BUFFALO, N.Y. — ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A state panel tasked with regulating lobbyists and ethics in New York says $21 million more was spent on influencing local and state government officials in 2018 than in the previous year.
The annual report released Thursday by the Joint Commission of Public Ethics (JCOPE) says lobbyists spent more than $261 million last year, compared to $240 million in 2017.
JCOPE says the number of people doing the lobbying in Albany and elsewhere in the state reached nearly 8,000 in 2018, compared to around 6,700 the previous year.
The report says the ride-sharing service Uber spent the most of any lobbyists — nearly $6 million — with most of it going toward advertising buys. The next-highest spender was the labor union 1199 SEIU at $3.7 million.