SEC. 2.135. FILING UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY; RETENTION OF DOCUMENTS; AUDITS.
§ 2.135
Lobbyists must submit accurate information to the Ethics Commission under penalty of perjury, keep records for five years to back up their reports, and comply with annual random audits conducted by the Executive Director.
Lobbyists have to give honest information to the Ethics Commission and promise under penalty of perjury that it's accurate. They must keep all their documents and records for five years to prove what they reported. The Ethics Commission can randomly audit lobbyists each year, and if asked, lobbyists have to turn over their records within ten business days.
- Complex:Subsection (b) contains a long, nested definition of what fundraising solicitations must be retained, with multiple clauses describing different types of committees and ballot measures.
- Controversial:Perjury penalties and random audits are enforcement mechanisms that affect lobbyists' obligations and could be subject to debate about their effectiveness or burden.
AI-generated · claude-haiku-4-5 · informational only, not legal advice.
Official text
(a) All information required under this Chapter shall be submitted to the Ethics Commission, in the format designated by the Commission, which may include an electronic format. The lobbyist shall verify, under penalty of perjury, the accuracy and completeness of the information provided under this Chapter.
(b) The lobbyist shall retain for a period of five years all books, papers and documents necessary to substantiate the registration and disclosure reports required by this Chapter. These records shall include, but not be limited to, copies of all fundraising solicitations sent by the lobbyist or his or her agent for an officer of the City and County, a candidate for such office, a committee controlled by such officer or candidate, or a committee primarily formed to support or oppose such officer or candidate, or any committee primarily formed to support or oppose a ballot measure to be voted on only in San Francisco.
(c) On an annual basis, the Executive Director shall initiate audits of one or more lobbyists selected at random. At the request of the Executive Director, the Controller may assist in conducting these audits. This requirement shall not restrict the authority of the Executive Director or the Ethics Commission to undertake any other audits or investigations of a lobbyist authorized by law or regulation. Within ten business days of a request by the Ethics Commission, a lobbyist or anyone required to register as a lobbyist shall provide the Ethics Commission with any documents required to be retained under this Section.
(Added by Ord. 71-00, File No. 000358, App. 4/28/2000; amended by Ord. 235-09, File No. 090833, App. 11/10/2009; Ord. 98-14 , File No. 130374, App. 6/26/2014, Eff. 7/26/2014; re-enacted and amended by Proposition D, 3/5/2024, Eff. 4/12/2024, Oper. 10/12/2024)