August 22, 2016 •
New York JCOPE Investigation Could Impact Lobbying Disclosure
The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) is investigating a series of donations to Manhattan nonprofit Pledge 2 Protect. Under current law, groups engaged in lobbying activities exceeding $50,000 annually must disclose donors of $5,000 or more. The investigation arose […]
The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) is investigating a series of donations to Manhattan nonprofit Pledge 2 Protect.
Under current law, groups engaged in lobbying activities exceeding $50,000 annually must disclose donors of $5,000 or more. The investigation arose from a series of donations nearing $700,000 from unknown sources to a newly founded law firm, Marquart & Small. These donations were ultimately given to Pledge 2 Protect, with only Marquart & Small disclosed as Pledge 2 Protect’s donor.
Depending on the outcome of the case, Marquart & Small may be required to name their undisclosed third-party donors, and similarly situated groups would have to do the same moving forward.
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