Sweeney made $227,443 in 2012 (Ironworkers Local 399) & $65,333 as Senate Pres.t
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Dr. Murray Sabin writes:
Can Senate President Steve Sweeney collect payments from a labor union for “political activities
and lobbying”, while a member of the Legislature? It would appear to me to be an existential conflict of interest.
Here is a synopsis of the situation.
The Department of Labor requires public disclosure by labor unions of how union dues are spent. These disclosures list union employees, their salaries and allowances. The disclosure also includes the allocation of time by union officers and employees estimating the amount of time spent on various activities such as organizing or administration. One of the purposes of this disclosure is to show how much the union has spent on its core activities: collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment. Non-members working in a union environment are obligated to pay dues, but only to support these core activities.
According to disclosure filings by the International, Sweeney spends a considerable amount of his time as a union official on activities described as “Political Activities and Lobbying.” (LM-2, Schedule 12, Disbursements to Employees, Line I, Schedule 16)
What political activities did he engage in and on behalf of which candidates and causes? The explanation offered as part of the disclosure describes political activity as “to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of anyone to a Federal, state, or local executive, legislative or judicial public office, or office in a political organization, or the election of Presidential or Vice Presidential electors, and support for or opposition to ballot referenda.” (Instructions for Form LM-2 Labor Organization Annual Report, page 27)
Lobbying is described as “associated with dealing with the executive and legislative branches of the Federal, state, and local governments and with independent agencies and staffs to advance the passage or defeat of existing or potential laws or the promulgation or any other action with respect to rules or regulations (including litigation expenses).”
Senator Sweeney is not registered as a lobbyist with the United States Senate or House of Representatives. He is not a registered lobbyist in Pennsylvania. The union that pays Sweeney's salary does not use outside lobbyists. Instead, it uses an employee as its primary lobbyist – registered with both the House and Senate. It is interesting to note that the primary lobbyist in Washington allocates only 50% of his time to political activity and lobbying.
New Jersey state law does not appear to allow legislators to simultaneously serve as lobbyists.
