James CallA Chicago, Atlanta, and two Tallahassee-based accounting firms have qualified to certify Florida lobbyists’ compensation reports. The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee has qualified proposals from Chicago-based Grant Thornton, Atlanta’s Warrant Averett and Tallahassee-based Carroll and Company and the Carr, Riggs & Ingram firm for contracts to audit the reports.
Last year more than $200 million flowed into efforts to influence the executive and legislative branches of state government. Florida began to chart how much special interests spend on lobbying state government with a 2005 law.
It requires lobbying firms to turn in quarterly reports showing a general range of how much and from where its compensation comes. Lobbyists aren’t required to disclose the exact amount they are paid; the reports round the compensation in ranges of up to $100,000, $100,000 – $250,000, and so on.
This year lobbying firms are subject to random audits. The Florida Bar reports there are about 800 lobbying firms working the state capitol.
The 2005 law requires a random sample of 3 percent of legislative lobbying firms and 3 percent of executive branch lobbying firms be selected for audits; that means a total of about 24 firms will be examined.
The JLAC will conduct a lottery in February selecting which firms’ reports from 2014 will be reviewed. Once JLAC notifies a firm it is up for an audit, it will have 30 days to select a CPA firm from the approved list or have JLAC appoint an auditor.
The date, time and location for when JLAC will select this year’s firms will be posted on its website.
