JANUARY-JUNE 2026 LOBBYING SPENDING SURGES TO $204.4 MILLION, UP 16% FROM LAST YEAR, PRELIMINARY DATA SHOWS

Preliminary lobbying data shows that January-June 2026 total client semi-annual (CSA) lobbying compensation and expenses totaled $204.4 million, up 11% from the same period last year. Lobbying expenses for January to June 2026 increased by $20.4 million, or 99.03%, totaling $41 million, or nearly twice the amount reported for the comparable period in 2025. Detailed charts on January-June 2026 and May-June 2026 lobbying activity are now available.

January-June 2026 Preliminary Lobbying Spending

From January-June of this year, the preliminary CSA lobbying spending reached $204.4 million, an increase of 11%, over the $184.1 million spent in January-June 2025. Lobbyist compensation totaled $163.4 million, down .06% from the $163.5 million spent in January-June 2025. Expenses climbed to $41 million, marking a $20.4 million increase from the same period in 2025.

May-June 2026 Preliminary Lobbying Spending

The preliminary lobbying spending reported by lobbyists for May-June 2026 totaled $72.6 million, down $9.7 million, or 11.8%, from the record-setting $82.4 million spent in the previous bi-monthly period, March-April 2026. However, spending in May-June 2026 was up by $7.4 million, 11.3%, from the $65.2 million spent in May-June 2025. Lobbyist compensation totaled $60.8 million in May-June 2026, marking a 0.4% decrease from the $61.1 million spent in March-April 2026 and a 2.7% increase over May-June 2025.

While expenses in the May-June 2026 bi-monthly period dropped to $11.8 million, a 44.6% decrease, from the $21.3 million spent in March-April 2026, expenses almost doubled, up 96.6%, from the $6.0 million expended in May-June 2025. Expenses included $10.2 million in itemized expenses, down 47.7% from March-April 2026, and up 104.3% from the same period last year, as well as $1.5 million in non-lobbying expenses, and $108,578 in expenses less than $75. 

NYS COELIG AND NYS INSPECTOR GENERAL ANNOUNCE SETTLEMENT IN MATTER OF FORMER ACTING STATE BUDGET DIRECTOR

The NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG) and NYS Inspector General Lucy Lang (IG) announced a settlement in the matter of former NYS Acting State Budget Director Sandra Beattie related to alleged violations of the Public Officers Law (POL). The settlement followed an investigation conducted by the IG’s office and further proceedings by COELIG’s Investigation and Enforcement Division.

The investigation found that Ms. Beattie brought on her friend, who was a registered lobbyist, to serve as a voluntary consultant on a COVID-related project. The lobbyist then went on to become a paid subcontractor for a company that had been involved in that same project.  The state paid the Company and the registered lobbyist for this work. Ms. Beattie approved the invoice while the lobbyist was actively lobbying the DOB. In addition, Ms. Beattie stayed at the Florida residence of the registered lobbyist while he was engaged in lobbying the DOB. Ms. Beattie also was feted and appeared as a featured speaker at events held by the registered lobbyist for his clients and prospective clients.  

As part of the settlement agreement, Ms. Beattie admitted that her conduct violated POL § 74(3) and will pay a fine of $5,000. 

COELIG also settled three additional ethics cases. The four settlements resulted in penalties totaling $10,900.