Cordray's tough talk upsetting lobbyists

Attorney General Richard Cordray riled the Capitol Square lobbying community by issuing what some characterized as an overly strong news release that mentioned corruption and using his authority to investigate lobbying activity.

The release came Tuesday night, after Legislative Inspector General Tony Bledsoe sent the names of 15 lobbyists and employers to the attorney general's collections enforcement section for failing to pay $2,200 in late fees. The penalties were assessed for not filing expenditure statements on time.

The release, which attributed quotes to Cordray, made little mention of the late fees. It did note that "lobbying activity in Ohio is at an all-time high," and "any hard-working Ohioan in this tough economy would love to see that kind of job growth."

"They put some lines in there that were probably unnecessary," said Victor Hipsley, president of the Ohio Lobbying Association.

In the line that got the most attention, Cordray said: "Clearly, more than ever, the expertise of the attorney general's office is needed to help prevent corruption as wealthy and well-connected special interests increasingly attempt to shape the laws and public policies that affect ordinary Ohioans."

Hipsley and other lobbyists thought Cordray was implying he knew of corruption. They also worried that Cordray was trying to move in on the enforcement of state lobbying laws, a role handled by Bledsoe's office under Ohio law.

Hipsley said he was satisfied that is not the case after he met with Cordray yesterday afternoon.

A Cordray spokeswoman said: "We shared with them and the Ohio legislative inspector

Source:dispatch.com/