More than 60 lobbyists in Washington have been sent warning letters for failing to submit monthly reports that detail how much they earned and how much they spent to lobby state lawmakers.
“This letter is the only formal warning you will receive from PDC staff for not filing timely lobbying reports during 2013," said Lori Anderson of the Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission, which issued the letters.
After the letters come the fines—$150 to start, $300 for a second violation. Anderson said lobbyist reports are supposed to make the legislative process more transparent to the public.
“They can see who has hired a lobbyist and what particular issues different companies are lobbying," she said. "They can check out who is being entertained in connection with lobbying, which legislators are being entertained.”
The agency has not yet released a list of which lobbyists got the warning letters, but the 66 recipiens represent less than eight percent of the lobbyists registered in Washington.
