Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Argument for Expansive Lobbyist Disclosure Dismissed - State and Federal Communications

February 5, 2013  •  

Massachusetts Secretary of State’s Argument for Expansive Lobbyist Disclosure Dismissed

MassachusettsAn argument put forth by the Massachusetts Secretary of State’s office requiring lobbyists to disclose every communication with public officials “makes absolutely no sense,” wrote Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders.

Secretary of State William Galvin’s office had argued it has the authority to interpret “all direct business associations with public officials” expansively and require the names of all officials with whom a lobbyist has communicated. In reaction, a lawsuit was brought against the Secretary of State’s office by the ACLU, AirStrategies, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, Citizens for Juvenile Justice, Common Cause, and the Conservation Law Foundation.

According to the Boston Herald, the arguments in favor of the disclosure requirement were dismissed by the judge in her decision.

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