Section 4.421 - Employment of lobbyist agent for compensation contingent on outcome of administrative or legislative action; gifts, loans, or preferential interest rates; selling or utilizing certain - Michigan Statutes

LOBBYISTS, LOBBYING AGENTS, AND LOBBYING ACTIVITIES (EXCERPT)
Act 472 of 1978

4.421 Employment of lobbyist agent for compensation contingent on outcome of administrative or legislative action; gifts, loans, or preferential interest rates; selling or utilizing certain information for commercial purpose; compensation or reimbursement of public official engaging in lobbying; violations; penalties.

Sec. 11.

(1) A person shall not be employed as a lobbyist agent for compensation contingent in any manner upon the outcome of an administrative or legislative action. A person who knowingly violates this subsection is guilty of a felony and if the person is an individual shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, and if the person is other than an individual shall be punished by a fine of not more than $25,000.00.

(2) A lobbyist or lobbyist agent or anyone acting on behalf of a lobbyist or lobbyist agent shall not give a gift or loan, other than a loan made in the normal course of business by an institution as defined in section 5 of Act No. 319 of the Public Acts of 1969, as amended, a national bank, a branch bank, an insurance company issuing a loan or receiving a mortgage in the normal course of business, a premium finance company, a mortgage company, a small loan company, a state or federal credit union, a savings and loan association chartered by this state or the federal government, or a licensee as defined by Act No. 27 of the Public Acts of the Extra Session of 1950 , as amended. For the purpose of this section, a preferential interest rate shall not be given solely on the basis of the credit applicant being a public official or a member of the public official's immediate family. A person who gives a gift in violation of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor if the value of the gift is $3,000.00 or less, and shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both, and if the person is other than an individual the person shall be fined not more than $10,000.00. A person who knowingly gives a gift in violation of this subsection and the value of the gift is more than $3,000.00 is guilty of a felony and if the person is an individual shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000.00, or imprisoned for not more than 3 years, or both, and if the person is other than an individual shall be punished by a fine of not more than $25,000.00.

(3) Information copied from registration forms or activity reports required by this act or from lists compiled from the forms or reports may not be sold or utilized by any person for any commercial purpose. A person who violates this subsection is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $1,000.00.

(4) A public official, other than an individual who is appointed or elected to a board or commission and is not an ex officio member or prohibited by law from having other employment, shall not accept compensation or reimbursement, other than from the state, for personally engaging in lobbying. A person who violates this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or imprisoned for not more than 90 days, or both.

History: 1978, Act 472, Eff. June 16, 1981
Popular Name: Lobby Act