If you are someone who follows politics, you no doubt have seen
stories chronicling the many dollars spent on lobbying in a given
quarter or year. What you may not know is where these totals
come from and how they are calculated.
This is the first in a series of posts explaining the federal
lobbying reporting requirements under the Honest Leadership and
Open Government Act (unaffectionately known by its acronym,
HLOGA). Hopefully, these will help you better understand what
is reported, what it really means, and how the information might
(or might not be) useful in determining how the lobbying process
works.
Please note that these features are intended as a primer for
understanding lobbying disclosure and not as legal advice. If
you have specific questions about your personal or your
organization's lobbying disclosure requirements, please contact
the House Office of the Clerk at (202) 225-7000 or the Senate
Office of Public Records at (202) 224-0322.
