JCOPE Settles Allegations of Lobbying Act Violations with Uber Technologies, Inc.

The New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (“Commission”) today announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Uber Technologies, Inc. over alleged violations of the Lobbying Act, stemming from approximately $6.3 million in underreported lobbying spending during the 2015-2016 biennial registration period.

Uber agreed to pay a fine of $98,000 to resolve the allegations that information was omitted from its required lobbyist bi-monthly and client semi-annual report filings. Uber used a compliance firm to complete its filings and stated that an oversight by that firm accounted for the majority of the underreported amount. Uber’s own error led to the remainder of the underreporting in the filings, which have since been amended. The $98,000 settlement is the largest reached by the Commission for issues discovered by the Commission’s compliance program.

The Commission reminds lobbyists and clients of the importance of establishing and maintaining strong internal controls in order to ensure compliance with the Lobbying Act’s reporting requirements.