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NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate release: 3 pages For more information:


Friday, March 4 2010 Blair Horner 518 669-0886
Bill Mahoney 518 817-3738

2010 A $WEET YEAR FOR ALBANY LOBBYISTS


SODA, WINE ADVOCATES CONTRIBUTE TO A RECORD-BREAKING $210 MILLION
COCKTAIL OF INFLUENCE
TOP LOBBY CLIENTS SPEND MILLIONS MORE IN CAMPAIGN DONATIONS
According to lobbying data obtained from the Commission on Public Integrity, a record-shattering
$210,664,067 was spent lobbying in New York State in 2010. This bump from 2009’s total of $197.8
million was an increase of 6.5%, a change that greatly surpassed the 1.5% increase in the Consumer
Price Index.1

The American Beverage Association topped all spenders pouring in $12,891,045 in opposition to the
proposed soda tax. This was the third highest amount ever spent lobbying by one organization in a year.
Clients who self-identified as “health & mental hygiene” topped all sectors, spending over $36 million.
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, LLP remained the state’s top lobby firm, reporting
$10,317,390. Political parties and the governor received the most money in campaign donations from
the top 25 interests.

It should be noted that these numbers are preliminary and not yet official. Today’s relative proximity to
the January 15th filing deadline might lead to additional forms being filed or processed, which could
potentially increase these numbers and other changes may occur based on CPI’s analyses.

TOP 25 CLIENTS WITH 2010 CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS


Campaign
Rank Organization Lobbying Contributions Total
1 AMERICAN BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION $12,891,045 $52,500 $12,943,545
2 UNITED TEACHERS (NYS) $4,769,502 $1,601,817 $6,371,319
1199/SEIU & GNYHA HEALTHCARE
3 EDUCATION PROJECT 2 $3,607,738 $0 $3,607,738
4 ALLIANCE FOR A HEALTHIER NEW YORK $2,914,484 $0 $2,914,484

1
ftp://ftp.bls.gov/pub/special.requests/cpi/cpiai.txt
2
For the purposes of this study, totals for the individual businesses and unions in partnerships such as 1199/
GNYHA and CRP/ Extell are treated separately.

1
5 CRP / EXTELL RIVERSIDE, LP $2,555,323 $1,000 $2,556,323
6 HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION OF NYS $1,489,348 $789,680 $2,279,028
7 TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (NYS) $775,568 $1,107,039 $1,882,607
8 PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FEDERATION (NYS) $795,626 $1,013,453 $1,809,079
9 CABLEVISION (CSC HOLDINGS, INC.) $980,191 $788,101 $1,768,292
GREATER NEW YORK HOSPITAL
10 ASSOCIATION, SUBSIDIARIES & AFFILIATE $1,379,065 $371,438 $1,750,503
11 VERIZON $1,314,306 $358,857 $1,673,163
12 MEDICAL SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NY $1,200,295 $358,015 $1,558,310
13 UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS $1,358,838 $71,775 $1,430,613
14 WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC. $1,282,834 $54,250 $1,337,084
ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES INC. AND ITS
15 AFFILIATES $1,067,502 $185,500 $1,253,002
16 UNITED UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONS $1,211,760 $40 $1,211,800
17 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO. $1,118,312 $0 $1,118,312
18 CHESAPEAKE APPALACHIA, LLC $1,090,958 $10,450 $1,101,408
19 NEW YORKERS FOR FISCAL FAIRNESS $831,896 $0 $831,896
20 BUSINESS COUNCIL OF NYS, INC. (THE) $720,887 $96,375 $817,262
21 BANKERS ASSOCIATION (NY) $650,768 $101,500 $752,268
22 WELLPOINT, INC. $658,635 $56,000 $714,635
ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES & ITS
23 AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS (NYS) $704,770 $0 $704,770
24 CLEARING HOUSE ASSOCIATION, LLC (THE) $644,519 $20,500 $665,019
25 EMBLEMHEALTH SERVICES COMPANY, LLC $617,359 $1,050 $618,409

LEADING RECIPIENTS OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TOP 25 LOBBY CLIENTS


Amount from
Rank Recipient top 25 Lobbyists
DEMOCRATIC SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – HOUSEKEEPING (DSCC
1 HOUSEKEEPING) $722,498.84
2 NYS SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE – HOUSEKEEPING $663,666.15
3 NYS SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE $536,100.00
4 NYS DEMOCRATIC SENATE CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (NYS DSCC) $523,379.92
5 NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FEDERATION PAC $475,000.00
NYS DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE-HOUSEKEEPING
6 (DACC) $428,958.59
7 NYS DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE (DACC) $344,200.00
8 ANDREW CUOMO $217,138.14
9 NEW YORK STATE DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE $193,100.00
10 WORKING FAMILIES PARTY, INC. $140,050.00

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TOP 25 FIRMS
Rank Firm Compensation
1 WILSON ELSER MOSKOWITZ EDELMAN & DICKER, LLP $10,317,390
2 LYNCH, PATRICIA ASSOCIATES, INC. $8,128,671
3 GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP $5,440,610
4 BOLTON ST. JOHNS, LLC $4,628,804
5 KASIRER CONSULTING $4,197,507
6 HINMAN STRAUB ADVISORS LLC $4,155,898
7 MALKIN & ROSS $3,670,519
8 BROWN & WEINRAUB, PLLC $2,933,138
9 OSTROFF, HIFFA & ASSOCIATES, INC. $2,514,600
CONSTANTINOPLE & VALLONE CONSULTING LLC (FKA
10 CONSTANTINOPLE CONSULTING) $2,323,500
11 PARK STRATEGIES, LLC $2,292,000
12 DAVIDOFF MALITO & HUTCHER LLP $2,253,656
13 MANATT, PHELPS & PHILLIPS, LLP $2,241,366
14 ROFFE GROUP P.C. (THE) $2,215,785
15 BOGDAN LASKY & KOPLEY, LLC $2,133,796
16 WHITEMAN OSTERMAN & HANNA LLP $2,107,403
17 PARKSIDE GROUP, LLC (THE) $1,919,552
18 MARSH, WASSERMANN & MCHUGH, LLC $1,917,980
19 BURGOS, TONIO & ASSOCIATES, INC. $1,828,500
20 CAPALINO, JAMES F. & ASSOCIATES, INC. $1,778,483
21 FEATHERSTONHAUGH, WILEY & CLYNE, LLP $1,775,102
22 MEARA, BRIAN R. PUBLIC RELATIONS, INC. $1,752,500
23 CORDO & COMPANY, LLC $1,624,969
24 BRYAN CAVE, LLP $1,618,213
25 YOSWEIN NEW YORK, INC. $1,604,750

TOTALS BY SECTOR
Business Nature Total
Health & Mental Hygiene $36,075,701.00
Trade Associations $30,088,345.00
Real Estate & Construction $21,427,682.00
Public, Community Interest $14,676,719.00
Education $14,629,657.00
Labor $14,350,059.00
Marketing & Sales $11,501,533.00
Manufacturing $9,770,997.00
Communications $8,963,368.00
Insurance $8,928,777.00
Banking & Financial Services $8,871,195.00

3
Environment & Natural
Resources $8,138,149.00
Transportation $5,836,892.00
Public Utilities $4,523,723.00
State & Local Government $4,466,734.00
Racing & Wagering $3,525,340.00
Law $2,707,823.00
Travel & Tourism $2,181,373.00

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