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The
Close Scrutiny of the Lobbying
Industry
 I
am cognizant of the ever-increasing
scrutiny of the lobbying industry. Just
a few weeks ago, I read front-page
coverage on a financial website that one
of our clients had paid a lobbyist
$120,000 for work performed during the
first half of 2007.
Why
this would warrant this type of coverage
escapes me. There was nothing unusual
here; nothing wrong; it was just
business as usual as disclosed by the
Senate's public records office. Yet I
see an increasing number of articles
calling attention to lobbying work done
and the amount of financing behind the
effort.
It is increasingly important to stay
compliant in all lobbying, procurement
and political contributions. The example
cited here was all in order, with proper
paperwork filed with all the right
regulatory authorities. Imagine the
consequences when inappropriate actions
are taken (whether intended or not), or
when reporting is not done on time, or
at all. The negative media coverage and
possible punitive damages would add up.
As
part of our effort to keep you
up-to-date with compliance regulations,
all
subscribers to our Guides, and all
ALERTS clients will receive this month
our new Guidebook for the 2nd half of
2007.
In addition, we are working now on
sending all our subscribers a printed
listing of the changes that have been
made to the Guides recently. It has been
an active year for legislation
surrounding state lobbying, political
contributions and procurement lobbying,
so read through these when they arrive.
We want you to see the changes so you
can act accordingly.
Elizabeth Z. Bartz
President and CEO
State and Federal Communications, Inc.
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New
Jersey Business Entity
On
September 28, 2007, a new disclosure
filing is due with the New Jersey Election
Law Enforcement Commission [NJELEC].
Known as the "Business Entity Annual
Statement", this report must be
filed if:
(1)
Your organization received $50,000 or
more in the aggregate during calendar
year 2006 through government contracts
with the state of New Jersey,
including any political subdivision
thereof [counties, cities, school
districts].
(2)
If such contracts exist, then your
organization must also disclose political
contributions made during calendar year
2006 in excess of $300 in the
aggregate per election made to a
candidate committee, joint candidates committee,
or political committee; or per calendar
year made to a political party
committee, legislative leadership
committee, or continuing political committee.
The source of such political
contributions include:
--
Contributions written from the business
checking account
[i.e., direct corporate
contributions];
-- PAC contributions;
-- Contributions made directly
from the personal funds of your organization's
owners, principals,
partners, officers, directors, and their
spouses;
and
-- Contributions by subsidiaries,
directly or indirectly, controlled by
your organization.
(3)
Even if no such political contributions
were made in 2006, the report must
still be filed if the government
contracts described above exist.
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NCSL
Wrap up …
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 The
NCSL Annual Meeting this year in Boston was a fun-filled
event, loaded with educational opportunities, seminars and
meetings.
During
the event from August 5-9, we had hundreds of visitors
come to the State and Federal Communications exhibit to
learn more about our services. Many of these were first
time contacts who walked away with a clearer
understanding of our vision to provide compliance
services related to campaign finance and political
contributions, and state and procurement lobbying.
House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered the keynote address based
on the theme that
NCSL leads the way to creating ‘Strong States, Strong
Nation, Revolutionary Ideas.' Other highlights
included a wonderful after-hours affair at the home of
the Boston Red Sox called “Fenway Park' Night.” There
was also a State Government
Affairs Council appreciation dinner one evening. On the
final night, a lovely Boston Pops Concert rounded
out the week.
Make
sure to put next year’s dates on your calendar now:
New Orleans, Louisiana, July 20 - July 27, 2008.
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Photos
-
Top Right - John Gibson [BIO], Elizabeth Bartz, Nola
Werren, and Katrina Iserman [Wyeth]
Bottom Left - Nola
Werren, Brian S.
Rosen [Purdue Pharma], Linda Barefoot [Purdue Pharma],
and Alan Must [Purdue Pharma]
Bottom Right - Katherine Whitehead [SGAC], Elizabeth Bartz,
Beth
Loudy [SGAC], Erin Hussey [SGAC]
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State
and Federal Communications Becomes
NCSL Foundation Gold Sponsor
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State
and Federal Communications has
become a Gold-Level Sponsor
for the NCSL
Foundation for State Legislatures.
Highlights
of gold sponsorship include
interaction with NCSL leadership and |
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legislative leaders through regular forums, the
Leadership Institute and the Leader’s Advisory
subcommittee, as well as a number of other benefits.
NCSL
Foundation President Ms. Leticia Van de Putte, State Senator,
Texas, says, “The NCSL Foundation
is pleased that State and
Federal Communications has joined the extremely important work
of the NCSL Foundation. We
appreciate Elizabeth's involvement and support and look forward
to working together on
topics of mutual interest.”
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ALERTS
Client Profile – Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation
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Boehringer
Ingelheim Corporation, an ALERTS client of State
and Federal Communications, is based in Ridgefield,
Connecticut. The company serves as the U.S.
headquarters to seven subsidiaries, and is a member of
the Boehringer Ingelheim worldwide group,
making it one of the world’s 20 leading
pharmaceutical companies.
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This
privately-owned company has nearly 37,500 employees
and 143 affiliated companies throughout the world.
Boehringer
Ingelheim is research-driven and dedicated to the
discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of
innovative human and animal health care products.
We
are pleased to provide compliance counsel,
registration, reporting, and other services as needed
for Boehringer Ingelheim, a company with a
long-standing commitment to corporate compliance.
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Who
You Gonna Call?
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Do
you sometimes have a question on how to navigate the
State and Federal Communications website when looking to
answer your compliance questions? Well we don’t have
any Ghostbusters on staff, but we do have top-notch
researchers who can help you find the information you
need. If you are a subscriber to any of our Executive
Source Guides, or an ALERTS client, you can call or
email our research team with any questions you may
have.
Call toll-free at
1-888-4-LAW-NOW to speak with, or send an email to
(L to R) John Cozine, Esq., Research Mgr, jcozine@stateandfed.com
,
or Brian Cassidy, Esq., State Researcher, bcassidy@stateandfed.com,
or Jamie Paulen, Esq., State Researcher, jpaulen@stateandfed.com,
for answers on navigating the website and getting the
most from your on-line subscription. |
Meet
Jamie Paulen, Esq.
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Jamie
Paulen, Esq., State Researcher, is responsible for researching
and monitoring applicable compliance laws and helping to
maintain this
information on the State and Federal
Communications website.
When asked what she likes most about her
role at the company,
Jamie says, “I enjoy digging into the most
minute details of the law to
create a high quality product that
I am proud to present to the subscribers
of our Executive Source
Guides.”
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Landmarks
Series – Statue
of Liberty,
Our
Symbol of Freedom
This article is one of an ongoing
series that focuses on historical and/or significant
landmarks. Information gleaned from www. nps.gov and other
sources.
 Everyone
knows the Statue of Liberty, located on Liberty Island
in the Upper New York Bay area. It is one of the most
visited tourist sites in all the United States.
This fine lady is 121 years old. She was a gift from
the people of France to the people of the United
States in recognition of the friendship established
during the American Revolution. Through the years, the
Statue of Liberty has grown to also symbolize freedom
and democracy.
Sculptor
Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design
a sculpture to commemorate the centennial of the
American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was
to be a joint effort between America and France -- Americans building the pedestal while the French
would be responsible for the Statue and its assembly.
Bartholdi
enlisted the aid of engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel
(designer of the Eiffel Tower) to address structural
issues such as designing the massive iron pylon and
secondary skeletal framework that allows the Statue's
copper skin to move independently yet stand upright.
The
‘French’ part, the Statue, was completed in France
in 1884. Construction funds in part were financed
through Bartholdi obtaining a U.S. patent on the
Statue’s design, and then selling miniature
versions.
For
transit across the Atlantic Ocean on the frigate
“Isere,” the Statue was reduced to 350 individual
pieces and packed in 214 crates. It arrived in New
York Harbor in June 1885.
Meanwhile, financing for the
‘American’ part, the pedestal, was aided by Joseph
Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize), who opened up
the editorial pages of his newspaper to motivate
Americans to donate. Pedestal construction was
finished in 1886 and the Statue was re-assembled on
her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28,
1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took
place in front of thousands of spectators.
Responsibility
for the Statue of Liberty and her island has been
changed through the years, moving between governmental
entities. Today, the National Park Service is
responsible for the Statue and the surrounding
islands.
In
1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to
head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue
of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $87 million
restoration under a public/private partnership between
the National Park Service and the Statue of
Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. To date, this
has been the most successful such partnership in
American history. On July 5, 1986 the newly restored
Statue re-opened to the public during Liberty Weekend,
which celebrated her centennial.
Here
are some key facts:
•
Height from the Statue’s base to torch: 151 feet, 1
inch
• Length of her hand: 16 feet 5 inches
• 25
windows in the crown symbolize gemstones found on the
earth and the heaven's rays shining
over the world.
•
7 rays of the Statue's crown represent the seven seas
and continents of the world.
•
The tablet which the Statue holds in her left hand
reads (in Roman numerals) "July 4th, 1776."
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•
The total weight of copper in the Statue is 62,000
pounds
(31 tons).
•
The copper sheeting of the Statue is 3/32 of an inch
thick.
•
During the 1886 inauguration, President Grover
Cleveland accepted the Statue on behalf of the United
States and said in part: "We will not forget that
Liberty has here made her home; nor shall her chosen
altar be neglected."
•
Visitors to the Statue of Liberty can view an exhibit
on the second floor in the pedestal tracing the
history and symbolism of the Statue through museum
objects, photographs, prints, videos and oral
histories. There are also full-scale replicas of the
Statue's face and foot on display. You can also see
the original 1886 torch and the much altered flame in
the lobby.
•
There is a copy of the Statue of Liberty on the River
Seine in Paris, France, which was given to the city
in
1889 (see photo).
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A Special
Mention
Greg Stowe from our team of
ALERTS Compliance Assistants,
took a well-deserved break
to tie the wedding knot
to Alison Burns.
Congratulations
Greg and Alison!
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See Us in Person
Plan
to say hello at future professional development events where State and Federal Communications will be attending and/or
speaking regarding compliance issues.
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October
1-3
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PhRMA
State Government Relations Meeting
Scottsdale, Arizona |
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October
4-5
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Practising
Law Institute Program on
Lobbying and Campaign Finance
Washington, DC |
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October
13
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Kent
State vs. Ohio State football game
Columbus, Ohio |
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November
17-20
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Leaders'
Policy Conference by SGAC |
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