An untold number of political consultants are spending secret amounts of money to influence politicians and voters, operating what frustrated regulators have come to call "shadow lobbying." 

Now New Jerseyans may learn more about exactly what special interests are behind the internet ads, television commercials and persuasion campaigns aimed at swaying decisions by lawmakers or officials. 

A bill introduced Thursday by Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, would clamp down on "shadow lobbying," an increasingly common practice in which public affairs or communications firms work to influence legislation or policy on behalf of a special interest, such as a utility or insurance company, and don't report it to the state. 

Sweeney's bill would beef up public reports, and unmask the unknown groups that lobbying firms hire to help influence policy. It's a Russian nesting doll of sorts: A registered lobbying firm has to get a license and regularly tell the public about the work it does and money it makes. But that lobbying firm can hire other businesses to help complete its work, and that second business doesn't have to tell New Jerseyans anything about its work. 

The bill would require a lobbying firm to file quarterly or annual reports with the name of the second group it hired to “provide professional services other than lobbying," what the group did, why it was hired, and what it was paid, among other information. 

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“Lobbying has become a lot more sophisticated than ever before,” said Jeff Brindle, the executive director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. “Now there’s a lot of different tools in the toolbox, like hiring polling firms, research, public relations or bringing on strategists that may not contact lawmakers but help form the lobbying strategy. In my personal opinion, it’s really in the public interest to disclose.”

It's a phenomenon that's not limited to Trenton: The number of registered federal lobbyists has decreased since 2007, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. That could have been triggered by restrictions former President Barack Obama placed on lobbyists working for his administration, and the wave of candidates discouraging contributions from registered lobbyists. 

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It's unclear how many firms operate in the shadows in New Jersey, but the legislation would seem to target at least one former aide close to Gov. Phil Murphy. 

Brendan Gill, Murphy's campaign manager, is the president and CEO of The BGill Group, a company that publicly announced a "partnership" that began in January 2017 with Public Strategies Impact, the state's second-largest lobbying firm. Gill, who is not a registered lobbyist, told last October that his firm performs political consulting, Latino media and digital media and marketing. If Public Strategies Impact is paying The BGill Group for any professional services, Public Strategies Impact would have to record it among lobbying firms under the new bill. To be sure, this type of arrangement is not unique to The BGill Group. 

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"I would encourage the Legislature to look at any measure that would truly encourage transparency and increased disclosure in the quickly evolving public affairs space," Gill said in a statement to the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey. "New Jersey has long needed true lobbying reform."

But Gill called the proposed legislation "piecemeal" and said the public should also be able to learn which political consultants are doing public affairs work for elected officials. Gill also suggested there should be restrictions on lobbyists hired by campaign funds, PACs, super PACs and political nonprofits.

Sweeney introduced another ethics bill earlier this year that would have affected Gill. A "dark money" law passed earlier this year, currently being challenged in federal court, would have barred public officials from being involved in independent political groups. Gill, who is an Essex County freeholder, does work for a political nonprofit that boosts Murphy's policies, called New Direction New Jersey.

Sweeney said the genesis of the bill is "beyond Brendan Gill," and that he is "very well aware of" people whose activity in Trenton would fall under its disclosure requirements. It has become increasingly common for lobbying firms, which are required to disclose their activity, to hire individuals and businesses to effectively do the same work of trying to influence policy. 

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"I'm not saying that anyone's doing anything illegal," Sweeney said in an interview Thursday. "I just think, make it as transparent as can be. Really it's not focused at anybody. But what you're seeing is more of this, where people are lobbying but they're under a different name that doesn't require the transparency there should be." 

The bill would target any business hired by a lobbying firm that does "advising, consulting, strategic planning, legal, political, public relations, research, analysis, digital, advertising, and similar services," its language reads.

Currently, a lobbyist is someone who tries to influence bills or policy, makes at least $100 for work done over three months that takes at least 20 hours. Sweeney's bill would remove that 20-hourtime restriction, effectively making more people or firms have to file public reports. 

The bill would also make corporations and regulated companies file their own forms if they hire lobbyists, making it easier to see the activity of a company in one place. 

Staff Writer Dustin Racioppi contributed to this article.


Email: Twitter: @abalcerzak 

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