Campaign
Finance Guide
Section
13: Lobbyists
What
is a Lobbyist?
(DC Official Code § 1-1105.01)
A lobbyist is
any person or group of persons communicating directly or soliciting
others to do so with any official in the legislative or executive
branches of the District of Columbia Government with the purpose
of influencing any legislative action or an administrative decision.
Registration
Requirements
(DC Official Code §§ 1-1105.02 and 1-1105.04(a))
Any person or
group of persons who receive compensation or expend $250.00
or more in any three (3) consecutive months for lobbying must
register with the Director of Campaign Finance within 15 days
after becoming a lobbyist, and annually on or before January
15 of each year thereafter.
Reporting
Requirements
(DC Official Code § 1-1105.05)
Lobbyists must file
an activity report on a biannual basis with the Office of Campaign
Finance covering lobbying activities of the previous six months.
Reports must include each receipt itemized by date, benefactor,
and nature of transaction, amount and total expenditures in
five categories. Lobbyists must list each legislative or executive
official with whom they have had oral or written communications
(during the reporting period) and identify any official and/or
member of such official’s personal staff receiving compensation
in any manner from the lobbyist.
Compensation, including
salaries and fees, should be prorated and reported according
to the amount of time allocated to representing any District
of Columbia interest. All expenditures of $50.00 or more must
be itemized by the date, name and address of the recipient,
in addition to the amount and purpose of such expenditure.
Prohibited
Activities
(DC Official Code § 1-1105.06)
A lobbyist registered
with the Office of Campaign Finance, or anyone acting on behalf
of a registrant, may not offer, give or cause to be given a
gift to an official in the legislative or executive branch or
a member of the official’s staff that exceeds $100.00
in value in the aggregate in any calendar year.
No information copied
from registration forms and activity reports or from lists compiled
from such forms and reports shall be sold or utilized by any
person for the purpose of soliciting campaign contributions
or selling tickets to a testimonial or similar fund raising
affair or for any commercial purpose. No public official shall
be employed as a lobbyist while acting as a public official.
Things to Remember
- Lobbyists must
register annually with the Office of Campaign Finance
- Any person or
group who receives or expends $250.00 in any three (3) consecutive
months for lobbying must register with the Office of Campaign
Finance as a lobbyist
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