DOJ Sitting on Thousands of Alleged Lobbying Violations

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The Justice Department has yet to resolve thousands of reported lobbying violations, with some dating back to 2014, the Government Accountability Office found in an audit this week.

According to the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act, lobbyists have 45 days after the start of their contract to submit their registration to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House, as well as disclosures every quarter that describe their lobbying activities, their compensation, and regular reports on their political contributions.

Any lobbyist or firm that does not fully complete these requirements are first notified by the Senate and the Clerk of the House, who would refer the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia if the lobbyist or firm fails to respond in an adequate manner.

The GAO found that about 74% of the over 3,600 referrals sent to the USAO over these issues since 2014 remained pending as of last January, as are about two-thirds of alleged violations involving the reporting of political contributions from lobbying firms and individual lobbyists.

“While it’s certainly possible, maybe even likely, that a number of these violations are ultimately the result of minor mistakes or oversight, the fact that so many cases remain unresolved for so long should be a red flag that critical oversight of a massively influential industry is failing,” Robert Maguire, the vice president for research at the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said in a statement to The Hill.