Notably absent from this week’s first-quarter lobbying disclosures were reports from the Vermont State Employees Association, which has lobbied heavily against potential cuts to the state workforce.
That’s because the VSEA had not registered as a lobbying group until Tuesday when VTDigger brought it to the union’s attention that their reports weren’t included in the Secretary of State’s online database.
The VSEA has now registered and filed its expenditure reports, according to a spokesman who said the union paid $425 in fines for the late filings.
The VSEA did file individual reports for its staff who are registered as lobbyists, which show it paid seven staffers and a contract lobbyist $77,609. That’s the third most any group spent on lobbyist compensation, and because the VSEA wasn’t registered that spending was not reflected in Monday’s media coverage of the disclosures.
Most of that money, $39,000, went to Essex County State’s Attorney Vince Illuzzi, the VSEA’s contract lobbyist. The union also spent $22,996 on issue advertising and $5,000 on its annual legislative reception, bringing its total first-quarter spending to $105,605.
Steve Howard, the union’s executive director, said failing to register was an “unfortunate oversight” made in the midst of efforts to fight cuts to state jobs.
“It’s regrettable, but in the scheme of things our priority was defending state employee jobs and public services,” Howard said, adding that the VSEA is committed to reporting its members’ lobbying expenses.
