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Joint Legislative Auditing Committee

Joint Legislative Auditing Committee

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Audits of Lobbying Firm Compensation Reports

Current Activity

2024 Selection of Lobbying Firms: On February 22, 2024, the following lobbying firms were randomly selected for an audit of their 2023 Lobbying Firm Compensation Reports:

Executive Branch Firms
1. Brad Ashwell
2. Governmental Consulting
3. Capital City Consulting LLC
4. Greenberg Traurig PA
5. Mercury Public Affairs
6. Robert M. Levy & Associates Inc
7. The Advocacy Partners
8. Pyle & Associates
9. The Vogel Group
10. Donald Brown Consulting

Legislative Branch Firms
1. Capital Hills Consultants, Inc.
2. Capitol Group, Inc.
3. Silver Palm Consulting, LLC
4. Piller Swaford Group Inc
5. Capital Ideas
6. CAS Governmental Services LLC
7. RSA Consulting Group LLC
8. The Merchant Strategy, Inc.
9. People Who Think
10. Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo, Cohen & Peterfriend
11. Sue Mullins
12. Fowler, Feeney & Associates, PA

To determine these firms, staff of the Auditor General's Office generated two lists of random numbers that were matched to alphabetical lists of the 333 executive branch lobbying firms and the 393 legislative branch lobbying firms, in order to meet the 3% audit requirement for each branch.

Additional random numbers were generated, as a precaution, in the event it is determined that any of the above firms cannot be audited. An example would be if an organization filed a compensation report in an abundance of caution; however, it does not meet the definition of a lobbying firm. If this occurs, the next firm on the appropriate list will be selected. The additional firms selected were:

Executive Branch: (11) 850 Consulting Group LLC, (12) Jenkins Hill Consulting, LLC, (13) Travel Green Florida Inc., (14) Capitol Advisory Group, LLC, (15) Adams St. Advocates.

Legislative Branch: (13) Ronald L. Book PA, (14) C4 Strategies, LLC, (15) NICK SCHMIDT LOBBY FIRM, (16) Capitol Strategy Group, (17) JHS Consultants, (18) New Century Government Affairs.

All firms selected for an audit will initially be notified via email. Once lobbying firms receive the packet of detailed information, usually within a week or two, they may select an audit firm of their choice from the list provided within 30 days. Audits may begin on or after March 11, 2024, and are scheduled to be completed by June 30, 2024.

Summary

The Joint Legislative Auditing Committee (Committee) is assigned responsibilities related to audits of lobbying firm compensation reports. All executive and legislative branch lobbying firms are required to file a quarterly compensation report; these reports are subject to an audit. In accordance with s. 11.40(3), F.S., the Committee’s responsibilities include: (1) adopting guidelines to govern the audits; (2) developing procedure for the selection of independent contractor auditors; (3) maintaining a list of no less than 10 independent contract auditors approved to conduct the audits; and (4) providing for a system of random selection of the lobbying firms to be audited.

Selection of Audit Firms: In late 2022, the Legislature received proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purpose of soliciting CPAs / CPA firms to perform attestation services relating to quarterly lobbying firm compensation reports. The following audit firms are expected to be available for the engagements to be performed in 2024:

  • Carroll and Company, CPAs
  • Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC
  • CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
  • C.S. West & Associates, PA
  • Warren Averett LLC

Results of Previous Audits

Year of
Engagement
Compensation
Audited
Number of
Lobbying Firms
Selected
Committee Meeting
Agenda

(Click on link to access
meeting packet)

Location of Summary
Information

(Beginning page number
of meeting packet)

2023 2022 22 December 11, 2023 281
2022 2021 23 January 19, 2023 180
2021 2020 23 December 2, 2021 302
2020 2019 26 February 4, 2021 338
2019 2018 24 December 12, 2019 422
2018 2017 26 February 21, 2019 340
2017 2016 26 December 7, 2017 411
2016 2015 27 February 23, 2017 370
2015 2014 26 November 2, 2015 47

Additional Resources

The documents below are in the PDF format and require the free Acrobat Reader for viewing:

If you have questions, please contact the Committee’s Office at jlac@leg.state.fl.us or at (850) 487-4110. Questions related to lobbying firms’ compliance with the Guidelines adopted by the Committee (compensation required to be reported on the quarterly reports, records to be maintained, etc.) must be provided in writing.

Updated: February 22, 2024