that specialized in finding oil buried in the earth, however, was “late to the game,” Frazier said. And he didn’t think he’d have a chance with the Dallas County job.

The pre-bid meeting hosted by the county was a “who’s who” in information technology, he said, that included large companies such as SAIC, which did computer outsourcing for the CIA. On the other hand, Schlumberger had its American headquarters in Houston and is a large established company, he said. The decision was made to go for it.

“Go big or go home,” as he put it.

Getting your story heard

Frazier said he was based in Denver at the time and was then pursuing as many as 10 different government contracts across the U.S..

He needed someone local who knew the players, he said.

Nealy got the job. She would be the one to get their story heard, he said.

Nealy was not required to register as a lobbyist with Dallas County to show who was paying her how much and for what services. County policy asks for voluntary lobbyist registration only.

Nealy had a “well-known pedigree,” Frazier said, citing her work for notable clients like Bill and Hillary Clinton. She also knew people like Ron Kirk, the former Dallas mayor, and those in agencies such as DART, he said. She was a proven success, he said.

But more important, Nealy had a good relationship with Price, already an influential member of the Commissioners Court.

Frazier said it’s always a risk to pay a lobbyist hefty fees, not knowing what you’ll get out of it. He testified that he told Nealy what was expected. He’d pay her to get Schlumberger through the initial stages of the bid process, and then the real competition would begin.

“I figured if I could get to the short list, I had a chance,” he said.

The meeting

But Frazier said he became skeptical about whether Nealy could deliver. His impression was that she was folksier than the typical “formal, button-up” lobbyist.

“Kathy had just a different persona,” he said. “It didn’t fill you with confidence that she wasn’t just cashing checks from me.”

Her fee was $7,500 a month, he said. If Schlumberger made the shortlist, she would also receive a lump sum of up to $50,000, he said.

Companies are allowed to pay county lobbyists such contingency fees for a specific outcome. But it’s a felony to pay success fees for state lobbying, Gullahorn said.

Clients “would love to do it that way,” Gullahorn said, but it could get lobbyists in trouble.

“People would be tempted to do things they shouldn’t do, and that wouldn’t be good for the industry,” Gullahorn said.

ValleyCentral.comMarch 21, 2017

By wading into energy policy, did Texas GOP chair break ethics law?

http://valleycentral.com/news/texas/by-wading-into-energy-policy-did-texas-gop-chair-break-ethics-law

Tom Mechler strolled across the lobby of the William B. Travis State Office Building on a recent morning and took an elevator to the 12th floor. The chairman of the Texas Republican Party was about 20 minutes early for an unusual meeting with Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton.

The party chairman had not traveled from Amarillo to talk politics. He was there as an oil and gas producer and consultant, representing a group of fellow Panhandle producers who claimed the local pipeline company was unfairly cutting payments to producers for their natural gas.

Tom Mechler strolled across the lobby of the William B. Travis State Office Building on a recent morning and took an elevator to the 12th floor. The chairman of the Texas Republican Party was about 20 minutes early for an unusual meeting with Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton.

The party chairman had not traveled from Amarillo to talk politics. He was there as an oil and gas producer and consultant, representing a group of fellow Panhandle producers who claimed the local pipeline company was unfairly cutting payments to producers for their natural gas.

In a letter to the state's three railroad commissioners three months earlier, Mechler had asked that they "actively engage senior corporate management" at Denver-based DCP Midstream. The pipeline company had a monopoly on transporting gas across the Panhandle, Mechler told the Republican commissioners, and he needed the state's help to prevent DCP from squeezing small-time producers already reeling due to dropping oil and gas prices.

After filing a number of informal complaints and going through mediation for two of his clients — but not getting any resolution — Mechler got an audience with Sitton, who agreed to act as a solo mediator on such a dispute for the first time in his two-year tenure. The March 2 meeting with Mechler, a handful of Panhandle producers, and pipeline company representatives stretched into the afternoon, according to those who attended.

Meanwhile, Mechler was also trying to address his clients’ problem at the statehouse, pushing draft legislation — which he called an “Oil and Gas Fairness Bill” — that would require the Railroad Commission to adopt new rules and set prices for gas purchasers like DCP.

No lawmakers agreed to carry Mechler’s proposed bill, and it’s not clear whether his meeting with Sitton will resolve the dispute. But experts say Mechler’s efforts to sway elected officials on behalf of his clients sound a lot like lobbying — something he is not registered to do.

“If he’s being paid anything of any consequence representing these oil and gas companies and he’s writing the Legislature, he’s lobbying,” said Randall "Buck" Wood, a longtime ethics attorney in Austin and a Democrat. “I’m seeing more and more people – they’re lobbying, and they’re being paid for it, and they’re not registering.”

Texas law defines a lobbyist as someone who has "direct communication" with members of the executive and legislative branches to "influence legislation or administrative action." That would include trying to influence "rulemaking, licensing, or any other matter that may be the subject of action by a state agency or executive branch office," according to the state government code.

Anyone who receives more than $1,000 over three months while spending more than 5 percent of their paid time (including preparation) on such influencing must register as a lobbyist under state law.

Mechler insists he was not lobbying. He said he was only bringing an issue of statewide importance to the attention of Texas’ elected officials and looking out for clients of his firm, Covenant Contracts, which negotiates contracts for oil and gas producers.

“I’m certainly, absolutely not being paid to propose legislation,” he said. “If you really want to look into the story, I would suggest that the story is the hundreds of millions of dollars that are being taken by these gas purchasers.”

Correspondence and other documents obtained by the Texas Tribune show how someone like Mechler — a party chairman, oilman and industry consultant — can blur the line between business and politics when interacting with state officials.

Plunging prices in the Panhandle

Pricing disputes have erupted in the Panhandle for nearly two years, wafting into conversations in coffee shops and diners, locals say. That’s what happens when prices plunge — oil has dropped from more than $100 a barrel to below $50 per barrel since mid-2014, while natural gas prices have dropped nearly 40 percent — and companies of all sizes scramble for every dollar.

To get their gas to market, many Panhandle producers have to go through DCP. The company operates a web of pipelines that funnel gas from wells to a processing plant north of Amarillo. It also sends gas liquids through a larger pipeline that snakes to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Before the market tumbled, DCP simply paid producers a percentage of what it earned by selling their natural gas. Now, amid low commodity prices, the pipeline company is deducting extra fees from what they pay producers. Producers say the new contracts also give DCP all of the proceeds from selling certain liquids extracted from their natural gas — which are used in plastics, petrochemical plants and vehicle fuel blends.

In his correspondence with Texas officials, Mechler said the new contracts amount to “theft.” He attached an example illustrating the dramatic changes: one unnamed producer who earned about $2,800 per month under the original contract would get $1,600 per month under the updated terms.

DCP officials declined to comment. But the company has argued to the producers that the sluggish market forced it to tack on fees. The company could not afford to keep its processing plants running under the old deals, DCP argues. Not with gas selling so cheaply.

Panhandle producers say the new contracts could force them to shut down hundreds of wells across the region.

“Certainly we’re in a bind,” said Todd Lovett, president of Mewborne Oil Company, who attended Mechler’s meeting with Sitton.

Complaining to the commission

As the state's oil and gas industry regulator, the Railroad Commission can referee such disputes when one party files a complaint with the agency. That can lead to a trial-like hearing — cross-examination and all — before an agency hearing examiner, who then issues a lengthy report with recommendations to the three elected commissioners, who make the final decision.

That long, winding process can become expensive for small producers, particularly when lawyers get involved. That’s why, during a drilling downturn in the mid-1990s — another era rife with contract disputes — the Railroad Commission created an informal complaint process. When producers choose that route, the agency can choose a staffer or private mediator to try to resolve the dispute before it becomes a drawn-out formal complaint.

In his December correspondence with the commissioners, Mechler said he had filed an informal complaint on behalf of his own oil company, Makar Production, and later withdrew it after settling with DCP. He had also filed six other informal complaints on behalf of his clients, he wrote, but none of those were resolved. In fact, through December only one of 21 informal complaints about the DCP contracts had been settled. That was the complaint Mechler's company filed.

Mechler accused DCP of blowing off the process and asked the elected officials for help.

Commissioners Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian did not step in. Their offices declined to comment for this story. But Sitton thought he could help.

Jared Craighead, Sitton's chief of staff, said it was the first time Sitton had conducted a meeting related to a gas pipeline dispute without his fellow commissioners. He did so because he'd heard from a number

of Panhandle producers unhappy with DCP's contracts and because the dispute covered a large region of the state, Craighead said.

“The goal was to try to help the parties come together and develop some common ground,” Craighead said. “I think it’s in DCP’s interest and the Panhandle producers’ interest not to have some expensive formal litigation that takes several months, if not years to get worked out.”

Craighead said Mechler "was engaged on behalf of Panhandle producers and he’s an expert contract negotiator, so I didn’t feel like he was ever lobbying us.”

But was it lobbying?

Ethics experts suggest Mechler's actions sounded like lobbying, but it's tough to say whether he broke any laws by not registering as a lobbyist. The Texas Ethics Commission can investigate such questions if they receive a complaint, and it can fine violators up to $5,000 or triple the amount of money at issue.

Andrew Wheat, research director at Texans for Public Justice, a liberal watchdog group that tracks the influence of money in politics, said the GOP chairman “walks and talks just like a hired-gun lobbyist” in his correspondence with the railroad commissioners and by drafting legislation.

“Whether Mechler legally was required to register as a lobbyist hinges largely on how much his clients paid him for his lobby activities,” Wheat said. “We don't know what Melcher was paid, however, precisely because he failed to file any lobby disclosures.”

Mechler said he believed lobbying laws did not apply because his clients did not specifically pay him — or ask him — to interact with elected officials. His attorney, who he declined to name, told him he didn't need to register, Mechler added.

“I’m certainly absolutely not being paid to propose legislation,” he said. “This is something to help these small producers.”

Four experts interviewed by The Texas Tribune pointed out that Texas ethics law does not differentiate between those who sign specific lobbying contracts or others trying to influence public officials as part of their day job. The $1,000-per-quarter registration threshold applies “whether or not the person receives any compensation for the communication in addition to the salary for that regular employment," the law states.

Cathie Adams, president of the conservative Texas Eagle Forum and a former state Republican chairwoman, said she found Mechler’s behavior troubling even if he didn’t break any ethics laws.

“Mechler is just playing fast and loose with the rules and profiting off of being party chairman,” she said “Even logic would tell me that it’s extremely questionable behavior.”

Mechler insisted he was not abusing his chairmanship, a position that does not come with a paycheck.

“I never indicated — not one time — that I’m doing any of that on behalf of the Republican Party of Texas," he said.

New Mexico In DepthMarch 21, 2017

Lobbyists report spending nearly $292K during session

http://nmindepth.com/2017/03/21/lobbyists-report-spending-nearly-292k-during-session/

Lobbyists reported spending nearly $292,000 during the 2017 legislative session, with more to be reported in May.

Many of the final reports focused not on buying meals for lawmakers, but on campaigns to lobby them.

Two groups, New Mexicans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions and Americans for Comprehensive Energy Solutions, spent nearly $16,900 on digital and newspaper advertising to encourage the Legislature to extend renewable energy tax credits. The bills the group supported didn’t make it out of committee.

The American Federation of Teachers reported spending $10,000 for a consultant in “issue education for budget and revenue.”

The American Cancer Society Action Network lobbyist reported spending $9,591 on Facebook ads and phone calls urging support of a tax increase on tobacco products, an effort that failed.

And CHI St. Joseph’s Children’s lobbyist reported spending $2,651 on an ad in the Santa Fe New Mexican thanking Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe, for his vote on House Joint Resolution 1. Trujillo suffered heart problems early in the session, and was hospitalized in Denver. He missed most of the session.

But on March 8, he showed up on the floor to vote for HJR1, a measure to use a portion of permanent funds for early childhood education. It’s a measure he’s advocated in the past. But it died in the Senate Rules Committee, where two Democrats joined Republicans in defeating it.

State law requires lobbyists to report expense of $500 or more during the session within 48 hours of the spending.

Lobbyists typically spend plenty more during the legislative session. For instance, Everytown for Gun Safety spent $12,500 for canvassing work on a gun background check bill by ProgressNow New Mexico, but told New Mexico In Depth the spending wouldn’t be reported until May.

The next lobbyist expense report filings are due May 3.

Those May reports may include less disclosure than in past years. A loophole created by a 2016 revision of lobbyist reporting allows lobbyists to avoid reporting expenses less than $100 per person. In the past, lobbyists were required to report aggregate totals for such expenditures. Many lobbyists continued to report cumulative totals, while others didn’t.

That loophole will be closed on July 1, however, if Gov. Susana Martinez signs Senate Bill 393. That bill requires lobbyists to resume reporting cumulative totals for expenses less than $100.

WDRB.comMarch 22, 2017

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce top spender on lobbying in state legislature

http://www.wdrb.com/story/34974909/kentucky-chamber-of-commerce-top-spender-on-lobbying-in-state-legislature

Backing a series of high-profile economic bills, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spent more money lobbying state lawmakers than did any other interest group during the first two months of the current General Assembly, new data shows.

The business group paid out more than $88,000 in January and February in support of measures that included repealing prevailing wages on public projects and eliminating requirements that union members pay dues in order to join, according to the state’s legislative ethics commission.

The chamber was a proponent of a bill, which Gov. Matt Bevin signed into law Tuesday, allowing charter schools in Kentucky. Among other priorities, it pushed for repealing the moratorium on nuclear power

plants in the state, the creation of panels to evaluate medical malpractice claims and requiring a bond for appealing planning and zoning cases.

The U.S. Justice Action Network, a self-described coalition of “progressive and conservative partners” seeking criminal justice reforms, spent the second-highest amount – nearly $63,000. The group supports Senate Bill 120, a sweeping measure meant to help felons re-enter society after leaving prison.

Different versions of SB 120 have passed both the House and Senate.

Altria Client Services of Richmond, Va., the lobbying arm of tobacco conglomerate Altria Group, the parent company of cigarette maker Philip Morris, spent the third-highest amount at more than $57,000.

A similar amount was spent by Marsy’s Law for All, an organization that is working to pass legislation amending states’ constitutions to include protections for crime victims. Two bills in the Kentucky legislature failed to advance out of committees this year

The earliest a constitutional amendment could go on the ballot in Kentucky is in 2018.

“Amending a state constitution takes a lot of time and resources, both of which have been devoted to ensuring success during the legislative session and when it’s in the hands of the voters,” Ashlea Christensen, the executive director of Marsy’s Law for All in Kentucky, said in a statement.

Other organizations that incurred more than $30,000 in lobbying expenses during the first two months of the General Assembly were the Kentucky Justice Association; the Kentucky League of Cities; the Kentucky Bankers Association; Anthem Inc., and its affiliates; Greater Louisville Inc.; and the Kentucky Medical Association.

Greater Louisville Inc., the Louisville-area chamber of commerce, has supported charter school legislation, the appeals bond bill and a measure that would allow the Louisville Arena Authority more time to collect revenue for a tax-increment financing district near the KFC Yum! Center.

Overall, organizations reported spending $4.35 million on lobbying during January and February. The Kentucky legislature reconvenes March 29 for its final two days.

Here's a list of organizations ranked by lobbying expenses during January and February:

Organization Total lobbying expenses

KY Chamber of Commerce $ 88,089.85

U.S. Justice Action Network $ 62,958.00

Altria Client Services LLC $ 57,386.23

Marsy's Law for All $ 56,968.00

KY Hospital Association $ 49,787.64

KY Justice Association $ 37,854.70

KY League of Cities, Inc. $ 36,392.00

KY Bankers Association $ 36,160.00

Anthem, Inc. and Its Affiliates $ 34,000.00

Greater Louisville, Inc. $ 32,029.32

KY Medical Association $ 30,398.78

KY Retail Federation $ 29,684.98

Norton Healthcare, Inc. $ 29,575.00

AT&T $ 28,612.82

Humana Inc. $ 26,893.11

KY Assn. of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. $ 25,910.57

KY Assn. of Realtors $ 24,180.23

Home Builders Assn. of KY $ 23,937.00

KY Assn. of Health Care Facilities $ 23,559.00

Excellence in Education in Action $ 22,722.56

KY Pipe Trades Assn. $ 22,216.20

KY Farm Bureau Federation $ 21,863.00

KY Education Association $ 21,731.61

National Heritage Academies $ 21,685.23

Molina Healthcare, Inc. $ 21,600.00

Hewlett Packard Enterprise $ 20,000.00

Century Aluminum Company $ 19,306.56

EQT Corporation $ 19,019.00

Saint Elizabeth Healthcare $ 18,763.30

CSX Corporation $ 17,917.60

KY State AFL-CIO $ 17,750.00

AARP $ 17,712.13

Catholic Conference of KY $ 17,500.00

Wine Institute $ 17,500.00

KY Assn. of Manufacturers $ 17,434.30

KY Magistrates & Commissioners Assoc., Inc. $ 17,294.84

KY County Clerks' Association $ 16,977.38

KY Assn. of Health Plans, Inc. $ 16,839.85

KY Optometric Association $ 16,697.61

Sanofi Pasteur $ 16,666.00

LifePoint Hospitals, Inc. $ 16,400.00

LG&E and KU Energy LLC $ 16,150.00

FanDuel, Inc. $ 16,023.25

Insurance Institute of Kentucky $ 15,538.01

KY State Building & Const. Trades Council $ 15,448.00

Commonwealth Credit Union $ 15,250.00

United Parcel Service $ 15,207.82

Toyota Motors North America, Inc. $ 15,010.00

Beckfield College $ 15,000.00

SAS Institute Inc. $ 15,000.00

Advance America Cash Advance Centers, Inc. $ 14,996.00

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth $ 14,869.34

KentuckyOne Health $ 14,686.74

DraftKings, Inc. $ 14,563.25

American Heart Assn. $ 14,492.18

KY Automobile Dealers Assn. (KADA) $ 14,160.00

Beam Suntory, Inc. $ 14,150.00

KY Beverage Association $ 14,055.30

CIOX Health, LLC $ 14,000.00

KY Youth Advocates, Inc. $ 13,899.84

Amgen $ 13,870.00

KY Assn. of Private Providers $ 13,525.00

KY Cable Telecommunications Assn. $ 13,500.98

KY School Boards Association $ 13,459.93

KY Assn. of School Administrators $ 13,250.00

Family Foundation (The) $ 13,092.93

Sullivan University System $ 13,075.00

Accenture LLP $ 13,000.00

Hagan Properties $ 13,000.00

Swedish Match North America, LLC $ 12,718.00

RAI Services Company $ 12,666.00

Aetna, Inc. $ 12,645.85

National Rifle Assn. of America $ 12,615.65

KY State Lodge Frat. Order of Police, Inc. $ 12,536.08

HCA - Hospital Corporation of America $ 12,500.00

KY Society of Certified Public Accountants $ 12,483.33

Houchens Industries $ 12,350.00

Americans for Prosperity $ 12,207.79

KY Solar Industries Assn, LLC $ 12,199.05

Express Scripts Holding Company $ 12,180.00

AmeriHealth Caritas Family of Companies $ 12,032.47

Brown-Forman Corporation $ 12,000.00

Buffalo Trace Distillery $ 12,000.00

Citigroup Washington, Inc. $ 12,000.00

IGT and Its Affiliates $ 12,000.00

KY Downs LLC $ 12,000.00

Nucor Corp. $ 12,000.00

KY Employers Mutual Insurance $ 11,806.08

Anheuser-Busch Companies $ 11,666.00

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network $ 11,650.00

Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund $ 11,273.95

Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. $ 11,200.00

State Farm Insurance Group $ 11,079.70

KY Liquor Retailers Coalition $ 11,000.00

Murray State University $ 11,000.00

Big Rivers Electric Corporation $ 10,943.79

KY Council of Area Development Districts $ 10,916.50

Jefferson County Teachers Association $ 10,805.70

Eli Lilly and Company $ 10,734.00

KY Coal Association $ 10,691.46

KY Beer Wholesalers Assn. $ 10,566.67

Baptist Health $ 10,540.00

Louisville Convention & Visitor's Bureau $ 10,343.41

KY Petroleum Marketers Association $ 10,278.89

KY Land Title Assn. $ 10,250.00

Christ Hospital (The) $ 10,200.00

Uber $ 10,180.00

Charter Communications $ 10,150.00

Hellervik Oilfield Technologies, LLC $ 10,120.10

Legalize KY Now, Inc $ 10,103.00

Check Into Cash $ 10,063.16

CareSource Management Services Co. $ 10,039.85

State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company $ 10,025.85

American Municipal Power $ 10,000.00

Atmos Energy $ 10,000.00

Baptist Life Communities $ 10,000.00

Brutus Capital Holdings, LLC $ 10,000.00

Cash Express LLC $ 10,000.00

Correct Care Solutions $ 10,000.00

Delaware North Companies $ 10,000.00

Dell Technologies, Inc. $ 10,000.00

Dismas Charities Inc. $ 10,000.00

Expedia, Inc. $ 10,000.00

Fresenius Medical Care North America $ 10,000.00

General Dynamics Information Technology $ 10,000.00

Google, Inc. $ 10,000.00

KY Poultry Federation $ 10,000.00

KY Smart on Crime $ 10,000.00

KY WILG $ 10,000.00

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc $ 10,000.00

Motion Picture Assn. of America $ 10,000.00

NCP Finance Kentucky, LLC $ 10,000.00

Novo Nordisk, Inc. $ 10,000.00

Republic Services, Inc. $ 10,000.00

Res-Care, Inc. $ 10,000.00

RJ Corman Railroad $ 10,000.00

Swisher International, Inc. $ 10,000.00

Universal Health Services, Inc. $ 10,000.00

University of Louisville $ 10,000.00

University Health Care, Inc. $ 9,799.31

Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. & Its Affiliates $ 9,784.00

Property Valuation Administrators Assn. of Ky. $ 9,687.58

Churchill Downs Incorporated $ 9,618.41

Commerce Lexington $ 9,400.00

National Federation of Independent Business $ 9,266.00

Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn. (PCMA) $ 9,166.00

Greater Louisville Association of Realtors $ 9,150.00

KY Jailers Association $ 9,120.58

Ford Motor Company $ 9,066.00

Northern KY Chamber of Commerce $ 9,023.88

Bluegrass New Directions, Inc. $ 9,000.00

Consumer Healthcare Products Association $ 9,000.00

Consumer Technology Assn. (CTA) $ 9,000.00

Microsoft Corporation $ 9,000.00

National Alliance for Public Charter Schools $ 9,000.00

National Tobacco Company $ 9,000.00

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. $ 9,000.00

Deloitte Consulting LLP $ 8,834.00

Funeral Directors Assoc. of Ky., Inc. $ 8,822.84

KY Power Company $ 8,718.41

KY Tobacco & Candy Assn. Inc. $ 8,620.00

Comcast $ 8,500.00

Owensboro Health $ 8,500.00

KY Fire Fighters Association $ 8,484.00

KY Rural Water Association $ 8,425.40

Childrens Alliance $ 8,241.68

Louisville Regional Airport Authority $ 8,225.00

NextEra Energy Resources, LLC $ 8,209.44

KY Assn. of Counties $ 8,192.58

Transit Authority of River City $ 8,120.00

KY Public Health Association $ 8,045.60

Alkermes, Inc. $ 8,037.45

Amazon $ 8,000.00

Apollo Education Group, Inc. $ 8,000.00

Balanced Budget Amendment Inc. $ 8,000.00

BPM Lumber $ 8,000.00

Carfax $ 8,000.00

CGI Technologies & Solutions, Inc. $ 8,000.00

Cumberland River Comprehensive Care Center $ 8,000.00

Eastern KY University $ 8,000.00

Farm Credit Mid-America $ 8,000.00

HDR Engineering, Inc. $ 8,000.00

Insurance Auto Auction Inc $ 8,000.00

Key Bank National Assn. $ 8,000.00

KY Assn. of Adult Day Centers (KAAD) $ 8,000.00

KY Blood Center $ 8,000.00

KY Employers Safety Association, Inc. $ 8,000.00

KY Malt Beverage Council, Inc. $ 8,000.00

KY Municipal Utilities Association $ 8,000.00

Maximus $ 8,000.00

Outdoor Advertising Assoc. of KY $ 8,000.00

Red Mile (The) $ 8,000.00

RELX Inc. $ 8,000.00

River Metals Recycling LLC $ 8,000.00

Safelite Group, Inc. $ 8,000.00

Safety Edge, LLC $ 8,000.00

SAP Public Services $ 8,000.00

Sugar Creek Capital $ 8,000.00

Waterfront Botanical Gardens $ 8,000.00

Westlake Chemical Corporation $ 8,000.00

Xerox Corporation $ 8,000.00

Americas Health Insurance Plans $ 7,831.85

EPIC Pharmacies, Inc. $ 7,700.00

Pfizer Inc. $ 7,539.41

KY Academy of Physician Assistants $ 7,500.00

KY Coalition to Abolish The Death Penalty $ 7,500.00

KY Paint Council $ 7,500.00

T Mobile USA, Inc. $ 7,500.00

American Water Works Assn. KY-TN Section $ 7,450.00

Greater Lexington Convention & Visitors Bureau $ 7,400.00

KVC Health Systems, Inc. $ 7,400.00

KY Retired Teachers Association $ 7,304.47

KY Oil & Gas Association $ 7,240.95

KY State University $ 7,200.00

Morehead State University $ 7,200.00

American Petroleum Institute (API) $ 7,166.00

CVS Health $ 7,166.00

KY Coal and Mineral County Coalition $ 7,152.00

KY Science and Technology Corporation $ 7,120.25

Pew Charitable Trusts (The) $ 7,113.00

United Way of Greater Cincinnati $ 7,066.00

Community Choice Financial $ 7,013.15

Appian $ 7,000.00

Conduent, Inc. & its Affiliates $ 7,000.00

Edchoice Kentucky, Inc. $ 7,000.00

Full House Resorts, Inc. $ 7,000.00

Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce $ 7,000.00

ITG Brands, LLC and its Affiliates $ 7,000.00

Jefferson County Public Schools $ 7,000.00

Mallinckrodt LLC $ 7,000.00

National Council on Compensation Insurance $ 7,000.00

Northern KY University Foundation, Inc. $ 7,000.00

Sunrise Children's Services $ 7,000.00

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. $ 7,000.00

KY Press Association $ 6,987.00

East KY Power Cooperative Inc. $ 6,923.04

Polaris Industries, Inc. $ 6,916.00

K12 $ 6,896.78

KY County Judge/Executive Assn. $ 6,883.73

Pharmaceutical Research & Manuf. of America $ 6,880.00

KY Assn. of Career Colleges & Schools $ 6,750.00

Property Casualty Insurers Assn. of America $ 6,705.85

KY Distillers' Assn. $ 6,698.00

American International Group (AIG) $ 6,666.00

Johnson & Johnson $ 6,660.00

KY Assn. of Nurse Anesthetists $ 6,618.41

KY Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. $ 6,588.33

Boy Scouts of America $ 6,500.00

Crown Cork & Seal Co., Inc. $ 6,500.00

KY Equine Education Alliance (KEEP) $ 6,500.00

KY Physical Therapy Association $ 6,466.67

Access to Justice Foundation $ 6,400.00

Westcare Foundation $ 6,400.00

Paducah & Louisville Railway, Inc. $ 6,369.80

National Alliance on Mental Illness KY $ 6,271.18

JPMorgan Chase Holdings LLC $ 6,240.00

PMKY Louisville, LLC $ 6,239.40

KY Baptist Convention $ 6,203.96

KY Film and Digital Entertainment Assn. $ 6,140.72

KY Equal Justice Center $ 6,135.30

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners $ 6,118.41

Education Professional Standards Board $ 6,100.00

KY State Police Professional Assn. KSPPA $ 6,080.69

KY American Water Company $ 6,068.41

Community Action Kentucky $ 6,028.00

American Congress of Obstetrician/Gynecologist $ 6,000.00

Benevis $ 6,000.00

Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce $ 6,000.00

Centerstone $ 6,000.00

Cerner $ 6,000.00

Hendricks Resources $ 6,000.00

Highlands Health System $ 6,000.00

Joe Foss Institute $ 6,000.00

KY Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons $ 6,000.00

KY Health Resource Alliance $ 6,000.00

KY Hotel & Lodging Association $ 6,000.00

KY Smoke Free Assn. $ 6,000.00

Lancaster Bingo Company $ 6,000.00

National Waste & Recycling Assn. $ 6,000.00

Pomeroy IT $ 6,000.00

Public Consulting Group $ 6,000.00

Rogers Group, Inc. $ 6,000.00

Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Assn. $ 6,000.00

KY Guild of Brewers, Inc $ 5,967.55

Genentech, Inc. $ 5,900.51

Waste Management, Inc. (WMI) $ 5,800.00

KY Telecom Association $ 5,701.69

Appalachian Regional Healthcare $ 5,686.40

Opportunity Solutions Project $ 5,684.96

Lotts Creek Community School $ 5,680.00

Kidz Club (The) $ 5,658.71

KY Coalition of Nurse Practitioners $ 5,652.48

NeuroRestorative $ 5,602.10

Daviess County Fiscal Court $ 5,600.00

KY Professional Fire Fighters $ 5,571.71

KY Broadcasters Association $ 5,566.67

KY Society of Anesthesiologists $ 5,506.00

Southern Health Partners $ 5,500.00

Advantage Capital $ 5,470.27

KY Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, Inc. $ 5,454.86

KY Assn. of School Superintendents $ 5,426.40

KY Dental Association $ 5,418.41

Maryhurst $ 5,400.00

KY Assn. of Chiropractors $ 5,378.00

Mountain Assn. for Community Economic Devel. $ 5,289.00

Volunteers of America Mid-States $ 5,239.27

Necco $ 5,154.79

Motorola Solutions $ 5,125.00

Childrens Home of Northern KY $ 5,120.86

Big Ass Solutions Company $ 5,118.41

Hinkle Contracting, LLC $ 5,118.41

National Council of State Boards of Nursing $ 5,118.41

SelfRefind $ 5,118.41

Keeneland Association $ 5,075.00

Greenwich Biosciences, Inc. $ 5,070.00

Investors Heritage Life Insurance Co. $ 5,039.85

3M Company $ 5,000.00

Ascential Care Partners, LLC $ 5,000.00

Bank of America Corporation $ 5,000.00

Black Hawk Mining, LLC $ 5,000.00

ChanceLight $ 5,000.00

Diabetes Caucus, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Fayette County Public Schools $ 5,000.00

General Motors LLC $ 5,000.00

Hollenbach-Oakley, LLC $ 5,000.00

Hosparus, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Jefferson County Suburban Fire Service $ 5,000.00

KY Assn. of Circuit Court Clerks $ 5,000.00

KY Consumer Finance Assn. $ 5,000.00

KY Independent Pharmacy Alliance $ 5,000.00

KY Interactive, LLC $ 5,000.00

KY Occupational Therapy Assn. $ 5,000.00

KY Rent-A-Car Association $ 5,000.00

Mountain Enterprises, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Mylan, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Nuclear Energy Institute, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Partnership for New American Econ. Action Fund $ 5,000.00

PremierTox 2.0 $ 5,000.00

Purdue Pharma LP $ 5,000.00

Securities Industry & Financial Markets Association $ 5,000.00

Teach for America Appalachia $ 5,000.00

TracFone Wireless, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Tyson Foods, Inc. $ 5,000.00

Veritec $ 5,000.00

Verizon Wireless, Cellco Partnership $ 5,000.00

Walden University $ 5,000.00

Cincinnati Bell Telephone $ 4,992.00

Home of The Innocents $ 4,920.86

KY Academy of Family Physicians $ 4,810.87

CoreCivic $ 4,800.00

Messer Construction $ 4,800.00

Independent Ins. Agents of Ky, Inc. $ 4,705.20

AIA Kentucky $ 4,666.00

Prichard Committee for Academic $ 4,592.66

Excellence

Custom Data Processing $ 4,500.00

KY Home Birth Coalition, INC $ 4,453.80

Associated General Contractors of KY $ 4,408.00

Delta Dental Plan of Kentucky $ 4,400.00

Underwriters Safety & Claims, Inc. $ 4,368.41

Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of KY, Inc. $ 4,365.00

AFLAC $ 4,350.00

Council on Developmental Disabilities, Inc. $ 4,337.00

KY Assn. of Chiefs of Police $ 4,322.00

Indivior, PLC $ 4,320.00

American Tort Reform Assn. $ 4,284.41

Alliance Coal, LLC $ 4,261.00

American Insurance Association $ 4,205.85

Associated Builders & Contractors Indiana/Kentucky $ 4,200.00

U.S. Precedent $ 4,200.00

McLane Company, Inc. $ 4,166.00

Louisville & Jefferson County Metro Government $ 4,127.00

Air Evac Lifeteam $ 4,118.41

Cimarex Energy Company $ 4,118.41

Enterprise Holdings $ 4,118.41

Duke Energy $ 4,100.00

Delta Air Lines Inc. $ 4,082.80

KY Assn. of Health Underwriters $ 4,039.85

Norfolk Southern Corporation $ 4,013.89

ADP - Automatic Data Processing $ 4,000.00

Al J. Schneider Company (The) $ 4,000.00

Allen County-Scottsville Industrial Dev. Authority $ 4,000.00

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers $ 4,000.00

Alpha Natural Resources $ 4,000.00

American Engineers $ 4,000.00

American Health Advocates Forum $ 4,000.00

American Soc. for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals $ 4,000.00

Assurant Solutions $ 4,000.00

Bluegrass Community Bankers Association, Inc. $ 4,000.00

Commercial Specialty Truck Holding, LLC $ 4,000.00

Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund $ 4,000.00

Franklin Simpson Industrial Authority $ 4,000.00

Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. $ 4,000.00

Johnson Controls, Inc. $ 4,000.00

KY Assisted Living Facilities Association $ 4,000.00

KY Community & Technical College System $ 4,000.00

KY Concrete Association $ 4,000.00

KY Concrete Pavement Association $ 4,000.00

KY Equipment Distributors $ 4,000.00

KY United Methodist Homes for Children & Youth $ 4,000.00

Leitchfield Grayson Co. Industrial Auth. $ 4,000.00

Newtown Springs $ 4,000.00

Pearson Education Inc. $ 4,000.00

Powerhouse Gaming $ 4,000.00

Telmate $ 4,000.00

United Health Actuarial Services, Inc. $ 4,000.00

Windstream Communications, Inc. $ 4,000.00

Unite Foundation $ 3,772.31

Child Care Council of KY, Inc $ 3,750.00

KY Tennessee Water Environment Assn. $ 3,750.00

MAGO Construction $ 3,618.41

Behavioral Health Advocates $ 3,600.00

Lake Cumberland MH/MR Board, Inc. $ 3,600.00

Woodford Forward, Inc. $ 3,560.13

Merscorp Holdings, Inc. $ 3,540.00

Coca-Cola Refreshments $ 3,500.00

Colon Cancer Prevention Project $ 3,500.00

Ferring Pharmaceuticals $ 3,500.00

Masonic Homes of KY $ 3,500.00

Blue & Co., LLC $ 3,460.00

KY Conservation Committee $ 3,456.80

American Civil Liberties Union of KY $ 3,456.29

KY Public Library Association $ 3,452.41

Goodwill Industries of Kentucky $ 3,427.00

ABA Advocates $ 3,400.00

American Fed. State Co. Mun. Emp. IKOC 962 $ 3,398.40

Accreditation Assn. for Ambulatory Health Care $ 3,335.40

American Chemistry Council $ 3,334.00

United Services Automobile Association $ 3,334.00

Teachers Insurance & Annuity Assn. (TIAA) $ 3,332.00

Iron Workers DC of Southern Ohio & Vicinity $ 3,328.05

Atlantic Bingo Supply Company $ 3,200.00

Pinnacle Treatment Centers KY-I, LLC $ 3,184.21

KY Public Transit Assn. $ 3,145.79

Louisville Water Company $ 3,138.00

MillerCoors LLC $ 3,136.00

Michter's Distillery, LLC $ 3,118.41

KY Assn. of Food Banks $ 3,107.36

American Lung Assn. of the Midland States $ 3,100.00

LeadingAge Kentucky $ 3,075.00

Jefferson County Farm Bureau $ 3,068.00

Allen Company (The) $ 3,000.00

ATS Construction $ 3,000.00

Bizzack Construction $ 3,000.00

Central Bridge Company, LLC $ 3,000.00

Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport $ 3,000.00

Communicare $ 3,000.00

Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. $ 3,000.00

Epilepsy Foundation Kentuckiana $ 3,000.00

Gaddie-Shamrock, LLC $ 3,000.00

HID Global $ 3,000.00

KY Center for the Arts Endowment Fund, Inc. $ 3,000.00

KY Crushed Stone Assn. $ 3,000.00

KY Laborers District Council $ 3,000.00

Level 3 Communications, Inc. $ 3,000.00

Lexmark International, Inc. $ 3,000.00

Mulzer Crushed Stone $ 3,000.00

Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce $ 3,000.00

Scientific Games Corporation $ 3,000.00

Signature HealthCare Consulting Services, LLC $ 3,000.00

Software Information Systems, LLC (SIS) $ 3,000.00

United Food & Commercial Workers Union $ 3,000.00

National Assn. of Mutual Insurance Co.(NAMIC) $ 2,888.81

Save the Children $ 2,750.00

KY Assn. of Professional Educators (KAPE) $ 2,715.62

KY Assn. of Professional Surveyors $ 2,700.00

KY Assn. of Sexual Assault Programs, Inc. $ 2,685.00

KY Dental Hygienists Association $ 2,678.00

KY Travel Industry Association $ 2,668.00

KY Pharmacists Association $ 2,634.91

Texas Public Policy Foundation $ 2,620.30

American Express Company $ 2,610.00

Hudson Holdings, LLC $ 2,602.10

KY Manufactured Housing Institute $ 2,566.67

American Council of Life Insurers $ 2,539.85

Marathon Petroleum Company LP $ 2,533.00

Alliance for Solar Choice (The) $ 2,500.00

Family & Children's Place $ 2,500.00

Fiserv Solutions, LLC $ 2,500.00

Jockey's Guild, Inc. $ 2,500.00

KY Assn. of Fire Chiefs $ 2,500.00

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group $ 2,500.00

Louisville Apartment Assn. $ 2,500.00

Mainstreet $ 2,500.00

Special Olympics of Kentucky $ 2,500.00

Yum! Brands, Inc. $ 2,500.00

KY Home Care Association $ 2,434.16

KY Head Start Assn. $ 2,400.00

Fairness Campaign $ 2,374.48

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky $ 2,264.67

DentaQuest $ 2,250.00

KY Mental Health Coalition $ 2,250.00

General Cigar Company, Inc. $ 2,244.00

KY Nonprofit Network, Inc. $ 2,174.56

Council of State Governments (CSG) $ 2,149.00

KY Assn. for Gifted Education KAGE $ 2,130.54

KY County Attorney's Assn. $ 2,128.58

KY Forest Industries Assn. $ 2,126.00

Interlock Industries $ 2,118.41

American Council of Engineering Co. of KY $ 2,111.00

KY Trucking Assn. $ 2,105.00

Aramark Correctional Services, LLC $ 2,000.00

Autism Speaks, Inc. $ 2,000.00

Blue Grass Airport $ 2,000.00

Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC $ 2,000.00

Child Care Advocates of Kentucky $ 2,000.00

City of Corbin, KY $ 2,000.00

Community Ventures Corporation $ 2,000.00

EquiLottery, LLC $ 2,000.00

Hearing Aid Association of Kentucky $ 2,000.00

KY Alliance of YMCA'S $ 2,000.00

KY Assn. of Home Inspection Professionals $ 2,000.00

KY Assn. of Regional MH-MR Programs, Inc. $ 2,000.00

KY Industrial Utilities Customers $ 2,000.00

KY Society of Professional Engineers $ 2,000.00

KY Speech-Language-Hearing Association $ 2,000.00

March of Dimes $ 2,000.00

Racing Resource Group $ 2,000.00

U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform $ 1,938.00

Humane Society of the United States $ 1,909.50

American Pharmacy Services Corporation $ 1,813.95

Indiana/Ky./Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters $ 1,797.00

KY Assn. of Transportation Engineers $ 1,750.00

KY Transportation Employees Association $ 1,750.00

KY Resources Council, Inc. $ 1,676.55

KY Tax Bill Servicing, Inc. $ 1,667.00

J.G. Wentworth Co. (The) $ 1,666.00

Perdue $ 1,666.00

Kroger Company (The) $ 1,650.00

Larue County $ 1,618.41

City of Georgetown, KY $ 1,584.00

Columbia Gas of KY, Inc. $ 1,545.00

Appalachian Wildlife Foundation $ 1,500.00

Appriss Inc. $ 1,500.00

Carespring Healthcare Management $ 1,500.00

Delta Natural Gas Company Inc. $ 1,500.00

Energy Systems Group $ 1,500.00

Indiana Health Information Exchange $ 1,500.00

KY Psychological Association, Inc. $ 1,500.00

Louisville & Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer $ 1,500.00

KY Assn. of Convention & Visitors Bureaus $ 1,332.00

KY Marina Association $ 1,332.00

Advantage Medical $ 1,301.00

United Steelworkers of America, District 8 $ 1,296.00

Kentuckians for Better Transportation $ 1,287.27

KY Council of Churches $ 1,262.51

Associated Builders & Contractors OH Valley $ 1,250.00

KY Veterinary Medical Assn. $ 1,250.00

KY Primary Care Association $ 1,200.00

Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, Inc. $ 1,115.99

KY Right to Life Association, Inc. $ 1,112.00

KY Right to Work Committee, Inc. $ 1,100.00

KY Assn. for Career and Technical Education $ 1,099.00

Professional Insurance Agents of Kentucky $ 1,039.85

Western KY Coal Association $ 1,027.79

Planned Parenthood Advocates of IN & KY $ 1,020.00

KY Alternative Livestock Association $ 1,000.00

KY Assn. of Hospices and Palliative Care $ 1,000.00

KY Podiatric Medical Assn. $ 1,000.00

Almost Family, Inc. $ 968.00

KY Assn. for Economic Development $ 940.67

Ashland, LLC $ 913.17

KY Cattlemen's Association $ 900.00

Children, Inc. $ 870.86

Town Branch FOP Lodge #83, Inc. $ 825.98

KY Council on Problem Gambling $ 800.00

KY Auctioneers Association $ 792.00

KY Assn. of Highway Contractors $ 780.00

College Board (The) $ 776.85

Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers $ 765.00

KY Thoroughbred Assn. $ 750.00

QC Holdings, Inc. $ 740.00

KY Coalition Against Domestic Violence $ 680.00

Homeless and Housing Coalition of Ky. $ 613.21

KY Auto & Truck Recyclers Association $ 600.00

KY Fire Sprinkler Contractors Assoc., Inc. $ 600.00

KY Self Insurers Association $ 600.00

WellCare of Kentucky, Inc. $ 551.00

Best Friends Animal Society $ 550.00

Harshaw Trane $ 538.00

Americans United for Separation of Church & State $ 500.00

Poe Companies, LLC $ 500.00

National Assn. for Gun Rights $ 485.00

Campaign For Tobacco Free Kids $ 477.00

Alzheimers Association $ 431.00

Koch Co. Public Sector, LLC & Affiliates $ 402.00

KY Library Association $ 400.00

Sanofi US $ 373.00

Foundation for a Healthy KY $ 338.52

Plantmix Asphalt Industry of KY, Inc. $ 325.85

KY Voices for Health $ 267.84

Appalachian Citizens Law Center, Inc. $ 256.00

National Multiple Sclerosis Society $ 250.00

Rivercity Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614 $ 218.16

KY Assn. of Master Contractors $ 205.00

KY Assn. of Children's Advocacy Centers $ 189.00

Down Syndrome Assn. of Central KY $ 184.00

Community Farm Alliance Inc. $ 156.00

KY Kingdom, LLLP $ 90.00

Nationwide Insurance $ 39.85

Metropolitan Housing Coalition $ 25.00

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education $ 19.00

ACT, Inc. $ -

Agentis Management Inc $ -

AK Steel Corporation $ -

Alltech, Inc. $ -

American Diabetes Association $ -

American Massage Therapy Assn., Ky. Chapter $ -

American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. (APCI) $ -

American Rental Assn. $ -

Apple Inc. $ -

Association of Independent KY. Colleges & Univ. $ -

AssuredPartners NL Agency, Inc. $ -

Baptist Health Plan $ -

Bluegrass Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #4 $ -

Boone County Education Association $ -

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals $ -

Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky $ -

Brennan Center for Justice $ -

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company $ -

Cal-Tex Protective Coatings, Inc. $ -

Cash in a Dash, LLC $ -

Celgene Corporation $ -

Childrens Law Center, Inc. $ -

Christian Science Committee on Pub. for KY, LLC $ -

Cigar Association of America, Inc. $ -

Cisco Systems, Inc. $ -

Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. $ -

CNU Online Holdings, Inc. $ -

Coal Operators & Associates Inc. $ -

Codell Construction $ -

Commonwealth Technology Inc. $ -

Communications Workers of America $ -

Community Coordinated Child Care 4-C $ -

CTIA - The Wireless Assn. $ -

Day Spring, Inc. $ -

D-C Elevator Company, Inc. $ -

Diageo North America $ -

Eastern KY University Foundation $ -

Family Resource & Youth Services Coal. of KY, Inc. $ -

Fayette County Education Assn. $ -

FedEx Corporation $ -

Fidelity Investments $ -

First Kentucky Securities Corporation $ -

First Southern Funding, LLC $ -

First Southern National Bank $ -

Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky $ -

Fraternal Order of Police Corrections Lodge 77 $ -

Gateway Children's Services $ -

Gateway Health $ -

Georgetown-Scott Co. Chamber of Commerce $ -

Greater Louisville Medical Society $ -

HNTB Corporation $ -

Independent Electrical Contractors of KY/S.IN $ -

Innovation Alliance $ -

Janus Capital Management LLC $ -

Jefferson County Attorney $ -

Jobs for Kentucky's Graduates, Inc. $ -

Kentuckians for Freedom, LLC $ -

KY -811 $ -

KY Ambulance Providers Assn. $ -

KY Assn. for Marriage & Family Therapy $ -

KY Assn. of Criminal Defense Lawyers $ -

KY Assn. of Insurance and Financial Advisors $ -

KY Assn. of School Councils $ -

KY Automotive Industry Assn. $ -

KY Building Materials Assn. $ -

KY CASA Network $ -

KY Cemetery Association $ -

KY Civil Justice Alliance $ -

KY Constable Assn., Inc. $ -

KY Credit Union League, Inc. $ -

KY Deferred Deposit Association $ -

KY Entrepreneurship Education Network, Inc. $ -

KY Horsemen's Benevolent Protective Assn. $ -

KY League on Alcohol and Gambling Problems $ -

KY Lottery Corporation $ -

KY Medical Equipment Suppliers Assn., Inc. $ -

KY Partners L.P. $ -

KY Partnership for Families & Children, $ -

Inc.

KY Public Retirees $ -

KY Restaurant Association $ -

KY River Resources, LLC $ -

KY Society of Interventional Pain Physicians $ -

KY State Acupuncture Association $ -

KY State Beekeepers Association $ -

KY Wired Operations Co., LLC $ -

Laborers Intl. Union of North America, Local 576 $ -

Legal Aid of the Bluegrass $ -

Lexington Center Corporation $ -

Lexington Medical Society $ -

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government $ -

Louisville Soccer Alliance, Inc. $ -

Luckett & Farley AECM, Inc. $ -

MasterCard International Inc. $ -

May Commercial Group $ -

National Assn. of Charter School Authorizers $ -

New Beginnings Family Services $ -

Novartis Services, Inc. $ -

Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital $ -

People Advocating Recovery (PAR) $ -

PLS Financial Services $ -

Preservation Kentucky, Inc. $ -

Prudential Financial, Inc. $ -

R. L. Polk & Company $ -

Region 8, UAW $ -

Reid Investments, LLC $ -

Retailer Commission For Economic Growth $ -

Sanitation District No. 1 $ -

Scenic Kentucky, Inc. $ -

Shire $ -

Smart Transportation Division $ -

SolarCity $ -

Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. $ -

TAC Air $ -

Team Taylor County $ -

Ten-Ure Organization of State Employees $ -

Travel Technology Association $ -

UC Health $ -

UCB, Inc. $ -

United Healthcare Services, Inc. $ -

United Insurance $ -

United Mine Workers of America $ -

United Way of Kentucky $ -

Universal Guaranty Life Insurance Co. $ -

Washington Center for Internships & Aca. Seminars $ -

Total $ 4,350,803.59

Spectrum NewsMarch 22, 2017

Member of Bevin administration joins Top Shelf Lobby as partnerhttp://mycn2.com/politics/member-of-bevin-administration-joins-top-shelf-lobby-as-partnerJustin Clark, who recently served in the administration of Gov. Matt Bevin as general counsel for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, is joining Top Shelf Lobby as a partner, effective April 1, 2017.

“Top Shelf Lobby is excited to have Justin join our firm as partner,” said Top Shelf partner, Marc Wilson. “His skill sets, his legal experience and knowledge of the process in state government is a tremendous asset that will help grow our firm to the next level.”

Clark is the second high level member of the Bevin administration to join a lobbying firm in Kentucky this year. Nate Haney, the former deputy secretary of the executive cabinet, left his post in January to join McCarthy Strategic Solutions.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to have served in Governor Bevin’s Administration as part of his legal team,” Clark said in a news release. “Top Shelf Lobby has a great reputation in state government, and I know first-hand how much legislators and executive branch leaders respect the firm and appreciate the

constructive manner in which it engages with policymakers on behalf of its clients. I’m looking forward to working with those valued clients and am excited to grow the firm.”

Prior to his role with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in the Bevin administration, Clark was a partner in the Louisville office of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, one of Kentucky’s oldest and largest law firms.

Clark was named a “top lawyer” by Louisville Magazine for multiple years for his work in with Stoll. Clark’s legal experience involved general and complex business litigation, insurance regulatory matters, healthcare litigation, construction law, antitrust litigation, intellectual property litigation, professional liability defense, and constitutional law, according to a press release announcing his hire.

“Our firm has experienced tremendous growth over the last 24 months,” Top Shelf partner Kevin Payton said in the release. “Having an expert with Justin’s talents join our team can only mean great things for our clients, our future clients, and is a sign of our commitment to being the leading lobbying firm in Kentucky.”

Top Shelf Lobby was recognized by the Southern Political Report as the top lobbying firm in Kentucky in 2015. The group manages advocacy in Kentucky for some of the largest brands in the world, including healthcare organizations, trade associations, and small business interests, according to the news release.

The Dallas Morning NewsMarch 22, 2017

Dallas City Council unanimously approves ethics overhaul following months of contentious debate

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-city-hall/2017/03/22/dallas-city-council-overhaulsethics-rulesmayor-mike-rawlings-lauds-changes-remarkable

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday overhauled the city's ethics rules in an attempt to clamp down on lobbying and cut some political influence out of City Hall's operations.

The vote was unanimous, but the new ethics policy was the result of months of work and contentious debate and complaints that the proposals either went too far, not far enough or are not even enforceable.

Mayor Mike Rawlings lauded his colleagues for eventually supporting the rewrite.

"You've done something remarkable," Rawlings said. "This is an amazing thing for the city."

The new ethics laws will:

Bar successful campaign managers from lobbying city officials for one year after a campaign.

Prohibit City Council members from discussing ongoing contract bids, an issue that arose during the debate over a $200 million contract to dig the Mill Creek Drainage Tunnel.

Require attorneys and law firms representing clients to register as lobbyists.

Require leaders from associations — including police and fire groups — to register as lobbyists, an issue council member Lee Kleinman has previously raised.

Lower the threshold to disclose gifts at $250 instead of $500.

Bar council members from appointing their staff members to boards and commissions.

Forbid council members from berating, admonishing and publicly criticizing city employees after a few had been accused of doing so in the past.

Preclude council members from using undue influence on their board and commission appointees, who will now also be considered "city officials" subject to the ethics rules.

The ordinance will take effect July 1, a request by council member Rickey Callahan, who wanted the changes delayed until after the May elections.

Council members shot down several of their colleagues' attempts to go further with ethics crackdowns.

The mayor, for instance, had wanted electronic devices banned during closed-door legal sessions. Rawlings was frustrated that the council's selection of T.C. Broadnax as city manager leaked before the council's discussion was over and before the council had sealed the deal with the then-city manager of Tacoma, Wash.

But the council nixed that idea after Adam McGough, who represents Lake Highlands and far northeast Dallas, said he wanted to have the ability to communicate with family members in case of emergencies.

Council members also allowed themselves to use the word "Honorable" as a title before their name when making endorsements. Some argued that barring them from using "Honorable" was unconstitutional.

Council members Scott Griggs and Adam Medrano had tried to pass a flurry of other amendments to broaden the rules, such as expanding the campaign manager definition and including political action committee leaders in the rule.

But the majority of the council rejected their efforts in fear of unintended consequences. Griggs and Medrano were joined by Philip Kingston, their usual ally, who said he was disappointed by the results.

"It's a shame that council would not pass the meaningful amendments to limit undue access by campaign managers and restrict council members from enriching themselves through tax giveaways," Kingston said. "This is ethics pantomime."

Several council members had already seen some of the changes as redundant and unenforceable even though none voted against. They had repeated through the process, as Callahan said Wednesday, "you're either ethical or you're not," and that the new rules won't change that.

Omaha World HeraldMarch 23, 2017

Nebraska lawmakers hear testimony on bill to ban local governments from hiring lobbyists with tax money

http://www.omaha.com/news/legislature/nebraska-lawmakers-hear-testimony-on-bill-to-ban-local-governments/article_ba3a39ce-6fb5-5a98-a921-89e0f53dea81.html

A state lawmaker is seeking to prohibit local governments from paying for lobbyists with tax dollars.

State Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell said Wednesday that cities, counties and school boards can turn to elected officials, superintendents or managers to represent them at the State Capitol.

But opponents — including the mayors of the state’s two largest cities — said lobbyists play a vital role in advocating for their constituents’ interests.

The hiring of lobbyists, supporters of the bill argued, is costly, leading to more taxpayer spending and more lobbying.

During a five-year period, 17 Nebraska school districts spent $2.2 million on lobbying activities — money that wasn’t spent to educate students, Kuehn said.

“This has become an institutionalized profit center,” Kuehn told members of the Legislature’s Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, noting that 38 lobbyists are registered this year to represent local governments.

Legislative Bill 664 is part of a four-bill lobbying-related package sponsored by Kuehn. A second bill, LB 153, would require former state elected officials to wait two years after leaving office before they could become lobbyists.

Anyone who works to affect matters before the Legislature on behalf of someone else is considered a lobbyist and is required to register with the state. Exceptions include allowing employees of the executive branch who are acting in their official capacity to lobby without registering.

Under LB 664, political subdivisions would be barred from using revenue from taxes or fees to employ a lobbyist.

The bill, as written, would prohibit employees, such as a superintendent, from lobbying, too, said Frank Daley, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, who testified in a neutral capacity.

But Kuehn said that’s not his intent, and he would work to clarify the bill’s language.

While no states ban local governments from using tax dollars to pay for lobbyists, 10 states prohibit state agencies from using public funds to retain a lobbyist, Kuehn said.

The bill drew letters of opposition from Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler, plus Omaha City Council President Ben Gray on behalf of the council.

“While I have testified, written letters, and personally discussed legislative matters with senators, it is impractical to carry this responsibility as a full-time mayor for all bills that positively and negatively impact Lincoln,” Beutler wrote.

Common Cause Nebraska, a government watchdog group, and the Nebraska Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative organization that advocates for smaller government, both supported LB 664, as did Rod Edwards, a spokesman for Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom.

Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue questioned whether the measure would give well-paid private groups a stronger voice.

“You’re the example of what I fear,” she said, referring to Americans for Prosperity, which is funded by the Koch brothers.

The committee took no immediate action.

Iowa Public RadioMarch 23, 2017

Letter of Admonishment to Go to Koch Brothers Lobbyist

http://iowapublicradio.org/post/letter-admonishment-go-koch-brothers-lobbyist#stream/0

The Ethics Committee in the Iowa House Wednesday voted unanimously to reprimand Drew Klein with the Koch Brothers-funded group Americans for Prosperity for failing to register as a lobbyist on controversial legislation earlier this session.

The bill dramatically scaled back collective bargaining rights for Iowa public employees.

Iowa Federation of Labor president Ken Sagar filed the complaint alleging Klein lobbied aggressively for the collective bargaining bill without registering his support for the bill as required by House ethics rules.

Klein argued he believed he had registered to lobby.

The committee concluded the complaint was valid, but there was no malice in Klein’s actions.

The panel will draft a letter of admonishment, warning Klein about a repeat occurrence.

“Any lobbyist should take heed on what has happened and what has occurred so it doesn't happen to anyone again,” said Committee Chairman Rep. Rob Taylor (R-West Des Moines.)

Taylor cites the reason for the ethics rules governing lobbyists.

“So that the public knows who it is that is giving us information and advice either for or against a certain subject matter,” Taylor said.

The panel could have banned Klein from lobbying in the future.

Klein issued a statement following the committee action.

“I am disappointed that the ethics committee failed to adequately consider the evidence that was presented to them,” Klein said. “I look forward to moving past this to continue advocating for issues that will benefit our state.”

Taylor’s role in the matter was questioned because he had sponsored an Americans for Prosperity event. However, Klein said the top Democratic on the committee, Rep. Phyllis Thede (D-Bettendorf), advised him he should not have to recuse himself.

“When we consider this we put those blinders on,” Thede said.

St. Louis Public RadioMarch 24, 2017

Goodbye to all that? Missouri lawmakers dragging feet on lobbyist-gift ban

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/goodbye-all-missouri-lawmakers-dragging-feet-lobbyist-gift-ban#stream/0

Free stuff from lobbyists — anything from free meals to concert and game tickets to trips abroad — are part of the perks of being a lawmaker.

Such gifts, though, have been on the chopping block for a couple of years, with Missouri Republican legislative leaders and now Gov. Eric Greitens looking to ban them. In the face of last year’s failed efforts to ban lobbyist gifts, Greitens took quick action once in office.

“I signed an executive order banning gifts from lobbyists to state employees of the executive branch, (and) I think all elected officials should do the same,” Greitens said during his State of the State address in January.

But there’s been no movement for nearly two months on this session’s bills. The House passed HB 60 on Jan. 17, and a Senate committee conducted a joint hearing on it and on the Senate version, SB 305.

With less than two months left in the 2017 session, which ends May 12, it remains to be seen whether what was once a strong priority for the GOP will pass at all.

The history

The gifts that lawmakers have received vary. In 2015, several members from both political parties went to Israel on someone else’s dime. Between 2007 and 2014, legislators ate nearly $67,000 worth of free barbecue.

More likely, House and Senate members are given tickets to concerts and sporting events, such as:

· St. Louis Cardinals games (including the 2013 World Series);

· St. Louis Blues games, including the postseason;

· Mizzou football games, including the 2014 Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas;

· Beyonce concert in St. Louis;

· Paul McCartney concert in St. Louis

Seven years ago, the legislature passed a wide-ranging ethics reform bill that banned money transfers between campaign committees, but not a lobbyist gift ban. (It was later struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court.)

The proposed ban didn’t become a priority until two years ago, after former Speaker John Diehl resigned in the wake of a sexting scandal. His successor, Todd Richardson, said Jefferson City needed to be cleaned up, and believed banning gifts was part of the solution.

Last year’s proposed ban, HB 2166, also passed quickly out of the House. But Senate Republicans failed to follow their House counterparts’ footsteps, largely because some thought the definition of a gift was too broadly written.

This disagreement was illustrated during a floor debate between senators Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, and Kiki Curls, D-Kansas City.

“Has anybody ever seen there’s leftover pizza and had a piece of it? What I know is if there was a box of pizza and I came by your office, and a lobbyist paid for that pizza, and I walked by and I picked up the pizza and ate it, all of a sudden now I’m guilty of violating the thing that we banned everybody from partaking in,” Schatz said.

“I agree with you,” said Curls. “I think we need to have time to think about this because in a number of ways, I’m thinking about potential unintended consequences.”

This year’s House measure is being sponsored by Republican Rep. Justin Alferman of Hermann. Alferman, who also sponsored the 2016 bill, said the real problem is that lawmakers have grown accustomed to getting free stuff.

“In Jeff City, public servants come down here and get into the mindset of, ‘Well, this is just how it is,’ and don’t even question the motives or the reasoning behind it,” he said. “That’s a problem whenever we get complacent in that type of situation.”

Senate leaders are downplaying the nearly two-month delay. President Pro-tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, says it’s just that other bills were more important. He cited right-to-work, which was passed by both chambers and signed by Greitens within a month of his taking office.

“Looking at our calendar with some of these reforms, they’ve kind of allowed the majority (floor) leader to go to some labor and some tort reforms, Richard said. “We’re thinking that’s important, but I suspect we’ll be getting back to that ethics legislation at some point, if we can find some kind of common ground, sure.”

And despite Greitens’ call for banning lobbyist gifts, his own actions have Democrats crying foul.

The Republican created a nonprofit organization called “A New Missouri” to advocate for his policy agendas. Because it’s a nonprofit, donors can give as much money to it as they want and remain anonymous.

Some lawmakers have decided to push back against Greitens by targeting the proposed lobbyist gift ban, even though the two are technically unrelated. Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, wants to add language to the House bill that would require full disclosure of donors’ names and contributions to the governor’s new nonprofit.

“When we have so much dark money at the executive office level still out there, I think that we need to focus and keep bringing attention to that,” she said.

It’s unlikely that Republican leaders will go along with Democrats’ wishes on shining a light on “dark money.” But both parties may have to fight that battle on another field if they want to pass a ban on lobbyist gifts before the end of session.

LMTonlineMarch 24, 2017

Lynch lobbying firm is facing a financial crunch

http://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/Lynch-lobbying-firm-11024484.php

Staffers at the longtime top Albany lobbying firm, Patricia Lynch Associates, have seen their paychecks delayed — sometimes even up to six weeks since last fall — due to cash-flow issues, and a number of staffers have left, according people with knowledge of the matter.

Lynch denied that the employees' paychecks were regularly delayed.

"Like any small business, some months are better than others as far as cash flow," Lynch said in a phone interview Thursday. "I am rightsizing the firm to be a boutique firm that serves clients in New York, Florida and internationally."

Lobbying records show that the firm has lost a number of clients, including Madison Square Garden, which in late 2015 hired former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Joe Percoco, who is charged in an alleged upstate bid-rigging scandal. The firm has also lost SUNY Stony Brook and SUNY Buffalo, whose lobbying budgets have tightened in the wake of indictments of Percoco and eight others in the case. Lynch's firm is not involved in that case.

A number of people have left the firm, including Darren Dopp, former spokesman for ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Kelly MacMillan, Chris Bottini, Redmond Haskins, Danna DeBlasio and Paulina Brown.

Lynch was communications director for ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and began her lobbying and media relations business in 2001 with a substantial number of clients.

Silver is appealing his 2015 conviction on federal corruption charges in a case prosecuted by ex-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

In that case, Lynch was an unnamed person mentioned in court documents. But she was identified by sources as one of the women with whom Silver allegedly had extramarital affairs, as described in the documents produced by Bharara's office and unsealed in April 2016. The documents were not presented during Silver's trial, but came out before his sentencing. Bharara's office maintained in the documents that Lynch had obtained clients in part because of her relationship with the ex-speaker.

Lynch declined to comment on the Silver case.