City comptroller slams Adams over rollback of lobbyist reporting policy
Hours after a report emerged detailing Mayor Adams’ rollback of a policy to disclose meetings between administration officials and lobbyists, city Comptroller Brad Lander slammed the move, saying it’s “a mistake.”
Adams’ policy shift, which was first reported in Politico, essentially amounts to rescinding a directive from former Mayor
Bill de Blasio that top officials voluntarily disclose meetings they take with lobbyists.
“New Yorkers deserve to know when their elected officials meet with people who seek to influence public policy because transparency is essential to maintaining public trust,” Lander (inset) said in a written statement. “The administration’s decision to forgo regular reporting of high-level meetings with lobbyists is a mistake that may undermine that trust.”
Lander added that he intends to “regularly disclose any meetings” he or staffers have with registered lobbyists “as part of our commitment to transparency and accountability.”
City lobbying laws, as currently laid out, require that lobbyists report meetings with government officials to the city Clerk’s Office. Under those rules, government officials are not required to report such meetings.
De Blasio’s requirement — while voluntarily and not consistently followed — sought to offer at least the appearance of another layer of disclosure.
An official inside Adam’s office described de Blasio’s policy as “obviously well-intentioned,” but “full of holes.” He added that lawyers for the mayor’s office recently sent out a memo instructing staffers to maintain records of all communications they have with lobbyists.
“Our guidance makes clear that all materials and communications with lobbyists must be preserved and any questions or concerns should be discussed with counsel,” said the mayor’s chief counsel, Brendan McGuire.
“To continue to require city employees to report an incomplete and inaccurate inventory of meetings is unfair and pointless when even good-government groups have repeatedly criticized the unclear and confusing characterization of lobbyists ... what matters is that every employee must recognize that contacts with lobbyists, and those who appear to be lobbyists, should be handled thoughtfully and will be scrutinized, he said.