The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

p> PAPER STRIKE br> Perhaps to shelter its Democratic friends from embarrassment or simply, as it claims, a clerk screwed up, the AFL-CIO has not filed its semi-annual lobbying expenditure report in more than two years. Those five reports, which would indicate how much the union spent to lobby the federal government on its behalf are required by law under the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act. /p>

The AFL-CIO claims the lack of documentation was simply an oversight, and that the reports will be filed soon.

According to a staffer in the Senate Office of Public Records, which is responsible for collecting and reviewing the reports, it is common for such report filing to be late. "Sometimes a week, a month, a couple of months," says the staffer. "Usually someone is letting us know and requesting an extension. No one has ever faced any kind of fine or penalty for not filing. But the AFL-CIO has been particularly difficult in getting their stuff in. We don't know what the problem is."

On average, the union has spent more than $1 million in lobbying the federal government, as evidenced by reports filed in 2000 and the first half of 2001. "We were probably spending more after that," says an AFL-CIO lobbyist. "But I don't know of any reason why we would not have filed these reports. There is nothing sexy about them. No scandal. It's just lousy paperwork. Everyone looks to avoid this kind of stuff."

p>But not for more than two years. Now, the Senate office is looking into the prospects of a punitive fine of some kind to send a message to others looking to avoid filing. br> /p>

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