A progressive advocacy group and a hospital association were fined a total of $47,500 today for failing to accurately report their lobbying activity to the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission.
The commission approved a $30,000 fine for Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy which pushed for passage of a citywide minimum wage increase and is involved in various other labor issues.
The group inaccurately reported how much it spent on lobbying city officials during 12 quarters from 2011 until 2014, according to ethics investigators.
The group reported zero lobbying expenses, when it actually spent $175,000 during that period, and failed to identify the issues being lobbied.
The Hospital Association of Southern California was fined $17,500 for inaccurate reporting of its lobbying activities during seven quarters from 2013 until 2014, during which it spent $100,000, but reported zero lobbying expenditures.
On corrected quarterly reports, the hospital trade group’s lobbying activity centered around a proposal to create a city public health department and the city’s new trash collection system, both of which the group opposed.
“The people of Los Angeles have a right to know what entities and individuals are spending to influence the decisions of their city government,” City Ethics Commission Enforcement Director Sergio Perez said.
“Today’s orders show the Ethics Commission’s commitment to transparency.”
